IMMIGRANT DAUGHTER 56

 

A day doesn’t go by when I am not looking for something and that reminds me of a time long ago when Carl and I did our weekly jaunt to the lake when he would come home from work on Friday. We each had a special responsibility to get ready to go. To him it was pleasure and to me it was work. Oh, it it was pleasurable too after I got there and didn’t forget anything.

I am not expressing myself very well so I had better explain some of the dilemma that faced me. If it was up to Carl we would only take water because he could go without eating for a long time. Me, I couldn’t last a day without my next meal. Food for taking on our boat was different because of it having to be kept cool. The different boats that we had over the years gave us much pleasure and to me hard work.

Our Boston Whaler was one the that kids could water ski behind,  and we had a neighbor that had two smaller kids than ours who like to tag along with us and bought their own boat. Now they knew nothing about boating and would copy us in any way they could. They were pleasant enough people to be around, but their only trouble was they argued over silly things they should have laughed about. They were ten years younger and I won’t say smarter but more educated than I was. You can’t put Carl into that equation because he was so much smarter because of having to learn the hard way by life’s hard knocks that books can’t teach.

One weekend we were too busy to go to the lake on Saturday and made plans to go after church on Sunday. It was a rush but we made it. As we were loading up to go the couple across the street always followed us. But this day they were having words even before they left giving each other orders and they did not get off when we did and arrived just as we put our  boat in the water and they yelled to us to wait for them because we always made it out to one of the islands to unload the food and stuff out of the boat so it can go fast enough for water skiing. Well as we waited and waited we finally yelled we were going on to our island we always went to.

When they finally got there and told us what the trouble was we just laughed. They left without the key to the boat and had to go all the way home to get the key. They did not have a check off list or who was given the particular assignment of boat, food,extra gas can to be put in the boat for travel. All this could have been eliminated if they would just quit arguing and talk. After listening to DIL stories about her clients she would have less clients if couples were more respectful and talk to each other more than they do.

Getting back to going to the lake one thing I did not have to worry about was the car. That was Carl’s responsibility. The only thing he liked me to do was help wash it. Car wash establishments were not as plentiful then as they are now. But I love to get wet to help cool off in the summer heat. Although I like the heat and sun I would darken without having to sit  in the sun. My olive complexion takes to the sun nicely. Poor Carl had a fair ruddy complexion and had to keep covered with sun screen and long sleeves When he was young and allowed to be in the Navy the went through the the first blistering sun burn his skin adapted to having to be outside. One liberty he and is friends doing the normal stuff young men do to prove they are grown. One liberty headed out to town to drink and got sloshed and ended up with two small tattoos one on each forearm. He was always ashamed of these and would never wear short sleeve shirts.

I mention this to say I was watching the first show of Dancing With The Stars the other night and one of the so called stars had tattoos all over her body.  To me this was disgusting and found myself hoping she would be eliminated early. Well she wasn’t,  so I will have to watch her again but I want to say she did at least have the sense to wear a costume that covered her body. It also caused her to trip and getting up not so lady like. Does anyone else like this nonsense program. I love to watch them dance I know it is something I can’t do but love to watch others dance.

I remember when Carl and I danced  in the Green Room in the  Edison Hotel in New York City. We were both self conscious but very much in love. Boy that was a long time ago. As I understand it that hotel is now long gone but not the memories.

 The New York Skyline is a beautiful site because of The Statue Of Liberty in the harbor is unforgettable.  Living in New Jersey one of the beautiful sites driving into New York was the Statue of Liberty.

I see I  am jumping around with subjects and it is difficult to sort out some of the stories I want to mention. I  have so much I want to tell you but not to make this too long I will say, until next time I am Immigrant Daughter.