Catherine Sevenau is a writer and storyteller who is out to capture your skittery mind. She's penned three books, compiled numerous collections of family genealogy, and has been a regular columnist in the SUN since 2016. She can be reached at [email protected].
‘Again, again, swing me again!’
Chapter 51: Apr 1949 • Diary of my brother, Larry (age 15):
Apr 22 Freshman picked weeds at school. Am now reading book called Lets Make Mary. Was late for school because of oversleeping
Apr 23 Florence Harold came into my room with Ima looking for a rodeo belt. Finished sorting out foreign stamps from British
Apr 24 Carleen ran a rusty nail clear through the ball of her foot. Doctor gave her tetness shots. Sold $25 worth of holsters
Apr 25 Went to show and saw premiere of William Benedict in The Life of Riley. Got nosebleed on track from running.
Apr 26 Stayed after school during seventh for band practice. Am on study 81 in typing class tests
Apr 27 Band played for open house, auditorium was packed. We played five numbers.
Apr 28 Had track meet with Calaveras here but did not run. Freshman turned Levis inside out.
Apr 29 Baseball game with Manteca. Raked up lawn and cut off some of the vines in the front yard. Soaked stamps.
Apr 30 Days came up with Judy and Jeff. They slept in my room and Betty snooped in my room. I slept in Betty’s bed.
Uncle Charley (our mother’s oldest brother) and Aunt Velma were up for Easter Sunday. They took pictures of us kids, and Charley also took family movies in our yard that day with his 8mm color camera, Velma in the background instructing Charley how to run camera.
“Hit the red button Charley, hit the red button.” It was her constant refrain whenever he took home movies.
In the short clip, there’s Mom, who’d made our Easter outfits, then Betty and Claudia in matching pink suits, me in a lacy collared white blouse and suspendered red skirt, and Carleen in a yellow skirt and white sleeveless blouse, all of us in our Easter best. The film clicks through its frames. No one looks comfortable, not quite sure what to do in front of the camera. Claudia is spinning a yo-yo, Betty is watching. Mom is trying to get me to turn around, Carleen is watching. Betty is pretending to box with me and then swings me by my right arm like I am a tilt-a-whirl car at a carnival. Then I stagger in circles dazed and confused, my suspenders no longer suspending, my elbow oddly bent. With a dizzy grin I’m yelling, “Again, again, swing me again!”
May 1949 • Larry’s diary (age 15)
May 1 Days went back to Redwood City. Took bath. Dad owes about $10,000 in bills has to pay bank $1000 tomorrow, only has $800
May 2 Grammer Schools of county came to the High School for play day. Saw show Three Godfathers. Took bath again.
May 3 Went swimming first time this year. Trying out for swimming team. Bought sheet of Puerto Rico stamps.
May 4 Went to doctor for pimples, Ray Harden got burned with hot lead at the Democrat office. Packed stamps in 1,000 packages.
May 5 Went to highway office and got drivers pamphlet. Drove out to Sullivans Drive-in with mom. Got medicine for pimples.
May 6 Had shortened periods for game at Oakdale, I didn’t go. 1 – 4 had party, English, got some cake
May 7 Sold many Mother‘s day cards, stayed open till 9 oclock. Had chow mein for supper. Am putting on white medicine.
To be continued…
Catherine Sevenau is a writer, humorist, and storyteller living in Sonoma, California. The stories in this series are excerpts from her book, Through Any Given Door, a Family Memoir available as a web series at Sevenau.com. A longtime Broker/Realtor at CENTURY 21 Wine Country, she can be reached at [email protected]
