Since it's getting close to the end of summer, I thought I would share another one of my favorite summer memories as a youth. My mother belonged to an organization called the Federated Women's Club. Really don't know all they did or what their mission was, but, a couple of annual events that I recall witnessing or being involved in were the following. These memories go back to the 1950's. Yes! I know. That was a long time ago. So what!
One of their social events included the husbands. They would go to someone's home and play a card game of "500." It would be played as couples but, not with necessarily their own spouse. Through-out the evening, they would keep rotating around, keeping score until a winner(s) were determined. As I recall there was also a prize given for the worst score. What that was called escapes me. Booby prize maybe?
The most important event held annually, in my estimation, was the Picnic held at the Maytag Park in Newton, Iowa. It was looked to with much anticipation for us kids. The park was beautiful, rolling with lots of mature trees. As of this writing it still is beautiful. (2014)
It was a big deal. As people started to arrive picnic tables would be butted together and all the fantastic potluck food would be laid out. Wow! It was fun to just walk around and inspect all the great home-made food that was prepared. It didn't get any better than that when it came to eating. Nothing can compare to today. Fried chicken, potato salad, jello salads. pies and more pies. No deli stuff from a grocery store or card-board pizza. No sir!
Looking back, maybe we as kids didn't appreciate all that great food but, we didn't have Big Macs, Chicken McNuggets, or tacos to compare. Hind-sight says there was no comparison.
Then the long wait, after we ate, until we could go swimming in the pool. One hour. An eternity for a kid. The wait seemed longer than the actual swim time. A silly rule. Ah! Summer-time and the living was easy. Yes it was!
written originally in 2009
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