Mari Collier's Blog - Posts Tagged "amusements"
Farm Life
Both of my parents were capable of working from dawn to dusk and often did. There would be long days of plowing, planting, and harrowing (weed removal) in the fields. The garden, orchard, and strawberry patch all demanded intensive work time and the weed removal would be by a hoe worked by the younger members of the family. It would be a constant battle between new plants and weeds.
Harvest time for fruit could start in June with the June apples. Hay fields and oat fields were also a source of early harvest usually starting in July. That always depended on when the fields could be worked in the springtime. I remember a frost and snow falling on the first day of May. That year did delay the harvest.
The farmers would take time to enjoy life too. Winter might close us in, but that never lasted more than a couple of days while I was growing up and we worked puzzles, read, or played board games.
The church always had a spring festival and a harvest festival. My parents would play pinochle at home or with neighbors and relatives. For awhile they were in a rotating group that played once a month at different farm homes. The pot was never huge as a nickel was all that they allowed each player to bet. They also allowed a bet on the meld. Those games would become intense. People like my father, my oldest sister-by-marriage, and her father could and did remember every card played or melded. Children were not allowed to play, but we could watch. One evening I’ll always remember. It looked like someone was about to win when the last card was put down by my sister-in-law’s father. He slammed the card on the heavy, golden oak table yelling, “And trump!” The force of his hand connecting with the table broke his little finger. That ended the evening’s game.
Another past-time was the dances held at peoples home or at the Memorial Building in Audubon. At that time, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod affiliated churches were condemning all dances. If one (or two) of the congregation were seen dancing and reported to the Pastor, they would have to apologize to the entire congregation the next Sunday. I always wondered why that prohibition was adopted until I knew enough of the history of the piety movement in this country during the 1880’s through early 1900. The man credited with starting the Reformation enjoyed dancing.
The first dance I remember going to with my parents was either in a hall or someone’s huge home. I was only about four so it may not have been as huge as I remember. Chairs of all kind were arranged around the room against three walls. One wall was left for the band to play. The band consisted of my oldest brother (on the guitar and piano accordion) and his friends. My brother was also the lead singer. He probably had that position as he had a tenor voice and could yodel. They played mostly western and German music. I really didn't think that evening was much fun as there was no one to dance with me. I remember sprawling out on two chairs and going to sleep.
There were other dances at farm homes, but by then I was older and joined the older ones playing Blind Man’s Bluff or other games. Sometimes my Papa or brother would dance once with me. When we moved to the farm near Audubon, my parents would go the Farm Bureau meetings and dances at the Memorial Building. The music was generally what the world calls oompah. It was fascinating to watch my parents waltz, polka and do the schottische. I felt awkward the few times I danced with Papa.
They continued to love dancing. When rock and roll came in, they didn't exactly rock the way I did, but they definitely jazzed up their dancing. They loved going out on the town when they wintered in Phoenix. People would watch the two of them twirling on the dance floor and executing turns and whirls.
Mama had a heart attack when she was seventy-four years old. That ended her dancing days, but my parents did not sit at home just watching television. They went fishing all over Iowa. Papa did not like fishing in Arizona. The fish he liked tasted “muddy” there and it cost too much to pay for the license. He preferred to have the Iowa license for the fish he liked to eat. Mama didn't care as long as she went fishing.
Harvest time for fruit could start in June with the June apples. Hay fields and oat fields were also a source of early harvest usually starting in July. That always depended on when the fields could be worked in the springtime. I remember a frost and snow falling on the first day of May. That year did delay the harvest.
The farmers would take time to enjoy life too. Winter might close us in, but that never lasted more than a couple of days while I was growing up and we worked puzzles, read, or played board games.
The church always had a spring festival and a harvest festival. My parents would play pinochle at home or with neighbors and relatives. For awhile they were in a rotating group that played once a month at different farm homes. The pot was never huge as a nickel was all that they allowed each player to bet. They also allowed a bet on the meld. Those games would become intense. People like my father, my oldest sister-by-marriage, and her father could and did remember every card played or melded. Children were not allowed to play, but we could watch. One evening I’ll always remember. It looked like someone was about to win when the last card was put down by my sister-in-law’s father. He slammed the card on the heavy, golden oak table yelling, “And trump!” The force of his hand connecting with the table broke his little finger. That ended the evening’s game.
Another past-time was the dances held at peoples home or at the Memorial Building in Audubon. At that time, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod affiliated churches were condemning all dances. If one (or two) of the congregation were seen dancing and reported to the Pastor, they would have to apologize to the entire congregation the next Sunday. I always wondered why that prohibition was adopted until I knew enough of the history of the piety movement in this country during the 1880’s through early 1900. The man credited with starting the Reformation enjoyed dancing.
The first dance I remember going to with my parents was either in a hall or someone’s huge home. I was only about four so it may not have been as huge as I remember. Chairs of all kind were arranged around the room against three walls. One wall was left for the band to play. The band consisted of my oldest brother (on the guitar and piano accordion) and his friends. My brother was also the lead singer. He probably had that position as he had a tenor voice and could yodel. They played mostly western and German music. I really didn't think that evening was much fun as there was no one to dance with me. I remember sprawling out on two chairs and going to sleep.
There were other dances at farm homes, but by then I was older and joined the older ones playing Blind Man’s Bluff or other games. Sometimes my Papa or brother would dance once with me. When we moved to the farm near Audubon, my parents would go the Farm Bureau meetings and dances at the Memorial Building. The music was generally what the world calls oompah. It was fascinating to watch my parents waltz, polka and do the schottische. I felt awkward the few times I danced with Papa.
They continued to love dancing. When rock and roll came in, they didn't exactly rock the way I did, but they definitely jazzed up their dancing. They loved going out on the town when they wintered in Phoenix. People would watch the two of them twirling on the dance floor and executing turns and whirls.
Mama had a heart attack when she was seventy-four years old. That ended her dancing days, but my parents did not sit at home just watching television. They went fishing all over Iowa. Papa did not like fishing in Arizona. The fish he liked tasted “muddy” there and it cost too much to pay for the license. He preferred to have the Iowa license for the fish he liked to eat. Mama didn't care as long as she went fishing.
