I was the only girl in my family and I was stuck playing "boy" games with my two brothers. My Dad treated us as equals and at an early age, I learned how to play baseball with my brothers. My Dad practiced hitting, running, and catching with us and soon, I was as good as my brothers. I started playing softball with the girls at the Adams Little league Field playground when I was in the third grade. I was one of the smallest and youngest girls but, for my age, I was not half bad. My friend Bev and I would practice with the team and play games against other towns. It was always fun to play against the girls from Cheshire. It was a great rivalry becuase they were from the next town south of Adams.
I played softball on an Adams recreational league team until I was a junior in high school. It wasn't cool for girls to do this in the early 60's and less athletic girls always made fun of us. We didn't have regular high school leagues like the boys and it was difficult for girls who liked to play. I played on a high school "round robin" team...we had certain days after school when a couple of other high school teams would come and play shortened games. It wasn't really as much fun as "official" league games and the rules were bent slightly. But in the summer, the Adams playground teams either played each other or we played teams from Pittsfield, North Adams, Cheshire, etc.
I always wanted to play Little League and Babe Ruth baseball but girls were not allowed. It was very hard to watch my brothers do something that I could not. Discrimination was not fun and I definitely felt it.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
More about elementary school
In the 50's and 60's, the teachers were scary. They yelled and pulled you aside quickly to make known what you did wrong. One of the scariest was Miss Holleran....1st grade. Her personality reflected her name...she was quick and sharp and she raised her voice a lot. Miss Holleran loved spelling bees. She would make us line up along the walls and spell. If we missed the word she gave us, it was sit-down time. We played until the very end...only one person standing. Sometimes it was me...I was a pretty good speller.
Miss McGrath was another scary teacher...she teased her hair and colored it brown to hide the fact that it was becoming gray. She became Principal when I was a 3rd grader and I had her for half of the day when I was a fourth grader. She wasn't a bad teacher but she was famous for being loud and scary. She taught mornings while Miss Brodeur taught afternoons. I liked Miss Brodeur better. She was young, pretty, and nice.
Bald Eagle was my 6th grade teacher. Some day I will remember her real name, but it escapes me at the moment. She was tall and had gray hair that she combed up to cover the bald spot on the top of her head. It was a sad fact that she was not well-liked and the class as a whole made fun of her. Poor Bald Eagle.
Miss McGrath was another scary teacher...she teased her hair and colored it brown to hide the fact that it was becoming gray. She became Principal when I was a 3rd grader and I had her for half of the day when I was a fourth grader. She wasn't a bad teacher but she was famous for being loud and scary. She taught mornings while Miss Brodeur taught afternoons. I liked Miss Brodeur better. She was young, pretty, and nice.
Bald Eagle was my 6th grade teacher. Some day I will remember her real name, but it escapes me at the moment. She was tall and had gray hair that she combed up to cover the bald spot on the top of her head. It was a sad fact that she was not well-liked and the class as a whole made fun of her. Poor Bald Eagle.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Elementary School
In the 60's, it was still the norm to have female teachers and my school was no exception. Mrs. Beaudin, Miss Holleran, Mrs. McGrath were just a few. Mr. Baker, the lone male teacher for the 5th grade class, was one of my favorites. I admired the way he tried to sing...he really had no talent but he tried so hard. He taught us the colonial ditty, "My Hat...It had Three Corners", a reference to the tricorn chapeau worn by men in the glory days of the 13 colonies. I still remember the tune and how we did the hand movements to go along with the words!
Mrs. Hakes was the music teacher for all 5 elementary schools and she was the director of the infamous "4th Grade Concert". The concert was composed of the best singers from all of the elementary schools. Now, singing has never been one of my talents. I do not know how I was chosen; I do remember being terrified of auditioning in front of Mrs. Hakes. She alone chose the students who were to participate. To this day, I remember being in the alto portion of the group, singing patriotic songs such as "You're a Grand Old Flag!" in the 4th grade concert.
Mrs. Hakes was the music teacher for all 5 elementary schools and she was the director of the infamous "4th Grade Concert". The concert was composed of the best singers from all of the elementary schools. Now, singing has never been one of my talents. I do not know how I was chosen; I do remember being terrified of auditioning in front of Mrs. Hakes. She alone chose the students who were to participate. To this day, I remember being in the alto portion of the group, singing patriotic songs such as "You're a Grand Old Flag!" in the 4th grade concert.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
More Friends
When you are a member of a class of about 25 kids in a neighborhood school, everyone knows you and you automatically have many good friends. I grew up going to school with the same 25 kids from kindergarten to the sixth grade. By then, it was a refreshing relief to move on to the junior high where one was grouped with other students of the same ability and one could make friends with many of the other kids in town. I'll have to save the challenges of junior high for another day.
Like most of the students in my elementary classes, we knew each other well. We played games on the playground...hop scotch, dodgeball, tag, kick the can, marbles, wiffle ball. There are a few girls I remember fondly because we played together on a regular basis....Ann, Shirley, Linda, Patty, Cheryl, Donna, Frances...and of course, Barbara. The boys rarely let most girls play their games, but we didn't care. In the pretty cotton dresses and Keds that we all wore, we had our own fun girl games. We only played with the boys for "Red Rover" or dodgeball...and, we could hold our own. Only the slowest heavier girls could not dodge the balls the boys could throw at us.
Some of the boys I remember like Kevin, Wayne, Albion, Kim, Jimmy, and Stan were incessant teases and would only let the best, most athletic girls play with them ever. I was one of those girls. I could run, jump, and play wiffleball with the best of the boys. And, I loved that I was just as good as they were. It set me apart from the other girls and made me different. I knew I had the respect and admiration of the boys like no other girl did. I frequently played wiffleball with the boys after school...and I was never the last person chosen for the team.
Like most of the students in my elementary classes, we knew each other well. We played games on the playground...hop scotch, dodgeball, tag, kick the can, marbles, wiffle ball. There are a few girls I remember fondly because we played together on a regular basis....Ann, Shirley, Linda, Patty, Cheryl, Donna, Frances...and of course, Barbara. The boys rarely let most girls play their games, but we didn't care. In the pretty cotton dresses and Keds that we all wore, we had our own fun girl games. We only played with the boys for "Red Rover" or dodgeball...and, we could hold our own. Only the slowest heavier girls could not dodge the balls the boys could throw at us.
Some of the boys I remember like Kevin, Wayne, Albion, Kim, Jimmy, and Stan were incessant teases and would only let the best, most athletic girls play with them ever. I was one of those girls. I could run, jump, and play wiffleball with the best of the boys. And, I loved that I was just as good as they were. It set me apart from the other girls and made me different. I knew I had the respect and admiration of the boys like no other girl did. I frequently played wiffleball with the boys after school...and I was never the last person chosen for the team.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Friends
When you grow up in a very small town, you make and keep friends for a very long time. I have been friends with Barbara since I was 4 years old. Barbara lived across the street with me and we walked to school together every day. Her parents had come to the United States from Germany after World War II. Barbara had an older sister and brother. Gaby was about 4 years older and Mike was just one year ahead of Barb. Barbara's parents had thick German accents and sometimes they were hard to understand, but they were wonderful people. Barb's Mom made all sorts of German desserts. The family was known for the parties they threw, mostly for their German friends. I was envious...they would stay up most of the night having a good time.
Barbara was so much fun. We would giggle and laugh for hours! She was the kind of friend you dream about...one who would stick by you, no matter what. We would talk for hours on the phone when we were in high school, about boys, clothes, school, friends. She has lived in Germany for 30 years and, during the few times we have been able to get together over the years, you would never know we had ever been apart!
Barbara was so much fun. We would giggle and laugh for hours! She was the kind of friend you dream about...one who would stick by you, no matter what. We would talk for hours on the phone when we were in high school, about boys, clothes, school, friends. She has lived in Germany for 30 years and, during the few times we have been able to get together over the years, you would never know we had ever been apart!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Very Old Memories
What do I remember about my early childhood? Our old apartment with the gas stove in the kitchen, linoleum, and my very tiny bedroom. We lived there until I was 5...on the second floor of an apartment building on North Summer St. One of my best friends...Barbara...lived across the street. Slosek's Lumber Yard was just down the street. My brother Bruce loved the Slosek brothers; they used to take him riding in the delivery truck when they rode around town.
I walked to Hoosac St School when I was in kindergarten. The school was a two-story red brick building that smelled of wood and polish, that typical old-school smell. The principal's office was on the second floor and from her office, she could look down the stairs and see any misbehaving kids. There was a schoolyard in the back (for games of dodge ball, tag, and red rover) and two sets of swings on either side. Next door to the school was the Polish bakery...pastries, bread, and rolls that you could smell baking across the school yard...mouth-watering good!
The kindergarten room was on the first floor. We hung our coats and stored our winter boots in the old-fashioned cloak room. The cloak room was a long, narrow room with a wooden floor. It had rows of hooks for coats and hats. In the winter, the cloak room was crowded with kindergarteners removing hats, mittens, snow pants, coats, and boots. And it was usually loud with the laughter of friends and colleagues.
The classroom was filled with rows of wooden desks and chairs, the kind that were bolted to the floor. In 1957, they were the kind that still had an inkwell and an indentation in the top of the desk in which to put a pencil. The desk top was slanted and worn, in need of refinishing. The top lifted up and one kept books and a pencil case inside. The walls were standard issue: Abraham Lincoln and George Washington's portraits on opposite walls, the American flag at the front of the room above the blackboard. The teachers desk was large and wooden at the front of the room. The rear of the kindergarten room was the best part though...it had a table large enough for about 6 people and brightly colored chairs...the only bright spot in the whole room. It was at that table that we learned to read...my all-time favorite kindergarten activity!
Mrs. Beaudin, my teacher, was scary. She was tall and had a very loud voice that became sharp when she demanded attention. On Valentine's Day, she told me, dressed in my red velvet skirt and white blouse, that I looked good enough to eat. I took it literally and was not sure I liked her at all! We girls all wore dresses to school and, in the winter, pants under our dresses to keep our legs warm. My best friends were Patty and Barbara, girls who lived close to me and with whom I walked to school every day.
I walked to Hoosac St School when I was in kindergarten. The school was a two-story red brick building that smelled of wood and polish, that typical old-school smell. The principal's office was on the second floor and from her office, she could look down the stairs and see any misbehaving kids. There was a schoolyard in the back (for games of dodge ball, tag, and red rover) and two sets of swings on either side. Next door to the school was the Polish bakery...pastries, bread, and rolls that you could smell baking across the school yard...mouth-watering good!
The kindergarten room was on the first floor. We hung our coats and stored our winter boots in the old-fashioned cloak room. The cloak room was a long, narrow room with a wooden floor. It had rows of hooks for coats and hats. In the winter, the cloak room was crowded with kindergarteners removing hats, mittens, snow pants, coats, and boots. And it was usually loud with the laughter of friends and colleagues.
The classroom was filled with rows of wooden desks and chairs, the kind that were bolted to the floor. In 1957, they were the kind that still had an inkwell and an indentation in the top of the desk in which to put a pencil. The desk top was slanted and worn, in need of refinishing. The top lifted up and one kept books and a pencil case inside. The walls were standard issue: Abraham Lincoln and George Washington's portraits on opposite walls, the American flag at the front of the room above the blackboard. The teachers desk was large and wooden at the front of the room. The rear of the kindergarten room was the best part though...it had a table large enough for about 6 people and brightly colored chairs...the only bright spot in the whole room. It was at that table that we learned to read...my all-time favorite kindergarten activity!
Mrs. Beaudin, my teacher, was scary. She was tall and had a very loud voice that became sharp when she demanded attention. On Valentine's Day, she told me, dressed in my red velvet skirt and white blouse, that I looked good enough to eat. I took it literally and was not sure I liked her at all! We girls all wore dresses to school and, in the winter, pants under our dresses to keep our legs warm. My best friends were Patty and Barbara, girls who lived close to me and with whom I walked to school every day.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
My Mom did not always have an easy life. Early in their marriage, after I was born, my Dad was laid off for various lengths of time. He worked at the Arnold Print and later GE. Blue collar workers had it rough and when the GE did not need you for a while, you were gone. So my Mom had to go to work. She worked mostly as a secretary, for Sprague Electric and then for a lawyer in town. My Mom is a very good cook and she used what she had to make creative meals. I loved her spaghetti, roast beef, and chicken soup. Later, she learned the art of Polish cooking from my Babciu and she makes wonderful golabki and pierogi. She learned how to make pies from Other Gram and how to make nut rolls from our neighbor, Mrs. Mecher. Mom taught herself to sew and made numerous outfits for the two of us; later, when I was in high school, she taught me how to sew.
My Dad has always been one of the most patient people I have ever known. He was always handy with whatever needed to be done around the house. He fixed cars, did plumbing and carpentry, put up wall paper, scraped the woodwork, repainted, and stained furniture. He taught us how to play baseball and how to fish and swim. We took long hikes around Mt Greylock and other local places. He worked the second shift at the GE and we rarely saw him during the week but he always made time for us on the weekends.
I was born in 1952, about 11 months after my parents were married. My brother Bruce was born 2 years later, to the very day...October 26. Bruce was a funny kid who had the most awful tantrums if he could not have his own way. I remember him as always having a bandaid on his forehead as a 2-3-year-old because he banged his head on the floor during those tantrums. When I was 5, we moved into a house and just after we moved, in 1958, my brother Paul came along. Paul was a sweet baby but he did not want to speak until about the age of 2. He has not stopped talking since. Jason, the last of the clan, was born in 1968, when I was already almost into my junior year of high school. Though he was a great baby, it was almost embarassing to acknowledge that my parents were sexually active. Needless to say, babysitting became one of my sisterly duties.
My Dad has always been one of the most patient people I have ever known. He was always handy with whatever needed to be done around the house. He fixed cars, did plumbing and carpentry, put up wall paper, scraped the woodwork, repainted, and stained furniture. He taught us how to play baseball and how to fish and swim. We took long hikes around Mt Greylock and other local places. He worked the second shift at the GE and we rarely saw him during the week but he always made time for us on the weekends.
I was born in 1952, about 11 months after my parents were married. My brother Bruce was born 2 years later, to the very day...October 26. Bruce was a funny kid who had the most awful tantrums if he could not have his own way. I remember him as always having a bandaid on his forehead as a 2-3-year-old because he banged his head on the floor during those tantrums. When I was 5, we moved into a house and just after we moved, in 1958, my brother Paul came along. Paul was a sweet baby but he did not want to speak until about the age of 2. He has not stopped talking since. Jason, the last of the clan, was born in 1968, when I was already almost into my junior year of high school. Though he was a great baby, it was almost embarassing to acknowledge that my parents were sexually active. Needless to say, babysitting became one of my sisterly duties.
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