The Reindeer Keeper

Funny how we never know how great something is until we are looking back. On warm, summer days at supper time when growing up in the country with those four houses full of relatives all in a row, each family would bring whatever they'd prepared to eat together under my aunt's pine trees in her backyard. It became a smorgasbord of hot and cold dishes with all the trimmings. Back then it was the food that I thought about-potato salads, macaroni salads, baked beans, tossed salads, fruit salads, of course hots and hams and all the trimmings plus an assortment of chips. I don't remember many desserts-except for strawberry shortcake with real dumplings made soggy by berry juice and home-made whipped cream smothering the bowl. Of course it all tasted even better because we were eating outside. After everyone was finished, the younger ones would sometimes play baseball as the others sat around and talked and family dogs would see what they could find in the grass or get t...

Way back when-according to those cars in the background-my cousin and I participated in a summer event-a grand parade which was the crowning event of a week-long celebration. The parade seemed to last all Saturday afternoon. There were high-marching bands and high school bands and drum corps with amazing majorettes from all over the place-even Canada-sending their music all through our downtown which rambled on for blocks. There were horses and tractors, cars and trucks, police and organizations-beauty queens and their courts and floats-all kinds of floats. From what I can remember we were part of a float highlighting Women's Suffrage and the 19th Amendment-which is what that plackard my cousin is holding represents. I don't remember where those dresses came from-or those pearls. I do remember thinking why it would have been a question that women or anyone would not have the Right to Vote. Isn't that what that flag behind us symbolizes I thought-freedom, and...