Jun. 15, 2002 - 22:58 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

Convention

We went late to eat supper to Fazoli's, the three of us and came home. When the dust settled, dessert happened and family history and memories were discussed and fondly remembered.

Heather brought up the summer that she listened to every Soap Opera that was on the Denver radio stations. Ma Perkins, Our Gal Sunday, The Romance Of Helen Trent and there are some more that I can't even remember now Heather's gone to bed so I can't ask her now. Heather's brother and I brought up some of the radio programs we listened to, Skelly Oil's Jimmie Allen, Wheaties' Jack Armstrong, The Shadow also he and I couldn't remember who the; sponsor of that was, and mentioned that in a pinch we would even listen to Little Orphan Annie. BTW Orphan Annie after all these years is a teen ager -- oh my, she ages well. The Green Hornet came along after I was interested in girls. Out of my store of memories I brought up Ben Bernie the "yowza," man, Eddie Cantor, Ed Wynn, Red Skelton, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Burns and Allen, Groucho Marx who were all on evening radio. We spent some time trying to remember the radio program that came on once a week that had Don Ameche as narrator, "An Evening At The Opera ?" I think that Neapolitan Nights was the theme music. The Sponsor of that was Campana's Italian Balm. The thing we zilched was what radio program did Jergen's Lotion sponsor ? I mentioned that on Saturday afternoons my Dad and I would listen to the Texaco Opera.

We talked over people we knew back then. I had met all Heather's friends and had worked with the brother and father of one of her school friends. I had met and associated with some of Heather's brother's friends. Of course I was familiar with her myriad Denver relatives. So we had common memories.

Tales of Heather's Dad were gleefully swapped back and forth, mostly relating to fishing and camping experiences we had when out with him. We all remembered him as knowing fishing to the max. Whatever time of year, weather conditions, sunlight or cloudy, water temperature, whatever - her Dad knew what bait to use, how deep to set the hook below the bobber and exactly where to put it in the water which resulted in us always catching fish. Heather brought up a memory of her's of going with her family to a campout fishing trip to Halligan Dam which is up near the turnoff to Red Feather Lakes. She and I hunted and found it a year or two ago and drove within sight of it until we got to where it was fenced off. At that time I could then relate to her story of the time they went up there and got caught in a horrible rain storm. Getting back to the main road even when things were dry was difficult for us to say the least, all up hill over rocks and rocky bumps to get out. Then her hair raising tale made sense to me, her dad and older brother gathering up the family and trying to get out of there the everyone soaking wet, miserable and cold.

Heather and her brother reminisced about other fishing trips they had been on with their dad. Mentioned was that the whole family would go up fishing with their Dad and Heather's Mom would find a shady, comfortable spot on shore to be with the girls while the Dad and sons fished. They said that every weekend during nice weather they would be somewhere in the mountains or on the prairie near the mountains, fishing.

We all leaned back in our easy chairs and had great fun bringing up memories. I remembered the big dinners at Heather's Mom's place, always on Sunday except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. But any of those dinners were always huge and any of the extended family not on duty would be there. Her Dad had a giant appetite, and I in my twenties still had a teen age ravenous appetite. War was never declared, nor competition mentioned but he and I would stack chicken bones by our plates and neither of us would give in until the chicken was all gone. Man a meal like would kill me ten times over now.

Tomorrow Heather's younger brother will go out to Commerce City to pick up their older brother and bring him to Father's Day dinner here at our apartment. Our youngest son will be here too and later on our middle daughter and her husband will join us for coffee and dessert and the consequent visit which always comes during and after.

As we talked it was for me like listening to an audio photo album, in my mind the places, faces and times were so clear and alive.

Boring to others I know but it was great, our little three way Convention . . . . . . .

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