#ADayInTheLifeOfGail

I remember learning how to dance on my Daddy’s feet, to the tune “Shall We Dance?…..from Anna and the King”.
I was Deborah Kerr and Daddy was Yule Brenner. This was a glorious time for me as every Sunday we would play the old show tunes and I got to sing along and dance with my father. My father and I always danced on Sunday morning before breakfast and before he went outside to perform his weekly chores it was a time that I look back on as being very special and hold dear to my heart. To this day I still dance with both of them but I don’t have poker parties where they can get money off the floor, no they have their own jobs, however while young, when they performed duties and received allowances.

It is something that I have done with my sons too to this day. I still dance with both of them but I don’t have poker parties where they can scrape money off the floor. No they have their own jobs; however, while young men they did perform duties and receive allowances. Getting back to my childhood, my job on Sunday mornings was to clean up all the coins that were left on the kitchen floor from the evening’s numerous card games. Saturdays were always a card event in my parents’ home. All of their friends would take their excess coins and throw them on the floor, it was up to the individual or a person designated at the beginning of the morning, which was me, to clean up all of the coins and the area. On some occasions, it was quite a lot of money especially for a five-year-old. I made enough money to purchase an extra milk carton for school and a freezie (triangular shape) and always with enough money to take to church on Sunday. This was something I did every Sunday, going to church with my good friend #ElaineJacob. Put on our Sunday best, then I’d meet her across the street from the church, go for about an hour and when that was over we would scoot either to her backyard or head back to my place and bring out all of the equipment to play with. Some of our activities included hopscotch, jump rope, dress up, and walking along the picket fence to get to the roof of the garage. After running around which seemed like forever, we were called in for our lunch by my mother, who was a good cook and made something delectable and always served a treat such as peanut butter cookies. We were always anxious to help out and do the dishes, that was our chore and then my mother would ask us to run an errand to the nearby Glow Grocertia, probably for another jug of milk or her favourite pack of cigarettes, which we did gleefully as there was always a penny in there for Candy.

That’s basically how our Sundays worked with Elaine and me. I think we both learned a lot from our weekend chores and playdates along with the fact that if it was to be, it was up to me to do the right things that both of our parents encouraged in us. It’s been over sixty years since we were both carefree and running around, up and down the old neighbourhood but we both have our own families and still stay in touch with each other. I think that our upbringing has instilled in us many wonderful qualities that we have in turn passed down to our children.

Memories are everlasting and I can always bring back the joyful sounds of our times together by just thinking about what we learned when we were five.