Summer of '64

Mom Goes to Work

Mom got a job, and we got a babysitter. I don't think I was happy about the fact that my mom went to work, but the babysitter was great. Her name was P. Adams, and she was in high school. I was 10 and my sister was 4.

It was weird to me when Mom went to work. We had to leave our house early in the summertime and go to P's house for the day. Sometimes P would bring us back to our house before Mom got home, but most days we stayed at the Adams'. I wasn't used to be unsettled, but at least I could take my Barbies to P's house. Sometimes P took us swimming at the creek, but that was really rare. I wanted to be home. I wanted to be able to have friends over and play in my own yard. Something didn't seem right about Mom being gone all day.

Dad wasn't too crazy about Mom getting a job, either. He was old-fashioned and believed it would reflect badly on him (as if he weren't a good provider). He couldn't understand why she wanted to work when she didn't have to. I think she just wanted to get out of the house and she wanted to buy "nicer" things.

Mom as a Homemaker & Bowler

Mom was a great homemaker. She cleaned well, she cooked well, and she had a ton of energy. In addition to her work and household duties, she bowled at least one night a week, and sometimes in as many as three bowling leagues. She was a good bowler. She threw a 16 lb. ball like some people throw a 12 pounder. She bowled in tournaments as far away as Seattle and Portland. She was an avid fan of televised bowling.

Mom made a lot of her friends from bowling. One of her friends, Dorothy Clemens, was an avid knitter, and made bowling sweaters for all the ladies on their team - at least twice. Mom had a red sweater and a black one. The team would wear them when they went on tournaments & used them to proudly display their award pins. Mom was really proud of her 250 pin she won at a tournament. I think she was always looking forward to getting a 300 pin, someday.