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Milestones like anniversaries are time for celebration. Many families just like ours, have long standing traditions of celebrating special events. These are the times for families to reestablish and rekindle kinships. It even makes it more exciting if the occasion is a surprise. Younger members of the family like to join in the festivities and if they have been taught by their parents what the appropriate behavior is, or perhaps what is what.
Our eldest daughter had decided to get our family and friends together for an occasion. Even though she was in a process of finishing her degree in music at Marshall University as well as planning her wedding in the coming December. She was not able to attend the occasion. She had an obligation to march in Marshall marching band for Pittsburgh Stealer game. None the less with the help of friends and relatives, she had made all the necessary contacts and made sure that all was well planed and would be well executed.
My father who had retired to St. Petersburg Florida was contacted and asked to come to Belpre, Ohio to spend some time with the family. A week before the event I picked up my father at the Greyhound station in Parkersburg West Virginia. I was delighted that he had come to visit with us for a week or so. Since he had owned a working farm in Latvia I thought that he was curious to see the small fifty acre farm we had purchased with plans of building on it a home was like.
This was not a farm anything like his. The people who had previously owned it were not doing much farming other than having a few hay fields and some "exhausted fruit trees." Mrs. Coulsen, owner of the property was blind and after her husbands' death was forced to sell. The property had a number of out buildings on it and an old asbestos shingle house, which we removed soon after acquisition of the property.
It was quite hilly, but it did have a beautiful pond with some fish and many frogs. It is located at one of the highest points in Little Hocking, Ohio with a magnificent panoramic view. One could see Fort Borman Hill in Parkersburg West Virginia. Little Hocking is a small community adjacent to Belpre, Ohio.
Mel and I were in a process of exploring possibilities as to where we wanted to situate our future home. It was a lively Saturday afternoon in September. Mel and I went up to our farm leaving Alex and Vera with my father, their grandpa. Mel needed to do some mowing on the property. Just as we were ready to return to our home in Belpre, friends of ours dropped by and pulled up in front of a three stall garage-barn located on the other side of the road of our property. Gary and Nancy Lamm got out of their vehicle and came up the hill. After greeting us they said that they were going to take us out to dinner to celebrate our twenry-fifth wedding anniversary.
Mel said: "Can I go in a t-shirt?" Gary replied: "As long as you wear a tie!" he added "you might want to wear a jacket as well." In the '80 men wore jackets in nice restaurants. Mel scowled "Eh gads!" The Lamms followed us to Belpre home and visited with my father while Mel and I showered and changed our clothes. Since Lamms were taking us out to dinner, I asked my father to to stay with the kids. I told him that Alex would help him get dinner when he returns from delivering the papers.
I explained to Vera that she needed to stay home with grandpa and Alex, because Mr. and Mrs Lamm were taking her dad and me out to dinner to restaurant. My father assured us that he and Alex were good at cooking. A proud Grandpa talking. I'm sure that Vera did not share the sentiment that her brother was a good cook, there for she wanted to know if she could accompany us to dinner.
I told her that Mr. and Mrs Lamm were taking us to a restaurant where beer will be served and that it was inappropriate for children to be there. She soon agreed, gave me a hug and dashed outdoors to play.
As we boarded Lamms' car to head out to celebrate our 25th. anniversary, Nancy urged her husband not to forget to stop briefly at the Chamber of Commerce building in Belpre where their son Paul was having choir practice, for there was something she needed to tell him. Gary obediently turned toward Howes Grow Park in Belpre, Ohio where Chamber of Commerce building was located, instead of proceeding toward down town restaurant in Parkersburg.
I fount it rather strange and fortunate that we were able stop directly in front of the door, since the parking lot was rather full. I figured that there must be some other function than the choir practice happening.
Nancy insisted that we all come in and give a listen to the choir for a few minutes, since restaurant reservation were not for another half hour. I asked: "Won't we be in a way? It looks that there might be some other activity besides the choir practice." Nancy insisted that it was perfectly OK, that choir is in a separate room from the other activity.
As Mel and I were ushered into the building first, at the door we were met by the assistant Priest from Trinity Episcopal Church of Parkersburg.
Right at his heels were a number of church members, closely followed by My sisters, Vera and Irene their spouses from Cleveland, Ohio, several other relatives from out of town, many girl scout leaders and our neighbors. All of them shouted "Happy Anniversary."
Both Mel and I were dumbfounded. Valerie had masterminded the event, but she was nowhere in sight since she was marching with Thundering Herd Band in Pittsburgh PA.
As celebration ensued, Nancy slipped out of the building to fetch my father, Alex and Vera in order to bring them here.
Father was ready and waiting, Alex was dressed to go to the party. All of them were "party" to the secret. Nancy asked if everyone was ready to go and celebrate. Father stood up and headed for the door.
Alex emerged out of his room and was good to go. Vera remained planted in a chair looking at a book. Nancy coaxed: "Vera lets go to your room and change into a nice dress, you can not go in your shorts."
Vera wouldn't budge from her seat. She informed Nancy: "Mrs. Lamm, where mommy and daddy are, Mommy said that they have beer at that restaurant and mommy said I am not allowed to go there. Anxiously Alex tried to make her move, "Vera you had better go with Mrs. Lamm and get changed so all of us can go."
He further explained; "We are not going to the "beer restaurant", we are going to Howes Grow Chamber of Commerce building, that's where the party is."
That did not seem to totally convince her as she reiterated, "Mommy said that they will be serving beer there and I can not go."
Nancy had to practically wrestle her to get her to change into a dress. As she led her by the hand into the car she explained to her that; "your mommy and daddy did not know that we were taking them to the party, it was a secret, do you remember what Valerie told you." Vera finally agreed to cooperate and came to the party.
It is amazing what influence parents have on their young children. Yes, Vera knew that it behooved her to obey her mothers' instructions.
Youngsters do pay attention to what their parents tell them. It is parents responsibility to give them proper guidance.