I knew Karen for 59 years. She moved into our neighborhood
when she was 6 years old. At 10, I was much more mature, wiser
and capable of so much more than a girl that only giggled when
I talked to her.
She spent a lot of time at our house because there was always
an extra plate at the table, we woke up before any one else in
the neighborhood, I had 3 sisters she played with, and Grandma
always had fresh bread in the oven.
Her and her friend Linda Larson would entertain me by doing gymnastics
in our front yard. I would entertain them by climbing one of the
19 fruit trees in our yard, doing by Tarzan yell, and keeping them
supplied in bows and arrows I would make for them.
In the summer we always had a camp fire in the yard and would
roast bread dough on a stick (squah dough), smoors, and sing songs
into the night..
I went into the Navy for 4 years getting married and Karen got
married to a neighbor hood boy. By the time I moved back home,
she had 3 children and I had 2. Our partners had trouble staying
sober so we both ended up as single parents.
Karen helped me out by babysitting for me and one thing led to
another. I thought she was beautiful and was drawn to the personal
values she exemplified.
Of course she was drawn toward my dashing and debonair qualities
as well as my sparkling personality.