Friday, May 1, 2009

Happy May Day!

(click to enlarge)

On May Day I always think of Stevie O., my next door neighbor when I was growing up in the Dakotas. On May Days during the elementary school years, Stevie and I would leave baskets at each other's houses, ring the doorbell, and run like hell.



Being a tomboy I could usually outrun him. Although neither of us was really interested in actually catching or being caught. We were definitely just in the 'pals' category. We attended school together from kindergarten until my family moved in the middle of my junior year in high school. Along with the other neighborhood kids, we played kick the can and baseball during the summer and went ice skating and sledding during the winter. (Speaking of winter, Stevie was an absolute genius architect of snow forts.)

I've lost track of ol' Stevie over the years. Last I heard he was a Baptist minister -- I'm sure he would be a good one. If he ever surfaces via facebook or something, I think I'd be tempted to leave him a 'virtual' May Day basket! (Although a good hunk of the fun would be gone if you can't run like hell...)

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class picture from the '67 Ace yearbook; sketch from here

11 comments:

Terri said...

After babies I can't run any more at all...at least not without some, uhm....issues...not that you needed to know that....just my random thought to your post.

that and - how fun to have a friend like that! Happy May Day!

dust bunny said...

As a teacher, all I can see is a class of THIRTY EIGHT children!!!! Could it possibly have been two classes photographed together????
38...38...38....my mind is reeling.
Doesn't matter how wonderful/delightful/well-behaved the kids might have been (and I think I see a few spitfires in that crowd), 38 is HUGE.
I need close my eyes for a minute..and thank the good Lord I don't have 38 students.

Barbara B. said...

mompriest, of course that issue could be helped ;)

dust bunny -- the picture was of our two classes combined!

Lori said...

What a fine friend to have for those years! And I love the May Day tradition. I understand a similar one happens in East L.A nowadays. Only it involves spray paint and getaway cars.

Barbara B. said...

PG, I'll bet Stevie might appreciate that one too... :)

David B. said...

That's really cute!

Barbara B. said...

David, Here's a little fun fact -- the boy right next to me is (drum roll please.....) Claude!

(For anybody who is remotely interested, Claude became my high school boyfriend.)

Ruth Hull Chatlien said...

I remember that tradition. I loved May Day baskets.

David B. said...

:O I did not know that! That's very cool, ol' Claude had a good taste in clothes as well as cars it looks like ;)

I think when we were both kids our faces looked very much alike.

Unknown said...

Oh wow! Yeah, I can definitely see a Mom/David resemblance in this picture. Weird, I've never seen that resemblance before. You looked so cute Momma :)

Barbara B. said...

C&D, I think you're right! Now that I look again, there is a resemblance. I've never noticed that before either!

(Thanks for sayin' I looked cute, Christina :) )