The other day a blog I wrote reminded me of this story. I had a hard time finding it, but I need a rerun tonight, so I’m going to use this one. I loved dresses until I was in second grade. I had to wear them of course, but no matter how pretty Kitty Reynolds made them, I just didn’t like wearing one…with one exception…my long red formal.
In another blog I wrote about the time I went to the cabin with Grandpa and Grandma Sanderson and Grandpa decided we should go to this big church in Rapid City. That was the first time he had done that when I was with them, and I hadn’t brought a dress, which didn’t bother Grandpa any. I wore blue and white striped bermuda shorts and held my legs together so everyone would think I was wearing a skirt. (I’m sure more people were wondering why I was walking with my knees together than would have noticed I had shorts on.)
Iowa relatives and Sanderson and Miller families at the cabin
The below story was told to me by me, so it must be true. It happened over 50 years ago.
I had to start wearing nylons. It seems that when you get to the 8th grade, you’re supposed to wear them when you dress up. We went to Winner for a music contest and that’s when some of the girls decided it was time to start wearing “hose.” I had to play a saxophone solo, and those darn nylons ruined it. Are there boys that read this? Oh well, I don’t care.
With the Haverberg and Sanderson cousins at Horse Creek
You have to wear a garter belt to hold your nylons up. It is a very weird contraption. It has long straps with a doohickey on the end that you put the top of your nylon over. Then, you have to pull another part over this button like thing. That’s what holds your nylons in place. There is a strap on the front and one on the back of each leg, so there are four altogether. The straps are attached to a garment that is held around your waist by elastic. I guess it’s sort of like a real short slip, only you still have to wear a slip too. The whole thing is called a garter belt. The nylons come separately.
Right in the middle of my solo, the doohickey on the back of one leg came loose, and the nylon slipped right off, which caused the front to sag. I finally got an opportunity to glance down when the piano player who was accompanying me, had a little part that I didn’t play my saxophone to. I could see the nylon was a wrinkled mess just like my Grandma’s hose (nylons) always are because they don’t make them small enough for her. Grandma wears a girdle to keep her nylons up, but it doesn’t work. Besides, you still have to deal with the doohickeys attached to the girdle. (Some older ladies just roll them down over a rubber band. I wonder if that works better.) Well, at least the front doohickey on my garter belt never came all the way off, which was a blessing.
Anyway, for the very first time in my life, I didn’t get a Superior on my solo, because I was too distracted to remember all of it. I can’t even tell people about it, because it’s going to sound like an elaborate excuse, and they’ll think the real reason is, I didn’t practice my solo enough times to memorize it better.
I’ll add this.
I must have been pretty traumatized or I wouldn’t have remembered so many details all these years later. I also made the mistake of wearing a red jumper that was like a shift. It was one of those dresses that you have to keep tugging on when you sit down. It was a long day, and it didn’t help that Mom was not too pleased that she had to drive us and listen to me play badly.
You’ll be happy to know that after years of therapy, I finally came to terms with my past. I wish I could have known I would forget most of it anyway. I could have saved a lot of money.
Those 70ish Girls 
Picnic idea great but would need good directions on getting to Horse Creek. Last time didn’t work well for me.
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That’s right, you got lost didn’t you? It was really a beautiful day and Mom would have loved to know she made it back to Horse Creek.
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Yeah, true about Horse Creek for you, Bob, in 2009 but a picnic anywhere in SDAKOTA would be fun with our family. In 2012 a bunch of us met at cabin site and ate later in Nemo, I believe.
Let’s organize a picnic this time. What would
Grandpa bring? Baloney sandwiches? Greg could bring pizza.
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Mom, my son and Billy went, but we left early.
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SORRY to all. The date of the cabin Birthday was late June 1974, Grandpa’s 88th. I’m calling it a typo-ha.
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Thanks for those answers, Bob! I also love those pictures. We sure had some great times there at the cabin. I wasn’t at that bday celebration but it looked like fun. We need to do a picnic either at cabin site or Horse Creek.
With milk.
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I was never good enough to play an instrument in Winner, but I did sing there–twice, I believe. I remember I was so nervous and reached out and put my hand on the piano to steady myself as I sang. The judge said that was a very nice, natural effect and gave me a superior. Ha. So much for nerves. In this case, they simulated a relaxed confidence!
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That is really funny. Did you sing solos? I could never have sung a solo…even if I could sing.
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Yes.. I was in the alto solo category.
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Do you still sing?
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Only under my breath and in the shower.
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Aunt Loretta was holding a milk carton ready to serve the picnickers
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I love both of those pictures, Bobby
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The cabin photo was taken by me at Grandpa Sanderson’s birthday celebration June 1978. The Horse Creek photo was taken by my mom late June 1960. Various other aunts and uncles were picnic/relaxing and not shown. Both very memorable occasions.
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If the story was told to you by you, then I totally believe you. I told myself that I believe you, cuz.
What was your Mom holding in that Horse Creek Picture?
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Crazy how stuff that seems minor now was a huge deal when it happened to us and stays with us forever.
Think we weren’t living in SD when you all went out to Horse Creek that day. Epic photo— that’s the corner from old log cabin— right? Who took the picture?
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read further. Helen took that one and Bobby took the cabin one in June of 78
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Pantyhose obviously came into fashion in Murdo a bit too late. I thought you were young enough to have escaped garter belts.
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I think I only wore them a couple of times. I hate to think about all the times our moms wore them. They dressed up a lot back then, too!
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