SCHOOL DAYS Second Grade

There is no information on just what daddy was up to as a second grader but given his love for reading, he may have been at his Uncle Olaf's house often to page through books, both leather bound and dime novels. It is certain the books I inherited from my grandmother via her brother, where, at one time read by my dad.

I loved second grade! Lots of wonderful things happened. I had a wonderful teacher named Miss Norell. She was big and blond and fair skinned and loved the children she taught. It was Washington School once again.

I was old enough to be in Brownie Scouts. The uniform was a dress and was purchased at the Junior Shoppe along with a beanie and brown anklets with the brownie album on the side. Although the dress fit through the shoulders, it was a foot or more too long. My grandparents were still in charge when I got the dress and since grandma never wasted anything, she hemmed it a foot rather than cut it off. Later, it would be let down which showed the previous hemline.

My brownie leader was Mrs. Kvivstad and what a dear she was. She took us places like to the bakery for a tour. It was there I did not take off my storm coat and got jelly dough nut filling in the sleeve. We went to the soda bottling plant and had a soda. We watched them killed turkeys with electric shock. We made sewing baskets out of big ice cream containers and decorated them with cut outs of flowers from wall paper. They were finished with a lacquer, much like a sealer. I found the one I made after my grand mother died, it was filled with fine thread for crocheting.

Before mother came home, I learned to ride a bike. Grandpa told me not to use the brakes because I would wear them out. I ran into nearly every one of the 99 oak trees on the property as well as the one cherry tree. When daddy asked why I did that, he stated it was nonsense and needed to use the brakes. My first solo was on Oakland Park Road. I road toward the south and made a huge turn back to go north. My family stood by the side of the road and cheered.

And, mother came home from the SAN after 23 months. It is not known if she made the clothes I would be wearing but she did have a machine in her room. The fifty cent size hole in her lung had healed; later drugs would be available to make the TB disappear much faster.

I got a doll for Christmas that year, it was a walking doll with a matching hat, coat, and dress. I brought it to school and one of the arms fell off. I guess someone walked her too much.

At Valentine's Day, Miss Norell made a huge box which looked like a coach for Cinderella except it was red and white.

One day, we were short Weekly Readers. David didn't get one. I had a little desk and Susan had a big one. David chose me. I was in love, I had a boyfriend! :) Do you remember your first crush? Who was it?

It was a good year. I was sad that I couldn't stay in her class like Lyle. Lyle told me he liked her so well, he decided to stay. I wanted to stay too. Finally someone got through to me that he had failed and held back. Why, I wondered, was second grade so hard for him?

Hope your second grade was as great as mine.

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