Incoming!
Like most families in the 60’s our home was centred around the kitchen.
In our case the kitchen and dining room were seperated by a half wall / counter that ran the full length. As well as making it easy to pass dishes and food from one side to the other, it allowed whomever was washing dishes or cooking dinner a great view of the beach and ocean.
The dining room was also homework central, the big table often covered in papers, books and clutter, which miraculously disappeared before the dinner table was set (my Father being a bit picky about the formalities of dinner!).
The dining table was also the home for New Years / my Mom’s birthday parties (she being born on December 31st), Friday night Whist games (a family favourite) and morning coffee klatches with Addie. To be honest I rarely spent time at the dining table unless it was for a meal, being a professional avoider of homework and generally too filled with energy to sit in one place for very long. I did like playing Whist or board games of any type but my evenings were generally spent out on the beach or upstairs reading (with Rusty flopped on the rug beside my bed).
In our house we had ‘The Schedule’. Each week my Mother would sit down and write up a chore schedule for the upcoming week and post it by the back door. A simple rotation of ‘Set Table’, ‘Cleanup’, ‘Wash’, ‘Dry’, ‘Off’, rinse and repeat faced us every week. Over time this schedule did mutate somewhat, especially when Pam took over the cooking duties and my Vancouver Sun paper route took me off the schedule entirely, much to the chagrin of my siblings.
The kitchen counter, built by Len Hudock and his cigar-smoking dog Rogee, was also the DMZ (de-militarized zone) for two of the families feuding neighbours – Dodie and Pam. Now at the end of the day they are loving siblings, but the did have a semi-fierce rivalry growing up. Dode, the studious one laboured hard over her homework while Pam, the social butterfly who didn’t need to do homework, was given the chore of preparing family dinners when my Mother went back to work (when I started Grade 1). You quickly see where the battle lines were drawn.
Between 4:30 and 6:00 pm, the kitchen was often a bickering zone, Pam and Dode exchanging epithets over the counter while Pam peeled potatoes and Dode worked on Arithmetic or an English essay. I tended to avoid the zone during that time, beachcombing with Rusty or hanging out on my bike with Clay.
One afternoon Dodie sat at the dining table, sketching I believe, quite likely a horse as she seemed to be obsessed with them at the time. Pam stood on the far side of the counter peeling carrots. What should have been a bucolic moment was anything but! I don’t remember what was being said, certainly nothing world changing, but it was quickly escalating, Dodie head down sketching and Pam sending carrot peelings all over the counter (they both have a temper, though Pam’s is more likely to be dynamically displayed).
Just as I passed through the dining room headed as quickly as possible for the back door I saw Dodie stick out her tongue at Pam. That was enough! Pam dropped her peeler and flung the half peeled carrot at Dode. Of course Dodie ducked and there was an odd ‘ping’ over her right shoulder. We all froze then slowly turned towards Dode. There in the exact middle of the dining room picture window was a neat hole the diameter of a carrot end! Giving my best ‘it wasn’t me!’ shrug I darted out the back door and headed for the beach as fast as my feet could take me!
I returned from my beachcombing in time for dinner. Oddly enough the dining room drapes were pulled, heavy brocade curtains seldom pulled except during blustery southeasters or deep winter chill. I grinned.
My Dad sat at his usual end of the table, myself in my usual spot on his left with Dodie beside me. He didn’t say anything, just sat there quietly eating his garden salad with French dressing. After awhile he stopped and lowered his fork.
Looking Pam in the eye he asked, “Why is there a half peeled carrot in the middle of the driveway?”