The Seattle Pilots moved to Milwaukee in time to start the 1970 season as the Milwaukee Brewers. They weren't very good, but like the Packers on TV... the Brewers on the radio helped put me to sleep for the following decades.In 1972 came Watergate. That event itself didn't make a huge impact in my life, but the reporting and book, "All the President's Men" were part of what sparked my interest in journalism and current events.
Through the late 1960s and into the early 70s, there were seven Foster girls that lived in our home. Some were there a very short time - others were there much longer. I most remember Nancy and Rae Ann as kind and friendly.
We moved from a small single story home on Garfield to a much larger three story house with a huge yard on Forest Park Boulevard before third grade. The back yard bordered St. Paul's playground. The previous owners' dog had dug a tunnel under the fence just big enough for me to slide under the sharp tines on the bottom of the chain link fence. Other times, it was fairly easy to climb over the top and climb down the other side - vastly shortening my "commute."
The next door neighbors were also members at St. Paul - and Andy became a good friend. I'd walk to his house every morning starting in third grade through our senior year in high school. He'd finish eating breakfast - his sisters and brothers would be scurrying around getting ready for school - and before too long we'd be walking around the block to school.
A nice thing about St. Paul's and living on the same block is we could walk home for lunch. Inhale it in a couple of minutes and head back to get an early start on recess. I would usually grab 14 Oreo cookies to sustain me on the walk back.
When I was in sixth grade, I learned someone was coming to live with us. A little girl! In 1975, my sister Danielle was born during the fall of my seventh grade year. That night I had been sent next door to the neighbors (avid outdoors men and women), and for the first and only time in my life ate squirrel for supper. Yes, I thought it tasted like chicken.
This was a life-changing event. She was small. She seemed to cry a lot. She was cute and seemed to be a magnet for other people. As she got a little older (as did I) it occurred to me that pushing my sister in a stroller was a good way to meet girls.
Life was good. I rode my bike all over the city and my friend K.C. and I would take off early on summer mornings and spend the days on our bikes and the city's bike trails built for the Bicentennial.
Another thing in 1976 was getting a room "make-over" (although no one called it that then) and my bed was painted red, white, and blue. The walls covered with blue cloth and white stars or white cloth with blue stars. There was a globe light shielded by red. It was patriotic through and through - and that was the room I lived in until heading to college.
The 70s introduced me to fish tanks. We started with one 10 gallon tank in my room. Then Dad helped me (actually, built) a 20 gallon tank after I was given 5 heavy pieces of glass for Christmas. I enjoyed watching dozens of fish in my room.
Outside, Mom supervised construction of a Fish Pond in the backyard. Lots of digging, lots of plastic to hold in the water, and dozens and dozens of goldfish. Those that survived the weather and raccoon visits wintered in more fish tanks - these in our kitchen. It was my job to skim the leaves and stuff off the pond's surface every morning.
I cut the grass with an electric mower, requiring 250 feet of cord to reach the part of the yard farthest from the house. If I was fast, it would take me two hours.
There was confirmation, and then graduation from St. Paul's in 1978 as part of the ninth grade class.
St. Paul's started a ninth grade so students wouldn't need to go to the city Junior High Schools for a year before starting high school (grades 10 - 12 at that time).
I played basketball for St. Paul's. Well, mostly I sat... but played in 7th grade as "sixth man" on the "B" team and sporadically in 8th grade as a member of the "A" team. I played in 9th grade too, but it was that year I started working for the Jotter every Tuesday.
Andy and I were picked up at home and taken downtown for a four hour job. We helped unload the truck of the shopper newspapers; stacked them along the parking lot for carriers to pick up; and helped the carriers and gave them their weekly pay. We spent most of our pay on a take-out pizza from Pizza Villa across the street. It was great and the .25 pop from the Jotter fridge hit the spot!
Graduation meant a new journey - a bigger class (27 at St. Paul - 603 at J.A. Craig) - and a huge school (200 - 1700). It was with more than a little fear I prepared to take that trip.
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