Childhood Toys

As children we did not have many toys. Alice had a bride doll. I had a doll named Peggy Sue. Alice remembers fondly a toy washing machine which she used to wash her doll clothes. I remember going on a treasure hunt for a set of building blocks (pre-Lego days) for one of my birthdays. I also was fond of a stamping set (letters of alphabet) which I believe I ordered from a cereal box. We had few books. Favorites of mine were a Little Golden book of Aesop's Fables and a Child's Book of Prayers. (I still have these.) We always had skates and bicycles. One year Aunty Dorphy (Dad's sister) and Uncle George came to visit us at Easter and brought a couple of their friends with them. Alice and I each received a stuffed toy from these friends. I believe they were homemade donkeys. Did they remember Keith?

Dad was quite a skilled carpenter. He built us a rectangular child's table with arborite top along with, as I recall, four wooden chairs. He also built a little cupboard with arborite top. It had a drawer where we kept our doll clothes. ( We had many lovely doll clothes sewn by our Mom who was a seamstress par excellence. ) Beneath the drawer were cupboard doors. Inside was one shelf. This is where we kept our little dishes. Was it a porcelain tea set? We had a beautiful doll cradle painted red from our dear family friend, Madelon Bronnum. In later years Dad built a wooden rocking horse, painting it red, for Laurel. I believe he built a few rocking horses for other children also. He also built wooden boxes with sliding lids which he filled with wooden blocks and gave to young children.

Dad loved puzzles, and had several. He made many copies of a particular one that the family enjoyed. It probably took me a couple of hours or more to figure out how to do this particular puzzle. Once we (Alice, Keith, and I) knew how the puzzle worked we would race each other to see who could finish first. I have a 3D plastic clown puzzle that used to belong to Dad. Dad enjoyed practical jokes and loved to tell jokes. I was always amazed at his memory for jokes!! He enjoyed playing cards also and had an amazing memory for which cards had been played. Perhaps Laurel is most like him in this regard. She enjoys her regular bridge parties. Alice has a phenomenal memory but doesn't regularly play cards. Few could beat Dad at a game of checkers. One was Dad's first cousin Lloyd's wife Mildred. Dad also had strong skills in chess. I think Keith used to enjoy playing chess. His family certainly enjoys board games!!

Dad had a special way with very young children, and had some real fans. He would like to ask, in Norwegian, “Are you my girl?” and teach whoever was sitting on his knee to reply also in Norwegian, “Yes, yes, I am your girl.” Dad's first cousin Leroy's eldest daughter Lyndel had a special spot in her heart for Dad. Mom was the one who drove us to our various activities. She also was the one who understood us better as we became teenagers.

When I was a child Dad frequently played the harmonica. This perhaps is why I enjoy harmonica to this day. I have one of Dad's harmonicas that he gave me as a child and another couple that I requested to have after his passing. Many will remember Dad for a hand slapping game which involved the following recitation:
Go to bed Jack,
Go to bed Jack,
Take of your britches
And go to bed Jack.

Dad passed in August 1993. At the next Hanson Family Reunion, which was at Aunt Bea and Uncle Norm's hazelnut farm, we played many games of "Doughnut," one of Dad's favorite card games. This is a game where you alternate trump between hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs (not sure of order). In the first round everyone bids one trick, in the second round two and so on up to thirteen. Then the number of bids decreases to twelve, eleven, etc. until one is reached again. Bids are indicated by knocking on the table three times. On the third knock each player sticks out a number of fingers equivalent to the number of tricks he or she has bid. There is much hilarity in the game as, for example, when there is only one trick to be had but several bids. The name tags for that reunion were ribbons topped by a small doughnut created from a modelling material and painted. Was it Aunty Janet who made those? I don't remember. I had the feeling that Dad had many good chuckles that weekend!!