Motley Crew 1967

The Five Minute Warning

A few years ago after our Dad had passed, my mother received this picture in the mail from one of his long-time friends. In my top 10 of favorite family pictures this priceless snapshot is my number one. Sure there are many other family photos - church portraits, photos taken during special meals and holidays. But they all show us in our best clothes and on our best behavior.  This is the only photograph I am aware of that captures all seven of us and what we looked like on any regular old day on the farm.

According to Mom, the person behind the camera was an old army buddy my Dad had served with during the Korean conflict. Having arrived for an unexpected visit from another state, he surprised my parents by calling from town that afternoon to relay he would soon be at the farm. And that he was.....arriving about 5 minutes later. Thus I've dubbed this picture, "the five minute warning."

I had much fun scrutinizing the details of this picture by magnifying it on my computer. There are little memorable treasures all over the photograph. For example, I don't remember my Dad having hair on the top of his head, let alone dark hair. The picture tells otherwise. And was that a two day beard? That I don't ever remember seeing that either. Evidently there was just enough time for Dad wash up and throw on a clean shirt.  It had to be a different shirt than he had on prior to the visit. The first reason was because it was clean and second, all Dad ever wore for farm work was a standard navy blue or gray twill work shirt and matching pants. I have no doubt his sleeves were carelessly rolled up because he'd quickly scrubbed up to his elbows with the Lava soap.  That was something he always did when he came in the house.

I wish I knew what my mother was saying, although I can guess from the shape of her mouth that she was telling one of us to shape up. It's likely her message was for me, Missy McGrumpy, scowling at the camera with a fistful of baby carrots in hand.  From the size of the thin yellow carrots I'm guessing the picture was taken in late June or early July. It's no wonder I looked grumpy that day. I was very shy around strangers, the late afternoon sun was right in my eyes and I had likely been dragged out of my favorite playground, the garden. 

Posed all clean and happy, sister Kat stood angelically next to me with my garden grunge and sourpuss face. I see eldest brother DeeDee, standing like a super hero with hands on his hips, had also donned a clean shirt just like Dad. There is no doubt Tat came from the shop, shirt smeared with grease. His perpetually happy smile is captured just as I remember it. Tat always had a look like he had the joy-joy-joy-joy down in his heart. Coordinated striped shirt and socks, sideways belt and jutted hip fit brother DooDee's personality perfectly. As a child, he was the closest genetic match to me in the grumpy department. 

I'd like to thank the gentleman who thoughtfully sent us this treasure after Dad passed away.  I'm grateful he captured us in our humble state that summer day over forty years ago. And, I'm deeply grateful for the gift of memory restored and the loving family bonds that neither decades nor death can separate.