Grandfather Says: The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 42
The Funny Bunch
The Union Firehouse used to host frequent dances, mostly organized by the Fire Chief. They would “pass the hat” for contributions to cover the costs. The Chief brought great tapes to play as our band. We had some unforgettable times there and look back on those days fondly.
Times have changed, and they no longer hold dances there. Now, Dad and I attend dances at the Elks Club whenever we can. The Elks facility burned down a couple of years ago, but we attended a dance with a fantastic band called Paris during the grand opening of their new facility in March 2001 on the same site.
Dancing has been a big part of our lives since we moved to West Virginia. A song that resonates with me is “I Hope You Dance,” which I often hear on the radio. Some lines that stick with me are:
– “And when you get the chance to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.”
– “Promise me you’ll give faith a fighting chance, and dance.”
Kitty B’s Luncheon
Kitty was already showing symptoms of Alzheimer’s, so I planned a luncheon at my house for her and the other Funny Bunch girls. We had a wonderful, albeit bittersweet, time together. Kitty expressed her fear about what was happening to her, but later she sent me a beautiful note saying it was “the very best birthday I’ve ever had.” We enjoyed special foods and white wine that day and joked about the “tipsy lunch ladies” for a long time afterward. Before she passed away, Kitty spent several weeks in a nursing home in Greenbrier County.
Our group would meet most Saturday nights at someone’s house. We brought our own steaks or hamburgers and a covered dish, and the host would broil the meat. We had some great times for several years until we started losing members. I played at four of their funerals, and Charlie and Madeline moved to Florida. But while it lasted, it was the closest and most fun group we ever had. I never expected that we, who moved here from Virginia, would become part of such a tight-knit group in Union.
One night at our house, one of the guys passed his empty plate down the table for someone to add some salad. Whoever helped him put one cherry tomato exactly in the center of the plate and passed it back without a word. The guy looked at it for a minute and then said, deadpan, “May I have the House dressing, please?”
Everything was fun in those Funny Bunch days.
To be continued…