Father Knows Best  (USA, late 60's.)

Dad came to visit us and the grandchildren in Milwaukee. He spent a few days and then decided to take the bus home. We told him the route and that he would have to transfer two times. He remembered the first transfer but the 2nd one was at Waterloo, IA and Dad figured he is so close to home that no way is he getting off the bus. He thought he knew better than the driver who repeatedly told him to get off the bus. Well, he stayed on. When he did not show up at home, there were some anxious moments not knowing what happened to him. We called the bus company and he was located in Des Moines, IA. The Bus Co. was nice enough  to send him home at their expense and that was the last time he traveled by himself!

Mortar Pan (Die Martel Pfanne)

It is war time. Air raids happened frequently. No lights are allowed anywhere outside. Windows are covered, so you can imagine when you go out at night it was pitch black. Unless the moon was bright and friendly enough to shine some light on your surroundings. On one of those dark nights, Mother decided she needed something from the store that was about two blocks from our house. She also knew that our neighbor had some cement work done and they had a big square container where the cement gets mixed in front of their house. She walked very slowly looking for anything  recognizable in the darkness. Her concern was especially for that pan with the cement. She carefully counted her steps and once she was sure she was past that house, she felt she could walk a little faster. No sooner did she pick up speed when guess what - her foot stumbled on something and sent her flying into the pan of cement. She was laughing so hard that she laughed all the way home. What a sense of humor she had.

Rations For All

During the war, food was scarce. Rations were in place. Still, people made due. Our neighbor had a big farm. Most big farmers needed extra help during harvest time.  Usually friends helped because there would be food served. Meat and sausage were the most desired foods and the hardest to come by. Our neighbor used his ration to buy a piece of sausage from the butcher. It was still wrapped in paper and lying on the kitchen table. He pushed it to the hired man and told him to take it home. Knowing full well that it was a weeks' ration he politely pushed it back. Meanwhile, our cat was in that same room watching the sausage get pushed back and forth. She reached for it without anyone noticing, most likely when they were drinking. She was a good cat and brought the sausage home. My Mother looked to see what the cat brought home and decided it was a gift from heaven, so we ate it and were grateful for the unexpected treat. Only much later did we find out the real story behind it.