Dinner At Eight

Written by Loraite (Rossman) Teays

 Feb. – 1987

     When I was a young teenager, I always thought that “17” was a magic age. I couldn’t wait, until I reached that year! 1934 soon arrived and I would be 17, on Mar. 25^th. A few weeks before my B-Day, I told mother that I wish I could do something “special” for my B-Day. As usual, mother “came up” with the perfect solution. There was a movie, out, at that time, called “Dinner at Eight”. If I remember correctly, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard stared, in it. My boy friend, Jim Teays and I had seen the movie and mother had heard me talk about it. She said to me, “Loraite, why don’t you have a diner at eight, at 8 P.M, on the night of your birthday? I will be happy to prepare it for you”. Well, I thought that was a prefect idea!

     We began to make plans and I decided who to invite. Ed, my brother, and I had double-dated quite a lot, so he and his girl friend, Irene Sayers, was first on my list. I was friendly with the Travis Twins, Jean and Albertine, so invited them and their and boy friends. Jean was dating Roy Best and Albertine was dating Earl Kirby. Jim and I made the list, of eight people.

     I was quite excited, about the whole thing and of course helped mother get the house all spic and span and helped with some of the preparations, for the dinner.

     When I awoke, early, on the 27^th, I was very dismayed to see that it had snowed very hard and drifted, a lot, during the night. I was afraid that some of the roads would be impossible. After I was up and dressed, mother sent me, to the milk house, to get some cream, as she was going to make “home-made” ice-cream, for the special dinner. I had to “wade” through snow drifts, waist high. I was very “depressed”, thinking the party would have to be “called off”.

     Well, the wind stopped blowing and the County “road workers” plowed snow all day and everything “worked out fine”.

     I had to go to school, that day, and while I was gone, mother baked a lovely B-Day cake, for me. For extra fun, she put a ring, thimble, button and a penny in the batter. She spaced them so that when she cut the cake, it worked out, that one person, of each couple would get one of the articles. If you got the ring, it meant, you would be the first, to be married. The thimble meant, you would be a seamstress or tailor. The button meant you would be an old maid or bachelor. The penny meant, you would be married, to a rich person.

     After the regular family supper was over Mother finished preparing the “Diner at Eight”. The menu was – Roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, mothers famous “baked beans”, peas and carrots, cabbage salad, relishes, hot rolls and of course B-Day cake, ice cream and coffee. I remember that Albertine for the “ring”, in her piece of cake. It “turned out”, that she really was the first, to marry. I got the “thimble” and I have done a lot of sewing, all my life, so I guess you could call me a “seamstress”. Everyone said how “delicious” the dinner was and they thought the “cake” was a lot of fun. Our guests had never had a cake, like that, before.

     After dinner, I was presented with some lovely gifts. I remember that Ed and Irene gave me a lovely pair of blue gloves and a gold bracelet, with blue stones. I enjoyed wearing them, for a long time. My boy friend, Jim, gave me a large box of chocolates and a “Lovey-Dovey” B- Day card. I was really “thrilled about it!” I had only been going with him, a little over a month.

     After the gifts, we went up into the living room where mother had “set up” card tables and eight chairs. We played “progressive, stab the peanuts”. Whoever stabbed the most peanuts, in a bowl, with a “hat pin”- would change partners and go to the next table. At the end of the game, which we played, for about an hour, the ones with the highest scores, received prizes. Of course, mother always had a “booby prize” ready, for the one with the smallest score. It was a bottle of “homemade catsup”.

     We all had some more cake and ice cream and then the party was over. My boy friend stayed a little while, after the rest had left. He told me – “he loved me” for the first time. Just as I always knew- 17 was the “magic age”, to be. It was the perfect ending- to a wonderful party!

     Many times, I think of all the “work” and “love” that my mother put into this party.

                                                                        The End

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