Everything up his nose and Christmas 1959

Mom loved to move. In my time with them we moved about 6 times. In early 1959 we moved from 100 Jono road to 179 Jono road.

In May or June of 1959 I received a small wooden cannon. I was 4 at the time. It was about 6 inches long (15 centimeters). It had 8 small wooden bullets that it fired. I had been sitting on the floor in the living room playing with it all afternoon. I fired it at my toy solider men. I fired it at the cardboard bridge that my dad had made for me the other night. I just plain fired away!

After awhile I began to fiddle with the cannon and the bullets. I picked up one of the bullets, looked at it, then promptly shoved it up my nose. I then proceeded to do exactly the same with the remaining 7 bullets!

Just as the last bullet disappeared up my nose, my mother came around the corner, dish towel in hand, and looked at me. It had been way too quiet out here in the living room! “What is he up to?” said mom to herself.

Well there I sat on the floor with my cannon. All the bullets were up my nose. I could not breath very good and my lips were curled up weird. I sneezed!

“Where are the bullets that came with that cannon Jim?” mom shrieked! I just looked up at her and sneezed again. She knew something was wrong. Mothers are good at that!

In a panic she whisked me into the car and drove me straight away to our family doctor. We got to the office and they took us right away. The doctor looked at me and said “Well Jim. I bet you won’t do this again will you?” I shook my head. Then he laid my head back and told me not to move. One by one he dragged those bullets out of my nose with a long needle nose looking thing. As each one came out it tickled and I giggled.

Many happy memories are here at 179 Jono road. My first bike. A pedal tractor. A train set. Christmas! Christmas to me was then and still is the best time of the year. Oh how I loved Christmas! On Christmas eve we would go to the Christmas eve service at the Lakeview Baptist Church, in Battle Creek. After service we would come home, and settle around the fire. Mom would open a can of sardines, and some crackers, and we would watch Christmas specials on TV. After, mom would put some cookies on a plate, and a glass of milk for Santa, and put them on the table, and off to bed I would go. I could hardly sleep! Dad said “You better go to sleep or Santa will not come!”. So I did. Morning came. It was always a cold bright Christmas morning with plenty of snow. I would rush out into the living room and WOW! Santa did come! I remember a chalk board, a train set, some remote control cars and lots of toys! On the chalk board was written “Thank you Jim for the cookies and milk”. I ran over to the table, and sure enough the milk was gone, and the plate of cookies was empty! All that was left were some crumbs! Proof positive that Santa was really real! Such happy times.