A View of the Valley

by Linda Schwanke It’s now been a year since my family had any kind of “normal” gathering. Last February we had a joint birthday party for hubby Jim and son Bill. Both have February birthdays and as Bill has gotten older – not that Jim hasn’t – it’s been our tradition to have one party instead of two. Gwen and I were born on the same day and share a party so I guess we have decided they may as well, too. I won’t tell you how old they are (Bill is a boring 30-something) but Jim has a special birthday this year. I will tell you he was born the year that JFK was inaugurated. I had to look up what happened that year because I was far too little to remember. Then I had to look up what happened the year Bill was born because I was pregnant and chasing a toddler so my memories of what happened the year he was born outside my own little world are sketchy. Anyway, one thing led to another as I looked up what happened in those particular years. As with so many things on the internet, it was quite a rabbit hole but one I gladly went down rather than think about how long it’s been since we’ve entertained at our house. (We had socially distant picnics and visits over the summer. It was nice but not the same.) The year Bill was born was a leap year. I had a caesarian scheduled in April but Bill decided he needed to be early. On meds and bed rest to slow things down after going into labor far too early, my doctor wanted to reschedule the surgery for February 29. He thought it would be really neat to have a baby on Leap Day and we reluctantly agreed. I mean, it didn’t sound so cool to us but if it made the doctor happy, whatever. Bill was having none of it. He insisted on arriving on February 25 and all the medication in the world could not stop him. So he arrived by emergency caesarian, promptly fell asleep and has rarely been early for anything since then. As a result of being born that day, he shares a birthday with George Harrison, which is pretty cool. Renoir was born on February 25, Virginia Woolf, and a whole list of famous people I’ve never heard of. The year Bill was born the year of the Iran-Contra Affair, a sad time in our nation’s history. The winter Olympics were held in Calgary, Canada, the summer Olympics were held in Seoul, South Korea, and I remember trying mostly unsuccessfully to watch them. George H.W. Bush was elected president. Lots and lots of stuff going on that year, as there always is. The year Jim was born was the year of the Bay of Pigs. He shares a birthday, or did, with Hank Aaron, and Roger Staubach (sorry folks, I’m not a Cowboys fan but he was one heck of a quarterback) was born on February 5. Lots of other famous people, too, but of course I haven’t heard of most of them. Princess Diana and Barack Obama were born the same year as Jim although not the same day.  The Disney film 101 Dalmatians came out that year, which is weird because I didn’t think it was so old. The Peace Corps was established and is still active to this day, a both amazing and wonderful thing. Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space and Alan Shepard became the first American in space with Gus Grissom following later in the year. Carrying a message that didn’t get old, Harper Lee was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her coming-of-age novel To Kill a Mockingbird, an important book and movie that if you haven’t read or seen needs to be on your to-do list. The Vikings played their first ever NFL game in September of that year - presumably the Packers fans took at least a few months to ramp up the rivalry between the two teams. Catch-22, written by Joseph Heller, another must read book, was published for the first time. The first disposable diaper was introduced – a both good and bad thing.  I could go on and on and spent far too much time “researching” this column. History, recent or ancient, captivates me. We won’t have another family birthday now for months but when they finally get here I may revisit this topic. And I hope and pray that it will be safe to have a huge party. If you see Jim on Friday wish him happy birthday. Stay in touch. My number is 574-3159. Email me at homenewseditor@newspubinc.com or write to me at the Home News, P.O. Box 39, Spring Green WI 53588.  The news deadline is 12 noon on Mondays.  Visit our website at homenewsrv.com Get in touch with Gwen for sports or features at homenewssports@newspubinc.com. If you need a display ad, Dave Pronold can be reached at homenewssales@newspubinc.com or by calling him on his cell at 588-4777. Display ads, or ads that are in boxes, are due by 1 p.m. on Wednesdays. 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