Wealth (consisting of minimum wage) was a new sensation since I seldom earned babysitting money; I lived in the middle of nowhere.

My work day ended a couple of hours earlier than Mom’s. Sometimes I occupied myself by doing voluntary filing for Mom and her officemates, other times I walked around town and window shopped.

Definitely a woman of the world!

I always left a generous tip of ten cents, which really was generous at the time. I sat up straight on the red vinyl stool to convey my status of big spender and independent woman of the world.

Occasionally, I rode the bus to Fort Edward to visit my two aunts and cousins. When I got my junior license Aunt Sophi let me use her car twice on extremely hot afternoons. I drove her two oldest daughters and other younger cousins to the community swimming pool. I was the adult in charge—not wise, but my aunts were used to my cousin Annie, the same age as me and definitely more mature.

A real job meant paying taxes. I begrudged the government’s dip into my pocket, until I received my first income tax return. I realized it was my own money getting returned to me without interest, but it felt like I hit the jackpot.

http://www.thecolorsofindiancooking.com
A gourmet appetizer in the 1960s!

My magnanimous charity extended to my non-working sisters.

Paula and Susan holding the Easter presents I bought them.

I continued to buy my sisters treats each tax time until I moved away. One year, I let Susan pick out two extravagant items Mom would never buy. She chose white patent leather dress shoes (not on sale) and a real majorette’s twirling baton.

On Paula’s sixth birthday I was a senior at St. Norbert College, several states away. I mailed her a shoe box stuffed full with every young Norton girl’s dream; penny candy and cheap makeup.

Being so much older than my sisters (nine and fifteen and a half years), I had money when they didn’t, and I knew what kids liked.