Was laying in bed the other night and thinking about the upcoming wedding on Saturday and then other things started to come into my mind.
When we first came to California and were to stay in the tent-house that I referred to earlier in a blog, we were tired and it was getting late at night and we hear all this banging around and yelling, etc. Of course we got up to see what was going on and my Mother and Father told us that the neighbor where all the noise was coming from was getting a "chivaree"!
Then they went on to explain that it was the custom in the olden days for all the neighbors to gather at the home of the newlyweds (I hope, after their honeymoon!) and banged on kettles or anything that made a lot of noise and shouted and yelled their congratulations to the bride and groom and then were invited in to have coffe, tea or whatever! It was supposed to be a surprise to the couple and sometimes they weren't really prepared for such a doing! But it was all taken in good fun, at least this night I am talking about!!!
In fact that was the night we met most of our new neighbors! Dad had been there for a month or so working and getting ready for us, his family to leave Idaho and move to California.
When my sister Teresa and her husband Hank got married, they were given my sister Genevieve and husband Phil's home up at Big Trees State Park for a honeymoon spot! Genevieve and Phil came to the wedding on their way to a vacation, and since Hank was still in the Navy, Teresa and he did not have too much money!!! A few of us "meanies"- I guess that was what you would call us!- Anyway, we decided that we would go up to the Big Trees and knock on their door!
We made our plans (in secret, of course) and off we went after we decided that the newly-weds had time to get there and get unpacked or whatever??? We drove into the park and turned off our lights so they wouldn't see the car coming and then we parked being very careful and quiet!
We got right to the door and Hank opened the door and said, "Come on in! We've been expecting you!" So there went our big "chivaree" surprise!!!! So they had coffe made and some cookies and after about a half hour we decided to leave them and go home!!! Course we only got as far as the Arnold Inn where I one time worked and since my brother, and wife, Julie had lived in White Pines also and the same people owned it that I worked for and, oh yes, incidently that was the restaurant where I first met Cappy, we went in and had quite an evening of it dancing, visiting, etc.
So much for chivarees! Today if anyone did that at 10:00 or 11:00 P.M., the police would be out for sure!!! And I would probably be the spoilsport that called them! Oh for the "good old days"!
