For The Luck of the Irish or Make Your Own Luck.

Today is Saint Patricks day, so I thought I would honor the Irish in my own way. As far as I know, I have no Irish in me. Maybe some of my other Meyer cousins down in Churdan, Greene county Iowa have some Irish background. It's a village based on Scotland and Ireland. I think it is fitting to speak of Ireland and Scotland as I share a memory of a a day at Sunnyslope with my cousin. By the way, Her mothers stepfather's ancestors lived in Scotland and Ireland. [He was a Walker from Nottingham.] Her family differs from mine, because she also has Norwegian genes from her mothers family.

Whether I have Irish heritage or not, I like to have a little good luck just as much as an Irishman.

You know how it is when you have an opportunity to gain a little good luck, we go for it. You can't blame a child in front of a patch of three leaf clover, They are probably going to hunt around in it to see if they have any luck in finding the four leaf clover for good luck. You do so with all the innocence children have.

That's what my cousin was doing with us the day she came out to stay for a day. Usually conversation is the main goal as you idly search while talking, but at this time that I recall, the hunt was the big thing, not the conversation. I guess we were warming up to each other, the search was to break our ice, so to speak. We were really bent in getting a little good luck. Now I am not sure if that is for one small wish or a life time of good luck. Either way, we wanted some.

It was an early warm spring day as we sprawled on the concrete sidewalk peering into the patches of clover. I had never had any luck finding any before and I think my belief was beginning to fade. My mother had joined us. She began to take a break from the work she had been doing as she slid down to the ground, and arranged her stiff leg out in front of her. She was a hard worker and didn't let much slide by her. I think that is maybe my one reason for laying there and searching so hard for some good luck. Maybe I would be lucky to avoid some chores for awhile. Maybe If I found a four leaf, it would keep me out of that chicken house cleaning for good.

I think we were having a conversation about if anyone had ever found such a four leaf clover. It was natural for me to look in the clover, but it was not a usual thing for me to be doing, since I had to go to great lengths to achieve that laying around time. If my cousin had not been there, I would have been trying to read somewhere. Then again, if my cousin had not been there I probably would be helping with some kind of chores on a Saturday.

I made a big deal about it, cause well, it might distract my mother from coming up with some chores that she thought might be fun for my cousin to do too.

I found out later, that my mother wanted to make this little visit for her to be special. My cousin hardly ever came out to the farm to visit us. I am not sure why she never did much before. I am not sure how the visit happened, but it was a nice thing to have happened. We were all the Meyer cousins we each had in this area of southern Minnesota. [Well my brothers too]

............. Amanda, Lyle and my cousin in the back.
I usually visited her at the outskirts of the little village of Lewisville. When I did, her mom was usually busy running the filling station, while her husband was working on vehicles, or out at their farm further away. It would happen on the days that I came along with my dad to the creamery or the elevator. My father would follow up with a stop to see his brother, Lyle or chat with aunt Amanda. I would stay to play an hour or two, and then when he returned, we would be asking if I could be staying a little longer over night. Much to my mom's unhappy thoughts, I was allowed to stay. See mom thought my enjoyable stay there made me grumpy when I came home. And it did, I guess. So she tried to restrict the visits so she could live with me! [ I should have been smarter not to let on, shouldn't I have?]




According to my mom, my cousin would like this visit. It wasn't anything she usually got to do. It was her privilege to spend time at something different. We would be sharing our life and our grandfather, who was inside in his chair. Usually grandfather was hauled into town to stay for a day at their home. So she knew him well enough. He just wasn't all that talkative, maybe he was in there. She didn't see him on the daily basis like I did. I More or less took him for granted. I don't recall, if she spent much time with him or not.
But at the time we were hunting for the four leaf clovers, I didn't know at that time moms thoughts on the specialness of the farm experience for my cousin. I thought she had it made, living in city.

I was just enjoying her company and bright ideas that she usually had.

We were opposite the house yard out in the general farm area. Out there was dad and my brothers with Tractors, equipment and all the buildings to be in. I guess we were old enough to be there on that side of the fence. Old enough to know what to avoid and not get into.

Oh sure, later we would mosey around to something else, but at that moment we had been looking eagerly for clover. [Time fades and clouds the memory, so if my brothers were there, I don't remember for that memorable moment]. But I know they were in on some other activities at a later time. ] After awhile, My mother joined in our speculations about if any one we knew had ever found a four leaf clover.

I think as we searched that I had formed the general opinion that none existed. But still putting on a great show of enthusiasm. I have never had any luck in my searches.


I don't really know how what happened next got started, It was not a big deal, but it did take over us.


Since I was having no luck, I began to try and pull one over on them. Very clever of myself, I thought as I held that fourth leaf into the three leaf clover in my outstretched hand for them to see. And then the loving banter started. Naturally, I wouldn't get away with it. [Cause didn't we know by then, there was no such thing as a four leaf clover, no Santa Claus or Easter bunny] with more Kidding around we hunted some more. I noticed my mother and my cousin having a little hushed like conversation. Knowing my mothers looks, I knew it was to no good for the rest of us. However, I sitll kept looking, enjoying my laziness in the suns warmth on the cement walk. We just had not been motivated to look for another project.

My cousin went into the house. I am not sure whether she announced she had to use the bathroom, or just wanted to get a drink and it doesn't matter.

I didn't keep an eye on my mom. Maybe she was still there. It was a long while, before my cousin returned. I sensed something odd. Somehow what happened then seemed to me to be too soon and somehow out of place. So I was waiting for clues, when she stated that she had found a four leaf clover. Had she stooped more and pretended more to be looking more, I maybe wouldn't have thought it odd. I checked. Sure enough it was a four leaf clover with little white spots in places. That girl had made her own luck with my mothers help.

I felt, my mother had helped her put one over on me.
Other than jealousy of being the middle child and the only lonely girl, I felt my first stabs of real jealousy issues.

The moment was memorable I guess for that and the specialness of her visit. Later, I think I told my mother something and she did explain to me that we should make her visits special. It was old hat to me, but something special for her to enjoy as she visited us. And I am glad we did. In those days We did share our life with her now and then, as she shared hers with me.

I remember too taking her to the wooded area later across the fence to the place right by the fence where our grandfather stored his old model T car that I had just recently discovered, when I had broken the rule and hopped over the fence. [.............In the back ground is an old car like grandpas. It may be his or it might be someone elses as they tailgated. It is hard to see......]

My younger brother by five years, saw us playing in the old car and he told us grandpa didn't want us to be doing that. And yes sooner or later, grandfather came along on his walk and saw us. I am not sure if it was because she was there, or if for some other reason. WE mentioned the problem and he said it was okay we could keep on playing, but to be careful. [There wasn't too much left of the old rusty car, except a dash, a steering wheel, and some thing to sit on. [Just a few dull rusty edges etc. that would freak out a modern day mother] So we had a little fun there too. Just another happy memory with my Meyer cousin.

just me jo