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ENLARGE
THEN AND NOW
Edna Van Leuven
It was one New Year's Eve, in the 1960s that brings back my fondest memory of that special holiday. I flew from Los Angeles to Fresno to spend that weekend with my then fiance Van and friends Olga and Ed. Taking off on a beautiful star lit night, the plane flew out over the Pacific as the pilot gently banked the aircraft so that we could look down and see a panorama that looked like the entire city was on fire with Christmas lights. It looked like a black velvet blanket covered with colored gems. It just took my breath away.
But then, as often happens in Fresno, the east side of the town — including Clovis where the airport is located — was socked in with fog. We ended up landing somewhere north in perhaps Modesto. I'm not certain anymore, but it was one of those small towns, and we were bussed back to Fresno.
Van was already at Olga and Ed's house. They lived at Maple and Clinton Streets just a few blocks from the airport. He had called when he realized the plane couldn't land, and had been told that I would be bussed into the airport. He told our friends that he knew I wouldn't let the driver take me all the way but instead I would get off at the corner. He listened, and when he heard a bus stop, he told Olga and Ed that I would now be getting off of the bus. Now, he said, she will be crossing the street, now she will be walking up the driveway, now she will knock on the door. I knocked.
We had a wonderful evening with dinner and dancing and that special kiss at midnight. It was the beginning of a really wonderful year.
There was one other New Year's Eve I remember fondly, when we lived in Cascade, Idaho and had invited everybody that worked at the Forest Service, at Van's new job. They were invited to spend the evening with us and I had made tons and tons of food, not knowing how many people would actually be coming. And did they ever show up! Everybody and his cousin came and we did have one great evening.
I had made a lot of food ahead of time, frozen some because the refrigerator just wouldn't hold all the food I had planned. The dining room table groaned with meatballs, shrimp, sandwich makings, cheeses, meats, special rolls, potato salad, the usual and plenty of everything. And Van had set a beautiful bar in the kitchen. No problems with designated drivers, we had made sure of that.
One person I remember with special fondness was a close friend who loved my cooking. When Gene was asked why he didn't come into the living room, from the dining room chair where he had been sitting, he answered, “Do you think I'm crazy, and leave all this food?”
During the last New Year's evening of Van's life we lived in Lowman, Idaho. Instead of staying home and celebrating with neighbors', we went to a friend's place in faraway Cascade. Plans were made for us to stay a few days. We got there just in time because a huge snowstorm followed that lasted well into the night. Our friends, folks we had played cards with many, many a night until two or three in the morning, decided to go to bed at 10 o'clock. I thought Van would have a fit. What could we do? We too went to bed.
In the morning Van did something that surprised me:He told them a lie. He told our friends he wasn't feeling well and just wanted to go home. I didn't say a word until we had packed up and left. I then asked him if he really wasn't feeling well and wanted to go home. He smiled and said he had another plan to celebrate the weekend.
We headed to Boise, found a nice hotel room and spent two wonderful days eating breakfast at our favorite place called Elmer's, lunch at the Masonic Hall and dinner wherever we felt like it. We shopped in really nice stores, a real treat for Lowman residents who don't even have a real grocery store. The truck was filled with provisions.
While we may not have celebrated New Year's Eve in the usual sense, we did have one wonderful time, one I will always remember fondly.
Happy New Year, everybody!
Edna Van Leuven is a Churchill County resident.
But then, as often happens in Fresno, the east side of the town — including Clovis where the airport is located — was socked in with fog. We ended up landing somewhere north in perhaps Modesto. I'm not certain anymore, but it was one of those small towns, and we were bussed back to Fresno.
Van was already at Olga and Ed's house. They lived at Maple and Clinton Streets just a few blocks from the airport. He had called when he realized the plane couldn't land, and had been told that I would be bussed into the airport. He told our friends that he knew I wouldn't let the driver take me all the way but instead I would get off at the corner. He listened, and when he heard a bus stop, he told Olga and Ed that I would now be getting off of the bus. Now, he said, she will be crossing the street, now she will be walking up the driveway, now she will knock on the door. I knocked.
We had a wonderful evening with dinner and dancing and that special kiss at midnight. It was the beginning of a really wonderful year.
There was one other New Year's Eve I remember fondly, when we lived in Cascade, Idaho and had invited everybody that worked at the Forest Service, at Van's new job. They were invited to spend the evening with us and I had made tons and tons of food, not knowing how many people would actually be coming. And did they ever show up! Everybody and his cousin came and we did have one great evening.
I had made a lot of food ahead of time, frozen some because the refrigerator just wouldn't hold all the food I had planned. The dining room table groaned with meatballs, shrimp, sandwich makings, cheeses, meats, special rolls, potato salad, the usual and plenty of everything. And Van had set a beautiful bar in the kitchen. No problems with designated drivers, we had made sure of that.
One person I remember with special fondness was a close friend who loved my cooking. When Gene was asked why he didn't come into the living room, from the dining room chair where he had been sitting, he answered, “Do you think I'm crazy, and leave all this food?”
During the last New Year's evening of Van's life we lived in Lowman, Idaho. Instead of staying home and celebrating with neighbors', we went to a friend's place in faraway Cascade. Plans were made for us to stay a few days. We got there just in time because a huge snowstorm followed that lasted well into the night. Our friends, folks we had played cards with many, many a night until two or three in the morning, decided to go to bed at 10 o'clock. I thought Van would have a fit. What could we do? We too went to bed.
In the morning Van did something that surprised me:He told them a lie. He told our friends he wasn't feeling well and just wanted to go home. I didn't say a word until we had packed up and left. I then asked him if he really wasn't feeling well and wanted to go home. He smiled and said he had another plan to celebrate the weekend.
We headed to Boise, found a nice hotel room and spent two wonderful days eating breakfast at our favorite place called Elmer's, lunch at the Masonic Hall and dinner wherever we felt like it. We shopped in really nice stores, a real treat for Lowman residents who don't even have a real grocery store. The truck was filled with provisions.
While we may not have celebrated New Year's Eve in the usual sense, we did have one wonderful time, one I will always remember fondly.
Happy New Year, everybody!
Edna Van Leuven is a Churchill County resident.
