8-year-old Awaits Thanksgiving Reunion

(Top row L-R) Bob, Dave, Scott, Todd
(Bottom row L-R) Mike, Paul, Mark, Cary

By SCOTT GUTHRIE
Guest columnist for
Charles M. Guthrie
published by the StarTribune
November 23, 1969


   MOM AND DAD told me and my three brothers they had desided to take the bull by the horns as Gramps would say and have all the foks down here for Thanksgiving. They said it woold be a nitemare with eight boys ruffhousing around nocking vases off the tables and banging up the furniture but blood is thiker than water and you half to do your duty to keep the famly together even if you suffer and get gravy on the carpet.

   ALL THE other seven kids have rote the colum for Gramps and now it is my tern except I should of rote before Boby Shoberg did as I am in secund grade and two years older than him and when he rote he had not even got threw kindeygarden yet and did not no how to spell cat. His brothers had to help him.
   My brothers are not helping me which is lucky for me as they are very dum and woold rather tinker with a motorsickle or play hockey or watch TV cartons than get anything in there head.

   GRAMPS gives a kid a dollar for riting his colum and I gess he will do no better than that for me. We have not talked about money but there is no use trying to raze the prise as he is tight and always holding the line on inflashun. But it is a lot of work for one buck espeshully with no help from my brothers but Dad said not to wory as he woold look it over and get rid of the bugs.
   I could not hurt his feelings and tell him to keep his mits out of it but that is how I feel. He is good at fixing up sick dogs and cats which is his bisness and he sings good in a quartet but is not much on lititure and speling.

   DAD SAYS this may be the last time we have everybuddy together and Mom says why, yore fokes look good for a while yet. Dad laffs and says heck, they will live for 20 yrs but it keeps getting harder to get the old man out of a chare. Gramps is jumpy about winter driving and afrade he will skid into the dich. Dad says Gramps may have something their being the driver he is, but as long as Tom is around to drive Dad says it is okay but a year from now Tom may of flew the coop. Tom is Dad's kid brother.
   Dad said it is to bad his old man does not have the zip his mother does as she would be game to take off for Timbukto in a blizard even with the old man at the wheel.
   We have a lot of room now which is nice as their will be 15 hear not counting the dog and us kids will get away by ourself and not be board by Gramps and Dad and Uncle Stan talking politics and telling each other the best way to end the war.

   MY DAD thinks things will work out okay and Uncle Stan says any fool can see we are in trouble but we will save ourself in time. Gramps has gave up hope. He says everything is lousy from baseball to politics.
   Grandma gets sick and tired of Gramps always singing the blues and having all the answers. She says things have been bad before such as the civil war and the depreshun but once we get the war over with and quit throwing all that  money at the moon things will be alright particuly if the young bucks get a haircut and shave.

   MOM SAYS I and my brothers will have to be on our best behavor as it will be a big deal and she needs our help. This means no horsing around unless in the basement. But Dad says it is a good bet the turkey will get nocked on the floor, milk will get spilled in the salid and four or five dishes busted.
   This is all there is and I hope it is one dollar's worth.

Charles M. Guthrie in his chare

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