This was the 65th year for the local Apple Fest in La Crescent, a tradition established way back when there were apple orchards all over the hillsides and this tiny town of 5000 was even smaller, without any thought of expanding. In it's early years there was always a prgram with recipes and information about La Crescent. Today most of the information is sponsored about town by the Chamber of Commerce and a group of local volunteers, The Applefest Board, so designated by themselves. Here is a page from the 1954 program:
 |
| 1961 Program cover |
These days there is no published program. The carnival comes to town, there is a craft show of sorts and a flea market of sorts, and old cars come out on display, and the finale on Sunday is a parade. Despite our visits here when we lived in California and being citizens of the town for the past six years, (Six, OMG,how time flies...) I had never gone to the Sunday Applefest parade. Sometimes the rain kept me away, sometimes we were traveling, and there are any other myriad excuses or lack of interest, not being a native Crescenite. It became part of my mystique to state, "I've never been to an Applefest parade." Rather odd because when we travel around the country if there is a local parade, we generally attend. More so odd because I do love a parade!
You know that Jerry's mother is 94 and for the past year has resided in the Golden Living Center (skilled facility) here in town. You also likely know that life has not been easy having to look out for the old lady, to put it nicely. Her other two living "children" her daughter in Colorado and son in California and have not visited her, but what else is new? In 1990, twenty one years ago now, after the death of Lyman, her second husband and father of the other two siblings, we became the "chosen" or drew the short straw to look over and after her. This is a twist of life in itself as she did limited to naught in raising or mothering Jerry, her eldest and first born. He and his deceased sister, Diane, were from her first husband, Diz; that marriage lasted briefly, through the birth of Dianne following which Florence moved back to the family farm with Mom and Dad who raised the two kids while she "worked" and played. Part of the time was interrupted by her commitment into a state mental institution by her sister. I can't help but believe she should have been medicated most of her life and not let loose.
 |
| 1950 Dianne, Florence, Jerry leaving La Crescent |
But here we are today still responsible for her although the burden is decreased with her being in 24 hour care. Taking a look at her today people might think, "what a sweet old woman." Those people would be very wrong. So we go along with our lives and try not to be drawn into her cantankerousness and nonsense. Jerry says, "she does not get to rule nor ruin us."
Jerry and I have said, "If she could be 1/4th as agreeable, and content as Carl was" in reference to my 93 year old uncle who passed in May in PA. But Florence is not Carl, neither is she content,. I am convinced, personalities really do not change later in life, that as an elderly friend told me years ago, "People just become more of who they are." So today with her enhanced dementia she is more Florence, although she is still quite mobile with use of a walker, and has no chronic illnesses, she is more miserable and more unhappy and bound to maintain her family at ends with each other. She has been most successful at the latter, which has been something I have never understood. But she always wanted to be the center, the manipulator, the one in control though in truth she led a life of being controlled. Lyman actually maintained her in a delayed state of adolescence taking her here and there, to the grocery store, telling her what she could and could not do, and so on, their life suited them, I suppose. Right before his death on one of their visits to our home, where they felt free to come unannounced, Lyman apologized to Jerry and warned him that he would have his hands full with his mother in years to come, that the others would not participate and that it would fall to us. Over our married years, everytime I think we have made in roads in building a semblance of cordial family with these people, I am proven wrong. I no longer try.
Florence never drove again after the 1950 escape. But today, her legacy there is little of sibling relationship between Jerry and the other two; Diane died in 2004. Barbara, the sister in Colorado, is the spitting image of Florence in facial features and in personality, given to self centeredness, secrets and moodiness, two failed marriages and now in a relationship, busy with her own life. Rodney, the little brother in California, has managed to escape the tentacles of Florence and her mental legacy and is about living a decent life with his family. He recognizes his mother's mental short comings and expects naught and is master at ignoring and avoiding. Actually both sons, Jerry and Rodney, have adapted the tactics of ignoring or letting it not phase them. We keep in touch at times by email and the like.
Florence never drove again after the 1950 escape. But today, her legacy there is little of sibling relationship between Jerry and the other two; Diane died in 2004. Barbara, the sister in Colorado, is the spitting image of Florence in facial features and in personality, given to self centeredness, secrets and moodiness, two failed marriages and now in a relationship, busy with her own life. Rodney, the little brother in California, has managed to escape the tentacles of Florence and her mental legacy and is about living a decent life with his family. He recognizes his mother's mental short comings and expects naught and is master at ignoring and avoiding. Actually both sons, Jerry and Rodney, have adapted the tactics of ignoring or letting it not phase them. We keep in touch at times by email and the like.
But back to Applefest 2011. Each year, staff at the Golden Living Center pick two residents to be their royalty in the parade and to be honored at the senior luncheon. Bingo, you guessed it, Florence was chosen as a Golden Apple. Well meaning intentions were that she would be pleased, which she was off and on, but being herself she had to complain to elicit more attention and to be constantly assuaged. She would complain how she is not social, like her sisters were, and that is true, partly because she cannot hear in normal conversations and partly because she lives inside her own thoughts and years back from the present. She and Frank, a male resident who is a long timer from the area were chosen to ride in the horse drawn carriage and to attend the senior luncheon donning royal capes. to the right is the newspaper photo, which she collected from everyone who had a paper to send to all Diane's survivors in Southern California. That's a side of the family we have no contact with and that is just fine. Somewhere in her demented head she has assumed herself as the mother figure to Diane's prodigy, most of whom have lived the drugged life and on the ragged side, in and out of prisons, you name it they have done it.
End of long post, this year we were both compelled as duty called to go to the parade and take some photos of the Golden Apples. These photos we have shared online with our side--Allen, Angel and grand kids, and with Rodney. Barbara who has not spoken with us in over a year now either has chosen to keep her email a secret or only uses her work computer. I do not develop photos so anyone not online loses. The rains came but the carriage for the two Golden Apples was early on in the parade following the young queen and her court and others, so they did not get wet, as at the end of the parade they were whisked back to the facility.
 |
| Frank and Florence, the two Golden Apples |
 |
| Golden Apple Carriage. The boy along the side was refilling his candy bucket to throw to spectator children along the route. |
 |
| Following the carriage, the Lancers, our High School Marching band |
 |
| More of our Lancer's High School Marchng Band |
 |
| The young royalty escorted by Applefest Board |
 |
| Apple Annies, local singing group Last but not least, in case you think I exaggerate to have a tale to tell, how about this  |
There were about 70 more entries, and community people who participate in the parade, but we took few more pictures and did not stay as the rains began and we departed for home. MIL just called on the phone and despite claiming to not be interested, was angry that no photo showed of her in today's newspaper, after the Applefest. I tried to tell her it is for the young people, who were featured at the carnival and around town. She replied, "It's a big joke! That's what I think." Now she is convinced in her mind that they did this just to ignore and slight her, ahh go figure. It's all supposed to be about her!
