I’m sure that my memories of that night in August 1957 differ a bit from The Commander’s. And Radical Betty’s. And definitely my brother’s. I was 3-1/2, so my memories are disconnected little blips. Waking up in my bedroom in our old house on Superior Street in the dark. Or do I remember that? That room wasn’t my bedroom until I was six. I don’t remember what was in there before it was my bedroom, a den or something, but maybe I had been put down for a nap in there. Or maybe I was in another room. I DO remember that Radical Betty took me and Uber Kayak Woman to the Pink Poodle drive-in restaurant. I loved going to the Pink Poodle and I remember having FUN that night. Giggling with UKW in the back seat of Radical Betty’s car. Going to the Pink Poodle late at night with Radical Betty and UKW was an *adventure*! That night, we were on our way out to the moominbeach (sshh, my granddaddy was still around then and he’ll probably shoot lightning bolts at me if he reads this). I stayed with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins for the next week. I think I slept at The White Tornado’s cabin, in Susie’s or Sandy’s bottom bunk (I hope I didn’t wet the bed), because I remember The Commander saying she had never seen the skin behind my ears so clean. But I think I spent my days at the Old Cabin with the grandparents and Radical Betty and Bubs and UKW and Pooh, et al. I don’t remember a whole lot about that. After all, it was just life at the cabin and I was well accustomed to that. I DO remember DEMANDING that I be served four-year-old straight pickles. Whaddya mean, you don’t know what four-year-old straight pickles are?

My moom was away for a week. I don’t really remember missing her that much but maybe I did. But I was with my Grandma (who always made things all right) and all my aunts and cousins (who always made things fun) and we were swimming and running around like wild Indians on the beach and making forts in the woods. I think my dad showed up a few times, although he was staying pretty close to town. Because. When my mom finally did show up, she looked a little tired and I was in The White Tornado’s beautiful and spotlessly clean cabin living room and I asked, “Where’s the baby?” Her answer. “He’s not coming home.” Hmmm… I know I did not really understand how to process that. I didn’t even realize what it would be like to have a baby sibling (no telling the gender beforehand in those days). But I had been excited anyway and I remember my stomach dropping into some kind of pit.

As you might guess by the photooo, this story had a good ending, at least for 47 years*. Although I know it from several viewpoints (albeit in a rather patchy way), I can really only give you a high-level overview. My brother was born with an Rh-negative incompatibility (excuse my lack of knowledge of proper medical terminology, I don’t feel like Googling). His complications were so severe that my doctor-uncle thought he was going to die and told The Commander that, pretty much point blank. Which was appropriate because it was the truth. Until my doctor-uncle and another colleague or two cobbled together some sort of contraption that transfused his blood and he came home and grew up into The Engineer.

And so, I am on Facebook as some of you know and/or are tired of hearing about. I joined a group called something like “I love Sault Ste. Marie”. Because I do. This week, they have been posting photos of old restaurants that are no longer around. Dorothy’s, A&W, Flair, Knife & Fork, Penthouse, Dog & Suds, I don’t remember what all, although I do remember all the restaurants. Clyde’s Drive-In? It’s still open (thank you god). I kept thinking Pink Poodle, Pink Poodle, Pink Poodle but I didn’t have a photooo** and I couldn’t exactly remember where the place was located and I started wondering if I was the only person on earth who remembered the Pink Poodle. And then somebody asked, “what ever happened to the Pink Flamingo?” Say what? I thought, “They are talking about the Pink Poodle!” I waited. Somebody finally commented about the Pink Poodle. I thought, “Maybe I’m not nuts!”

Was there a Pink Poodle? If so, exactly where was it? Was there a Pink Flamingo?

* When my brother was born, no one knew anything about hepatitis C, therefore they certainly didn’t test donated blood for it. It takes a *really* long time for H-C to incubate (?) and make you sick but he contracted it at birth and that is what he died from, at 47.

** When I was a kid in the 1950s, cameras and film were expensive, not to mention getting that film developed. If digital cams and the internet had been around then, I would just about bet that The Commander and Radical Betty et al, would’ve been the original mommy bloggers.

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