Of Sadie and Maureen

I loved Sadie Hawkins, and I love Maureen. This is their day.

I didn't realize until this morning in the Google top-ten searches with Sadie Hawkins ranking second under Sarah Palin that this is Sadie's birthday, so to speak. She showed up in the cartoon strip Dog Patch, and her dad was worried she'd never get married.

This is also a special day for Maureen, and I think it's a significant one. I think we discussed the chronological details last year when I wished her a happy birthday. Maureen's my niece. She's the oldest of all the nieces and nephews on this side of the family, and she's a nice lady.

So, happy birthday, Maureen. I hope---if this is your significant birthday---you have a great celebration. On my significant birthday, I got sent on a scavenger hunt around Sandpoint, which included black roses from one of the local flower shops and the offer of a brand-new baby from John and Kathy who ran the Whistlestop Cafe at the time.

John and Kathy are no longer here; I think they moved back to Kansas, and I'm sure that baby no longer lives with them. She may have even graduated from college by now.

The Whistlestop, which served really yummy donuts, along with a little conservative political philosophy from John, is now known as Mick Duff's. And, of course, for the oldtimers, part of that site was once the Pend Oreille Sport Shop.

Anyway, I have fun and good memories of that day so long ago, and I hope Maureen's family and friends----if this is the right number---serve her up a memorable day. Don't take any free baby offers, Maureen.

As for Sadie Hawkins, I loved her a lot when I was a teen-age wallflower. The Sadie Hawkins Dance at Sandpoint Junior High provided the one forum where I had a chance to initiate romances. Since nobody ever asked me to the dances, Sadie Hawkins gave me license to ask the boys.

I remember one instance in particular. I had met Larry Edgar from Priest River at the Bonner County Fair, always a ripe setting for newfound teen romances. Larry actually liked me, which was a rarity.

We exchanged letters after school started, and it was okay for a while, but when I started hearing from Larry's mother who was all but inviting me into the family---as a 13-year-old---that made me a little nervous.

Sadie Hawkins Day was coming up, and I thought Larry was coming to the dance, but I think he broke his arm or something. Whatever the case, there was a reason he wouldn't be showing up. By that time, my passion for Larry was waning anyway, especially cuz of the inordinate amount of interest in me shown by his mom.

At the time, I was setting my sights on Dennis Timoskevich. He was smart, good at math. He was a farm boy from Sagle, and I figured he was too shy to have a girl friend. So, one day, feeling pretty confident, I walked up to Dennis and asked him to the dance.

"No," he said. And that was all he said, but what a powerful word to dump on a hopeful, awkward girl in search of a date to the dance. My world was crushed . . . well, maybe for a day or two. Still, I wasn't going to stay home cuz Dennis rejected me. There were other possibilities, and since girls could ask boys to dance at the dance, all was not lost.

Turned out when I went to the dance and walked up the cement steps to the school, there stood Larry Edgar. I had a date after all. If I recall correctly, I didn't push the romance, and eventually after Sadie Hawkins Day, the correspondence from Priest River ceased, even from Mom.

Sadie Hawkins should be enshrined in a Hall of Fame when you consider what she unwittingly did for so many desperate girls. Heck, she got me through junior high. I don't think we had any Sadie Hawkins dances in high school, so you might say I went through a dry spell in the romance department.

Anyway, this is Sadie's day, and this is Maureen's day, and I salute both for very different reasons. Happy Birthday!

Epilogue: Dennis went on to become a pilot in the Air Force after graduating from the University of Idaho. He and his lovely wife attended our 40th-class reunion; he now lives in San Antonio, and his nephew is a well-known sportscaster here in Sandpoint.

Sadly, Larry died several years ago in a drowning accident. His cousin Esther, though, remains one of my good friends and former SHS colleagues. Interestingly, she works in the PTE department with Willie at the school. Fun lady.