John's Birth Day

It was John's birthday yesterday. 57 years old. Wow, we're getting old. It was a two day affair. Saturday, he smoked turkeys, pork loin, and ribs. He had some hickory scraps from the shop, (see my Valentine's book cases, he finished the second one last week) that he wanted to try in the smoker. We had my family over for dinner Saturday night. I asked him if he wanted to invite his family instead and he said he didn't think anyone would want to come. I think he is being a little harsh on his siblings, but between the long drive (for some reason we can drive south, but the drive north is longer,) and the fact that the Lingards don't celebrate birthdays with each other, we brought another birthday dinner to his mother on Sunday instead. So of course that meant that John got two birthday desserts, Black Forest Trifle on Saturday and Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce on Sunday.

Annie with the birthday boy!

As per tradition, Martha told us John's birth day story: Dad Lingard had a part time job delivering newspapers to the carriers who delivered them to subscribers. He was getting ready to go when his Aunt Annie and Uncle Albert (Grandfather Lingard’s sister) dropped by with visitors from Canada. Mom started to feel a few contractions at that time as well. By the time they left mom told dad he better get someone else to do the papers, she needed to get to the hospital. She said they passed the County Hospital on the way and she asked dad to stop there because she didn't think she would make it to the LDS Hospital, but dad didn't want his child born at the County Hospital, it was for indigent people. They got to the hospital where her doctor met her. He wasn't supposed to be there, his father had died earlier in the week, but he told the nurse he knew mom wouldn't take very long. She didn't. The nurse still had the hypodermic needle in her hand to put mom out when John was born. She asked the doctor what she should do with it, he replied "Don't give it to Martha, she doesn't need it!" and then told the nurse to hand the baby to Mom so they could wheel her out and show dad his new son. The nurse was shocked. At that time mothers weren't given their new born babies to hold until the anesthetic wore off. Dad stopped by Uncle Albert and Aunt Annie's on his way home to tell them the good news. Annie Annie was so surprised that the baby was already here that she dropped the gravy boat she was holding when dad told her.