Imagine the scene: A well-known car, belonging to the editor of the local weekly newspaper, is spotted in a remote area of town with the parking lights on at dusk.
The editor appears to be inside by himself… or is he? That’s the predicament my father found himself in one night on May 1, 1959.
Still a Tradition?
I haven’t heard of anyone delivering May baskets, I guess, since I was a kid, although I found some suggestions for these on Pinterest recently. But when I was small, this was done every once in awhile. What we did was make the baskets from old wallpaper sample books we would get from Davis Drug Store, THE place to go for wallpaper in Gallatin!
Flowers and Candy
Then, we would fill these makeshift baskets with flowers and candy and deliver them in the stealth of darkness on May 1 to our friends. We would leave the baskets on the front porch, ring the doorbell and run, trying our best to retain our anonymity. My dad wrote about one time Jan Richesson (now Helton) and I did this, and I remember it well.
Lilacs from the Funeral Home
The flowers we used were lilacs from a bush at the back of the Hope Funeral Home, which Jan’s father operated. What really freaked me out while we were cutting the lilacs was that I could see through a screen door as Mr. Richesson worked on a deceased man, a Mr. Landis, who was once a neighbor. I couldn’t see much, mind you, just enough to let me know that Mr. Richesson was busy.
May Basket Mission
What Dad wrote, included, “One night last week our oldest daughter, Kathy, detailed me to haul her and a buddy, Jan Richesson, on a May basket mission. I was busy in the garage with a project of my own. I wasn’t too pleased when I had to fold up my operation to play chauffeur for two little girls loaded down with wallpaper May baskets, filled with flowers and candy. Later I realized that I was a bit crabby about it. I probably should have been pleased they were engaged in such a traditional and harmless pastime, and even more pleased they’d want me along at all.
All Top Secret
“It was secret, of course. So after we had driven to within a half block of the house where their friends lived, I was told to stop the car, dim the lights, and wait for them to return in the semi-darkness. I felt a little apprehensive about it. We were in the extreme southeast part of town in a sparsely settled area. I was sitting in the station wagon with the parking lights on. It was not long until cars began passing by.
Dad Sat Uneasily in the Car
“Every occupant of every car subjected me to close inspection. Everybody in Gallatin knows the editor’s car. I stirred uneasily in the seat with every glance, giving each passerby a little wave of the hand and, as I recall, a rather weak smile. Once or twice I thought I should say something, so I’d call out weakly: ‘Delivering May baskets.’ It was those silent, suspicious stares that got me.”
A Successful Night for Jan and Me!
For the record, Jan and I had a great time surprising our friends and got caught by no one. Dad did a great job of escorting us on our mission!