02/02/2020

Audrey Bake’s 100th Birthday

Today, would have been Audrey Bake’s 100th birthday.  As I have been writing down this family history and looking through photographs I realized how much I missed my Grandma Bake.  I lived far away from her, but I called her often and we would talk on the phone and I could tell her everything.  She wasn’t one of those people who you have to be careful what you said or told her.  You could be completely honest and tell her everything.  She would listen and give advise when needed, but she seemed to be supportive of most of my crazy ideas and all the choices I made in my life.  

After Nias was born, and he was about month old, I flew to Oregon and I stayed with her.  This is something a young mother might not have felt comfortable doing, but I didn’t really think twice about it.  My Uncle Donald and his friend were flying to Oregon in a small plane and I asked if I could go too.  

I stayed for over a month and I got to cook for my grandma.  I tried to make everything from scratch because I wanted everything to be healthy and I wanted and needed to learn.   My Grandma Bake laughed at me and said you know they have a pre-made mixes for that or easier ways to make things instead of from scratch.  But, at that time, I was determined to watch cooking shows and get really good at cooking.  Just as soon as we would sit down to dinner, Nias would wake up and want to eat.  My Grandma would laugh and say he could smell how good the food was.

When I put her cast iron pan in the dishwasher, she stayed calm and explained to me that those do not go in there.  I never had a dishwasher so I didn’t know.  But, I will never forget that.  Her kind way of telling me, made a lasting impression on me.  

She taught me things like how to spell Tualatin.  She said remember TUA -LATIN and I never forgot.

We loved to play cards.  Gin was our game and we would play different ways.  Sometimes on the kitchen table, some times on a T.V. tray in the living room.  We were both always up for a good game of cards.

When I was younger, I got to go on some of the lunches with my Grandma Bake, Aunt Harriet, and Beverly.    My favorite place we went was Tad’s for Chicken and Dumplings.  It was such  beautiful drive to get there and the soup was delicious.  Another time, we ate at Multnomah Falls.  Those ladies knew how to have fun and enjoy their retirement.  They would talk and talk and look forward to their next lunch date.

When my Grandma moved to Tualatin from the farmhouse, I got to bring my bike to her house and live in a neighborhood for a few weeks every summer.  This was really fun for me because where I grew up I only had one neighbor.  I got to meet neighborhood kids and play with them, and ride my bike around and explore.  

When, my grandma lived on the farm, I got to explore too.  I remember walking in the pasture below there and trying to find the frogs that were so loud, but quiet as soon as I tried to find them.  I remember getting knocked down by a sheep who came up from behind and rammed me.  I had no idea that a sheep would do that.  It came up so quietly behind me and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground looking up at the sun and the bushes around me.  I remember trying to fall asleep all alone upstairs in the farmhouse with the windows open and being scared.  I remember telling my grandma this and she’d let me sleep downstairs.

I remember watching Saturday morning cartoons there, another luxury I didn’t have.  I remember the colorful eggs hanging in the basket in the kitchen and the delicious breakfasts we would have there.  

And, I remember floating on an air mattress in the middle of the above ground pool and getting attack by a swarm of wasps.  My grandma quickly put me in a cool bath full of baking soda and soothed my wounds.  

When I had my back surgery, my Grandma Bake came and stayed with us.  She made me toast and took care of me.  I complained a lot and was in pain.  She reminded me not to complain.  

In her house in Tualatin, she had a beautiful Dollhouse that she built the furniture for and decorated.  I loved it and it was so much fun to carefully play with and rearrange.  

She also gave me the job of cleaning out the cat collection once a year.  It was a collection that had belonged to her mother.  There were 4 shelves full of tiny glass and porcelain cats. Hundreds of them. I would take them out one shelf at a time and place them on the table.  Then, dust off the shelf and carefully put them back in.  This gave me a chance to look at every single one of them.  

When I was a tiny baby, born in December, she and her daughter Donna and her grandson Bill drove over in a VW bus with no heat or VW heat.  They made it through snowy weather and icy roads so that they could come and meet me. 

My Grandma took me places.  She took me to the Oregon Coast, to Wild Life Safari.  When I was 8-9 took a longer trip with my mom and Brant to Disneyland.  But, it wasn’t just to Disneyland.  We also went to San Francisco and stayed in a really fun hotel and went to see the crookedest street in the world, the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf and China town.  We went to Disneyland and stayed in the Candy Cane Inn, which is still there.  Then, we went to San Diego to Sea World.  Last, my Grandma who was very adventurous decided we should drive into Tijuana to see Mexico for my first time.  We drove around a bit and all I remember my Grandma saying was “What does ALTO mean?”  We got in line to go back into the United States and there were tons of people selling things to the people waiting in their cars.  My first real impression of Mexico.

We drove back home with no air-conditioning, windows down, I was in the back seat with Brant in  a pretty small car.  It was one of my favorite trips I ever went on.  

She, my mom and I went to Victoria and Butchart Gardens too.  It was fun.  We stayed in a wonderful place and had tea.  And then visited the garden.  

When I was in college in Olympia, Washington I would drive down for the weekend and visit.   I always felt welcomed at my Grandma Bake’s house.

She love Christmas and would decorate her home and have a big Christmas party.  A couple times we got to go, but it was always a hard time to leave our little cabin in the snow.  Pipes would freeze and the roads were bad.  Who would take care of all of our pets?  One year, we got to go and it was magical.  Christmas was at her farmhouse.  I remember walking up to the door.  It was dark outside and looked warm and bright inside.  A house full of people.  I looked up at the starry sky just before we went in and I am pretty sure I saw Santa and his reindeer flying by.  We went inside and Ray was on the piano playing Christmas songs.  Everyone was singing and laughing.  There was lots of good food.  

Later, it would be at her home in Tualatin and still just as fun and festive.  Ray would bring a little piano to continue the tradition.  My Grandma would set up a kids table and I would sit with all my cousins and meet new ones like Gregory, who I rarely ever saw.  We would do a gift exchange in the morning and crowd in the living room with everyone.  It was fun.

If we couldn’t make it to Christmas in Oregon, she would send a big box of cookies, party mix and buckeyes.  And another box with presents for all of us.   My birthday present would be in there too and my dad’s birthday present.  I would try to organize them under the tree by when they were to be opened.  

She made beaded bell ornaments, which I enjoy hanging on the tree still and she had a little Christmas tree that she loved to decorate and later she gave one to me.  

She did amazing work with her hands,  She could sew, knit, quilt, cross stitch, embroider and more.  She made the best slippers and I still have one pair.  She taught me how once and I hoping to be shown again.  She made gifts for babies when they were born, for anniversaries and birthdays.  The quilts on her bed were made by her and beautiful.  

My Grandma always had dogs.  When she moved from the farm to the house in Tualatin she brought a few with her.  One was name Pooper, but she had to change its name to Dooper so she could call it in the neighbor.  Things had to change a little when she moved off the farm.

She also had a St. Bernard that lived on the farm and she decided to give it to me, so she brought it to me one summer and that is how I got Baron and later Baron’s offspring from my neighbors dog.  That dog was name Spring.

My Grandma Bake was kind and generous.  She was easy to be around.  She was funny.  She cared dearly for all of her family and hoped that we would all stay together, all still have Christmas parties.  She met Raul and Raul’s family and she was so kind to them too.  

I think what I miss the most about not having my Grandma bake here any more is not being able to call her and talk to her.  To ask how she is and to tell her how I am.  I remember from a very young age I would call her and talk.  I actually remember telling her what my mom got her for Christmas.  She would get it out of me….until I finally realized it one year and stopped telling her.  

She used to French braid my mom’s hair and later she French braided mine.  She loved boys and knew what boys needed to grow up and be happy, but she also loved us girls and for a while it was quit fun to be the only granddaughter.  Later, she got more.  These are just some of my memories of my Grandma Bake.  She made each of us feel like we were the only ones in the world, but she loved us all.  I would love to hear more stories and memories that you have of Mrs. Audrey Bake.  

Elizabeth Michels said this about her mother, Audrey:

When I thought I had more or was better, she would say –There but for the grace of God goes you. She never failed in her belief we are all God’s children and created equal.