I recently saw something that reminded me of a book that I had lost to the fog of memory.  The book I was reminded of was one that my father’s aunt in New Orleans had in her house.  It was a children’s book of a type I had never run across before or since. It must have been the early or mid 60’s when I saw this book.  I don’t remember much about it but one thing stood out in my memory.  One of the illustrated stories in it was called either “The Ten Little Colored Boys” or “The Ten Little Pickaninnies”.  I remember that the story was about all the dangerous things the boys did and how one after another they died and went to heaven until there was only one good one left.  It amazes how normal that was thought to be at the time.  I don’t know how racist the intent was as really it could have been any group of boys.  Looking back on it now from a distance, I realize how racist the drawings of the boys were even though their actions and consequences were not.  Thinking back on that time, I remember she even had a little black jockey statue in her yard but I can’t remember if it was in her back or front yard.  I don’t recall her or anyone else using derogatory language about any group but those artifacts that I remember from her home do tell a story in and of themselves.

I also remember her having a View-Master with reels of Disneyland rides. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world that it showed things in 3-D so they looked as if you could grab them. One of the reels was a variation of the story of Jack the Giant Killer with Mickey Mouse as Jack. In this story, Jack was a tailor and used his sewing skills to bind up the giant. Her house is the first time that I remember playing with dominoes.

One of the other things I remember from that time was the smell of beignets and coffee in the French Quarter. I remember walking around with my dad on what I assume was Bourbon Street. I think it was because I recall walking along the sidewalk and there were open doors with music inside, a man outside each door calling for people to come in and I actually a glimpse of a, to me, naked woman dancing inside but I now know that she actually had bikini bottoms and pasties since that is what they are allowed in New Orleans.

Enough for now. Next post will be an update on my knee replacement stay.