New Year's Eve

When I was dating Ray I was essential since I do not like to drink. I was the designated driver every year. A boring job. After we moved to Kansas City and had children we did not want small children staying up until 12 so we had New Year's eve the next noon at 12. We had poppers and confetti and a great dinner of ham, etc.
When they were older we let them stay up and Ray had a great time. He always saved some fireworks and at midnight set it off. Fireworks is better than a gun. At least you know where it will go off and who knows where a bullet will land. On New Year's noon we still had the poppers and confetti so we celebrated twice. With the weather so lousy this year I'm not sure when we will celebrate so it may go into the next year a few days. New Year's generally had the added job of putting all the Christmas stuff away including the snowmen from the front yard and the lights off the house. This year they may stay for Valentine's Day. We just won't turn them on. Snowmen look normal in your front lawn in January even if they are wooden. HAPPY NEW YEAR.

White Christmas

I know you are supposed to love a white Christmas but I think that is for ski lodges and such for I do not remembering thinking of it as anything but a bother. This year has been bad since due to the weather we can't get together as a family. I love the Christmas dinner. The only time I can remember not caring for the meat was when my mother decided to cook a goose. It was really greasy. This year I was going to see some family I had not seen for awhile. \Maybe I would have liked it better if I had lived with a hill. Now 13th has kind of a hill but is not great for sledding. My own children did not have a great place to sled so were generally just pulled around on a sled. I remember one Christmas that Ray had a bright idea about a train track. Our house was small and he thought if he made a train board and put it on the wall of our son's room he could pull it up when not in use. Ray was not good with building things but tried. That year he built it in the basement. It was big. When my in-laws arrived for Christmas he had help. He tried putting it on the wall but that was a disaster and he ended moving it to the basement and putting it on saw horses. Later the board became the food boxes for our many camping trips. They were sturdy. The train went under the tree that year.

We have a great deal of snow this year and the streets are covered. The street in front of our house is generally cleared but you have trouble getting to it. The reason that Flint Street is clear is our neighbor's son is the Shawnee City Engineer and he cleans a path from his house--west of Quivira -- to his parents house. They are going there for Christmas dinner this year and I'm sure it will be cleared in time. However most of the streets leading to Flint are not so clear. I think the name of the song should be "The nightmare of snow on Christmas Day". That is my opinion for the day.

Christmas candy

When I was growing up people made candy a lot at Christmas. My mother loved to make divinity which was hard to do. Fudge was not much easier but she enjoyed doing it. I loved eating the failures with a spoon out of a pan. When I got married Ray loved to make Christmas candy. I got pretty good with fudge and with a good mixer I was able to make divinity. I don't know if people still make it but it added a lot to the Christmas spirit. I loved spooning the failures out of the pan.

Christmas socks

I spent a great deal of time waiting for Ray when he covered new stories in our early marriage and I decided it would be nice to have something to do so I learned to knit from a .25 cent book from the dime store. I made baby booties and stuff and entered them at the Topeka Fair. My sister Ethel read an article in the Woman's Home Companion and told me to switch to Christmas socks. I have done over a thousand now and have a nice long list of people who were kind enough to let me knit them. I've never been a great knitter and have made some of them wrong. During the time I have knitted I've met some great people. I knitted one for a family that the baby died but they wanted a sock to remember it by. I knitted two for a grandmother who was dying and wanted to leave them to her two grandchildren so they would remember her. I made one for someone who was shot but recovered and one murdered who did not recover. I have had families break up and return socks of the member who was not around anymore.

I took a long time to knit them. I think the fastest I did was when my first granddaughter was born in Washington, DC and I made her sock on the 3 hour flight to Washington. It is probably a shorter flight now so even if I was good I would not get it done. I had to re-knit one family who stored the socks with candy still in them and a pack rat ate the candy and the socks. I have knitted four for family dogs. Some names are a little long so I have had to go down the side of the sock with the name instead of across. I have had them on the cover of a magazine.

I'm still knitting but I do not knit as well as my daughter, Susan, and at the moment am stuck on knitting the heel. One child lost her sock. She was a neighorhood child and her mother said she could not ask me but one morning I found her 8 year old self outside my door and she said, "My mother says I can't ask you but I want a sock". I knitted her another. It is a fun hobby and I've met a lot of people because of it. I used to knit them on planes but I don't think they allow needles on the plane anymore. The only country I have run into that does not knit is Africa. They crochet.

Bread and milk home delivery

When I was growing up in Topeka we had our milk delivered. It was delivered by a man driving a wagon. We had a carrier and it held, I think, 6 quart bottles. They were funny shaped bottles and had a small rounded top. They gave you a spoon and the top had cream. When we moved to Kansas City they still delivered milk and we had it for awhile. We also had bread delivery three times a week by Manor Bread. I liked that as our closest grocery store was a mile away and we only had one car. I liked the delivery men but the Manor Bread stropped after the delivery man fell in love with one of the customers and murdered her husband.

We have only had two murders in my neighborhood. The Manor Bread man and a nephew who was tired of waiting for his aunt to die so he could inherit her money so he sped things up a little. Both easily solved. Of course we also had the Fuller Brush Man and the man who sold flavorings and extracts like vanilla. I'm not sure of his company's name.

The joy of oatmeal

I grew up eating oatmeal and loved it. I have not changed. Ray and I traveled around the world and we always tried to stay at Statler Hilton Hotels as they always served oatmeal. Mr. Statler liked oatmeal also and insisted they serve it at his hotels. We stayed in a Statler Hilton hotel in Wichita and they did not have it. I wrote a letter to the company and the next time we stayed there they had it. I remember in Peru at the Statler they wanted to pour hot milk on mine in the kitchen and I told them I wanted to put my own milk on and we had a great discussion, which was not easy as my Spanish was not good nor was their English. Every morning I still have oatmeal. I make it in my micro wave now and not in a double boiler like when I was growing up. Ray went in for various cereal so I did not corrupt him.

Chilhood Christmases

When I was growing up we were in a depression like now so you mostly got gifts that were essential. My mother stored the gifts in the attic which the entrance was a ladder on the wall in her bedroom. We never tried to find out. Around the tree we each had a chair. Mine was the chair to my desk. Things were generally wapped in brown sacks. We did not get fancy wrapping paper until my brother Allan's girl friend came into our life. The sacks generally had our name written on them. I checked to see if mine was as big as Helen's. They generally were. I had been riding my sister Ethel's bike and when I was 12 I got a new one. I think I had a note to go look somewhere. My father was very talented and he used to see thing and then duplicate them. I don't think he ever had a patent. He put motors on everything in the house and could build anything. I know when I went to school at that time you had sewing in the 5th grade and cooking in the sixth. Boys had manual training for both fifth and sixth grade. I was the only one in the class who had to learn how to pedal the sewing machine. The teacher thought I was stupid. We made aprons in the fifth grade to wear in the sixth grade for cooking. My dad continued to make things and my daughters Sally and Sue share a sled and a Santa that when they were little he made for them. They pass it back and forth. He would come to visit me and look around to see what I needed so I have many bookcases he made, a magazine rack and the original picnic table for the kids. Things were always made out of boxes he got parts and batteries in at his garage and he had a tendency to use yellow paint. He made toy boxes for Susan and Steve. Steve's was a train and Susan's a wagon. I have great spice racks. He made the original marble game that the kids wore out and the principal at Hocker Grove where the three oldest kids went to junior high made us a new one. It has never worked as well as the one my father made. I thought my childhood Christmases were great. We also always got a book. What more can you need for Christmas--new underwear, a book, new socks and candy.

Decorating the tree

We always had such a good time decorating the tree. We use to spray snow on the tree and someone always got in their face. One year when all five were helping. I remember that Sally was using the kithen ladder to reach things and forgot she was on the ladder and stepped back to admore the tree and fell off. She was not hurt but never did that again. The trinsel was generally in little masses as they did not single out much and is was generally a gob. The tree was in the middle of the room at first and then as we got grandchilsdren was put in the front window. We had a large dog a Golden reteriver and he almost knocked it down so we tied it to the windows on each side, It was a fun time for everyone. Today two daughter and four granddaughter decorated my tree and already Buster has tried to eat one of the decorations that was a stuffed animal with M and M on it's stomach. They may have to take my tree down early or I will remove all the stuffed animals. The dog is in the front room by himself a lot and I woukld rather he not injure things. I have them on a chair with something in front of them but it is not enough.

One Christmas Eve

When our oldest son Steve went to Sunday School in Topeka one year they sent him home with something to read on Christmas Eve. The K C Times let their reporters pick four days they wanted to be off each year and Ray took Fourth of July, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Thanksgiving. We used the ceremony Steve brought home each Christmas Eve. We found all the candles in the house and put them on a card table, put on Christmas music and read the ceremony. We did that every year until our granddaughter, Hayden, was the baby in the church pageant. After that we went to the church and watched different granddaughters be angels, Mary and shepherds and we had one more baby Jesus. I never got past being an angel myself. We would drink eggnog and smile a lot. I love the picture I have on my refrigerator of the occasion. The only one not in it is Steve and I think he took the picture. Sally put it on a Mother's Day card.

An extra kid for Christmas

One Christmas we had a temporary exchange student. He had been at the Lee Summit school and had gotten into an argument with the prinicpal. The school told AFS they wanted him out of the school. AfS removed him at once. We had sometimes been a temporary home for a couple of days, This was the first of December. We found him a nice young man from Germany. As the days went along they still had not placed him. They had a family interested that were Jewish. They wanted the family to check with all the family members as to if they minded a Germany boy since they were Jewish and the country of Germany had been hard on the Jews during the war. Time went by and I realized we were going to have Walter for Christmas. I went to K Mart and brought new underwear==an exciting Christmas gift but I knew his size since I did the laundry. I did not want him to watch us opening gifts and he not have any. Come Christmas morning we all opened our gifts and Walter his and he was very happy and told me he liked it. During lunch that day we got a phone call that the family was taking Walter as they had cleared it with all their relatives. He got along with his new family very well and in the High School he went to. He told me when he left it was the Best Christmas he ever had. In later years I had a visit from his sister who had come as an exchange student and she stopped by to tell us how much Walter had liked his stay.

When we had the Fairy Princess at Nieman School

When we were first involved with Nieman at Christmas time, Santa came around to the classrooms and gave out treats. One year the School Board said "No Santa". I know Ray was not on the board then for he would never have voted against Santa. We had a lot of pretty mothers and we convinced one to be a Fairy Princess. She was lovely and went around the rooms giving out candy or cookies, whatever the room mothers had for their classroom. It was very successful but I think after that year we just let the room mothers give out candy. She had warned her own children not to recognize her and they liked being in on the plan.

Christmas tree lights

The first year we were married we had a Christmas tree. It needed lights. Lights were hard to find as the war was still causing shortages. We found some lights at Crosby's in Topeka. They were strange rather large. We were glad to get them. Our apartment was on 6th Street and we had two nice windoows in the front room of our apartment. We thought the tree looked gorgeous, Today sixty two years later one bulb still glows on the Lafferty tree in Fairway.

Christmas 1960

It was one of the last years that downtown Kansas City had a strong shopping area. The streets were decorated with festive lighted garlands and I think the Crowns were there. The crowns have now moved to North Kansas City. Our kids were between 3 and 12. They were dressed in their Sunday best. I met Ray during his 2 1/2 hour dinner time. We had supper at the Forum cafeteria so everyone could find something they liked. Then we started our walking tour. We stopped first at the Jones Store at the corner of 12th and Main. They had a train carrying children and adults through snowmen, frolicking elves, reindeer and other Christmas things. Then to Klines for the Fairy Princess, a beautiful young girl dressed in a gorgeous gown and a crown and holding a wand. For a small fee the children lined up at her throne and she waved her magic wand and a brightly covered gift appeared. It would be a coloring book, crayons, a tin whistle, a spinning top or some other trinket. From there we went to Emery Bird Thayer on Eleventh between Walnut and Grand. There two giant inflated, Santa and Mrs. Claus shook and rolled like bowls of jelly to recorded peals of laughter. They have lost Mrs. Claus but Santa is at Crown Center. We watched the antics at Harzfelds of the figures. While we were at Harzfelds a stylish woman asked if she could give something to our children. She gave us a Russell Stover 1 pound box. The kids wanted it immediately but we told them we had to check it out first. The fairy princess is still at the KC Museum. They have many versions at places now but that is one experience.

Buying Christmas gifts

When our five children were young we lived near a dime store called the J and B Store. It was down on Shawnee Mission Highway--called Highway 10 at that time in a small shopping center. We would park in front of the store with the kids in the car and they were each given a dollar to buy four .25 gifts. One of us would accompany the child so they would not duplicate the gift. They would buy the gift and then get back in the car. You could get great gifts for a quarter in this store. They would take them home and wrap them in tissue paper and put under the tree.

Our children loved the Sears and Wards catalog before Christmas and would go through it and write their names under things they wanted, We would share our list with grandparents and they would let us know so we did not duplicate. We had great experiences with this. At Sears one year they never had our order. One day after about five trials the clerk recognized us and said she thought she knew where the order was and they had left the M off of Morgan and we were under Organ.

With Wards one Christmas our order was never there. Ray happened to be covering a story and the executive of Wards was in Kansas City from Chicago to attend the meeting. The executive checked and that night we had a call that they were delivering our order. It seemed the store was not giving the orders out and the manager had the store in a mess. The dresses we ordered for our three daughters were so far down in the pile at the store that we could never get the creases out. We had ordered a Bible for my mother and it was there. We had some new stuff for Steve's train and it was there. Now I do not know if either Sears or Wards even has a Christmas catalog.

wife sitting

When I was still too young to baby sit I used to wife sit. My parents were good friends with the coach at Washburn and when he went out of town his wife did not like to be alone. I think my sister, Helen and I took turns wife sitting. She had two small children which we entertained and then went to bed. I guess she just liked to have someone else in the house. It was great fun and I enjoyed it. I think I must have been about ten.

Christmas gifts

Our local Grocery store at Christmas offered toys. One year they had a large cannon toy. Our youngest son, Scott, fell in love with it. When we first moved to Kansas City we lived in a three bedroom house. There was no dining room. The dining room was at the end of the living room. It was a nice big room but it meant we ate in the living room. That Christmas Scott got his cannon. It shot plastic balls a few feet. On Christmas morning we were seated at the dining table eating breakfast with Ray's parents. Scott wanted to shoot that cannon. Steve showed him how. He shot off the first ball and it sailed across the room and ended in his grandfather's oatmeal.

Snowmen

One August in 1951 I was reading a magazine and it told you how to make wooden snowmen for Christmas for your front lawn. I thought that would be great. My Brother-in-law Roy helped me. We got large sheets of paper and drew our five. Then Roy got some wood and with his jig saw cut them out for me. I got them painted. I wanted to put a sign in front. We had many Jewish friends so I did not want Merry Christmas and settled for Happy Holidays. We added were two more children a cat and a dog. When we added a daughter-in-law we added another. However that did not work out so we didn't add any more. Cindy's snowman was taken one Christmas but we found it up in a ditch south of our house and put it back up. As years went by we added lights to the house but it has pretty stayed the same. We did not add the 13 grandchildren.

Agricultural Hall of Fame

In 1959 The Agricultural Hall of Fame was started. Harry Darby was busy getting it done. Historians had recommended that there be a library where they gathered technical books about farming on power machinery, fertilizer, plant and animal breeding, forestry, soil and water management. Anything Harry Darby was into Ray was interested in. President Eisenhower was for it. Harry Truman was interested. Kansas seemed a good place to locate it. A few other states wanted it but Eisenhower was able to get it in Bonner Springs. Kansas. Ray and I went out to visit it. I was shocked to see they had the same refrigerator I had at home on display. I still have it in my basement but don't know if it works anymore. It had an early American Village, an Indian village, an outdoor amphitheatre. It would cost about $1,000,000. The total cost would be $170.000. It seems in trouble now and they have changed the staff and made adjustments. I guess not enough people were that interested in going to see it or it was too far to drive to. I'm not sure but it seemed a good idea at the time.

Helen Baby sitting

When my sister Helen went to baby sit sometimes my parents were going to be gone so she would take me with her. She sat with a boy who was in my room at school and only lived a block from us. He liked to be entertained which Helen was not fond of doing so I would entertain him. I think we played board games. I learned to let him win as he did not like to lose. When it was time for him to go to bed my parents generally picked me up. If not I laid on the sofa and went to sleep. I don't think Helen gave me any of the baby sitting money but on the other hand my parents did not pay her for sitting with me.

Mayor's Christmas Tree

My husband was crazy about holidays and we observed every one. We even loved Arbor Day. Had a special cake for dessert that day. He had a good friend, Jerry Cohen, who was involved in many things to improve Kansas City. One of his favorites was the Mayor's Christmas Tree. People bought chances on a car and the money went to different charities in Kansas City. At first the winner got a car but they found people would not accept it for it made their taxes too high. They changed to a rental car for a year. Every year on the day after Thanksgiving we went to Crown Center early and got ready. The tree was there with all the lights and decorations. There were big wooden toys for children to climb on and sometimes if you were lucky they handed out candy treats. The Boy Scouts handed out candles to everyone and people could ice skate. The children ran around through the area which was fountains in the summer. The next day I would drive the two of them around while they delivered some of the stuff. One year Jerry's nephew won and they were in a state as to what to do. Ray argued he should have the car. Sometimes I sold chances. They did not draw the winner until the next morning. When it rained we had the ceremony anyway. That is when I really liked to sell tickets inside Crown Center. The choir was made up of people all over Kansas City. Some celebrity--a football player a radio star, etc.-- turned the lights on.

First permanent

When my sister Ethel was married they decided something should be done with my hair. It was naturally straight. They gave me a home permanent. They had just come on the market. I looked lovely for her wedding and the permanent stayed until I washed my hair. Later I went to a Beauty Shop and endured the rolling up of hair on a machine. I know the beauty shop was on the second floor and they sat me by a window. The building was old and I was sure would catch on fire while I was hooked up to the machine. They timed the minutes. It was always great relief when they took the curlers out. Then they washed my hair again and I set under a dryer for a long time. It seemed like forever and although I liked the person doing it I always hated it and did not see why I could not have had naturally curly hair.

ANOTHER THANKSGIIVING

When Cindy was four her birthday was the day after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving morning it snowed four inches and driving was slick. We were not going to the Plaza this year as we were going to the airport as my mother was coming in from San Diego. We met her at the airport along with the Jensens who met us there to take my mother back to Topeka. This was the downtown airport so we were on the north side of the Kansas River, We told them goodbye and started home. The driving was terrible and we could not get back across the river, Finally everyone needed the bathroom so we stopped at a fire station in Kansas City, Kansas and they let us use their bathroom. We finally found a bridge open and got home. The next day was Cindy's birthday but all our guests were neighbor kids so they got to her party all right. They had called off the light turning on due to the weather and so we saw it on Sunday night.

Thanksgiving

When I was growing up. We had some great Thanksgiving days. My mother had a tendency to ask people to come. There was a single lady at church that came often, soldiers from Fort Riley, later in-laws of her children so you never knew who would be there. She was not a great cook. One year we had duck instead of turkey and it was really greasy. She liked to make rolls and they were good. We had cinnamon rolls with raisins until one of her grandsons said he did not like raisins so she made some just for him. One Thanksgiving vacation Helen went to Kansas City to have her eyebrow replaced she had lost in a wreck so she was bandaged up. The soldiers were very sympathetic. My Mother loved to have a crowd. It was too bad she was not a great cook but we were used to it and she did enjoy the holiday.

My Grandmother Burkhardt and her resting place

My Grandmother Burkhardt lived in Scranton, Kansas. It was named that because there are many soft coal mines around which I investigated when I was growing up with my cousin Lorraine. My grandmother never remembered my name and I was always "Edgar's kid". When she died she was buried in a cemetery along Highway 75. On the Memorial Day after her death we went to the cemetery south of Scranton to lay flowers on her grave. My dad was shocked when we got there as she was buried by the wrong Burkhardt. I do not remember who it was but it was not my grandfather. My dad made arrangements to have her buried by the right husband. I bet she had not rested in peace until then. I remember my grandfather as he was the only one I had. My other grandfather had died in, I think, 1911 and was buried as the second person in Topeka's Mount Hope Cemetery. I think my grandfather Burkhart's name was Joseph and he always was very kind to me and knew my name. He also knew I was Edgar's kid.

When I met Joyce Hall

Barry Goldwater was running for president and he came into a dinner in Kansas City. Ray was nice and took me along. He went to sit at the Press Table and the waiters looked around for a place to put me. The waiter saw a vacancy and sat me down. I did not know any of the people which was not unusual. I never got to order as they just brought me something which was the usual thing the waiters did. It looked great and I was hungry. I had one bite and the man across from me raised an uproar that I had eaten the plate he ordered. The waiters quickly brought him the same thing I was having. That was my introduction to Joyce Hall. I met him many times after that but he did not remember me as I am rather forgettable. He was very active in President Eisenhower's activities and we attended them. Sometimes it is nice to be forgettable.

More Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was always a family day but the day after Ray's love was the mayor's Christmas Tree. His friend Jerry Cohen got him involved and he loved it. It is still held at the Crown Center on the day after Thanksgiving. There are toys kids can climb on, choirs, singing, generally a local sports figure appearing and it is just a fun time. Ray loved it. They sold tickets that gave you a chance to win a new car. That was changed because the taxes were too high if you won. Then you got a rental car for a year which does not have taxes. Sometimes I sat at a table and sold chances on that evening. If it rained people stayed inside and watched. If clear you were outside. They have added fireworks and some other things. I don't attend now but have heard it is still great. I heard on the news that the new mayor of KC is changing the Master of Ceremonies which is a bad thing because the one they had was so good and this one is an early morning radio show host that most K C citizens do not know. After the money was counted I use to drive Jerry and Ray around to deliver things, like to Mercy Hospital. Last year he tried to change things but did not but it looks like he will be successful this year. Anyway I have great memories of it.

Thanksgiving

I belong to the Congregational Church, which was started by the Pilgrims, so we adore Thanksgiving. We maintain we fed the Indians but some say the Indians fed us. Anyway Thanksgiving is a big holiday. One year when I was growing up there were five Thursdays in the month of November. Congress was excited and told the states to pick their own Thursday. Missouri picked one and Kansas took the other. My father decided since businesses were closed we would go to Kansas City on Kansas' Thanksgiving. We took the south route on Highway 10 which went in to the Plaza through Fairway. We looked at the lights that Kansas City did in their Plaza area. Then we went home through Kansas City, Kansas on Highway 40. We stopped at their big Katz Store and brought some candy--chocolate kisses. Later after we moved to Kansas City, Ray and I took our family to see the lights. We parked on the roof of the Sears' store.

After Ray had worked at the Star for a few years he heard about this Hotel in the Plaza that rented rooms so you could see the lights so we started a tradition of going there. Since we had grandchildren it was easier. You were to order food but we always took along something our grandchildren would actually eat. Susan and Lee would even drive up from Wichita to attend. You were allowed so many parking places but some had to park their cars at Loose Park and walk down. The Hotel was sold but they continued the tradition. Ray would reserve the room again each Thanksgiving for the next year. Then we were back on the streets seeing the lights, but it was fun for awhile. Now I watch TV and see the lights turned on.

Baby sitting

I guess people still have people come into their homes and stay with their kids while they go out. When I was growing up my parents did not believe in allowances like some kids got so I earned my money to go to movies babysitting. You got 35 cents for the evening unless they were out until midnight and then you got 50 cents. Sometimes they had a small party before they left and had food. You were allowed to eat the leftovers which was good sometimes and sometimes not. Sometimes they owned a radio and you could listen to that but most people did not have radios. Some kids were fun but some were brats. I sat with a lot of neighborhood children, especially the neighbors across the street. I often was referred and some of those my mother checked out. I had one family that I really enjoyed and that I would have paid them to sit. But later in life I met the wife of the kid I had babysat with and he turned out to be a lousy husband. I liked her so guess she was right. I did not have that much influence on him I like to think. One family had a sense of humor. I was greeted one night with the two-year-old telling me he was a general. I asked what that meant and he said his dad said he was a General Nuisance. If I used my money for the Grand Theater (our first run) it took the whole 35 cents but we also had the Orpheum, the Gem (second run), the Crystal and the Cozy which were 5 cents and we got a local theater at College Hill called the Coed which was cheaper.
Except at Christmas when I wanted to buy gifts it was plenty of money.

Another scary moment

This month in my writing class we were to write about scary moments in our life. I have had a few but forgot one. Our family went camping every year and I think it was 1964 when we went to New York City as Ray was going to cover Kansas Day at the New York Fair. We were on our way home and stopped to camp in Missouri near St Louis on our last night out. We were close to home and we had a vote and decided not to put the tent up but to drive on home. We started west and they forecast a storm. We thought we would just as leave be in the car during the rain as to have to take a wet tent down the next morning. As we rode along the kids were asleep and suddenly our car was lifted up and turned around. We were let down and our car stopped. A farmer had seen us lifted up and came to help us. We were now faced toward St Louis. Ray turned the car around and we started off west again. At the first town Ray called the Star and they asked him what had he been drinking. We drove on home without any trouble. About a week later when I had driven the kids to swimming lessons the car would not move. I called Ray and he called AAA and they towed the car to a dealer. They told us that we had a broken axle. It had evidently cracked and it took a week to break completely.

Gone With The Wind

When I was a teenager I read a popular book they made a movie of called "Gone With The Wind." Everyone was reading it and they made a movie of it. It was going to be shown in Topeka at the Grand Theater (our first run theater. Tickets for movies were generally 35 cents but for "Gone With The Wind" they were going to be limited and would be $1.12. My parents were able to purchase two tickets. My mother, knowing I loved the book, let me go with my father. When you went with Dad you always sat in the back row downstairs. I don't think he ever saw a movie in the balcony. I was ready to sacrifice just to see the movie. The Sunday paper had two pages on the movie with many pictures. It was not a disappointment and worth the inflated price of $1.12.

Swear Words in the KC Star

When the K C Star went on to computers they had a tough job for someone. They needed to have a talented person make sure that swear words did not get into the paper. Ray and Bill Vaughn were chosen. Ray was very proud of that and together they made sure that the Star computers would not let swear words go through if the editors were not up to date on what were swear words.

After the wedding

I don't know if they still do it in Topeka, but when Ray and I were married after the reception the bride and groom and their friends drove down the main street of town (Kansas Ave.) honking their horns. The second place we lived after we were married was on 6th Street next to the Methodist church. They did things like have a wagon and put the bride and groom in it and go down the Avenue. We would sit on our porch and watch. Once, right after the bride and groom were on board, the horse ran away. The bride was screaming and her veil blowing out behind. Once the horse left before the bride got in the wagon. I think she was kind of glad. When we did it, my brother was driving the last car and was stopped by the police. One time the bride refused. Once they had fancy carriages and had a parade but generally when there was a horse involved there was just the bride and groom. They usually ended up at the Topeka Country Club for their reception. We had our reception at the church. I understand now they have individual cakes so what do the bride and groom cut?

Blue pears

When Ray and I were first married the war had not ended and apartments were hard to find. We found a duplex that had been divided into 3 apartments on each floor. We had the living room which had a fireplace and a front porch. It had a hallway through the center and a room on each side. The south side had our bed and the north side a kitchen which had a table, two chairs, and a two burner stove plate. We shared the bathroom with the two other apartments. I scrubbed the bathroom a lot. We had an icebox on the porch. I had never had an icebox since my father had invented a refrigerator so I had to learn how to get ice and such. It did not take me long to get morning chores done so I read magazines. One magazine had an article about how to spruce up your marriage. It recommended you add food coloring to fruit. I tried adding coloring to pears. Ray did not acknowledge my blue pears. I did not find out until later that he was color blind and they looked the same to him as the usual ones I served.

Camping with the Buffalo in Oklahoma

I'm using Scott's version of this occasion with a few of my comments thrown in. He wrote it better but I am just remembering it. So this is really my version so don't blame Scott. After our exchange student from Norway had been here a year we took her camping to show her the USA. She had camped in Europe so knew how. We went south through Oklahoma. Ray had been there in the Field Artillery. We were in a campground with a Buffalo herd. We woke up one morning to the rather odd sound of several large animals walking through our campsite, rubbing themselves against the tents and generally having a pleasant stroll down the hill towards the lake. The herd passed and we emerged. However the rangers did not want them down by the lake and a helicopter was trying to turn them around toward their grazing area where tourists were stopping along the highway to take pictures. To do this the Rangers used a helicopter to scare the herd around and back. The herd reacted rather strongly to the dive-bombing helicopter. We all got in the car and watched from there. The animals did not knock down the tent but the clothesline was not so lucky. They are very big close up. We kidded Ingrid about how Norwegians had explored the world, but she answered, "They never sent women."

Ray and the Detective Magazine

When Ray worked for the Topeka Daily Capital, when he was not covering legislature, he had the police beat. One night they had a shooting outside the Grand Tmagazine was a picture of Ray with another man looking at the blood. I can't remember whether the crime was solved but I kept the magazine and now a little mouse has chewed a hole in it so the magazine does not look good. However the mouse missed the page with Ray's picture.

Third Graders and Communion

Many years ago I taught Sunday School. We were given lots of helpful advice but were really on our own. One year I was teaching third graders along with another teacher named Doris. We were to teach the third graders about communion. We explained what it was and showed them the bread and the grape juice and then Doris noticed they were going to have communion in church. She asked the minister if we could attend, sitting in the back of the church and the minister said, NO. Doris was not one to take No for an answer. Come Sunday after the sermon, we marched in with our third graders and did not sit in the back as those pews are always full but marched up the aisle to the front seats. Our third graders were perfect and well behaved. They ate the bread immediately and waited to drink the grape juice and drank it together. They had learned well. We were proud of them.

Cindy and the swim team

When Cindy was starting to high school our older son, Steve, told her to go out for everything. She took his advice and even signed up for the swim team. The high schools had been adding swimming pools and Northwest had a nice one. I went to the swim meet. Cindy was in the one that you have to do all the different kinds of strokes. The girls dove in and started swimming. They had so many laps for each different stroke. The group swam very fast. Cindy swam very slowly. One by one the swimmers got out. Cindy was still swimming. Everyone was out of the pool but Cindy. She finally finished and they announced that she had won the race. The rest of the swimmers had made mistakes but Cindy had not. I was not sure if she was excited or not because she went in the dressing room and threw up. She won the race.

Prom server dress

My daughter, Cindy, had several friends but two were special--Stacy and Kristen. I liked them also and they had nice mothers. The three of them opened up schools like Trailridge Junior High or is it middle school and Northwest High School. For that matter when it was time to go to high school the building for the high school was not done. They went to Trailridge half a day and the Junior High went half a day. It meant that Cindy and our son Scott did not get to argue as much as they liked. The principal of Northwest had many bright ideas like three semesters instead of two. The PTA had three presidents--a parent, a teacher and a student. Ray was the parent. I do not remember the teacher but the student was killed during spring break that year. He fell off a log while hiking and drowned. Come the Junior-Senior Prom it was going to be like Romeo and Juliet. The three friends as sophomores were servers and were to wear dresses with the theme. I picked up the material for Cindy's dress and picked the wrong side of the material so her dress was wrong side out. One of the mother's of her two friends said if you could not tell it riding by on a galloping horse it did not matter. Cindy was brave and wore it.

Motheritis

I hope I spelled my title correctly but it means I did not like to be separated at night from my mother unless I was in my own bed. Many sleepovers I was brought home in the middle of the night by disgusted parents of friends. I gave up on them and never accepted. Finally in high school my church group was going to camp near Manhattan. My mother said she would write me everyday but would not visit on Parent's Day. I made it through but I still stayed home after I came back.

I shall give you a few of the adventures I had at camp. The food was not great. For instance they had oatmeal one day and Cream of Wheat the next day. On the third day they dumped what was left together. We were hungry a lot and we made peanut butter sandwiches. One night we were very thirsty. I was the only one still dressed so I went after the water. When I got to the dining room they were getting ready to blow taps. I ran across to the water jug and turned on the faucet. Pretty soon there were two feet--women's (the headmaster's wife). She asked what the water was for. As I crossed the mess hall floor I spilled the water. One pajama leg came unrolled.(That is what saved my life.) The bugler was laughing so hard he could not play taps.

Dust Storms

When I was probaly in the 5th grade Kansas had dust storms. They were not nice but Kansas did not have them as bad as Oklahoma. I know walking to school and recess you had to put a wet hankerchief over your face to breath. If we went out to recess you lined up at the drinking fountain to get your hankerchief wet, It must have really been awful for my future husband with asthma but he went to Quinton Heights not Randolph so I don't know. The sky was brown all the time even when thwe sun shone through the clouds. No one could keep their house clean as the dust was everywhere. I don't remmeber how the wheat farmers did that year but while it was not as bad as Oklahoma Kansas had trouble.

Rules for a hostess

1. Carry your yellow hostess card at all functions here and at the Fort.
2. Please serve when asked. Please do not come if you are not called.
3. Every Junior Hostess must stay throughout the party or function and assume responsibility connected with it. She will not be allowed to leave the building until the entire function is closed. Each hostess is responsible for her own conduct. Any hostess violating the rules must have permission of the U.S.O. Officials will have her name removed from the card list.
4. Clothing for the hostesses at informal dances will be one-piece dress and long hose(committee suggests no sweaters or skirts). For formal dances, dresses with jackets or sleeves.
5. Remember you arean official hostess (volunteer) and it is your duty to dance and associate with several soldiers during the evening. Be a good mixer.
6. If you smoke, please do it in the ladies lounge only

I hope to become better acquainted with you girls. We will have a happy time, serving together. Yours truly Mrs. W. D. Culbertson, USO Director
During this time I was also dating Ray (my future husband) and Mrs. Culbertson did not like him and said so and told my mother she should not allow it. My mother ignored the advice.

USO Hostess

World War 2 started when I was a freshman in college and everything changed. Most of the men left the campus and we had the air force and navy at Washburn. My sister, Helen, along with my friend Mary Jane decided to become USO hostesses. We were interviewed at the YMCA. We were told the rules, like you dance with anyone who asks you, you wear proper clothing. If you don't they would send you home and you didn't come back. Dances were held at the YMCA in the gym. If you minded all the rules, once a month you were eligible to wear a formal and attend the dance in the Municipal Auditorium. The soldiers were mostly from Fort Riley at first. They were Calvary men and wore big boots. I guess they rode horses but I can't think they had horses during World War 2 in Europe or Asia. As time went by the Topeka Air Base had soldiers and Winter Hospital. When they had a dance at the Topeka Air Base you rode out to the Air Base in a canvas covered truck which was a little cool in the winter time. You did not dance there as most of the soldiers were just back from the front and you were to talk to them. They mostly just stared at you. They were just glad to be back in the USA. The hospital mostly stared also. At school you could tell when the seasons changed as they changed outfits. I had to learn to keep my seat and not stand up when they did to salute the teacher. I played a lot of pool and could beat them most of the time which surprised them but they looked sad so I quit that and let them win. At the monthly dance the buses in Topeka stopped before the dance did. You were not allowed to leave the dance until it was done. One time my mother would pick us up and the next time Mary Jane's dad would pick us up. The next day the buses were running so you could get home. I loved Mary Jane's house as she lived beside the Santa Fe tracks and had engines going by all the time. I generally sat up straight in bed as they woke me as our neighborhood was kind of quiet. I don't know if we helped the soldiers much but we tried. Some of the hostesses made dates for later but I only tried it once to go bowling and it was a disaster. I think we went bowling. Going to movies and bowling were Topeka's big activities for social life.

Nurses Aides and World War II

During World War Two, one of my friends married a soldier and she wanted my sister, Helen, and I to sign up to be Nurses Aids. She, herself took the classes and quit before she ever served but Helen and I stuck it out. We really looked cute in our outfits. Topeka had many hospitals--Stormont, Santa Fe, Christ, St Francis. We took our training and were assigned to Christ (It is now Stormont-Vail). Helen took the maternity floor because she said you do the same thing and don't have to think. I was moved all over the hospital. At that time if we went anywhere our mother would tell us to wear our good underwear and drive carefully in case we had a wreck. When I was assigned what later became the emergency room and had a victim who was in a motorcycle wreck I cut off her underwear and did not judge her. Helen and I worked every Monday night and Sunday mornings. If you worked Sunday they gave you ice cream. That was the only place you get got it. On Monday nights you put the patients to bed for the night. You gave them the bed pan and took all their flowers and put them out in the hall. The flowers would use up the oxygen they needed to breathe. I thought plants gave out oxygen but I minded the rules. Sometimes I was assigned the maternity floor also and I generally had the job of sitting with the patient until she was ready to deliver as few had husbands to sit with them. The worst occasion I had was a male member of my church who was a patient and getting him ready for the night I spilled the bedpan and had to go get a mop and clean it up. There was a shortage of janitors to do the job. It was only as bad as when I was on the operating floor a couple of people who had come to give blood threw up in the elevator and I had to clean it up. I gave blood many times but did not throw up. I was in the gallon club and they finally told me I needed my blood more than they did so not to come any more. Helen and I finished our hours and gave it up and relaxed to just be USO hostesses.

One too many cubs

When I was a Den mother I took my den on many things and was always afraid I would lose one. One year we were at Scoutarama with my eight little cubs and I kept counting and I suddenly realized I had nine instead of eight. That is not good. I called a halt and looked under each little hat and found one that was not mine. I said "You are not mine." The little cub said yes but he got lost from his den. We marched down to the lost and found department and found a frantic den mother who was glad to see us. I wished him goodbye and took my group off.

Halloween second part

My husband, Ray, had a different kind of Halloween than I did when he was a kid. He lived in the south part of Topeka. That was near the Topeka Country Club so it was sort of in the country and some people had outhouses. The older boys who were strong liked to push them over on Halloween. I know his mother told me she used to follow him on Halloween, sort of hiding behind trees. He said he knew she was there. At that time Topeka had trolley cars and they went to the edge of town. The big boys one year were able to get the trolley wires off the wires when the operator was turning the trolley around. The operator had called the police and they were waiting for them. Ray was watching and they caught Ray. He had not done it but they took him off to the Topeka police station. His mother saw what they did and she had to figure how to get there to rescue her son. I expect she took the next trolley to the police station. It was at Fifth and Jackson those days. and she was coming from 19th and Buchanan. In Topeka the streets are named after the presidents. Except for one--Pierce. Topeka did not like Pierce as he gave Kansas trouble so they named his street Clay. They stopped at Lincoln and went to other street names. I lived about 8 streets west and lived on Jewell. It was handy in history class when you needed to know the President's names. Ray lived on Madison in his college years when I was dating him.

Halloween

With five children Halloween was a big occasion. They did not get a lot of variety in costumes. Sometimes they were clowns for a few years, sometimes they were cowboys and cowgirls, One year they were ghosts. We handed out candy each year. I went through their sacks carefully each Halloween when they came home. I threw out any homemade cookies and washed any fruit they received. They never liked people to give them fruit as it broke their candy. One Halloween Scott, the youngest was ill and could not go so they took a sack around for him. Now children go to malls and churches have "trunk or treats" where the children just go to church and walk around the cars. Our neighborhood used to get school buses full of kids. The kids would get off the buses, which were generally parked in front of our house, and divide into small groups and go around to houses. When I was growing up they were pretty boring unless you went to a Halloween party as people never had treats. I know one activity was throwing corn at people's houses which was pretty boring. However, I did meet my husband to be at a Halloween party and I did win 12 cents in a Halloween costume contest. I hope Halloween is good for everyone.

Art work for holidays

When I was in the 8th grade I had a delightful art teacher who taught me things like how to make beaded bookmarks and other useful things. At that time, cheese came in wooden boxes just right for a loom. Later you could buy metal looms that were easier to use. I think our children were artists also as they made many things besides the green rock Scott did. In the sixth grade Susan had a teacher who at Christmas had them bring a couple of hangers and she taught them how to make a decoration for the holiday which I still use. It hung from the front room chandelier and was and is lovely. Now I hang things every holiday but have purchased them. Cindy went in for wreaths for the front door. Sally's teacher had them make a large candle, I think in a Crisco can. I know our Christmas tree has many things they made. They were made mostly at the church Advent family gathering. I have one granddaughter, Holly, who has given me a collection of M and M decorations. That is my initials. I even have lights that look like M and M's.

Polio Pioneer

When our first child started to school, he had to ride a bus and go into regular Shawnee and attend Flint School, which is now a museum for children. He had to teach us how to be parents. Kansas was having an experiment with Polio vaccine. They asked the parents at Flint School if we would allow our kindergarten children to try out their new vaccine. We attended meetings and decided our student could participate. I went to help. They had huge needles I thought. When the vaccine was available our family would be eligible to receive the vaccine thanks to Steve. Some children got the vaccine and some got just a shot. It proved successful. Later we got a letter to say it worked and if we would go to Shawnee Mission East on a Sunday the whole family including Steve would be vaccinated. After church on the date they gave us we went to the high school and got our shots. Steve got a little pin saying he was a polio pioneer, which I gave him for his 40th birthday. I'm surprised I found it.

Crayon apron

When our children were growing up they were invited to many birthday parties and that gets expensive, especially on a newspaper reporter's salary and with five children. I learned to make crayon aprons. It took very little material, was fast to make and I only needed to buy a box of crayons and a color book and the birthday person seemed to like them. It had a large pocket divided in 16 little pockets at the bottom where you put the crayons, One afternoon Ray and I were invited to a party for Thomas Hart Benton. I think at Randall Jessee's (a member of WDAF news team). At that time Ray wrote the noon newscast before he went to his regular job at the KC Times. The KC Star owned WDAF. The invitation was at the Jessee home. It had a PS that said it was some three-year-old's birthday. I knew I could not attend as I did not have a baby sitter. At the last moment before Ray left he stuck a crayon apron in his pocket (unwrapped. When he got to the party he gave the thre-year-old the crayon apron. He was the only one who had brought her a gift. She was very happy.

Car wash bath

When I was in the nursing home they gave you a shower every four or five days. I understand that is a state law. Anyway you went into the shower room and un dressed. When my leg was in a cast they put a plastic bag over it. Then nude you were on a chair with wheels and were shoved into a shower stall. They adjusted the temperature to what you liked and then like a Buick you were washed from all sides. I understand some nursing homes don't do that they just let the patients get dirty but at least Shawnee Gardens on the rehab side did it. When I got moved off that wing they did not so I told them it was a state law so I got showers but they shower person was mad at me most of the time. I made them mad a lot. They told me I got up at night too often and un-plugged my call light so I would not bother them. Old people in nursing home need to go often so I know that night shift was suppose to do it. They did not like to be bothered. Most of the night shift were students at the Junior College on a scholarship and were earning money that way. There were some who were very good but most of them just worked weekends. The women were better than the men. I kept a diary of my time there and I was not happy. Especially after they took oatmeal of the breakfast menu and only had Cream of Wheat I do like oatmeal for breakfast.

Cindy and the Mumps

When Cindy was in kindergarten she was going to be a duck in the kindergarten Easter program. She came down with mumps on one side. There was still lots of time. The doctor said she could do anything she wanted as long as she stayed in bed. She wanted us to bring her trike in so she could ride around on top of the bed. The time came closer but the night before the performance she got mumps on the other side. So no kindergarten play and no ducks for Cindy. Sally wrote her a nice poem.
To Cindy Morgan
I hope you get well soon
Easter Poem
Easter eggs
Are you a megg?
Lovely Easster
She wrote her an Easter story also but I will save it for another time.
Nice Easter

The green rock

When my son, Scott, was in kindergarten he was told to bring a rock from home. He found a nice one and took it to school. In art class that day they were to paint it. He painted his rock green. It must be very good paint for it has never worn off. It has been a door stop, a paper weight and just handy. Right now it is in the kitchen by the sink. In my yard there is a smart chipmunk that has found a way to get into my kitchen and eat my dog, Buster's, food. I do not like chipmunks in the house. I have locked each door with a screwdriver in the handles but have one other spot and there I have the green rock. It works. I wonder what kind of paint they used?

The weddng of a TV Star

At Nieman School where our five children attended was a gifted music teacher. She had many good ideas about show business. She had a daughter who was trying to break into Broadway. The daughter fell in love with another actor and she wanted to be married in Kansas City. They were married in the Presbyterian church in Westport. The Nieman principal and his wife were invited and our group. It was cool that day in March and Scott had a jacket on. Somehow he got the zipper stuck and Mr. Walden rescued us as he had lots of experience with stuck zippers. The wedding was very nice, The couple went on to Hollywood. He changed his name to Wayne Rogers and was in the early MASH shows. They stayed married for about 20 years.

corrwection on Easter Bunny

The year Scott was in kindergarten he was the Easter Bunny. My bog is the following year. Scott was a GREAT EASTER BUNNY. This is a report from the real Easter Bunny. Sorry Scott

The Kindergarten Easter Program

On the street just south of our house is a row of houses. In one of them at the time Scott was in kindergarten lived the kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Swain. Just two houses up from us lived another kindergartner. When Scott was in kindergarten Mrs. Swain told all the new students to bring a favorite toy. I'm not sure what Scott took but the boy up the street took his slippery slide. His father took it in his pick up truck. He did not get to leave it at the school although the other students would have liked that.

Come Spring time they put on an Easter program. Scott was an Easter egg. The morning of the program Mrs. Swain called and asked for my help with the Easter Bunny. I found when I got there I was in charge of him. He was dressed in a bunny outfit but was not a happy Easter Bunny. I took him back stage. The auditorium had a door on the south side that went to the parking lot. The bunny told me he did not feel good. I opened the door as I thought air might help. It was raining. The bunny looked a little green. I told him to stand on my shoes so he would not get his bunny feet wet and he did. Then he threw up. He felt better after that and the rain washed things away. I did not get to see Scott but Ray said he was a good egg. The best for that matter.

Measles

One Sunday morning they asked me to teach in the six-year-olds, which was Cindy's class. I went off to church with my group. The three older ones went to their classrooms and I took my two-year-old to the nursery. It was being run by two fifth graders. I did not think they were qualified so I took Scott with me to teach. The class was nice but one little boy was not feeling too well. About ten days later Cindy was feeling bad so I made an appointment with Dr. Leigh and taking Scott along we went off to it. Dr. Leigh took one look at her and said she had the measles. Then he looked at Scott and said that he had the measles also. It seemed the little boy who had not felt good at church gave the whole class a gift--measles. The other bout we had with measles was when Steve went to kindergarten he brought the measles home for Sally and Sue along with chicken pox. I used to think kindergarten was to get rid of those two diseases before they got in regular school. So much for saving my son from the fifth graders.

White rose for the Christ child

When my daughter, Sally, was in kindergarten the teacher put on a Christmas program. I'm not sure what Sally's part was but she was to give the Christ child a white rose. I went on the search for one. I thought I would just get it from the florist but the teacher said it had to be artificial or it would fall apart at the wrong time. I went on the search among plastic flowers--no white rose buds or otherwise. Finally I was in a store looking and a woman asked me what I was looking for. I told her. She said she had one at home and she would mail it to me. She did and Sally had her white rose to give the Christ child. People can be so kind.

TPing the Walnut tree

When Cindy was in high school she dated a boy who liked to TP the walnut tree in the front yard. I noticed going to Prairie Village that they are still doing that. At first it was a bother but we learned to light the paper and it would go up the paper and burn. Do not do that on a fir tree but on walnut trees it works very well. It was always the sign of some celebration. I generally did not know what celebration but then it was not for me and the one it was for always knew.

Indian Headdress

In Nieman School, where our five children attended, they had traditions like the third grade always put on an Indian program. When Susan was in the third grade her teacher asked me to make an Indian headdress. She sent it home with the instructions and lots of feathers. When my son, Scott, was in the third grade I hoped he would get to wear the headdress but his teacher was angry with him. I went to the principal and stated my case that I had made it and I thought my son should get to wear it. The principal agreed. That did not gladden the heart of the teacher. I talked to her and told her that "Headdress better be on my kid." I went to the program. The teacher put the headdress on Scott on one side of the stage and then ran around to the other side of the stage and took it off of him immediately so when the children sat down in front of the stage after their part he was bare headed while the others had headbands with a feather stuck in them. I guess she won. She was removed from teaching after that year. She should not mess with the wife of a school board member.

Showers

I have been to many "showers", baby and wedding. I rather enjoy them but sometimes the games are hard. Two I would like to mention. When Ray and I decided to get married my brother and his wife wanted to give us a shower. I told them no games and they said they would just feed the group. They borrowed a picnic table for their backyard in Topeka. It had one problem that since it was borrowed it was not anchored. Some of my friends sat down on it not thinking it was not anchored and the first four set on the same side. Needless to say the table went over along with all the food that was on it. The party had been a little stiff and that really broke the ice. The rest of the party was fun.

The second shower was a baby shower in Lawrence for a grandchild who was about to be born. I guess Kelly did not like not being invited but instead decided her mother should have the baby. So while we had the party with refreshments and games, we found out that the baby was a girl and doing well at the Lawrence Hospital. After we heard the news it sort of broke up the party. It should tell you to have the party earlier or later.

Hofstra and the Fairy Princess

One November Ray had a high school friend of his, Harry Middleton, ask him to come to Hostra, which is a university in New York on Long Island, as there was going to be a meeting of all the people involved in Nixon's downfall. Ray and I went and we saw C L Schuzleburger, H. R. Holderman, Tom Wickers, Harry Kissinger, Chuck Colson, Roger Morris and some others. Some had been in jail and had served their terms but they all seemed to have written books, which of course Ray bought everyone. I remember one had found religion. They all made speeches and explained their part. Nixon was not there but we had seen him several times over the years. It was an interesting few days and Ray loved it. Tom Leathers let him write about it after we got home. I also remember that the hotel did not have oatmeal which made me a little unhappy. I survived. When we got home, Sally and Cindy met us at the airport and we went to see the Fairy Princess, an annual occurrence. We only had Morgan and Hayden as Stacy was home with the chicken pox. When we got there, there was a long line which we stood in. We noticed that Morgan was breaking out with the chicken pox and we hoped the Fairy Princess had already had it.

Ray and the Kansas Lottery

After Ray was retired he stayed very busy. He made many speeches, was on the radio and TV a lot, and in 1986 Governor Hayden made him a Lottery commissioner. Kansas had made gambling legal and they first put in dog racing tracks at Wichita and Leavenworth. They had their own commissioners. When they organized they voted themselves salaries. When Hayden named the five Lottery Commissioners from different parts of the state, they decided not to have salaries but would have traveling expenses. After it had been in existence they decided to have a TV show. Fred Broski was the master of ceremonies at Channel 5 in Fairway. It was to give some of the losers another chance. Since Ray lived in Johnson County he represented the Lottery--no traveling expenses. I took my mother-in-law and any grandchild we had for the day and we attended. I never trust game shows and applause as there was someone with a sign telling me when to clap. I always did. As the years went by Ray would be reappointed and we represented the Lottery commission at meetings at Las Vegas and at Disneyworld in Florida. They let him take me along but I always paid my own expenses. At Disneyworld I got to go underground and see how they did things and learned the names of Daisy Duck's three nieces--April, May, and June. They were only in one movie while his nephews were in many.

As the years went by he kept getting reappointed by other governors. Finally it reached the point he was to be appointed in charge. The appointment to question him turned out to be the same day we had a William Allen White Day in Lawrence. Mrs. Docking (the first Docking) went with us places as she knew the same people. I told her we had to go on to Topeka afterwards and she said that was fine as she had not been there for awhile. We took her with us and she and I went along with Ray to the room he was going to be questioned by the Democrats. She and I sat in the back of the room but the Democrats suddenly did not want to ask Ray any questions as Mrs. Docking was still considered an influence in Kansas.

I have many things around the house with the Lottery on them like cups, measuring spoons and things they gave out at the fairs. One you are on the lottery you can not buy tickets so I have yet to buy any. I have liked the people they hire to be in charge for the state. I remember one who had a wife who was a great cook and she invited us to their house often for meals.

Books

I have a house full of books as my husband, Ray, loved books and liked to own them. He did not believe in libraries for him. Most are worthless for the general public but he loved them. If one of my family saw one they liked I gave it to them unless it was one of mine. I like westerns and mysteries. I don't think Ray ever read fiction. I have one shelf that has books that are autographed by his friends or acquaintances. When he worked at the KC Star he shared an office with the humor writer--Bill Vaughan. I was very fond of him because thanks to him I finally got a dog in the house and not just a canary for a pet. He gave us Pogo. Bill wrote a book. I think the name was "Bird Thy Never Wert". I'm not sure. When it was published the group in the newsroom went to a bar to celebrate. Ray had bought a copy of the book. He asked Bill to autograph it. Bill was pleased that he bought one so Ray took the book back and put the cover on again and asked him again. Bill was very impressed that Ray bought two copies. It was only one copy but it is autographed back and front. I gave the book to my daughter Sally for I did not want it lost in a dumpster or library sale.

Celebration of a 60th birthday

When Ray turned 60 in 1982 he wanted to celebrate. He had t-shirts made for everyone with 60 on one side and Morgan on the other. He hired a trio. He had a wonderful time. Even the Thompsons came up from Wichita, the Jensens from Topeka and Arkansas. The weather was good and the next day we all went to a Royals game. The Fourth of July was coming up on Sunday that year so he volunteered for Children's conversation at church. He arranged for a band and had a parade with the kids around the church and in the church. In later years Ray had a permit for fireworks but that year we went to see the one beside the Prairie Village swimming pool. Sally and Howard lived close so we parked there and walked up to the pool. We took chairs and got ready but the same thing happened that had happened on the Hudson River at the New York World's Fair. The first fireworks fell into the fireworks waiting to be shot. It was great. No one was hurt but the display was wonderful.

Pictures by the Star photogrhers

Ray worked with photographers a great deal. I know one I especially liked because he was tall and I could find where Ray was when I was with him. Ray liked to take the family along with him when he could on a Saturday. I have many pictures on my hallway of stories with either Ray or the kids in. One picture we were at the auto show and we all got into a convertible. The photographer told the city editor it was the only group he could find. The editor ignored it but the photographer gave Ray a copy of the picture. I have one with the group and Walt Disney and, the second time we were at Disneyland, with the stars of a show. Ray has pictures of him with President Nixon, Truman, McGovern when he was running for President. One of Sally and Ray with Mr. and Mrs. Bob Kennedy. We had our exchange student with Sally and Susan at Lawrence when the Kennedys were there and Ray asked the photographer to take our exchange student with them but the photographer always thought Norwegians were blonde so took Sally who was blonde. Ingrid had dark hair.

Every Christmas we sent out a card with the children's pictures. For awhile we had a friend who was a good photographer but he left town so we tried ourselves. One year just before Christmas the doorbell rang and one of the Star photographers was there and he said. "You take terrible pictures of those kids. I am here to take the Christmas picture." He did it for a few years. One year he took them on the staircase at the Star.

Along with those pictures we have our brides and graduating grandchildren. I have one with Ray and Eisenhower in Abilene but it had never been framed and Sally is framing it for me.

Topeka, Meadow Acres and Big Bands

One of our big entertainments in Topeka while Ray and I were dating was Meadow Acres. It was located just south of Topeka near the Topeka Country Club on U S Highway 75. I have lots of pictures of Ray and I attending because our friend Bill Furlong took pictures there. We saw Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey to name a couple. Also Xavier Cugat and Woody Herman.

A Topeka Couple had brought the land and built this huge dance hall. The couple who were responsible were Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Sperry. They brought a pasture and erected a modernistic ballroom. We heard Stan Kenton, Claude Thornhill, Henry Busse, Cab Calloway, Hal McIntyre, Gene Krupa, Carmen Calvallero. We never had Kay Kyser or Harry James. Mrs. Sperry handled all the business details of the dances and supervised the night's activities. Mr. Sperry made the contacts and then spent the night of the dance wandering around bleary eyed, Pictures were in Life magazine but mostly showing liquor in dry Kansas. Kansas was one place you could always get liquor.

What's in a name

You should watch what you name children. My oldest sister was named after my mother's twin. So her name was Ethel Bessie. She did not care for it and went by Bess. My second sister was a name my mother just liked so she was Helen. My brother was Junior after my father and I was named after one of my mother's sister so was Mary Grace. My aunt never used the Mary but was called Grace. When I was small they use to say "Mary Grace has a dirty face". Which was probably true. When I was dating a newspaper man and we played poker a lot it was "Bet the Ace Mary Grace." I liked that better. One of my granddaughters is named Grace and I should ask her if it gives her a problem. I don't think I have ever seen her with a dirty face. One granddaughter has the Mary which nothing rhymes with so she is safe. One granddaughter has my maiden name for a middle name. Her name is made up of the two grandmother's maiden names. The other grandmother had a better last name. I do have one who has my first name for a middle name, My oldest daughter has my first name for her name so I feel I am remembered. Our oldest son has the first name of my husband and the second son the middle name.

Feed sacks in the closet

My two oldest daughters were growing up but I was still putting them in dresses with bows in the back. That is what my mother-in law liked and she always gave them clothes for their birthdays. My sister Helen lived across from a Junior High School and she would sit on her front porch and watch the students pass by. None of them had bows. She is very good at sewing and she had her husband bring home feed sacks from where he worked in a feed store and she made them new outfits that were more grown up. They were very pleased. They liked looking like the rest of the girls in their class. We saved bows for dress up but they soon did not want them then either. Over the years my brother in law continued to give us feed sacks. I loved the prints.

Exchange students

The first year Susan was in high school she went to Shawnee Mission North and loved it. Johnson County was growing and we had already added Shawnee Mission East. They had built Shawnee Mission West and we were assigned there. Susan had such a good time at North she did not want to change but Ray says when the bus goes by you go to the school it takes you. He had been writing stories about the American Field Service and we thought maybe if Susan and Sally had an exchange student it might be a help. (Our neighbor was going to drive their son to school for the next two years.) We applied. The committee came out to interview us. Everyone in the family was required to be there. We had a new dog since the last one had died of "sheer joy" on our front porch. This one was named Snoopy. We were all in the living room with the committee. Snoopy came in and played the piano (he liked to stand on his hind feet and play the keys) then he went over and threw up in front of the committee so we thought we had not made it. However, the committee thought we were interesting and passed us.

We rearranged the back two rooms with bunk beds. Sally and Cindy in one room, Scott in one by himself, (Steve was in college) and Susan and Ingrid in the other. She was required to have her own desk. When it came time we got Ingrid early. The American Field Service had always brought the students by ship and while they were on board had trained them about America. The European kids met in Amsterdam to board the ship. The ship blew a boiler and could not sail. They sent all the students to Paris and flew them to the U.S.

Ingrid arrived with only the clothes she had on so we went shopping and brought her a skirt and a blouse and a nightie and other things we won't mention. She loved her outfit so every day after school I would wash them ready for the next day at school. She was a delightful young lady and we all liked her. We could tell when she was getting upset as she always switched to British English which was the English she learned in school. Later I will tell you other adventures like on a camping trip being surrounded by Buffalo in Oklahoma.

We ended up having four students--Norway, Jamaica, Turkey and Argentina along with a temporary one from Germany. We enjoyed having the students and visited some of them later in their own countries.

One exchange student guest at dinner

When our children were in high school we were very involved with the American Field Service and the students. We would try to have the students for at least a couple of meals a year. Sometimes more. One year we invited a student from Thailand. During the day I had looked at my dining room chairs and realized they needed a little repair. I got out my glue and glued them. Then I put large rubber bands on the backs to hold them until they were set. In the afternoon we got a call from Susan that they were closing KU early for Christmas vacation as there was too much flu. She was bringing a friend home to stay until she could get a plane out to Chicago so we put a couple more plates on the table. I picked up the student AFSer and told him we were going to have a little larger party. During the mealtime the rubber bands broke on the chairs and shot across the room. It did not bother anyone. The student was listening to Susan's friend explain the "Virgin Birth". He was fascinated. I think he got a little more education that day then he was supposed to. His American host mother told me the next time I saw her that he said he had a wonderful time. He said he would like to come back again.

Ray Beautifying America

One of the things Ray enjoyed was being one of 500 on Mrs. Lyndon Johnson's Committee to Beautify America. He went back to Washington and learned how Mrs. Johnson wanted to make the roads of America more beautiful. He was serenaded by both the Air Force and the Navy bands. He learned how she wanted them all to go back to their states and make the roadsides more attractive. While he was there he also attended Vice President Hubert Humphrey's birthday party. He had to hurry home because our oldest son, Steve, was graduating from high school.

On the political trail

When Ray wrote for the Star, during pre-elections he used to travel around Kansas. The year he drove the racing car on Labor day and the axle broke on his racing car he was not in good shape to drive. He had a broken shoulder where they pulled him out of the blazing car. My mother-in-law was living in Shawnee now as she was a new widow and wanted to live near her son. After Ray was in the hospital for a week he was home but could not drive and our family doctor thought he needed to get back to work while he healed so I became his driver. We traveled around Kansas with me driving. I think we visited every town. I know Ray always headed for the barber shop as that was the best place to find out how the town felt. I would get sleepy driving so he would give me chocolate squares. At many towns they gave us a box lunch for our noon meal. Senator Carlson was with us and his driver was a former Highway Patrol person. He did not like the lunches and always gave me his and he went off to a restaurant to eat. I remember in Western Kansas Bob Dole would speak. He was very good and funny but sometimes I was the only one laughing and Ray told me to laugh quietly. We attended the State Fair in Hutchinson. We went to Wichita for Goldwater. We went to Hutchinson for Miller as he was running for vice-president with Goldwater. Sometimes Ray went with Jim Pearson and I stayed home. Finally Dr. Leigh had to give me some green and white pills because the election was making me nervous. President Johnson went into Wichita but I did not go to that. Hubert Humphrey came in Topeka on a hot day. Humphrey was speaking on the state house steps and a lady fainted. He just kept on talking.

Kleenex

When I was growing up I always had a nose that ran and it was embarrassing to take toilet paper with you, My uncles Percy and Fred were druggists as their father was in Topeka, Kansas. One lovely day my Uncle Percy turned up with a box. He told me "I have found something for your runny nose." I met Kleenex for the first time. It was actually invented in 1924 and movie stars used it to take their make-up off. I've loved it ever since. In 1928 they invented the pop-up boxes. They surveyed their buyers and found more of them used it for disposable handkerchiefs then makeup so they have aimed at that audience ever since. I stopped having a red nose all winter as Kleenex is softer. When I went to China in 1979 with all the travel agents, you could not get Kleenex there and the travel agents that were with us always had the pink toilet paper that seemed to be in our hotel rooms. It made me realize how much I missed Kleenex. I am still very fond of it.

The Pieta

I hope I spelled that correctly. In 1967 New York had a World's Fair. Every state was honored. When Kansas was honored Ray was going back to cover it. He took us with him. We camped on the way but stayed at the Statler Hilton in New York City. It has since been torn down (the hotel not the city) for the Madison Square Garden. There were many nuns staying in our hotel and I know when my beads broke they ran across the floor and under the nuns' outfits. They all tried to help me but the beads only cost $2.00 and were not worth it.

At the fair Italy had brought The Pieta and they wanted the crowds to move so they had moving things you stood on so you just went across and did not dwell. Cindy has now seen it in Italy so it got returned. There were many Japanese at the fair and Scott had very blond hair so they were always taking his picture. He turned seven while we were on our trip but celebrated at Niagara falls when we were back in a tent.

^ Bronze baby shoes and five kids

On a high shelf in my bedroom is lined uo six pairs of bronze baby shoes. I don't know if they do that anymore but we use to bronze the first pair of shoes. One set is my husband Ray's with his picture, When our first child, Steve, was born we had his first pair bronzed and his grandmother wanted a pair also so she bronzed the second pair. I hope my children some day will like to take their pair and they won't end up in a dumpster. I think I have a great many things that will need to go into a dumpster but would hate to see the shoes end up there.

My desk

I was the youngest of four. I had a brother 10 years older, a sister, Ethel 7 years older and a sister Helen three years older. Along with that I was cross-eyed and always had a cold. My dad made me a neat desk with a drawer. He did not try to make a chair. He bought that. I used to sit there and color. I had great crayons in the desk drawer. I didn't bother any of my older relatives. It was in my mother's sewing room by the window at the bottom of one set of stairs. At Christmas the chair held my Christmas gifts. My mother did not wrap gifts. You had brown sacks with your name on them. I did not find out about wrapping paper for family gifts until my brother started going with his future wife and she wrapped gifts. They were so pretty I used to stare at them for awhile before I unwrapped them. The desk still sits by the window and my sister Helen's great grandchildren play there, I hope.

Cheerleader's Filling

Our oldest son Steve went to Shawnee Mission North High School, Susan went one year there and then she and Sally went to Shawnee Mission West. Cindy helped open up Shawnee Mission Northwest. The had a principal with definite ideas about school. He had three semesters instead of two and he had 12 cheerleaders instead of the usual eight. He said that eight thought they were the BEST but 12 would be part of a crowd. Cindy was one of the 12. Before events the cheerleaders would have meals at each other's houses. One cheerleader had a wonderful dessert and when we asked for the recipe she said that she could not share it as it was a family secret. After Cindy graduated from KU Journalism School she went to work as a reporter on the Parson's Sun. One of her projects was editing the annual recipe section. What would turn up but the Cheerleader's filling.
This is it. It is great on Boston Creme Pie or Cake Roll.
Cheerleader's Filling
2 tablespoons flour and 1/2 cup milk--mix in saucepan on stove, stirring constantly until thick--cool
In mixer
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup oleo
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat at high speed for four minutes(exactly). Add cooled milk and flour mixture. Beat 4 minutes. Unroll cake roll, remove wax paper, spread filling and roll. If Boston Creme Pie put between the two layers. You never have leftovers so don't plan on it.

Keeping Freddy after school

When I was teaching school I had 14 pupils. Thirteen of them walked to school or rode their horse but one--Freddy--had a mother that drove him to school. He was a cousin to one of the families in the school and was a little spoiled. He did not always behave. One day he was just awful and I needed to punish him. I could keep the other kids after school and they never needed it but Freddy was another problem as his mother was always on time. On the day he was especially bad I told him I was keeping him after school. While the kids were out at recess I changed the time on the schoolroom clock. I let the kids out all but Freddy and he sat at his seat very surprised. At the correct time his mother turned up and I let him leave. I never had trouble again with Freddy.

Ray in the movies

For one of Ray's news stories he went to San Francisco on the anniversary of cross country flying. He flew out in the "Tin Goose," an original TWA plane. Of course on the way out he had some exciting experiences like going down in a wheat field in Concordia, Kansas and having the gas spill out down the aisle while they were flying but he did make it to San Francisco. After they landed he was flown to Los Angeles to be in a movie with Jane Fonda. The movie was "Sunday in New York." He rode up an escalator in the movie so we took the group with us to see "Daddy in a film." When we got to the theater it turned out it was x rated and children not allowed. The theater made an exception and we trooped in with our five. It was x rated because they mentioned sex before marriage in the movie. When Ray came on he was a shadow on an escalator. We applauded. He did get to meet the stars of the show but his movie career was short.

correction on doll parade

I sent the parade in the wrong direction. It started in the parking lot of the Mission Bank on Boardmoor and went east to Nall where it ended. The Mission Bank has moved three times.

The telephone

In our house the phone was very important but our children did not like to answer it. That was because we had a woman who called everyday to talk to Ray and if you answered the phone she talked to you. She had worked in the Wyandotte courthouse and discovered they had voters registered living in the Kaw River. She kept the records and buried them in her yard and wanted Ray to expose the machine in Wyandotte County so called everyday to check. The Council dondemened the area she lived in so she had to dig up the records and move them to her new residence which she did one night. I think they finally removed the names but I'm not sure. I think Ray just threatened them with that he would write a story. I think when ashe died I remmeber attending her funeral but I'm not sure. Our children outgrew not answering the phone but it took awhile. Most calls Ray got that were tips came at three in the morning so we had a phone beside our bed installed.

Another parade

When Sally and Susan were Bluebirds, the Campfire organization had a parade in May in Mission, Kansas. We were assigned topics. One year we were assigned Hawaii so the girls dressed their dolls in grass skirts and we went to Mission. We started on Nall and marched west. It seemed long but it probably was only about six blocks. Cindy found out that if you marched, at the end you got a Popsicle. She was not old enough to be a Bluebird but she was going to march in that parade. I have a picture of her clinging to my hand with the group and with her short little legs she made the trip and got her Popsicle--which she had earned. Later she was a Bluebird and got one but I bet the one she got that time was twice as good.

American Royal Parade 1995

One weekend in the fall of 1995 we had a guest for the weekend. Our grandson, #12, came to stay while his parents were on a trip to California. Saturday morning we had an urgent call from the Welsh Society that the child who was to represent the Welsh Society in the American Royal Parade could not be in it. Taylor said he would not mind. So we went to the parade. When we got there, the Sister Cities float was a large flat bed truck with straw bales of hay. Three Chinese children were there and and an assortment of others. Taylor was to be on it but he decided he did not want to unless I went along. They had a conference and decided they needed an adult on the float also so I climbed on and sat on a hay bale. Taylor joined me. We were just in front of three Chinese children. We watched the parade form and saw llamas walking around. I'm leery of llamas since one bit me in Chile. The Sister City had a large balloon globe of the world on their float. The parade started and I was surprised at how many people take their dogs to parades. They would tell us when to smile and wave as cameras would be on us. There was a Swiss flag that kept blowing in our faces. Taylor was very good and waved a lot. At the end of the parade they had a bus to take us back to the start. The group with the balloon globe of the world had trouble getting it small enough to get on the bus. Taylor did a good job. I wonder if he remembers his trip in the parade now that he is a sophomore at KU.

A teacher who did not like room mothers

My sister, Helen, taught first grade. The age you could attend was decided by how old you were on January 1. She thought it should be September 1. At that time Ray was covering the legislature and He convinced Sen. Jim Pearson to make a law that it would be September 1. That seemed a good idea by the legislature but both Jim and Ray had daughters who would turn the correct age later so Jim wrote the law so that it would advance one month earlier every year until it reached September 1. That way his daughter and ours whose birthdays were the end of November could go to school. Cindy was so excited she could not understand why they did not go seven days a week. She had a very pretty kindergarten teacher. During Christmas vacation the teacher went to Hawaii and got married so Cindy had a different teacher. The new teacher liked the children but did not like parents and especially roommothers of which I was one. The principal, Mr. Walden, met me at the crosswalk outside of school one day to tell me this news. He said she especially did not like roommothers who attended holiday parties. I liked that as I was one. So for the rest of the year we delivered the goodies for refreshments and did not attend the parties. It was the easiest year I had as a room mother.

PTA meeting adventure

My younger children had to attend many meetings to do with their older relatives. One of the activities they had to go along was PTA board meetings. One day I had such a meeting scheduled as they were going to decide the important activity of whether to have refreshments at holiday school parties. When I was growing up the refreshments were generally the best part. I went to the meeting taking Scott as the only one not in school. He was very young and busy. I tried to run the meeting and he was everywhere. We were in the cafeteria of the school and they were set up for lunch with nice barrels for the children to put their leftover trash in. The barrels were empty but clean. I put Scott in one with some toys. He was very happy and the meeting was soon over when I did not have to chase him.

The wrestling matches

When my husband Ray and I were dating between when I taught school and we were married there was one activity he could take me along. In Topeka every Wednesday night in the Municipal Auditorium they had wrestling matches. He would pick me up and we would attend. He would put me in a seat in the front row (not a good seat at a wrestling match) and go sit at the press table. It was not long before the wrestlers knew I was there so at least once an evening they threw someone into my lap but I learned early to move fast so I never got one in my lap but there were some close calls. I found out during the time I attended that they already knew who was going to win every bout. I also learned that the tape on their faces was so they could sratch it and get blood looking color on their face. It was just sort of like adhesive tape they could scratch with their nails. I do not watch the ones on TV but wonder if it is arranged ahead as to who wins. I bet it isn't. In Topeka we did not have that many rules but don't think any fighter was ever seriously hurt.

Name tags

Yesterday at church I forgot my name tag and I'm kind of forgettable so that is not good. I realize how much I lean on other people wearing them. Ray use to keep one in his pocket and he put it on when we went anywhere. He said it was easier on people and they are friendly if they don't have to remember. Sometimes I'm where I would be glad if people did not remember me when I do something stupid which happens often for me. This one will be short as how much can you write about a name tag or the lack of one.

Flag pole hole

I cannot put my flag up as I have lost the hole you put the pole in. When I first put the hole in I had it even with the south end of the porch and even with the redbud tree but now we cannot find it. Perhaps when the squirrels get all the walnuts picked up we will be successful. I have a great flag at the moment. It was a gift from Congressman Larry Winn when I worked for him one campaign and has flown over the capital. Of course if Puerto Rico becomes a state it will be out of date. I like celebrating the holidays that need a flag like President Washington and Lincoln's birthdays, Armistice Day and flag day. And then there is the 4th of July. My neighbors across the street have a flag flying all the time. They don't have to take it down at night as the streetlight shines on it. I'll just salute theirs for awhile. Maybe when it frosts and the grass dies and the squirrels do their job the metal tube will show up. I don't think I put it up for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas so we are safe until February or is New Year's a flag day?

Relatives

My parents came from two large families. My father was the oldest boy and my mother was the next to the youngest--a twin. When I was growing up I had lots of relatives but now have outlived most of them. My daughter Sally has gone to Colorado on her vacation and it reminds me of my rich uncle. He lived in Pueblo, Colorado in a hotel I think he owned. By the time I met him his wife had died so I do not remember her name but she was one of the Sharpe girls I think. His name was Morris Johnson and when he visited or we visited him he gave fifty cent coins to each of us so we called him "our rich uncle".

While I was growing up Kansas people liked to go to Colorado for vacations as you could get cool. Even my husband went to Colorado. My Uncle Bill and Aunt Ada rented a cabin. It was in Green Mountain Falls near Colorado Springs. One year we went there without my father. The cabin was small and there were a lot of us so I expect we slept on the floor. I remember driving up Pike's Peak and visiting the "Garden of the Gods". I think that was a place with funny shaped rocks but I kind of have forgotten so will ask Sally when she gets home.

Part of my mother's family went to California and raised dates. That was my Aunt Maude. I remember she cussed me out when she visited which I probably needed but did not appreciate. Later we visited the date farm. She always sent us dates for Christmas. The relatives that went to California were very tall and I had one cousin that was six foot which is tall for a girl. Since I never got taller than five foot four inches and have now shrunk on height not on weight I still look up at people.

In later years when our children would visit the Star with their father the editor would give them each a dollar. They loved it and had kind thoughts of him.

Whizzo and Sally, Stacy and Hayden

In the mornings we had a local show on TV called Whizzo. He was local and dressed as a clown. He had local children on his show also dressed as clowns. Sally loved that show. One Sunday we were going to church and we were west of Lamar--one block-- when who should drive around the corner but Whizzo. That made Sally's day. I doubt if she got much from Sunday School that day. We applied for her and she got accepted so she put on her clown suit and went off to the show. She did well. Later he moved his show to Topeka and Sally applied again for Stacy and Hayden. They made it and went up to the show. I'm sorry our movies are all on Beta so we cannot admire them and I'm sure Hayden's class would enjoy seeing their teacher on film in a clown suit. They did as well as Sally had done. We were proud of the Huggins group and show business.

Another Halloween

When I was teaching 14 kids at Pleasant Valley School I told them about Halloween and how you wore costumes and had cider and doughnuts. They thought it sounded fun as out where they lived they did not really find it practical to do Tricks or Treats from door to door and they did not do mean tricks. I thought I would have doughnuts and cider for them so I ordered them from the doughnut factory not too far from my house in College Hill. I had my cider in a jug. The night before I woke up to hear fire engines and the doughnut factory was on fire. No doughnuts. My mother got up at two and made doughnuts for me so my kids would not be disappointed. We had our Halloween Party and I got out my fancy paper cups and my cider and the first cup I poured it in did not have a bottom so the cider went right thru to the floor on Elizabeth's foot. The napkins were okay and I had extra cups. Since the kids had not had fancy doughnuts before they were happy. A successful Halloween.

My first date with Ray

When I was in high school and a Junior I met my future husband Ray in Journalism class where he was a senior and the editor of the school paper--The World. He did not have a high opinion of my writing ability which he had no problem expressing so he assigned me to the news from the girl's gym. During my high school career I also saw him in a school play, which he did very well. I did not tell him so as he rarely spoke to me. Later when we were in college we had the same history professor, Dr. Bright. Dr. Bright also was in charge of the youth program at Central Church. In my freshman year he and his wife planned a Halloween party and they divided us into couples and I got Ray. He was an hour late and was not pleased to see who he had drawn for a date. The professor was with him driving as I did not teach Ray how to drive until later. I had had a birthday and received some lovely fur mittens which I wore as October is cold. They made him sneeze. My girlfiends were all at this party also and we all belonged to the same sorority, which had dances you had to ask boys to. We were all cowards as we were not popular and had not been asked out often, if ever. So we had three boys we would ask to sorority parties of which Ray was one. But we were too much of a coward to call them so we all pretended to be someone else and asked the boys. I know only three months later I was asked out by Ray to attend Topeka's blackout as I have pictures to show it so guess he finally weakened. He was president of Independent men at that time. He later pledge Phi Delta Theta. Dr. Bright always accused me of doing Ray's history assignments but I only did his maps for him as he was color blind and did not do them correctly.