Front porch

The area we moved into in Shawnee in 1951 had houses that were kind of alike. We had a three bedroom house with a front stoop as did all the houses here unless they were two bedrooms and they still had a stoop instead of a front porch. Ray's uncle was good with things and he told us he could make our house look different by putting a rail around the front stoop. Sounded good to us. I think Curtis made everything himself and soon we had a stoop that was different then the others. It was great to decorate at holidays. As the years passed the south side fell off and we moved it around to the backyard until we could replace it. We never got it replaced but it is used for birds to perch on and they look happy. It sits on the wall that surrounds our patio so we still enjoy it,

Sleeping on the front porch

You read where there are so many rapes and they say to keep lights on, shrubs cut and lock doors and windows. When I was growing up those things were going on but not often. Kansas was hot in the summer time and on really hot nights we slept on the front porch on army cots. It was not much cooler but seemed like it was. When our children were young and it was hot we slept in the basement. That is still quite safe but front porches? Of course there were several of us maybe that made it safe.

Clothes chute

My father was very inventive and would see something that he could duplicate but he invented many things himself. In the house I grew up in he sort of designed it and thought of things to make life easier for my mother. One thing that most houses do not have is a clothes chute. Upstairs in our two story house he put in a clothes chute right in the center so my mother did not have to haul things down two flights of stairs. She put either a bag or basket below it in the basement. It was nice to holler down also and your voice carried nicely. My present home does not have one so we solved that and moved the washer and dryer upstairs into one room.

Bedroom sets

When I was first married we lived in a duplex that had been made into three apartments on each floor. At home I had shared my bedroom with two sisters and as I remember it the room was crowded with three single beds but I know our bureau was in the closet and I had the bottom drawer as I was youngest and shortest. Plenty of room for underwear and socks. We had a mirror on the back of the closet door and there must have been a dresser but I guess it was forgettable. I think I had one drawer there. Maybe I put my socks there. After we moved to 6th Street to an apartment my parents owned we had a three room apartment but eventually the people moved out upstairs and since the apartments were connected by a stairway we got it.
My sister, Helen already lived there and at first we shared their bathroom and a room in between our apartments where our two oldest children, Chris and Steve had their cribs. The two boys did well together. In the new apartment we had lots of room so we went to the store and bought a beautiful bedroom set. It had a vanity with a huge mirror and three drawers on either side and a big drawer in the middle. I still have it and still think it is great. My mother believed in lots of mirrors as she felt that mirrors kept you from thinking you were more gorgeous than you were. Now I have trouble getting the middle drawer on one side open so don't know what is in there but maybe I will look someday and find it is full of socks. You have to get at the correct angle to get it open. It has a great chest of drawers and must have many things stored in it but don't think clothes. I think it is more of a file cabinet. My bed is not the original as I remember getting this one at the J.C. Penney outlet store but can't remember why we got a new bed.

Church Library

Today I'm mad about what they have done to my church's library. They have repainted it which it needed and then thery have ruined it. I was the second librarian at our church and followed a good one. It already had a beautiful table and comfortable chairs. After Ray died I gave the church his rocking chair and it was there. The church put in a sound system so babv's who were unhappy their parents could sit in the rocker and rock the child and listen to the sermon. I added a small child's table so when they had meetings there and had to bring a child the child could sit there and look through books from the children's section of which I had many. An air conditioner was added so meetings on hot night could be cool. Then one church member instisted on giving us a huge class doored bookcase that had belongerd to her son and he did not want it anymore but wanted a tax reductiion on his income tax. It had a couple of large drawers and a place for the computer. One member gave us a small bookcase for under a window with great books. However people did not check them out and it made her mad so she came and took it back and took it back home, We had the Third grade Bible class there and they were awed by sitting in such a nice room they were well behaved. Now I understand the children's table is floating around the church looking for a home, The fancy bookcase went into the archieves room where it is good and helpful and the beautiful table as wandered off into one of the other rooms. They are very proud of what they did but they should be ashamed of themselves for it is just another room now. They still have meetings there but the whole point of the room has disappeared. I understand they are even going to have a meeting and show people through it and probably brag about what they had done, but they should be ashamed. I am annoyed.

War Bond Queen

When I was in college World War 2 was on and one year we had a contest for War Bond Queen. Each sorority had a candidate and then we sold war bonnds. I represented the Zeta's. Ray was master of ceremonies and it was held at the Jayhawk Theater in Topeka. I wore my $45.00 fur coat and looked gorgeous. I was beaten out by the Delta Gammas. The candidate's father owned and insurance company and the Delta Gammas sold $3800. My friend Martha's grandfather bought $3550 but I was runner up. Martha should have been the candidate. She would have won. It was fun.

Reflector vests

The year we went to Africa to count elephants for Earthwatch they told us that we had to be able to walk two miles a day. It was summer time and hot in Kansas so we liked to walk at night. We bought two vest that reflected light so cars would not hit us while we were walking. I watched the news the other night and they have tail lights you can put in your back pocket to do that. I wonder where those vests are now?

Triple A

I"m not sure when Tripe AAA was started but remember that Ray and I were very involved with Clive Lane who I think started the Kansas branch. We would go along with him sometimes. I remmeber one time the Topeka Free Fair was going to honor Rene Gaigon who was in the picture raising the flag on Iwo Jima. We went with Clive to Kansas City and picked he and his wife up at the airport, They were very nice. Rene was in the picture but did not really raise the first flag. The photograhper asked him to pose and he did but he always gave the other soldier the credit. I kept my AAA until I gave my grandaughters my car after I ran into a building. I thought it was a great invention.

Japan

Ray and I went to Japan a couple of times and had a great trip each time. The first time we went we went with Sister Cities group from Independence, Missouri. We stayed in homes and learned a lot about Japan. The first home we stayed in had three year old twins. They are great teachers. If we did something wrong they always commented on it. One thing I thought was interesting was that the toilet seats were heated. In all the countrys we have been in that is the only place. It was nice. It seemed to be a winter thing as when I returned in the spring a few years later they were not.

One lamp

They hve invented a great lamp that you can turn on or off with a clap of your hands, Sounds great but some of us don't clap correctly and the lamp knows. We had one many years ago that minded me but my son, Scott one for me with personality that did not like my clap. My dog Buster liked the lamp because he could turn it on with his bark. He never turned it off just on. I would go back to my room and the light would be on so I watched and he would stand at the door and bark and then when it went on he would turn with a smug grin (my dog grins when he wins) and leave. Cindy finally had to put a button connection that I could just turn off and lies by my pillow. That works fine and it no longer responds to Buster's bark. He has given up trying as it only minds me.

Love letters

When my husband went into the army. He was in four months in the Field artillery in Oklahoma he wrote me everyday. Sitting in my wheelchair now as I look into my closet I can see a box. I think it is the letters he sent me along with the ones to his parents. I wonder what they say. I remember how pleased I was to receive them. I remmeber one class I was in in college that the professor said "Old lady Burkhardt seems happy today. She must have received another letter from Private Morgan". His asthma got him out of the army. I always loved the comment that the comedian , George Gobel said. "The Japaneses never conquered Oklahoma while I was stationed there." In my writing class people mention finding old letters of their grandparents and I wonder what we said and if I even want other people to read them.I havwe a nice feeling looking at the box.

My Flag

I have always loved hanging the flag out for special days. However since I have grown up the country has added a few states. A few years back I realized I was out of date. I always hoped the wind did not blow too much to expose my flag. One year I helped in the office of Congressman Larry Winn and after he was reelected he gave me a flag that flew over the country's capitol building and had 50 stars. I had a hole in the front yard and put up my flag proudly. Martin Luther King day is coming up this week but with the snow piled over the flag pole hole it will stay in the front closet and stay warm. Maybe it will be nicer on President's Day. Of course how do I get the flag in the hole from my wheelchair? I think it will stay in the house. The neighbors have the flag up everyday and I will admire theirs.

1940

I found a notebook in my stuff. it was 1940 and my list of money keeping. I started out with .15 cents I borrowed some money from my mother=$7.09. I paid 19 cents for buttons. I went to a movie for 16 cents. I bought some peanuts for 37 cents. I was working for my Dasd in the office and was paid $6.00 a week. I went to the Topeka Free fair and spent $1.26. I bought a notebook for sewing for ten cents. I gave the church 40 cents. I paid aregistration fee of $2.00, I spilled a coker and had to pay 49 cents to have it cleaned, I had joined a sority so had to pay $5.00. I bought some notebook paper for ten cents. The list of things goes on. I even put in what movies I went to. I went to a lot of Deanna Durbin shows.
and seem to eat a lot of peanuts.I was also buying war bonds. I shall -probably come back to thias as I discover more things in the book but I will let it rest now. Budgets were a necessity when you are a Freshman in college

Christmas trees

The snow reminds me of the Christmas trees when I was young. My parents never bought a tree. We had a family in our church who decorated the santuary with live trees. After the Christmas service on Fridays before Christmas you could take a tree if you wanted. We always took a tree. The family owned a seed company and sold the trees. One year we had blue trees. That year my oldest sister who was in college Sorority, The Zeta Tau Alpha, and whose colors were blue and silver for their Christmas dance they had sprayed small trees with silver and blue. I really did not care for blue trees. Silver is not bad. I think we had two and they sat in front of the fireplace. Since my mother always removed things early we did not have them too long. I think I'll let Christmas past alone for awhile and take on January 2010.

Christmas decorations

When I was growing up my parents had rules about Christmas decorations. Our tree was in the middle of the front room so that it was under the lights so the lights could be plugged in. Christmas night my mother would announce that Christmas was over and we undecorated the tree and put things away. We did not have lights on the house so it was indoor stuff. Now we undecorate at New Year's Day and store the things in our attic. My snowmen are going under because of the snow and my daughter Sally's blog shows it today, I think we will undecorate at Easter this year. The indoor stuff is put away but not the outdoor stuff. Maybe we will make it by St Patrick's day.

Snow days

When I was in school they had not invented snow days. I think they are a good thing. I only lived six blocks from school which is not a great distance and the blocks were short but I can remember some days when it was so cold that my hands hurt. Parents picked up kids at school a lot but I remember one day that mother was busy and I looked longingly for a ride but none appeared. I probably would have gone outside if I had been home but this one seemed extra cold. Our mittens were generally on a string that went through your coat so if you had one you had both. I had both but it was sooo cold. It was great to get home. My sister, Helen, was in Junior High so only had to walk across the street but she gave me sympathy that day instead of telling me that she had walked home on colder days. She never walked home alone as she had my sister and then she had me. It is nice when you have company.

A piano

When we were raising our group and they attended the local school--Nieman at 67th and Nieman -- we had a carnival every year to raise money. One year the president ran off with the money--we got it back. The men had to take over the offices as the women were upset. Ray was vice president so did programs. He got great programs and one was a teacher from the Kansas City Conservatory of Music. We decided our children should take music. First we needed a piano so we went to Jenkins Music Store. Then we enrolled them. At that time only three were old enough so they all had the same teacher. I don't know if all three still play but know Susan does. I know Sally's daughters both play. As the years went along the teacher quit at the Conservatory so we went to her house. I think the youngest, Scott, even had jazz lessons. After they were married and had children of their own, our piano moved to Lawrence, Ks to Scott's house for his three children. I think they all have pianos now.

When I was growing up the depression was in full swing. Before it hit, my three older relatives took lessons at Washburn College but I had lessons at the grade school at noon one day a week for twenty-five cents. My own parents had a baby grand they had bought from the widow of the doctor who had delivered us. I played a great "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers". I only had one recital and I just sat there and did not play my piece. I had no other recitals. Now I play the harmonica and do a great "Happy Birthday". I think I would run out of wind if I did "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers".