Memories 2

Sally got down my scrapbook and I had a scorecard from the game that Jackie Robinson played in St Louis and he was on the Yankee team not the Cardinals. I hope to those who read my blog that they get the facts straight now. It is fun remembring what I did and what a nice life I have had. It makes me more content to be in a wheelchair watching TV, doing crossword puzzles and rereading the books I have and liked before. I find I have a tendency to drop me books and lose my place so I now put a paper clip on the page I am on and then move it when I am through. That way I am only a few pages away. Sometimes I move it along as I finish a page. Nice thing about being 87 some of the books are almost like being read for the first time. I do remeber if it is a book I disliked so do not bother to reread.

Memories

I could not think of a title for this. My grandson, Chris, asked my daughter about a baseball game I went to a few years back and I am going to try to answer it correctly but I think I get names wrong. One summer before our first child was born in October. My husband trhought we ought to go on a vacation. We would go to the Ozarks and then to St Louis where we would attend a Cardinals baseball game and the zoo and a golf tournament. My brother in law Roy did not think our car could make it so loaned us his and Helen's car. We went to the Ozarks and looked at the lake and then went on to St Louis. We planned to park the car at the hotel and use local transportation, However they had a strike. We got the cardinals baseball game and saw the first black baseball play on a white team. He did very well and then we went to a golf match and the zoo. I do not know where my scrapbook is located but am sure I collected something. However Ray would never let us ask for autographs so I do not have that. It was pretty exciting vacation. I wonder what is in my scrapbook. Was the ballplayer Jackie Robinson?

Camping trip

In July a year ago I wrote about the first trip parents took us on and now my daughter have redone our family movie films I found it was not correct. Susan wrote such a great book about her camping trip and I had forgotten some of the things until I saw the home movie. My dad had won a movie camera and when he found out that my brother was confushed at what color states were. He thought there ground was thw color they were on on mapa. We had a Packard at that time and and my Dad and Mother loaded it up with what they thought was the proper camping gear. We had three canvas cots for my parents and brother and we three girls were on a sort of medal cot and I was between Ethel and Helen. My mother made a sort of mattress for it and I slept in the middle. We had a wonderful cooking kit with 2 large kettles, 6 plates and 6 sets of silverware. The spoons were the size of tablespoons. I still have some of the set. We had blankets on the seats which made us taller. We had picnic lunches at noon generally in cemeteries so my Dad could read the tombstones. At nights we camped in city parks with the homeless. We went to Washington DC first and camped on the Potomac River where they built Jefferson's Memorial. I remember bumping my nose on the slippery slide. We visited Mount Vernon. Then we went to New York City. We climbed the statue of Liberty as we had climbed Washington's memorial and I was getting tired of stairs. We visited Ellis Island and then went up the coast to Boston to see Old Ironsides. We visited Philadelphia so we could see the Declaration of Independence. We went by Niagara Falls where my parents had spent their Honeymoon in 1913. We went across to Canada so Allan would know there was another country. As we neared Kansas City we could see a big fire and the amusement park,Fairyland, was on fire so had to go around another way. Now my brother knew the other states and countries were green like Kansas. My dad found he liked traveling and visiting places so we kept traveling after that year so I saw many things that became historical.

Kid's table with 3 legs

My parents had a large dining room table that seated 12 adults comfortable but I had lots of young cousins and we needed more room. My mother took a cardtable that had only 3 legs and using an egg carton box for the fouth legs my cousins and I ate. To explain the egg box my Dad had made a large wooden box to hold the eggs and every other week we visited Scranton, Ks where our relative that were farmers saved us 12 dozen, I think, It was sturdy and the correct heigth. Older cousins used the kitchen table. We younger ones had a good time at our on table without the frowning faces of older cousins. There was Betty, Don, Sharpe and I. Sometimes we had George from Clay Center.

Mowing

Hayden and Sally were mowing my lawn today and trimming the bushes and I look lovely now. I remember when I use to mow and I also mowed my mother in laws lawn across the street. I was very happy when they invented power mowers but it did give me lots of excersie. When we bought our house in 1951 it was not on the corner as a basement had already been dug for the house south of us. The 1951 flood hit and the builder decided not to build there as it was swampy so he gave us another 8 feet of land. It was not to bad mowing until they put us on sewers and then when we mow and still do the black snakes come out. I do not like snakes. Even this morning while Hayden was mowing one came out and crawled across the front sidewalk. I am afraid I use to love to mow over them but Hayden is kinder and give them room. I have worn out about three power mowers and am starting on one new. I think I got this one last summer. I have a large backyard which my dog loves but the mowers have to also mow the extra grass I have outside the fence.

Ray

Today is my wedding anniversary. You cannot use our when there is only one of you. Being married to Ray was an exciting life and never boring. Our only big problem he never understood money and you do not spend it if you don't have it. I met many people who were famous and lots that were not. He took me along as he liked to have someone who liked him. and writing politics was not always a good way to have people like you. We shared five great children and 13 grandchildren. One, Taylor turns 21 this week. I went around the world and visted Africa, Norway, China, Russia,Brazil, Japan, Argentina, Peru,all the states, Canada, most of the National Parks most Kansas Governors, some Presidents. He was fun to be married to and I was very lucky to have had such a delightful marriage considering when I met him in high school he thoughtI was a terrible writer.

My wedding anniversary

I think I was married in 1946. If so it was a long time ago. I got to celebrate our 50th but now I just have great memories of my wedding. When I was getting married the war was just finishing and when we went to look for wedding dresses they were not the kind I wanted. They looked more like a nightgown. My sister, Helen, had been married in March and she kindly let me wear hers. I had a different veil. At her wedding I wore the maid of honor dress so we changed dresses and went through a ceremony. I used to worry because my new mother-in-law wore black but over the years I no longer think she was in mourning because her only child was being married but think it was just her best dress.

My mother did not like the minister at our church which was unusual for her so we were married by the president of Washburn College who was a Congregational minister. My flower girl was my niece Ann as she was born on my birthday but should have used an older niece Martha Jean because Ann would not go down the aisle and then would not throw out any of the flowers. There was a Polio scare and I was afraid that the kids would get polio. They did not.

We were off to Colorado for our honeymoon. There was four stops for gas and while they served us dinner we had wooden utensils. We were late to the hotel so they had rented our rooms and got us a room in a hotel that was torn down soon after.

I like to remember all those things now and celebrate the day with a treat which I have not decided what yet as it will have to be on the door in the refrigerator as I have trouble reaching things in the shelves of the refrigerator.

Air Conditioning

It is very hot outside and inside if you do not have an air conditioner. When I was growing up my father installed a large fan in the attic and it drew air through my parents' closet. I am not sure how it worked but it did not work very well. My sister Helen and I used to spend a great deal of time in the basement drinking chocolate milk out of green coke bottles and reading. My Uncle Percy had a great chocolate syrup he served in his drug store at the counter and he gave the recipe to my mother. It was delicious. We had regular fans on everywhere. But Kansas is hot in the summer. I guess to help wheat and corn grow.

Later when we moved to Kansas City, again our children and I spent summers in the basement. Ray had trouble with his asthma there. At night we slept with electric fans. I still do. At night we would take the TV out to the patio and watch TV with a fan blowing on us. After our daughter Susan was married she informed us that she and Lee would not visit us unless we got air conditioning. When I was growing up we slept on cots on the front porch. When we traveled our car always had a canvas water bag on the front to help cool the motor. I may remember more things but that will do for today.

Birthdays

Yesterday was my youngest grandchild Grace's birthday. She was 16. That is a very important birthday and I hope she got to celebrate. I try to remember mine own but there have been too many. My mother always made it a great day. Even though I am a day late I want to wish her "Happy Sixteenth Birthday." I have depended on a setup another granddaughter, Stacy, did, which reminded us of many special occasions like a birthday. "Happy Birthday, Grace." I am very proud of you, Love Grandma M

Growing old

My writing class this month reminded me of things to write about and one was growing old. I cannot do that anymore as I have already arrived at that at 87 years but I thought back at what I got to do while I was growing old. I got to meet my five wonderful children,my 13 wonderful grandchildren and even a couple of great grandchildren. My sister has remained my best friends and lets me call her everyday. I live in a nice house with heat and air condition, I have had great dogs and cats and have a delightful one at the moment who I hope likes me as much as I do him.

I have gone around the world, I have had wonderful exchange students live with me, I would like to mention my husband whom I met in Topeka High School but did not like me bust learned to. I have seen that Mars is really red, I have been bitten by a llama, chased by lions and crocodiles, I have been spied on in Russia and they let me out, I have knitted almost 2000 Christmas socks and can still knit so I knit hats for babies in Honduras, I have met movie stars, even have John Wayne and Shirley Temple's autographs, my kids have great spouses and they all still speak to me so I have not irritated them too much, I have a great many lawyers and writers. I watch TV now and see it in color,I have read all the Louis Lamour, Dick Francis and Harry Potter books.

When you are old people are more patient with you and I need that. I seldom feel lonesome because I always go back to memories of some many great things that are in this world and I have got to see them. I have met presidents and seen them inaugurated. I still do not like bears or snakes in my camping tent and will never like spinach and cauliflower but will cling to the may good things that I can eat. How many people have their initials on candy like M&Ms. It would have been nice if they had stood for Hershey or Russell Stover.

Thanks for letting me remember some of the great things that have gone on and not remember that the President says I will not get a social security this month so I may be back in my tent if I could find away to walk and put it up.

Pocket money=Baby Sitting

I reread my blog and thought about how I got money as my parents did not believe in an allowance. My first paying job was baby sitting with the boy across the street in Topeka. He and I got long well as there were not many playmates in our neighborhood. His father used to call him General Nuisance. I even played with him when I was not baby sitting. I think his parents let me because they knew my mother always kept an eye on me so she did on the boy.

I generally used the money to go to the movies although sometimes I used it for candy at the local grocery store, which was only a block away. When I did get old enough to babysit, I was paid thirty five cents unless it went until midnight and then I got fifty cents. Sometimes my sister Helen would take me along and I would play with her charge while she read. I always liked it if they left snacks but they seldom did.

My parents were very careful who I babysat with. If they did not bring me home at the time they said she would come to the house where I was and she was waiting for them. They were very good at being on time as I think they were afraid of my mother. My sisters, Helen and Ethel, babysat also but I do not think my brother did. He was above such menial labor and probably got an allowance. Only rich girls got allowances but boys did.

Wages

Back in 1940 I kept track of my money and I came across the book. This was September 1940. Balance o6(clothes owe Mother $7.09, buttons ,19,Movie ,16,peanits .37. wages (I worked in the office of my father's business)6.00, Topeka Free Fair $1.26,notebook.10, wagesa $6.00.church.90cents,material .95,registration fee $2.00,coKe stained dress.94 SorOity pledge fee $5.00,notebook paper .10,wages $6.00.The pages go on like that went on until 1942 and then I got a raise. I know I had a savings account but guess I let the bank be charge of that. After I taught school I went to work for a bank and I kept better records after that. However the so I went to the telephone company which had great hours.workers in the bank had terrible hours sssssss

Things on my thumb

I have two new marks on my thumb that are caused by using my wheelchair to go forward and backwards but since I do not spell weell. I will try calasus. That sounds like a math class. I remeber my mother trying to help with spelling. I even had two spelling books, one at school and one at home. My sister, Helen was so smart she even got moved a grade ahead but not me. When we had spelling bees I was one of the last chosen then only because the teacher made them take everyone. I was smart in reading, did well in geography but was low in penmanship so it is well ZI never acpooomplished anything that I needed to sign autographs and banks do not care how you sign their checks. As a teacher I was very lienent to my pupils. But I wanted people to know it is hardwork doing a wheelchair when you have uneven floors like I do and too narrow doorways so you have to go backward through them but I am making it and it does mean I get around in my house so I can watch the birds at my birdbath, the many marigolds I have and see the sky. I do not recommend people having to use wheelchairs but it is nicer than laying in bed all the time so am glad wheelchairs were invented.

Forth of July

Now the day has past and I remember one fourth we celebrated a week or so after. On the third my 3 oldest children had a thing you put a cap in and hit and something flew. Sally did one that went on the roof and Ray got out the ladder to get it. He got it but the ladder slipped and he fell. Our doctor was out of town so we called the one who took care of his patients when he was out of town. TYhe ambulance came and they took Ray to St. Marys hospital in Missouri. My father in law and I followed the ambulance. Ray had broken his leg. The fireworkss stayed in their carton and we shot them after Ray returned home. The 4th was a little confused that year.

Another fourth

I guess the most exciting thing on the fourth was i became engaged to get married.I had been engaged to Ray 3 times and something always happened so I told him we are getting married in 3 weeks. So we were married July 21. My 2 sisters and brother were married at home but Ray had too many relatives and we did not want to leave anyone out. That year they decided to forgo the annual gathering known as the McClenny reunion and came to the wedding. The other one that was exciting was when they had a fireworks display at the Prairie Village swimming pool and the first fireworks shot off fell into the waiting fireworks and everything was shot off at once.

Fourth of July

When I was growing up my uncle got the fireworks for us. I am not sure if it was Percy or Fred. We always went to the park for breakfast and my mother scrambled eggs. We shot fireworks in our own yard. It was not easy to unwind the fireworks and when we traveled in China, I saw a young girl putting them together. I took a movie and thought when I got home I would run it backwards and see the easy way to get them apart. My sister, Ethel, had a roman candle break when she was shooting it so it kind of scared us after that.