New Years Eve

Growing up New Years Eve was boring but after I met Ray it was fun. However our children thought it was still boring so we changed it and made 12 noon New Year. Just at 12 we shot poppers into the air and yelled Happy New Year. Now we found our grandchildren liked it so we continued it and then we wold go in and have a ham for lunch. Now I think they prefer pizza.I like them both. We had a neighbor that shot off a gun and I thought was dangerous and still do. After lunch we took down our snowmen in the front yard and the lights off the house and undecorated the tree. That night we drove through Shawnee Mission Park and they must have burned the trees we brought with us but I may have that wrong as my memory has too many things in it these days. I have an artificial tree now and it is three parts and goes into a plastic bag for another Christmas. We start our New Years resolutions that we keep about 24 hours and look toward the next holiday Valentines Day.

Merry Christmas

It s a lovely sunshiny day. I know snow is pretty but it is kind of a bother on Christmas Day. I can remember a few snowy Christmases and I prefer sunshine. I hope you all made it to church and missed the many Christmas stories on TV. I hope your Christmas is Merry and I will let you relax while I think of another blog to enlighten you on my feelings of the world around me. Merry Christmas.

Snowmen

One August in 1951 I was reading a magazine and it told me how to design and cut snowmen out of wood for Christmas. My brother in law Roy helped me. We We added Cindy and Scott, a cat and a dog. When we had a daughter in law we added her but that did not last and her snowman is lying on the floor of the attic. Cindy's snowman was taken once and we found it in the ditch a block away. As the years past we added lights on the eaves of the house but it has pretty well stayed the same. Our granddaughter Hayden has repainted them once and they could use another coat now.

Christmas gifts

One Christmas our local grocery store offered some large toys for Christmas. Our youngest soon, Scott, fell in love with a toy cannon. He would go along to the store just so he could see that wonderful toy which was over the cashier. Our two oldest daughters liked the large dolls and we bought the toys. When we moved to Kansas City our dining room and living room were one large room and our table was on the north end of the room. We all sat at the table eating our breakfast. Scott just could not wait and with his older brother, Steve's help he loaded his plastic cannon ball. It shot across the room in a lovely arc and landed in his grandfather's cereal.

Decorating the tree

We have always had fun decorating the tree and then a glass of egg nog. Now I have an artificial tree but we use to have live ones. One year when all five children were helping and Sally was on the kitchen ladder she decided to step back and admire the tree and fell. She was not hurt but it cured her of doing it again, The tinsel was in little masses as no one singled it out and threw one at a time. The tree was in the middle of the living room at first and then we got grandchildren and put it in the middle of the front window. We had a Golden Retriever and he knocked it down so we put wires and wired it to the two small front windows. It was a fun time. Now my granddaughters and their mothers decorate it for me. I use to put stuffed animals under the tree but that is a lost cause with Buster liking to taste everything. I have my lights on the house and hedge. No snowmen anymore as they have retireed to sleep in the attic.

Another Christmas Eve

When our oldest son went to Sunday School in Topeka one Christmas Eve they gave him something to read on Christmas Eve. In Kansas City we would gather all the candles in the house and light them on the card table. When Ray worked at the Kansas City Times they got four holidays a year and Ray always took Christmas Eve as one, We did this every year as we added a few children and some grandchildren. The church has some kind of a musical put on by adults and one year they decided to use a real baby as Jesus and Hayden who had been born in September was chosen. Our minister commented he never knew Jesus was a girl. After that year we always went to church on Christmas ve. The program was turned over to the Youth director and we had many Marys, Josephs, wisemen, shepherds but I think Hayden was the only baby. Isn't is nice for the church to know that their children choir director was one Jesus. When Morgan was Mary the angel standing beside her fainted. One year they tried a lie Christmas scene with real sheep and I was in it along with all my female descendants. I like the one in the church better. Sometimes Prairie Village is very cold in December and being inside is nicer.

The Fairy Princess

Yesterday I had a visit from the Fairy Princess. I bet you did not know they made house visit. This year I have a pretty granddaughter being the Fairy Princess at the Kansas City Muesum and she came by to bring me some milk and eggs. Back in the 1940s the Shawnee school board said Nieman Grade School could not have Santa Claus. I know Ray was not on the school Board at that time as he would never have voted against Santa. We had many pretty mothers and asked one to be the Fairy Princess. She was very pretty and had five children some of which were in Nieman and she went to all the rooms handing out candy even her own children as they liked thinking their Mother was a Fairy Princess, Santa never came back and I think the room mothers just did it from then on but it was nice one year.

Christmas 1960

It was one of the last years that Kansas City had a strong Christmas. The streets were lined with festive lighted garlands and the Crowns were there. The crowns have moved to North Kansas City. Our kids were between 3 and 12, They were dressed in their Sunday best. We met Ray for his 2 and half dinner hour. We had supper at the Forumn Cafeteria. Then we started our walking tour. We stopped first at Jones 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 to visit the Fairy Princess, a beautiful young girl dressed in a gorgeous gown and holding a wand. For a quarter the children lined up and waved her magic wand. The got a coloring book, crayons and a tin whistle. From there we went to Emery Bird Thayers to view the inflated figures of Mr. and Mrs. Santa. They shook and laughed. They have lost Mrs. Santa Claus but mister is at Crown Center. We looked in Harzfields windows to see the antics and a woman steeped up beside us and asked if she could give the children a box of candy. The kids wanted it immediately but we told them we had to check it out first. The Fairy Princess is now at the Kansas City Museum and this year my granddaughter Frances is one of the Princesses. I think that was the last year Kansas City had a strong downtown Christmas

Christmas socks

I have knitted many Christmas socks to hang up on Christmas Eve with the name and year of birth of the owner. I have knitted a few dogs and cats also. During War 2 My sister Helen and I knitted six or was eight feet Kakai mufflers for the soldiers and I found I liked to knit so I knitted scarfs for my children, baby booties. and ect and My older sister Ethel sent me a pattern to knit Christmas socks. My first efforts were bad but I got better and met many people I would not have met if I had not knitted socks for them. I was always interested in the people I knitted socks for and I remember one child even put his sock on one leg and his sister's sock on the other. I do not seem to be able to knit them now and except for not walking knitting is the only thing I really miss. I had one woman I did not know ask me to knit socks for her two grandchildren as she had Cancer and was not expected to live very long and she wanted them to remember her every Christmas. I had one family whose baby died and they wanted a sock so the would not ever forget the child. I had on who was murdered but not over the sock, I have had their pictures on the cover of a magazine. I have knitted another set when the family got a divorce and have knitted three dogs and a few cats. I have seen some much more beautiful but I liked mine and did almost 2000. I have a daughter who knits them now and she is a better knitter. I have many nice thoughts at Christmas for those I have knitted socks for.

Christmas

In the house I grew up in my mother did not like to waste beautiful paper wrapping gifts and thought brown sacks were good and ust write the name on the outside. We did not get fancy paper until my brother went with the girl he later married and she wrapped gifts so beautiful you almost did not want to open them. The gifts always had lovely useless things in them which I loved. The gifts in the brown sacks were from my parents and were things like new underwear and socks. At Christmas we had a chair by the tree and your gifts were laid on your chair. My chair was my desk chair. We were not disappointed for we thought that what every kid got. Later with our kids we let them pick a color and their gifts were wrapped in that color of tissue paper. You generally got a new doll and that was not wrapped and if you got a bike it was not wrapped. Mother did not like the tree to be up long and took it down immeditately. My in laws left the tree up until New Years. Except for the Christmas I dropped my china doll and broke her head it was all good. My sister, Helen laid her doll in the window one Christmas and it fell out when the screen got lose and ruined her new doll.
the package. I loved knitting Christmas socks for people and knitted over 2000. That is another story.

Christmas cards

I love getting Christmas cards and enjoy sending them and seeing who is still alive and letting people know I am. I especially like picture cards and after Ray and I had children we sent a picture of them and now we still include them and their children. We had a photographer from the Star ring our doorbell one night and say he was here to take the family picture because we did not know how so we had our first good picture and he continued to do it until he left the Kansas City Star. I have already received three cards so the season has started. I have the picture taken last May when my two grand daughters,Frances and Kelly graduated from KU. Now these two granddaughters one is in China teaching English and one is at the Kansas City Museum being the Fairy Princess. The Fairy Princess I will see at Christmas but China it will be a couple of years. I let each family write their own paragraph about their group and I add my eventful year, We are going to end the year with my granddaughter, Morgan's wedding to John. I will look forward to seeing how others have enjoyed the year as much as I have.

Disappearing angel

I wrote this when I was in college."Just a moment I will call her" Helen said. "Sue you are in for it Mrs. Blair called. Susan Jane uncurled herself and went to the phone, "Hello" "Yes. I'll be there. Thanks for calling Goodbye. Sue you have not actually accepted, Yes I;m going to be the main angel. When is it? Christmas Eve. There is a dance that night and you have already accepted to go with Bill. I explained it is something I never understood before and now I am going to do my part to make the world a better place to live in. Helen said but how can being an angel make the world better? Helen if ever the world needed Christmas Spirit and I aim to give them a performance that will inspire them. At church at the back of the choir loft had been hung a dark blue curtain. Around the stage were live Christmas trees. The stage had been lengthen with boards on saw horses. The program had small children singing. There were two more scenes and then the angels. Susan Jane walked to the center and told the Christmas story. As she finished she stepped back and disappeared. After the performance Peter went looking for Susan. He could not find her but found Mary Ann. He told Mary Ann that scene was wonderful but Susan disappearing was perfect. Mary Ann said the disappearing act was wonderful. Mary Ann said "They did not fix the boards correctly and where she was suppose to stand they seperated and she fell thru but stood up so the other angels could walk across her back. Susan Jane turned up about then and said she was just doing her part

Santa Claus 2

My husband Ray loved costumes. His two favorites were a Clown and Santa Claus. When we were dating one Halloween he rented 2 costumes==cowboy and cowgirl. He won first prize and I Fourth. He received %2,00 and I a quarter, I did not want to use my own name and used my friend Margaret. She made me share my quarter. After we were married he wanted Santa Claus outfit and none were available as the war was just over. A friend of mine mother were offering a sewing class across the street from my mother's house so enrolled and made Ray a costume. I know the first year he used it for my niece Jean. From that he branched out. I know he wore to the Junior Chamber of Commerce luncheon. He loved to wear it and we kept adding until he was pretty good. After we had children he was reluctant to wear it around them, One year he was Santa at our Shawnee Theater and Sally came back to the car and the costume was there. It finally wore out and I made him another. After Cindy was married she gave a cookie party and he attended. I generally drove him everywhere. I think Scott has it now in Lawrence. They have a party at the Lawrence City library.The clown costume was generally worn at grandchildren;s birthday parties wjere I wore one also and we ran the games.

Christmas Memory 1

After World War 2 and the country was trying to regain things the government had in the schools for neighbors things like sewing classes. The Junior High across the street from where my mother lived in Topeka offered sewing. I signed up and made a little coat for my son Steve and then my husband wanted me to make him a Santa Claus Suit. Under Mrs. Dove's guidance I tried and he was aatisfied and wore it at events for it twice , Once riding in a convertible through our own area giving out candy and once to a theater production they attended in the City of Shawnee, My daughter Cindy would have a Christmas party at her house for friends children and he would wear it. He loved to wear it and finally wore it out and I had to make another. I think after he was not able to be Santa the suit went to Lawrence, Kansas and our youngest son, Scott wore it on occasion. My husband loved costumes and I also made him and I clown suits we wore to Grandchildren's parties and ran the games. I still have them in a closet somewhere.

Cindy's Birthday

Yesterday was my daughter Cindy's birthday. We gathered together and had presents and delicious cake. When she was born it was due on Thanksgiving Day. My husband parents turned up to stay with the other three. My labor pains had started and I went down the basement to check if my husbands shirts were dry. They were on a clothesline in the basement as we did not have a dryer. They were dry and lying on the floor as the clothesline had broke. It made me so mad that my labor pains stopped. They started up again after Thanksgiving and I went to the hospital in Kansas City Kansas==Providence. I was in the hall as it was very crowded and was near the stairs the doctors used. We had thought of the name Cindy as there was a cute song going around called Cindy Lou and the name sounded good to go with Steve. Susan and Sally. She was born without any trouble and not in the hall and I was in time to enjoy meals of leftover turkey. Happy Birthday Cindy. We are glad you came.

Mrs. Knappe's Turkey casserole

Every year the day after Thanksgiving the K C Star use to print "Mrs. Knappe's Turkey Casserole but this year they had a Turkey Taco. Here is her old recipe if you do not want a taco. Here it is. Leftover dressing,leftover turkey, leftover gravy. Bake casserole for 40 minutes at 325 degrees. If you do not have enough gravy packages gravy is good.

ANOTHER tHANKSGIVING MEMORY

I know this is not accurate but I will just write the memory I have. The day after Thanksgiving was another celebration started by a Kansas City Mayor. By the time i was involved in it my memory was a little vague. I can not remember the name of the mayor who started it but I remember him and his wife. One of his friends Jerry Cohen took it over and Jerry I remember well as my husband Ray even wrote about the many things he did for Kansas City. Kansas City ordered a big pine tree from Oregon which came in by train in two pieces. I think it was Bartle. In the time before Thanksgiving they sold chances on a car to be given away on the night after Thanksgiving and the money earned went to Kansas City charities. I think it was a Ford dealer.People would not receive the car because the taxes were too high so they were given a years lease on the car. Every year on the night after Thanksgiving we went to the Crown Center for the festivities. A group sang, then a celebrity spoke a few worda==generally. They gave out candy and the Boy Scouts handed out candles and then help light them during the ceremonies at the end. The ice skating rink was open and you could skate will you were waiting. The next day I would drive Jerry and Ray around while they delivered gifts like candy and toys to Mercy Children's Hospital. One year Jerry's nephew won and they were in a dither. Ray argued he showed have the car. The taxes became too high on the car so the winner got a rental car for a year. Sometimes I sat inside the Crown Center and sold tickets during the ceremonies as the winner was not drawn until the next day. I know the ceremonies are still carried on and they have added fireworks.

Thanksgiving again

One of the nice things in Kansas City at Thanksgiving is the lighting of the Plaza lights. I probably do not have my history correct but I think it was started by JC Nichols. Downtown Kansas City had so many Christmas things. Mr and Mrs Santa Claus in the window of Emery, Bird, Thayer. The neat train in Jones,The Fairy Princess in Klines and he had this new area he started so he started the Plaza Lights.

For a time, when we could afford it, we rented a room at the Alameda and had our children and grandchildren to see the lights turned on. You got a couple of parking places in the garage, ate a good dinner. I generally had to take a casserole of Kraft dinner for grandchildren.

The lights burn out sometimes and there was a florist shop in Fairway who sold the burnt out bulbs as a memento. They have great crowds and the program on a stage is good.

The only other big entertainment is the day after Thanksgiving when they light the Mayor's Christmas Tree at Crown Center. I think there is a Christmas train at Union Station, I will think on these things and hope they are correct but my husband who was a newspaper man, said I was never a reliable source.

Thansgiving again

When I was about ten the President did not declare what day was Thanksgiving and states were to choose themselves. Missouri picked one day and Kansas the preceeding Thursday. My father decided to take us to Kansas City on the Thursday Kansas picked and loaded us up and we headed east on Highway Ten which was the south highway and went thru Lawrence, Kansas. We drove by the Indian school in Lawrence and headed east and arrived in the suburb of Kansas City known as Johnson County. Highway ten went through Shawnee and the highway went along through Mission and Fairway going east. We saw them turn on the lights in the Plaza and then left and went across the Kaw River to Kansas City, Kansas and stopped at the Katz store and bought a bag of Chocolate Kisses. We went west on Highway 40 eating the kisses which had been carefully divided and passed Lawrence across the river and on west to Topeka. We had a wonderful time and were all tired out. We had been to the big town east of Topeka. We visited Kansas City a lot to visit Aunt Lily and Uncle Jack> I think it was Liberty. My uncle was a seamstress and worked in a clothing factory and I had three cousins, Fred, Dorothy and Laura.

Thansgiving again

When my husband was alive this how we did Thansgiving dinner. We ate in the basement recreation room around the ping pong table sitting some on wooden benches from the backyard picnic table/ We used plastic plates and pretty paper napkins. We used seasonal material the length of the table I bought at a fabric store--4 yards. On Tuesday I fixed the potatoes snd tore them in the crock pot. Wednesday I bake the potatoes. Wednesday I baked 3 pumpkin and one mincemeat, Before we went to bed Ray fixed the turkey in a bag and put it in the oven. It started baking by a timer on the stove. At 11 the oven was available again and I make the Pepperidge Farm stuffing. I add some dripping from the turkey and a lot of water. The group brings in things like Green bean casserole, corn casserole and Yam casserole. Someone brings home made bread. Sally brings Waldorf Salad. We eat at noon so about 11:45 we put on the Kraft macaroni. We open the canned cranberry sauce and cut turkeys out of the slices. We open both kinds of olives, We open the canned gravy and heat. We have the pie on paper plates and birthday cake as we have a four Birthdays. Sometimes we have wine if some one brings it and sometimes Russell Stover chocolates. We have plastic trash sacks to put the trash in for everything but the silverware. Plastic silverware is not good we we do wash regular silverware, Then we sit back and think what a great day it has been and will be as the group will head to the Plaza to watch the lights come on in the evening.

Church Pilgrim Costumes

I need to correct the atory about the costumes as my grandaughter Hayden tells me that when Susan Wa moving she asked about taking the costumes and my grandaughter Hayden who was tired of dressing up in them told her to go ahead, My daughters and grandaughters wwew chosen because on my husbands family they were desendents of Priscialla Alden's granddaughter. She was not mad just moving. Sorry Susan. Thanks Hayden

Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving. My parents belonged to a Congregational church and it was founded by the Pilgrims who came over on the Mayflower to Plymouth in New England and started having Thanksgiving to thank God. They started a lot of small colleges including one in Topeka that I graduated from. A few years back we had our church ushers dress like Pilgrims but the member who made the outfits became angry at the church and took the costumes and left the church. We like to celebrate it with the usual Thanksgiving menu of turkey and all the things that went with it. We have used plastic or paper plates so no one has to waste time washing dishes,The food is wonderful. My husband use tom roast the turkey but now I think Cindy does, Every one is assigned a dish and everything is delicious. I think I turn on the oven. In the evening it is down to the Plaza and watch them turn on the lights on all the buildings. Friday the day after it is eat wonderful leftovers and go to Crown Center to see them turn on the lights on the Mayor's Christmas tree. My husband, Ray, use to be be very involved in that. They sell tickets in a raffle that gives the winner a new car. I think now the winner gets the use of a car for a year but I am not sure. It starts the Christmas season off with a bang but think the season has already started in the stores. I shall look forward to the wonderful dinner. I have olives and cranberry sauce which I have so I am ready.

Prayers

My job at my Churches Women's group use to read a devotion before we had lunch and my husband Ray use to love to write them. This one I thought would be good on this Sunday Morning/ Dearest Lord Jesus, I hope you will not hold it against me if I speak to you as a friend who has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I hope this can be counted to be the reason for my temerity. I continue to follow your path today as best I can because I believe my heart strongly that your life represents the best hope of mankind and it is for that reason that I have the courage to address you.
I have been asked by this group of your followers here today to address a letter to someone on the question of "Brotherhood-sisterhood Harmony in a world of Differences. I gave the matter a great deal of thought and came to the inescapable conclusion that I could write only to you if I was to express the concepts that I wanted to convey. For over 2000 years the examples of your teachings and your life as you lived it have been a beacon to the world that would have been dark and gloomy without it. You brought hope to all of us in your teachings which have been handed down to us by your devout followers such as Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Brotherhood-sisterhood, Harmony in a world of indifference. No one could exemplify that kind of that kind of of concept better than the life you lived. Dearest Lord Jesus, a life so deftly harmonized and unified that it was as all encompassing as the cathedrals that have been built in your honor. Within your outstretched arms= you encompassed all sorts and conditions of men--shepherds, magi,centurions, fishermen, tax gathers, generous women,blind beggars, farmers, vinedressers,children and aged men,scribes and Pharisees,representatives of every class in the social order and every type conceivable in the moral order. Nothing could be more suggestive of the wide appeal which your personality made to men.
No better formula for world of harmony through differences could be discussed than your teaching which has been handed down to us under the description of the sermon of the mount. Take the often repeated phrase "the meek shall inherit the earth" This conveys the daring thought that those who are gentle, which many scholars believe more clearly conveys the meaning of the original Greek word handed to us, and exemplify your spirit may ultimately people the world. You made it so clear that life by any other concept would lead to war, hate and oppression.
In that sermon you asked that we lead life that had an air of mercy and pity toward others. As someone much smarter that I has written;; "What a contrast there was between the attitude of Jesus and Buddha in the presence of misery and wretchedness The latter sought to escape from them while the former enters the haunts of wretchedness and woe to grapple with them and alleviate the suffering of those who are their victims."
In 2000 years,we who are followers seem to have kept alive a flickering spirit of hope in the breast of man. I am writing to ask that you help us to realize that if we truly believe in a merciful God who sent you to convey the spirit by which Man could live a better life and live by your precepts,brotherhood and sisterhood in a world of differences would be the result. Thank you for letting me speak to you and for being the friend who has made life bearable dearest Lord Jesus, Ray Morgan

Veterans Day

When I was growing up this was Armistice Day but guess that did not cover enough wars so they changed the name. I know there were parades. I remember one especial and it must of been when Japan signed a peace treaty. I drove Ray's 1928 car called The Green Hornet with his mother and Aunt in the back seat honking the horn all the way down Topeka's Kansas Ave, the Main street, along with many other cars and we turned around at the river and drove back honking to Tenth Street. It was a great feeling but I guess we have had so many wars now and soldiers and sailors and Marines are nice enough to stay alive so we have it Veterans Day. You still do not get mail and there are lots of sales.

Bridges part 2

I left out a really fun bridge we ran into in one of the Dakotas. They must have been near Mont Rushmore at least that is where I remember them and I think they were still there when we took our family along with my in-laws camping but they were called Pig tail bridges and one went over the bridge and around and went down under them. I really can not remember the point of them but they were fun. I guess sometimes you went under them and then over them. I only remember them in the Dakotas.

Bridges

The United States has some wonderful bridges. On travels with my parents one year we visited Mount Rushmore where they were putting four presidents on a Mountain. We went San Fransisco as they were building a great bridge. The bridge was not done so we had to take a ferry into the city. Later in Japan we went to the dedication of a new bridge designed by the same designer of the Golden Gate Bridge across the Inland Japan Sea. Here in Johnson County we use to have many rock bridges on the country roads. Topeka use to have a great railroad bridge across the Kaw River. Now the Kaw River is the Kansas River and everyone flies to honor them. I do not expect I will ever have a bridge named after me unless I do something spectacular to be remember by like winning the Worlds Series or giving money to something. Now I do not drive I do not need bridges anyway.

Waterfalls

I have visited many waterfalls and I love them. The United States as a great one on the border of Canada and the US called Niagara Falls. I think my parents went there on their Honeymoon. I have visited the falls twice when I was about three and with our five children when we went to the New York Fair when we took our children. We have vised Falls in Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, Victoria Falls in Africa, The Falls that are on the dams that are man made on river between Brazil and Argentina. I do not think we have any falls in Kansas as you need lots of hills and water. Now outside of Las Vegas there is Baganall Dam which has a nice man made waterfall and lake. I know in one place we stopped to see a dam and were greeted with snakes and decided to admire the falls from our car. Victoria is so high and skinny and scary to stand on the bank and admire. The one in Argentina we got to admire by Moonlight and it was really beautiful. Daredevils like to boat on the top of the falls but I would not. We were in a boat above one in China and I was really happy to get to shore.

Catalogs

America had many catalogs while it was aging and my children use to love the one Seara and Wards put out before Christmas each year generally in October. They would put their name by what they chose and had to take turns as only one to a household. They showed their grandparents in case they needed a suggestion. One year we had trouble with Montgomery Wards and my husband happened to interview the President of Wards and complained and that night the order was delivered to the house. One year I had trouble with Sears and it seemed they had left the first letter off our name and the order was under Organ but the clerk recognized us and found the order. Now the only catalogs I get are for food and needlecraft. I think Toys are Us still has one so this generation is not deprived of the fun of Christmas catalogs.

cars

Cars have really changed in my lifetime. My father had a garage that repaired cars so I met them early ours was used for the funeral of a vice president of the US. Early cars had jump seats, running boards. They had running boards you could actually stand on and ride on during parades clinging to an open window. They had cars that had rumble seats that were great for parades and we even had one of the first electric cars which was like sitting in an electric sewing machine. They still have limos for gangsters and movie stars. We rent a special car to take me in my wheelchair for Doctor's appointments. I expect there is a book printed that compares the cars over the year and it nice to remember I learned to drive in a pick up truck in a cemetery where I could not do much harm to the residents. I would probably still be driving if I had not been a lousy driver and run into a building and broken my knee which is not fixable anymore. I sit in my wheelchair was I am grateful was invented and watched TV which I am also grateful was invented in my lifetime. Now I am glad that cars bring me family, friends and caregivers to my house.

My favorite toy SKATES

I was asked about what was my favorite toy and I think mine was my roller skates. I had ice skates also but you had to go onto a lake for that. Now roller skates you only had to find your skate key and go out the front door and sit on the front steps and fasten them on your shoes. I avoided brick sidewalks but we had nice cement ones around my house and I skated away around the block. I knew the sidewalk well and knew when to raise my foot over squares that did not meet well on the sidewalks around our neighborhood. When I have gone to visit my sister in Topeka in the house where I was raised I still lift my foot automatically. One time I won a pair in a contest but they were weird and you could not skate well on them. As I remember we put the skates in the broom closet just off the kitchen. I was not too good at races but I still raced. I enjoyed my bike but my skates were more fun. In my neighborhood now there are no sidewalks and it looks like it would be hard in the streets. I cannot remember my children skating here at home but went to the indoor rinks and had a great time. I would skate to the grocery for my mother. It was hard to race anyone so as I remember if we raced around the block going different directions to see who would make it around the block first and no cheating and going down the alley. We did not cheat.

My Life as I see it

I have had a great life and hope it will go one for awhile. I am 87 and still have many things to learn. I was the 4th child of family of 3 girls and one boy. I was born in Topeka, Kansas, the capital of Kansas. My father had a garage. Both my mother and father graduated from Washburn College. I was not a particularly attractive child as I was crosseyed and had to wear a pirate's black patch over the right eye. My hair was straight and blonde and was not real smart book wise as was neither my brother. Both older sisters were very smart and Helen even skipped a grade. In Topeka High school I met my future husband who did not have a high opinion of my writing ability and assigned me girl;s sports. He met me again n college and still did not think I was a great writer but liked me. He went into the Field Artillery in the middle of his college life and I went on the graduate and become the teacher of a country school. During the war I was a Red Cross nurses aide, a bank clerk, worked for the telephone company in the engineers office draw blueprints. After I was married we had five wonderful children, 13 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren, Our children and grandchildren are lawyers, writers, and one teacher. I have traveled the world. I have seen and walked on the great wall of China, visited Palaces, The Statue of Liberty. Seen the Mona Lisa in the Louve, climbed the Eiffel Tower, Counted elephants in Africa, been chased by lions and crocodlles, visited all 50 states of the US, Been to many Worlds Fairs, seen many Movie Stars and politcians, a few Presidents and inaugurated a few when I witnessed their Inaugerations, Had our car picked up by a tornado and turned around between Kansas city and St Louis. Attended our children's graduations and weddings. Now am watching our grandchildren graduate from High School and College. Got to celebrate a Golden Wedding Anniversary. I have met many authors and Movie Stars along with the Presidents. Got to be a Campfire leader and a den mother, Got to sell Pop at baseball and football games. Was the President of the PTA. Saw Zebras running in a herd in Africa. Had five exchange students so have been on every continent. I went to South America where I saw that Mars was really red when it was close to the earth, I was bitten by a llama. In Monte Carlo I attended their International circus. I know there is still a great deal to learn and hope I have a few more years and even though I am in a wheelchair now and can not leave home it is a happy life for me and my dog Buster

The big peppermint stick

I have a nephew named Chris who is only a few months older than our son, Steve and when they were very young my brother in law Roy won a huge peppermint stick. My husband thought it was worth a news story and had the photographer from the Topeka Daily Capital take a picture of Chris sitting in a little chair licking the huge peppermint stick. Newsweek picked it up and ran it on the cover of Newsweek. I guess my sister, Helen, had to throw it away eventually because it was huge. It was a very cute picture of a cute little boy.

Fall

I was going to write about Autumn, but was not sure I would spell it correctly for a title. I have always liked it. Leafss falling do not bother me because soon the snow will fall and cover them up and maybe they will blow into the street and far away. If they stay they keep the grass warm.. It give my neighbor something to do when they blow over in his yard. When it comes time to mow it will cut them up into little pieces and not show any bare lawn. The birds like me as I heat my birdbath and help pay for the bird seed my neighbor buys, I have lots of robins,bluejays, cardinals norning doves and a few squirrels and rabbits. There is one little chipmunk, It hailed this morning but my marigolds are still holding up. Buster likes the grass being a little tall since the last mowing and rolls in it. He thinks I have a farm and it is hay. I nay think about autumn again and give you another chapter.

Steve's birth

Today is my oldest child's birthday. I was going to name him David I name I liked but the Society Editor on the Newspaper where Ray worked said everyone was naming their sons David so I picked Steve. My husband also had a contest with a friend who;s wife was also pregnant as to who would have one first. She won. When I went to the Topeka Hospital. St Francis Steve chose to come feet first and weighed nine pounds two ounces. My roommate had a son also she named Steve but my Steve weighed more. Those Days when you had a baby you were in the hospital for ten days. You did not even sit up until the eighth. On the 8th I went to visit my Doctor as he was also in the same hospital with a strained back as Steve weighed nine ounds two ounces and strained the doctor's back.

Halloween

Halloween has never been one of my favorite holidays, When I was young we had sacks of corn kernels we got from my grandmother;s farm and threw at neighbor's windows to frighten them and had parties at school but did have refreshments. I started dating my husband after a Halloween party at our church. I think our five children enjoyed them and the school parties had improved but I still think of it as a mean Holliday where you just try to scare people, I do not care much for TV around this time and on Halloween night I like to turn off my lights in the front of the house and retire and read in the back part. My husband Ray had me enter a contest at the Municipal Auditorum and I won twenty five cents in prize money. I gave the name of one of my girl friends when they asked me my name and she made me give her 13cents of my prize money (a Quarter). Ray won first prize and had a dollar. His mother use to follow him around hiding behind trees when he went out as a child and he got arrested one time.He lived on the South end of Topeka they lived and where there were outhouses which the older boys pushed over and he lived at the end of the trolley line and the older boys knocked off the wire of the trolley and he was the one caught and taken to the Topeka Police station. Since his mother was hiding behind a tree and saw what happened she was able to go bail him out. They did not have a car and I always wondered how they got to the police station.

My sister, Helen

Helen sighed she longed to go outdoors and play but she was 15 and much to old to play with neighbor children. They were only 13 and fourteen and she was 15. Why she even knew how to dance and had dates. She went to high school and they called her a subscrub. The first day she had walked into the wrong class because there had been seniors in the class. She told the teacher she was suppose to be in room 231, The class had laughed and the teacher told her she was in 331. She had said Oh and run out. Helen thumbed through a book. It was grand to be 15 but it had its drawbacks. She would like to go out snd show those boys how to punt. Oh dear here comes that horrible Joan Hugg that she had looked up to. Helen's mother was always holding her up as a good example and here comes Helen's mother now. "Helen put that book down and. Hello Joan come in and have a Coke." But we only have Ginger ale. Joan said thanks but she really did not like ginger ale.(Then my last page disappeared somewhere so we will have to finish this later when we get some coke. Needless to say my teach gave me a C minus and was kind enough not to comment.

What Uncle Sam means to me

To me Uncle Sam is a symbol. A symbol that is as old as time itself. He got my attention about the time the government needed to blame the depression on someone. The Democrats and Republicans had to blame someone besides each other and picked on Uncle Sam. He is the familiar face that peers out of posters along with posters that tell me to join the navy and see the world. During a depression he is ragged and unkempt but when some cartoonist portrays a capitalist he is dressed like Daddy Warbucks. Shirley Temple in one of her movies as the man next door who needed help. Being an American isn't just shouting around it's proving it that counts. When there is a war we salute the flag and sing patriotic songs, watch pictures with tears in our eyes. We believe the country will be alright.

Another lesson - Who Will Take Susan?

Susan Jane was mad and she was in no condition to go shopping.

"Where you going asked Helen? "

"Christmas shopping," said Susan.

"That is nice. What are you getting me?"

"A present."

"That is enlightening. Who are you mad at?"

"Men"

"And you so young. Hasn't Peter paid any attention to you or does Peter ignore you?"

"Neither"

"Well don't tell me then. What would you do if every man you know is going out of town the night of the party ?"

"Go find a new one."

"Right before Christmas you would not. Everyone is looking the other way so they do not have to get you a present .bout B ob".

I got him a date with Mary Anne. Here is your chance to have a date with David. I could not. He has a crush on a Theta. There is Mary Anne now. Bye."

When she was thru shopping she arrived at her front door and balancd the packages as she opened the door. Two packaged slipped off. She finally got the door open and put the packages on the dining room table.

"Is that you Sue? I have a date for you for the party. He is a soldier. No thanks. He is Steve's cousin.

It was the night of the party and Susan Jane was finishing dressing when the doorbell rang.

"Hello Steve. Why Peter, what are you doing here."

"I came to take you to the dance. You did invite me did you not?"

"Yes but you were going to be out of town."

The doorbell rang again and it was Jimmy. He had come to take her to the dance also. The doorbell rang again and it was Steve. She has fainted.

Mr. Zimerman, if you are tired of me writing about Susan, I will try something else.

Theme in Freshman class==Norma Jean

Norma Jean is 10. She comes to the office every Saturday to help me. She is afraid of the other office girls so she will only come on Saturday afternoons when they are off work. She lives across the street from the office on the second floor of a cafe. Her mother works and her father does not see her often. Until five she is left the run of the streets with her sister who is a year older and a brother a year younger.

The first time I saw her she came in and begged me for something to do. Her face was covered with butterscotch candy. Her hands were filthy and she was chewing a piece of the candy. Her hair was dirty and looked like it had not been combed for weeks. Between the dirty hair and the butterscotch mouth was a pair of bright blue eyes that were continually asking the way of things. Her dress was dirty and looked like she may have been going down a slippery slide at the Providence child care on her stomach. Her pockets were full of more butterscotch candy. One leg had a long scar on it. She runs barefoot as long as the weather lets her. As the weather gets colder she wears the kind of shoes that poor children are given, heavy and awkward. All she has to keep the wind away is a light sweater. If she has a coat it is saved to go to school.

She told me her favorite holiday was the month of July. She said she is saving her money that she is given or finds to buy firecrackers. One year her mother sent her to California a week before the fourth of July to stay two weeks and they only had fireworks at Christmas in California. She was hit by a car this summer and spent two weeks in the hospital and missed the Fourth again.

Promptly at five each week she leaves with the promise she will be back next Saturday afternoon.

( I received a B minus on this and think I must have made it up watching the kids that had a city daycare center.)

Freshmen English 3 B plus - Tryouts

We trotted up the stairs of the chapel and into the music room. Two other girls were waiting "Hi Jean, Hi Catherine." "Hello Mary." We sat down on the window sill to wait. Jean glanced at her watch. "You suppose she will be on time?" "Sure, are you scared?" "I guess not, are you?" "I don't see why I should be. I cannot sing anyway. I would not be here at all if my sorority did not nake me."

"I tried out for cheerleader last night."

"Did you get it?"

"No. I certainly made a fool of myself, But I did get pledge points."

The room was quiet again. I stared out the window and wondered why they did not make a sidewalk from the gate opposite Mulvane Street.

Two more girls came into the room. Our Hi was answered with a week Hello. The sound of a door shutting made us all look up. The music teacher was entering the room.

"Good morning girls." She walked across the room to the piano and took off her gloves. She opened her purse and then turned to smile at us. "Which of you is first?"

I volunteered because if you are first they forget how bad you are.

"All right. Write your name on this paper."

It never seemed so long and hard to spell before. I like that because I could do the scale without squeaking.

She smiled and said, "Can you read music?" I said I could.

"Can you carry a part?" "I think I can if I am close to a strong singer."

"Be at rehearsal tomorrow night."

Next My knees shaking I left the room. I was only trying to get three points. Outside I met a friend and said, "I made it, Margaret."

(I got B-plus and "Good")

Freshman English #2

What does religion mean to me? I like religion. I don't understand it but I like it. I used to understand religion. I believed there was a God who would do anything I wanted, from blue skies for a picnic to owning a pony. To me God was sort of a Santa Claus. I thought he had his eye on me all the time and if anything bad happened he knew it. That never bothered me except on my birthday and Christmas. But now I don't understand religion. It's hard to tell what you believe. All my Sunday School theories have been blown up. My memory verses don't mean as much. The Golden Rule seems a little out of place. The Bible stories don't seem as true. Still I believe in things, that there is God and Prayer. Prayer is the backbone of religion. If you want things you have to go out and get it, but instead of having it handed to you I realize you have to go out and help God get it for you. But going back to religion. Just what am I to believe in? That religion tells right from wrong and right will prevail. If so, are Japan and Germany right and America wrong? Is it right for two countries to destroy the people of the rest of the world? Religion as I understand it helps others but this seems an act of help yourself first. Is religion something that only the very young and the very old believe in? All these things need to be straightened out in mind before I can decide what to believe. I received a B-.

My early writings as a Freshman

When I was at Washburn College we wrote weekly themes and I think they are kind of funny now. First one I received a C. It was called my introduction to Washburn College in Topeka. I first met Washburn at the age of two. We had moved from Polk Street to Jewell which was 4 blocks from Washburn where my parents had met. "In the summer when my father was out of town my mother took us on picnics. We went and sat on the hill and Mother would tell us stories about Washburn. Later when I was older I rode my bike up there. I would climb up the metal fire escapes and peek in the windows. Once we went up the one on Rice Hall and a professor opened the window and invited us in to see his snakes. When my parents had attended they had a fire there and threw out the chairs and carried the rocks down carefully. Along with the snakes he had a new crate of monkeys but they were dead. When they played KU football they beat them. That was 1913. I do not think my coming to Washburn but a meeting of new friends. She gave me a C and said I left out stuff.

Swear words in the Kansas City Star

When the Star went on to computirs they did not want swear words in the paper so Ray and another reporter had to make sure they did not. He was well chosen as was the other reporter Bill Vaughn. I wonder who keeps it up to date now days

Blue Pears

When Ray and I were first married I read an article in a magazine of how to spruce up your menu and it was to add blue coloring to canned pears. I did it and Ray did not react. I found out later he was color blind and it looked the same to him, grey. His newspaper use to send someone along with him if they had to describe anybodys outfit and the ball as he could not tell what color the dresses were. I learned that he knew traffic lights as the red is on the top and the green on the bottom or it it the other way around. Cclor blindness is passed on by his mother as women carry the gene but do not have it. There went excitement in the food in our marriage but everything else was fine.

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 our Grand Theater (our best theater in town). The Detective magazine had a picture of him and another reporter looking at the blood. I do not know if the crime was ever solved but I kept the magazine. However a mouse has eaten part of it but the mouse missed the page his picture was on. I have not looked lately but another mouse may have come back for another meal.

Camping when invaded by a buffalo herd

We had many exchange students and one we had from Norway had camped a lot in Europe with her parents so we decided before we sent her home to show her the USA. Ray had been in the Field artillery in Oklahoma and knew there was a state park near the camp so off we went and reached Oklahoma the first night. The Buffalo were off in a pasture and we checked into the campground. We were awakened by the sound of buffalo and they went through the campground headed for a lake. The rangers did not want them there and used a helicopter to drive them back to their pasture, right back thru the campground. We heard them and all got into the car in time. They did not knock down the tent but stopped and licked the clothes on the clothesline. Ingrid was frightened as all of us were and we kidded her about Norwegians being very brave and discovering the world and her answer was they did not send the women.

Ray the electrian

When I was in school in Topeka the girls had sewing in the 5th grade and cooking in the 6th. The boys had woodworking. My husband Ray took woodworking and made a lovely magazine rack and I found a lamp he made. I am afraid to plug it in to see if it works as it would probably turn off my lights and everything else/ He tried to fix the backdoor once and it still does not work. His idea of do it yourself was to pick up the phone companies yellow pages and dial the number of the repair shop all by yourself. Now I am not sure about all my children but know that both Scott and Cindy could fix the lamp and know Sally would probably have her husband fix it and am not sure about Steve and Sue.

Funerals

I guess when you are 88 you think of past ones I have attended. For instance before we had our five little children I used to go with Ray on out of town stuff. They had an artist do two murals in the Topeka statehouse by the name of John Curry. While he was painting the one by the House of Rep he got mad at the legislators and he was painting a farm with animals and he made all the pigs tails straight. When he died I attended his funeral and he was buried in a small eastern Kansas town near Valley Falls, Kansas. We saw his picture of the farm when we were in Russia on a loan for a traveling exhibit. We saw his paintings in Milwaukee. They have many of his paintings at Kansas State University. Ray knew him but I only attended his funeral, which was a little late to get acquainted.

My 88th birthday

I have just celebrated my 88th birthday and it has been great. I have had wonderful birthdays over the years thanks to my family. They are great at sending me cards and giving me gifts and I love birthday cake and ice cream. This year was nice as usual. Some of my gifts included new Movie discs, cake, a board to hang in my dining room that says "what happens at Grandma's stays at Grandmas." I received gift cards, new socks, packs of candy with my initials. I do like M and Ms. I had two great cakes and they left the leftovers so I will lose weight later when I am older. I am old enough to not worry if I remember everything but at night I lay in bed and have happy thoughts over all who attended and some who could not fit it into their busy lives to attend. My descendants are all prettier and more handsome then me of which I am grateful. Maybe it is because my own mother lived to be almost 100 and I can still do crossword puzzles and do everything but spell correctly on the computer. Happy Birthday to me.

Doorknobs

I was looking had my doorknobs and was surprised at how many I had in use. They are very useful. They give us privacy. I have rubber bands on one. I have Hawaiian leis on one from a party of a granddaughter. I have necklaces that look Hawaiian. On one of is an old bow tie of my husband Ray. I counted and I think there are 24. One has two which means there is four as, if you have a doorknob, there is another on the other side so I guess there is really 48. I did not realize there is no door on my computer room until I counted. Looking at door knobs I looked at the hallways and they have great pictures of our family. There is one picture of one of my grandsons being christened at church right before he threw up on the minister. There are pictures of the brides and graduates and famous people we got to meet so I guess it is okay to entertain yourself.

CHAIRS

As I look around our house and realize along with me aging so are my furniture. I have two great soafa that look a little sad as Buster uses them for a bed and his toenails have left there mark. I have a chair that matches and he likes that too. One chair is just a chair but could do with a little mending or gluing. I have one that was a gift from Scott's neighbor that Buster also likes. We use to have one that slept two people when we had guests before we added onto the house. It was great when our children were ill as they could lay there and watch TV. Cindy thought it would be great to ride her trike aroound when she had the mumps. Our dining room chairs seem to get along although they do not match. Two are from the church rummage sale and have a table and two more chairs in the basement. We have a set of folding chairs that Ray's aunt gave us. One has brown paint where our grandson Taylor stood on it to help paint the house, one is from a former table set and two just wandered in on their own and must have belonged from a former table set.
I have desk chairs one survived the Tornado in the Topeka and the Star gave it to Ray. It is nice to look at chairs and have kind thoughts of them.

Disasters

We are all reliving the September disasters and we only worry about what those foreign countries do to us and not what we do like the Atomic Bomb we put to Japan. I expect cities that have tornadoes like Joplin and Greensburg just lie with bad memories. I remember how shook up we were in college when Pearl Harbor happened and my personal disasters were two very sick daughters, a polio scare when I was growing up, the 1951 flood as the people now are having with too much water in their yards. The dust storms that the Midwest had when I was in about the sixth grade and we wore wet handkerchiefs over our faces so we could breath, and Oklahoma had Okies that tried to go to California to start over as most of their farms had already gotten there. When they had the polio scare our son Steve took part in their tests so the whole family got shots for free after it was approved. I am glad God lets us talk to him when bad things happen.

The Sky, The Moon , The Stars

I have always enjoyed admiring the sky and last night there was a full moon and it was gorgeous. I miss seeing the stars but have too many trees out one of the two windows from my bed. When I have been in the patio room, I have seen geese on their way to get either warmer or cooler depending on the season. I have seen the moon from Africa, Argentina, Topeka and love the book "Goodnight Moon" that the younger set get to read before they go to bed. Once in Topeka I saw a shower of stars. I love to play "Twinkle, twinkle little star" on my harmonica. I am better at "Mary had a little lamb."

A White Rock

My bird bath sits outside my patio door and I sit there and watch a chipmunk, butterflies and today a hummingbird. It is on the ground and a white rock sits in the middle for smaller birds. The white rock came from Washburn College. They built a new building on the campus and Ray was on one of their boards and they gave board members pieces of rock like the building was built out of. The little birds can reach the water easier from the rock than the sides so it is used a great deal.

Elephants

My husband loved circuses and when they came to Kansas City he got to ride the elephants from their train to the place they were kept during the circus. This morning I was watching the news and they showed the circus having a parade downtown. I wonder if they had a trash truck following it for elephants are not house broken. We never missed a circus and they even let Ray dress up as a clown bum and be in the circus. I know my granddaughter Hayden and I were startled by this clown bum who kept staring at us and it turned out to be Ray. We belonged to Circus Fans of America and went to Monte Carlo twice to attend the International Circus Meeting.

My dad's birthday

I don't remember how long ago my dad was born but it was in the 18th century. His uncle convinced him to go to school and he met my mother at Washburn and loved football and was captain in 1913. He loved his football and when I was born the house on Polk Street got too small so he worked with a builder and moved west. We lived within four blocks of Washburn and he was sure the team would get good again and he did not want to pay for parking. When my brother Allan was in Washburn he was the waterboy, He carried a bucket of water with a dipper ever so often out to the players. If the team was out of town we listened on the radio to hear the announcer say "There goes the water boy." When I was in college the women's group put on a show at half time and I was the center so my dad heard the name Burkhardt on the loud speaker. It would best be remembered that before I was born that they beat KU. That was 1913. He also got married that year.

Doors

The house in Topeka I grew up in had nice wide doors that did not matter to me growing up but now I am in a wheelchair I have narrow doors and my wheelchair is wide because I am. They are all skinned up and make my house look unloved. I wonder if they sell something you can put on doorways to protect them or will that just make the doors more narrow. One hinge has a screw missing and I thought it would be nice to replace it with a new screw but that would just make it more narrow so will learn to love them because they can't help it that I do not have good pushers and don't do well myself. I will go back to trying to see the end of shows without dropping off to sleep five minutes before the end. That is more important then beautiful doorways.

My Christmas Flower

My daughter Sally really knows how to pick flowers. She gave me a poinsetta for Christmas and now Labor Day is coming up and it is still healthy azd very pretty. It does not have red blooms but the leaves are wonderful. I had another one but it gave up early and looked sad like my Easter Lily always looks sad. It is quite a lovely green plant and my grandaughter Stacy keeps me from over watering. It sits on marbles and looks out the window on to the patio at all my marigolds. My zinnas are not as happy as they like more water than the 15 minutes my automatic watering does each morning. I wonder if it will still be great for Christmas this year..

Monarch Butterflys

The Monarchs are here as they like to land on my zinnas. Winter must be coming as they are on their way to Mexico. I know there is a professor at KU that specializes in them and the grade school south of me has a garden that attracts them. My sister sees them in Topeka and I remember I attended a wedding with Cindy of a friend and there were whole trees covered with them and I think one landed on the brides shoulder but I might have trouble with my memory on that. I get old movies mixed up with my memory.

Buster update

I have told you how great my dog is and want you to know he still is. Every night when my care givers leave he comes in and lays on the floor of my bedroom and watches until I fall a sleep. The other night when there was a great deal of lightning he came in and jumped on my bed and laid his head on my stomach. He stayed until the storm calmed down and then left for the sofa in the front room. He loves visitors and I have to remind them to pick up the Vicks bottle like the Taylors taught me and he goes off and lies down. He loves to see my family and remembers all of them so they really have to use the Vicks. He is seven now so is very mature.

Floors

Looking at my kitchen floor makes me sad and I thought it was beautiful when we redid the kitchen floor but it is worn out in front of the dishwaaher. My sister Helen was here and I told her how much I admireded her floors and she reminded me that when our parents built the house on Jewll that he put in concrete floors in the kitchen and bathrooms. They still look gorgeous. I know they advertise about granite floors but since the plumbing in one bathroom does not work because of the way the house was added on as the numbers of our children increased I expect marble floors would sag even more than they do and they certainly are unevern as I found out riding around in a wheelchair. I have to think how to be glad about it and I think I am glad I live in a sloping floor than under a bridge.

Being glad

I watched a movie on TV the other night and it was about being glad. When misfortune happens do not be sad but try to think about being glad. Sometimes thatr is kind of hard. Like being in a wheel chair and not able to leave the house unless you pay $150.00. All I could think of is that I was not confined to a bed and can scoot around my house and raid the refrigerator. I can let Buster out. He does have a tendency to wait until a show is almost ending and then want out, But I have already probably seen the show. I have a great view of my patio and the birds at my bird bath. My family is great about visiting me and some day I will really learn how to use my computer. So I guess Pollyanna was right it is easy to be glad.

August 2010

I have let the world have a rest for awhile and it time that I had some thoughts It is Ausust now and football season is starting tonight. I am still in a baseball season and like it cooler with football. However many are ready. When my Dad in college he was captain of the football team and in 1913 while he was captain Washburn beat KU. He had many honors over the year like when my brother was waterboy and in a sorority skit I was the center. We even moved within four blooks of Washburn so he would not have to pay for parking during a game. While our children were at KU we never missed a game of course then newsmen got passes. The Chiefs play tonight unless they get rained out and I will be interested in the scote but will watch something else.

Eggs

I love eggs. I do not remeber liking them in my childhood and always wanted oatmeal, When I got married and traveled we tried to stay at Sheraton Hotels as they always served oatmeal as Mr. Sheraton liked oatmeal. I have a great recipe for it which takes four minutes. However nursing homes and hospitals have the wrong recipe so I learned to like eggs. They have a new gadget on TV that makes hard boiling easy. I really like them soft and runny. Lots of pepper and some toast to help get them to your mouth. Easter is always great with lots of hard boiled eggs. I have a great recipe for deviled eggs inherited from my mother in law. When we took those eggs to covered dish meals we never brought any home.

My dirty back

When I ws working at the telephone company in the Telephone engineers office I had trouble with my back itching and I complained to my fellow workers and one of them said there was a doctor in the 6 story building we were in in Topeka so I made an appointment and his diagnois was I had a dirty back and needed a back brush. It did not help. Later when I got a dufferent doctor in Kansas City he asked me if I had ever had chicken pox which I had as a small child. He told me that I had shingles. Now I still wash my back good but let it itch. When our oldest daughter Susan was married I had a flare up which did not make me as the mother of the bride relaxed going down the aisle.

August

I like August because things seem to wrap up more so then Dec 31. Maybe it is because growing up you begin getting ready for school. I do not particularly remember getting new clothes for being the third daughter you generally inherited everything but your shoes and your underwear. You had your list of school supplies and since they did not change books every year you inherited them from older relatives but your pencils were new as was you Chief Tablet. Unless the state changed the reader you got that and the local theater had a school book show where you took your unused schoolbooks and they were given to the poor. One year we went and the theater showed such aa scary show the kids all had nightmares and made the parents very angry. It was about a doctor that only had one hand but every moonlight night he put his hand back on and went out and joked people. It took a long time before I liked the full moon again.

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.

Snakes, snakes, snakes,Fear 4

I do not like snakes. The area we moved to in Kansas City from Topeka was out in the country then and there were no sewers so all the houses were on septic tanks. As the years past we became part of a city and so the septic tanks were sort of filled in but it did not get rid of the black snakes who lived there. They tried to tell me they were harmless but I had trouble believing that. As the years went by I moved over one once in awhile unintentionaly but had little remorse. Now years later I see them once in awhile and I still do not like them. On one camping trip in Yosemite National Park we got out of the car and met a snake we all got back in the car and I do not remember pitching our tent so think we all slept in the car. Now they have three that live in an evergreen south of my front porch and I do not think they are graceful as they slither across my porch. When I drove I would sometimes see them in my garage which did not make my day. I do not know if I am scared as much as do not like them. I know one other time we slept in the car in our camping days was the night that the Spam hit the sand and we started home. We stopped to rest and there were many snakes so we slept in the car on a concrete bridge that night. I think that could be included as one of my fears.

Scary moment #3

One scary moment reminds me of another. When we were camping in Yellowstone (I think) we were sort of on a cliff overlooking a river and one morning we woke up and we heard a woman yell that there was a bear in the camp. She was frying bacon over a camp stove and when the bear got to close she hit him with her frying pan and he went up a tree. The rangers came and got the bear oout of the campground but they put a bear trap next to our tent. We put all our food in the car and went hiking and when we came back there was a bear foot print in our tent. Since we were right next to the bear trap he never came near again. Once in the Shenadoah national park we were traveling with Ray's parents and someone shouted that there was a bear behind them and they looked at the beaar and again the bear went up a tree. We did not relax until we moved on.

Another time to be scared

Ray I went to Africa twice. Once to see where the book Roots had started and once to see why the fields were being detreed in Zimbabwe. I have diaries on every trip I took after I was married but have no idea where they are so I just put what I remember. We went to Zimbabee because of Earthwatch. The group lived in to cabins where the British army had lived in once when the country belonged to England. The women stayed in one cabin and the couples and men in another. They cooked the meals in the women's cabin so we had to get in a jeep and go out of her fenced in area for meals. One night we drove and found we were followed by a bunch of young lions that followed us to the other area. We drove by the first time and yelled at our trouble to the gatekeeper. We turned around and came back with the lions in pursuit. They had the gate read and we raced in and they shut it fast. The lions laid down and watched the gate for awhile. The guide who was with us said we smelled funny and they were curious. The trees were not being cut down it seems elephants came into a field and ate the trees. A herd of elephants are very hungry. If I can remember the other event well enough I will tell how the crocodiles thought we looked tasty on the river between Gambia and Senegal.

Fear

A couple of times I have really been scared, The first time I think I was about three. My parents had gone to a dinner next door and the four of us were at home and I was going to bed when my brother jumped out of his bedroom door and said "Boo" I screamed and yelled until my parents could hear me came home to save me. Then I have seen a couple of tornadoes. The first came in from the northwest and we had the basement full of neighbors as we had one of the few houses with a basement, My husband was covering it and kept calling me to see if we were okay. We did not have a phone in the basement and cell phones had not been invented yet so I told him to quit calling me so I could stay where it was safe, It went on to Hickman Hills were it caused trouble. The New York City had a World's Fair and Ray was to cover the Kansas Governor on Kansas Day so we took our tent and went East. We celebrated the youngest son's birthday and got back as far as St Louis and they forecast Rain so we decided to go on home and loaded up everything and started west. About half way there we had our car picked up in the air and turned around and sat down. A kind farmer had seen it and came out with his tractor and helped us so we were headed back to Shawnee. At the first town Ray called the STAR but they thought he was drunk. After we had been home awhile I took the kids to the swimming pool and when we were ready to go home the car was not. I called Ray and he called a garage and they came out and said we had a cracked axle, I guess that was how Dorothy got to Oz. I do not recommend the flight.

Dust storms

When I read about all the disasters going on I think of one we had when I was in grade school. We did not have rain and the ground dried up and the skies were brown and it was hard to breath. In school if we went out to recess we wore a wet hanky on our noses and the sky was always dusky. Now Oklahoma had it much worse than Kansas and many farmers moved toward California. They had a name but it slips my mind at the moment. I know at home we never opened the windows and the big fan my father had in the attic to cool us on summer nights was not turned on. The flowers did not do well except for the dandelions which don't seem to have any need for moisture at least not as much as some flowers. Food was expensive as the gardens did not do well although watering them seemed to help. The depression was on and that did not help much to the economy. Since I survived the dust storms, one tornado, two floods and am still around I guess I will just keep watching reruns on TV and know this to will pass.

Chiggers

The Chiggers are back and driving my neighbor Richard crazy. I use to have trouble with them and wore my snowboots if I had to go into the yard. I love to catch the firflies and my uncle that was a drugggist told me to put sulpher in my socks and gave me some. It worked so I was back to chasing those wonderful Fireflies. I thought I had sulpher in my medicine closet so I could give some to Richard bur there was none. Aren't those fireflies beautiful?

Father's Day

The never seem to make as much over Father's Day as Mothers' Day. I know when I was growing up I think we gave Dad a tie but I do not remember it was a big deal. As to my parent's parents, my mo iT IS ASHAME AS I not only loved my father but liked him as a friend. My Mother's dad died in 1911 and my grandfather Burkhardt when I was ten I think. Grandfather Burkhardt I remember as he even knew my name unlike my Grandmother who just called me Edgar's kid. My mother's father died in Topeka so we might have visited his grave but Grandfather Burkhardt was buried in a cemetery off of Highway 75 so I think we went there on Memorial Day but not on Father's Day. Now my Dad was buried in the Topeka Cemetery but I do not remember visiting his grave on Father's Day. I seem to remember that the men at church all changed to white shoes and Panama Hats and you did not have to wear a tie for the summer. By then we had fans from a funeral home in the pews to use if it was too hot. It is a shame because I not only loved my father but liked him.

Flag Day

I had a blogg written for flag day but my blogg would not let me on but I am writing it a few days late June 14th was flag day. It is great to display our flag. Growing up my parents strung one across the front porch so it must have been fastened to the drain pipe. We moved to Kansas City in 19551 and I had a hole in the front yard so I could put the flag in. I put a twiler there so I would not lose the piece of pipe. I flew it on Martin Luther King Day, flag day and the fourth of July. I always hoped it would be a calm day and my flag would not fly out and show I only had 48 Stars. One year I helped work on Congressmen Larry Winn's campaign and mentioned my flag. After he was elected he gave me a flag with 50 stars that had flown over the National Capitol building. I cannot raise the flag from my wheelchair but the neighbors put one up and the ones across the street west fly on all the time. If you fly them at night you have to have them lighted and they have the streetlight that shines on theirs. I admire my flag but do not try to fly it.

Ray's Birthday

Today is my husband, Ray's birthday.He has been gone for ten years now but I still think about how much he enjoyed birthdays. His own and others. Birthdays had always been a big deal at my house growing up and it was nice to continue enjoying them. On his 60th birthday He planned it himself and invited people. No one was to bring gifts but I think he accepted cards. He had a 3 piece band and had a wonderful time. If at 87 I like birthdays myself and cards will also do and maybe I might need a little help blowing out my many candles.

My desk in the sewing room

When I was very young I had a few problems like being cross eyed and not as smart as my older sisters. I think I was as smart as my brother. My parents were sorry and decided to buy me a little desk. It was put in the sewing room by the window and it had a nice drawer where I could put in my crayons and art work and a neat little chair that I used at Christmas to hold my gifts. I had to wear a patch over one eye so the lazy eye would would work so I was sort of like a pirate. I hope it is still there in the corner at the foot of the stairs and my sister's great grandchildren can use it but it is probably rickety like me and used for fire wood. I had many great hours there while my mother's sewing machine hummed. I felt very safe and happy.

Katz Drugstore

I grew up in Topeka along with two sisters and a brother and we viewed the city to the east as the wonderland of the area. One Christmas we went to Kansas City to see the decorations. They did not have much in the Plaza then but downtown there were wonderful Christmas decorations. Emery Bird Thayer had their great Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus and the shops were all decorated. We always went back through Kansas City, Kansas, to take US Highway 40 home through Perry. We made one stop at the huge Katz Store and brought a package of chocolate Hershey kisses which made the day perfect. As the time I remember was when I was three, I might be a bit hazy. I am sorry the Katz Store isn't here anymore. It still existed when we moved here in 1951.

Pulling teeth

During my lifetime I have met many dentists. My first non dentist was my father as he had a way to pull teeth. The stairway on Jewell had two entrances one from the west from my mother's sewing room and one from the living room on the east. We would stand behind the west door and my father would tie a string around the bad tooth and slam the door and the tooth came out. Then I started going to a regular dentist who always gave me a sample tube of tooth paste to take home. After we moved to Kansas City we had a variety. One was under drugs when he worked and they took is license away. One blew the bugle at the American Royal and liked to tell you over and over again, one got rich enough to retire, one told me about his colonoscopy as he worked on my teeth. I have had some really nice ones but the best always retire early but they do a good job as I still have most of my teeth at 87. Now I need a new toothbrush as my motorized one is not very good anymore.

Minister's beer Chapter 2

Since I wrote my blog about the minister's beer I have learned another chapter. It seems that my three older relations decided to taste it and did and put the lid back on as they did not like the taste. I expect I did not know as I always blabbed to my mother when my 2 sisters and brother did something interesting like that and I could get them in trouble.

2nd chapter on 1275 Jewll

One interesting thing I remember and I hope I have it correct but it really does not matter. When I was young my parents were especially fond of our minister who had come to our church from Michigan and Michigan was not a dry state and the minister missed his beer. He did not want to offend those of our congregation who might be non drinkers but he did like to have a little beer once in awhile. We kept beer for him in our refrigerator and he would come out for a drink once in awhile. I guess we were not a complete non alcoholic household. He was a good minister and my parents were sorry to have him leave for a better job, When my husband and I were going to be married my mother did not like the present minister so we were married by the president of Washburn College who was a minister.

More flowers

I was born in Topeka and lived on Polk street and when I was three my father designed a house that was built on Jewell. It was just 4 blocks from the Washburn College where my father had been a football hero back in 1913 and he was sure the team would keep winning and he did not want to pay for parking so we were close so he could walk. There was a little house on the corner which a contractor decided to build one as large as ours so he moved the small one back and it now faced 13th Street. My parents had fenced in the yard on 3 sides and had a sidewalk to the alley. There was a 3 foot space of dirt between the sidewalk and the fence. My 2 sisters and 1 brother could plant something if we wanted to. I think my mother planted a rose. I went for things like marigolds as they are a happy flower. I think one of my sisters did zinnias and then in the dirt place between the driveway to our garage and the house my mother had four-o-clocks which seem to reseed themselves like marigolds do. Our new neighbor had lots of rose bushes and I think we had a peony bush which someone drove over. It was fun being a gardener. I remember we had an apricot tree and I still love apricots, Jam is especially good. Smucker's have the same recipe if you want to know what they tasted like. My mother use to bottle root beer but I do not think she had the correct recipe as it had a tendency to blow up and startle us upstairs so we sounded like a Kansas bootlegger. It was fun growing up in that house and except for all the stairs I envy my sister. The doorways are wide so my wheelchair would not hit them like they do in my house.

Marigolds

On my patio Marigolds grow without being planted. I love them as they are such a happy flower. Each year the patio has lots of weeds but after the weeds are killed the Marigolds are still there. I have tomatoes, zinnias and thanks to Mother's Day I have some great red flowers. I do like red flowers and when I could go out on my patio and not be in a wheel chair I could actually take care of my nice wooden barrels full of flowers. Now I just admire them from the patio door and watch the chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits and birds. My new one is blooming nice and very brave. I do hope some more come and join it but my barrels are getting old like myself and parts are following off them, but not me. I can't walk but my parts have not fallen off and I can look at them each day along with the apples growing on my apple tree. Life is good. I hope my tomato plants are doing well. At least they are trying. I don't always get them but I have healthy squirrels.