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.