Front porch

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

Sleeping on the front porch

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

Clothes chute

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

Bedroom sets

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

Church Library

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

War Bond Queen

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

Reflector vests

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