Friday, October 31, 2008

October 31, 1927

Ollie and Elbert Caffee 1927


My Mother and Dad were married on Halloween night, October 31, 1925. The picture above was not made at that time but about a year later. They didn't have a wedding picture

I don't know why they picked Halloween night to get married but I am glad they got married! I would not be here if they hadn't.

A preacher named Ollie Apple married them. I thought it was odd that a man named Ollie married them when her name was Ollie also.

They were married a total of 55 years when my Dad died on October 28, 1980, my sister's birthday--not a very good birthday present! It was a marriage made in Heaven!

I cannot say one bad thing about my Dad. He was a quiet and unassuming man and I loved him dearly. I hope to see him again in the future when I meet my maker!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Crater of Diamonds State Park

Lana Kay and Carla Sue

This is a picture of my two girls at the entrance of The Crater of Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro, Arkansas. It is the world's only diamond producing site open to the public. You get to keep what you find regardless of its value. It is the oldest and most famous diamond mine in North America.

We were there back in about 1960 or near that time. We hunted for about an hour and because of the extreme heat and the fact that I had a splitting headache we didn't tarry too long. We did not find any diamonds. I think the possibility of finding a diamond was remote. They do claim that some large diamonds have been found there.

I was expecting much more than was there. It was just like a country garden patch. People were dotted all around digging and hunting for diamonds. I had visions of finding a giant diamond and getting rich--what a dreamer I am!

Anyway, just to say that we were there is kind of a good experience. The only diamond I will ever have is the tiny little stone in my engagement ring (I treasure that!).

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Before and After School

Playing before school


When I was a kid in grade school we could arrive at school at any time we wanted. The kids of today have a small window of time when they can be on the school grounds--maybe 15 minutes. And as far as I remember we could play on the school grounds after school any time we wanted to.


When I arrived at school in the old days we could play on the grounds, on the swing set, ball diamond or anywhere else we wanted until the bell rang for classes. We could even go into the basement and play games or just read or whatever until the bell rang for classes. Of course no one usually got there too early but there were always teachers, the janitor or the Principal that were there and there was never a problem.


Nowadays teachers don't want to be baby sitters so they do not allow kids to be there but for a very few minutes before time for school to begin.


In a way I don't blame them because kids are not like they used to be. Kids did not get into the problems then that they do these days. We respected authority and didn't tear up things then as kids of today do. I think kids of today are the way they are because of improper upbringing. Parents don't teach their children to value other people's, or even their own property.


Of course there were some kids who were not respectful back then but they were a small minority and not enough to cause the problems children cause today.


Even when my children were small they didn't have the problems they do now. I am glad that I don't have any children in school at this time. But I do have grandchildren, and even great grandchildren, in school. I hope they are respectful and don't cause problems!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Happy Birthday, Dear Sister!


Today is my sister, Mary Ruth's birthday. I won't tell her age but she is five years younger than I am!


She and I are the only members of our immediate family that are left. I would be lost without her.


She is the most organized and composed person I know. I don't think she is ever going to get OLD! She can do more work now than I could when I was 40.


I just visited her recently and was there for two weeks. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. She cooks delicious meals and if she doesn't cook she goes out and buys delicious meals. I would weigh a ton if I were there very long.

I don't know where all of her energy comes from. She can't sit still for two minutes without doing some chore around the house. She even does yard work.

I love her dearly but I am so tired when I am there from all of her activity! I hope you have a very happy birthday, dear Sister. I love you very much!

Monday, October 27, 2008

COLONOSCOPY. I hate them!


I am having a colonoscopy tomorrow, so today I am prepping for it. Prepping includes going all day without eating any solid food and drinking a gallon of horrible tasting stuff--a whole gallon! I have to start drinking the gallon of prep fluid about 5:00 PM. I have to drink 8 ounces every ten minutes until I get the whole gallon finished. Then after that I can not eat or drink anything at all until I get the procedure done, which is tomorrow at 2:00 PM.

I am allowed to drink coffee, tea, broth and eat jello but nothing else. I don't mind going without eating and I don't mine the procedure since I have had it done before and it isn't really that bad, but I hate the prepping for it!

I have no choice about getting the colonoscopy because I have had two bouts with colon cancer and this is just something I have to do once a year.

To add insult to injury, the gallon of prep fluid has always cost me about $15.00. This time, it was $44.00. I wouldn't mind paying for something that is enjoyable but to pay $44.00 for something so terrible tasting and unpleasant is like pouring salt into a wound.

So, I will be starving the rest of today and until after the procedure tomorrow and I hope I get a good report from the doctor. Then I guess I can say it is all worth it!

A Picture painted by My Aunt Georgia

This picture was painted by my Dad's Aunt Georgia.

Aunt Georgia was my grandmother's sister. She lived in Oklahoma most of the time when I was a child. She, of course, is deceased now. She painted many pictures in her lifetime. I don't think she was famous for any of her paintings but I like the one I have now.
Aunt Georgia gave my Dad and Mom this picture and several others years ago when I was still a child. My Dad bought frames and framed the pictures. I can remember him painting the frames, because they were old ones that he got somewhere, either free, or very cheap because we didn't have a lot of money then. He bought gold paint and painted them on the dining room table. I remember that I was right up there in his face while he painted and I accidentally knocked the can of paint over and spilled a lot of it. He was really disgusted with me. He ended up having enough to get his painting done anyway. So I was not yelled at too much.
The other paintings were given to my other two sisters. They still have theirs as far as I know. I can't remember ever painting the frame again so the gold paint on my picture's frame is the coat that my Dad painted on it many years ago.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Black Eyed Peas

Doesn't that picture make your mouth water?

I love black eyed Peas. They are a type of bean. I remember one year we had them planted in our garden--actually I think my Mom and Dad planted them every year but I especially remember this particular year. They really produced a big crop. About every other day we could go out and pick a batch of them that would be enough for our meal for lunch and supper. We did that for a matter of weeks, until they were through producing for the season. Our whole family loved them and we couldn't wait until the next meal that we had of them.

We usually just had them cooked with bacon seasoning but they also could be used for salads and other dishes.

I had a friend who got some of them from someone and she thought they were beans. She cooked them and thought they were having beans until I told them that they were peas.

The best kind of peas are just the fresh peas picked from the garden and cooked right away. Next best is probably frozen, then canned and last dried ones. I usually buy canned ones because I am now the only one in my family who likes them. So a can is just about the right amount for one person. But sometimes I buy dried ones and I can cook just the amount that I want to cook.

They are definitely a southern growing thing and are not well known in Indiana where I now live. I don't even know if they would do well growing here. Anyway, if I have black eyed peas they have to be dried or canned ones because I have never planted any.

A southern idea is that you should eat black eyed peas on New Year's day and you will have good luck all year long. I don't know how true that is but I don't mind eating them at any time of the year. So many people have them for New Year's Day.

I don't happen to have any on hand right now but the next trip to the grocery store I am buying some because just writing about them has made me very hungry for some!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

My Trip to England


The girl in the white Coat was my choir member friend


Back in 1974 I went to England. I went with a church choir that a friend of mine played the organ for. Her husband was not going so she invited me to go as her companion. Of course I had to pay for my trip while the choir members did not. We flew in a 747 Jet plane to London.

The choir sang at several churches in different cities in England and then we were hosted by families of the different churches. We would spend a night with the host families and we learned a lot about the family life of people in England.

We also learned about their eating habits and how they lived their lives. Some of the meals we had were similar to our kind of eating but others were very different than our accustomed meals.

We had a regular roast and potatoes meal at one place, which was my favorite one. Then we had quiche at another place which I did not like at all. We were introduced to a lot of new and different kinds of salads and other dishes--some good, some bad and some just so so.

They had a dish called clotted cream which they considered extra special. It was sort of like whipped cream but was not as fluffy as whipped cream. It was served on berries and fruit and was really delicious.

I longed for a glass of just plain old ice water while I was there. At restaurants you never got ice water at your table. If you asked for water they brought you just water with no ice. Even in cokes and other drinks you got no ice.

The people were nice and friendly but somehow, I was ready to get home long before we actually came home.

I did get to visit West Minister Abby, Bath , where the ancient public baths were, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Prince Albert's Statue, Buckingham Palace, The Old Curiosity Shop and the Tower of London.

I was thrilled to get the chance to go to England but I was not overly impressed with it. I would never want to live there.

Friday, October 24, 2008

My Grandson, Josh



My Grandson Josh is 24 years old today. I would say that he is my favorite grandson, but I can' t say that because I have two other Grandsons which are as much my favorite as he is!


Josh is going to get married next May to his girlfriend Rachael. And he is going to graduate next May from Boise State College. So that is a double accomplishment for him.


I am very proud of him and wish him the best of luck in his graduation and marriage.


Happy birthday, Josh!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

A Baby in the Bottom of Every Bottle!



Lydia Pinkham's Compound is a tonic supposedly good for females. It was formulated in 1875 by a woman named Lydia Pinkham. It was touted as a good thing for women and was also said to have a baby in the bottom of every bottle. I don't know if that is true or not but I did find a baby in the bottom of the third bottle I took of it.

We had been married for nine years and had been trying to have a baby for most of that time. I had given up on becoming pregnant but decided as a last resort to trying the Lydia Pinkham compound. I had heard that they claimed a baby was in the bottom of every bottle.

I bought my first bottle and began taking it. No baby yet! Then I tried a second bottle. Still no baby. Then, I reluctantly bought a third bottle. I had decided that would be it. If I didn't get pregnant after that I would consider Lydia Pinkham a failure.


About half way through the third bottle I became pregnant! I couldn't believe it. But it was true. I was actually going to have a baby!


It was also said that people who take Lydia Pinkham's compound usually have girls. I did have a girl so another one of their claims proved to be true.

I cannot vouch that Lydia Pinkham caused my pregnancy but it does seem that after nine years of trying to get pregnant without success and then after three bottles of Lydia Pinkham's suddenly becoming pregnant that there was some validity to the claim that a baby was in the bottom of, maybe not every bottle, but after three bottles, might be true.

Certainly Lydia Pinkham is not going to harm you and probably would be good for you that it is a worthwhile thing to try!

Lydia Pinkham's compound is probably not available in the drug stores now but if you get on line you can find sources for it, Google is one source for sure. If I were a young woman who wanted a baby and couldn't get pregnant I would certainly give it a try!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Wiping Tables and Chairs with the Same Rag



One of my pet peeves is restaurants cleaning chairs and tables with the same rag. That is OK if you only have one table and you do the table first. However I see waitresses or bus boys cleaning a number of tables and chairs and using the same rag for all of them without rinsing out the rag. I think they should wipe the table first and then do the chairs.

All kinds of people sit in those chairs and how clean do you think their clothes are? It repulses me to see the waitress wipe a chair off and then immediately wipe another table off with the same rag--ugh! I would just as soon see them wipe the floor with a rag and then the table!

If I were a restaurant owner I would demand that the bus boys or the waitresses wipe all of the tables first and then go back and wipe the chairs. And if I saw them wiping tables after wiping chairs they would get a pink slip!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

BLACK BLIZZARDS



Black Blizzard was the name that was given to the terrible dust storms that hit the mid west back in the 1930s during the great depression. These storms were caused by plowing up all of the native grasslands by farmers to plant wheat. Actually, the Federal Government encouraged the farmers to do this. They offered land free, up to 160 acres, to anyone who would farm it. Many took advantage of the offer and plowed up the land and planted wheat. The wheat did very good at first until a drought came along and then the wheat crops failed. The drought along with the denuded land brought on the dust storms.

A show was aired on the History Channel recently about the Black Blizzards. The show brought back memories of my grandmother visiting her daughter, my Aunt Lottie, back in the early thirties. Aunt Lottie lived in Amarillo, Texas. My grandmother came home to tell us of her experiences while there during one of the blizzards, called that because it was just like a blizzard except that it was dust and dirt instead of snow. They had to wet rags and cover their mouths to keep out the dust. The houses became filled with dirt and dust because it was impossible to keep it out. Sometimes the storms lasted for days. They floated east as far as Washington DC at times.

The blizzards lasted until about 1939 when the drought ended. President Roosevelt brought along the Soil Conservation Act which helped end the practices which caused the storms in the first place and implemented new ways to stop the top soil loss.

Monday, October 20, 2008

A Fancy Supper!


Back when I was first married and we were in our first home, as Ford, my husband left for work in the morning I would ask him what he wanted for supper that night. He would usually give me an idea for something that he liked and I would make that for our supper.


One day when he was leaving for work I asked the usual question. He thought for a minute and then he said, "I want steak, baked potato, salad and apple pie." I was shocked because that was a meal only for special occasions. Then he laughed and said,"Just kidding."


However, I thought I would get the best of him! I worked especially hard that day. I had to go to the grocery store and I got all of the ingredients for that special dinner, I made the apple pie and baked potatoes and salad. Then about 45 minutes before he was due home I put steaks on the grill.


When he walked in the door and came into the kitchen I had put out our best china, our good silverware and had a tablecloth on the table with candles lit. He was really shocked to see his specially ordered dinner just about ready for us to sit down and eat.


He tried that several times later on but guess what? It never worked again after that!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Hominy and Grits

I love them both! Most people hate them. I had a neighbor tell me that she didn't see how I could stand either one of them.



Actually, Grits are just hominy that is ground up into small pieces. I like Grits with butter, sugar and milk, sort of as a hot cereal. I also like Grits with salt and butter as a side vegetable. I like hominy fried in bacon grease--bad, but good! I have never eaten yellow hominy, I always buy the white. When I was just a kid my Mother always just opened a can of hominy and heated it in its own liquid. After I came to Indiana my mother-in-law drained and fried her hominy. I like it better fried.


I do think that hominy and grits both are more of a southern thing. So since I am southern maybe that is why I like them!






Saturday, October 18, 2008

Two Mice Caught in One Trap



Once when my Dad set a mouse trap to try to catch a mouse that had been bothering us, he got a lot more than he had hoped for!



He set the trap the night before when he went to bed. The next morning he got up and went to check the trap. There just as cute as you please were two mice caught by the necks in the trap. He was pleased to catch even one mouse but thrilled to catch two.



That would not happen often, I am sure. The two mice paid a high price for their rambling in our kitchen!

Friday, October 17, 2008

Bologna and Crackers



















In my days at grade school I always had to take a lunch. It was a problem coming up with something different every day. I took things from home most of the time but occasionally we would not have anything on hand to make a lunch. So at those times my Mother would give me a dime and say get some bologna and crackers.


There was a small grocery store a couple of blocks away from the school and I, and maybe some friends, would walk to there at lunch time. We could get a nice slice of bologna and a hand full of crackers for a dime. It would make all I needed for my lunch and I loved it!


Now you could not get a thimble full of bologna for a dime! Oh how I long for the return of those good old prices ! I am afraid we will never see those prices again in our lifetime.


However, I am not as fond of bologna now as I was then so I might want to get a different kind of meat for my lunch--and a dime might not cover it!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

The Man on Page 602



Back in 1975 there was a big stir over the new edition of the Sears catalog. I actually had that catalog until about a year ago.


I was cleaning out old things and trying to condense my stock of mementos and possessions down to a manageable amount. I saw that catalog and I thought, Why am I hanging on to that? So I tossed it out--big mistake!


I just recently thought of the catalog as a subject for a post. I could have used the picture of the catalog and of the man on page 602. But, sadly, My catalog is long gone in the trash. Luckily for me, I found this picture on Google.


The big stir was over the picture on page 602 shown above. It is not really very clear in this picture but just to the left of item # 6 the man has exposed his privates down from the left leg of his shorts.


Eventually, Sears explained the phenomenon away as a printing blemish but by then it had already been immortalized by country singer jack Barlow in a popular novelty song entitled, "The Man on Page 602."


Some people were convinced that it was the real thing while others scoffed.


I am somewhat mesmerized by the prices listed for the underwear-- 3 pair for $3.67. You would be lucky now to get one pair for that price!


Whatever, I sure wish I had hung on to my catalog--it might have brought a big price on e bay!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Potted Meat

Potted Meat

You have heard of potted meat, haven't you? It is a canned meat product that most people hate--even the smell of it.


I used to love it and I still don't hate it, I just don't ever buy it anymore. It was like a pate and came in a small can like tuna does.


Our good dog, Buddy, was really into potted meat. When I would open a can, even if he was nowhere near, he would come running with his nose twitching because he could smell that meat above everything else!

I always used to make him a sandwich with two pieces of bread and a generous portion of the meat and he would gobble that down before you could say, "JACK ROBINSON."

Deviled ham is just a glorified name for potted meat. So if potted meat sounds nasty to you then just use Deviled Ham!


Buddy has been gone a long time but I still remember him when ever I see a can of potted meat at the grocery store. Maybe I should buy a can sometime just to reminisce about Buddy.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

My Aunt Ruby Mae and Uncle Clifton

My Aunt Ruby Mae and Uncle Clifton



When I was in grade school I often went to my Aunt and Uncle's house after school and would spend the night with them. I went as often as about every two weeks. I loved going there.


Most of the time my Aunt would make hamburgers because she knew I loved them. My Uncle would eat as many as three hamburgers for his supper time meal--so he loved them also!


After supper they would turn on the radio, that was before TV, and we would listen to a lot of the old radio shows; I can't remember the names of all the shows but George Burns and Gracie Allen was one of them. And then there was one that had Baby Snooks on it which I loved listening to. Mr. District Attorney was another show that we listened to.


Then it was off to bed because my Uncle had to get up and go to work and I usually had to go to school the next morning.


For a period of several years I followed this pattern of visiting them. Finally, as I grew older I drifted away from that pattern. They had a baby then and were busier.


But I enjoyed going there and spending an evening with them so much. I still remember how much I liked listening to the old radio shows because we never listened to them at my home.


Their name was O'Dea and I thought that was an unusual name because of the apostrophe. It was an Irish name. My Aunt was my Dad's younger sister.


They are no longer living but I still reminisce a lot about my good times there!

Monday, October 13, 2008

The Glove Situation

These gloves were similar to the ones I bought Ford



I bought Ford, my husband, a nice new pair of gloves for Christmas right after he came back from WWII. They were expensive for that time. I think about $7.50, which is cheap for now but then it was considered expensive. I was so proud of those gloves. They were deerskin and a kind of a yellowish, tan color.




We went somewhere in our Model A Ford one Sunday afternoon. It was extremely cold that day. As luck would have it we had some car trouble along the way and got stuck on the highway. Luckily, Ford knew a little about working on cars and he found what the problem was pretty quick.


However, it was a kind of a messy job and he was working in his new gloves. I had a conniption about that! He said he was not going to let his hands freeze so he kept the gloves on.


I was really irritated about his new gloves getting messed up with with car grease and grime. That didn't deter him one bit. He kept right on wearing the gloves and when he was through they were totally ruined. We actually had to trash them when we got home.


He did get the car fixed and we could continue on our way. I was sick about his new gloves, but he was satisfied that his hands were protected somewhat from the cold.


I really don't know what else he could have done to keep his hands warm. I just saw that $7.50 floating out into nowhere.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

OUR PSYCHOTIC DOG--HA HA, YOU MISSED!

You remember our psychotic dog, Mickey? Well, once he did something that really irritated Ford, my husband. I can't remember what it was but it really did tic Ford off. He jumped out of his chair and he went after Mickey and aimed a hard, swift kick at the dog. Something got in his way and he missed the dog but he ended up putting his foot into the hard side of a chair and really did one on his foot--then he was really angry. I grabbed Mickey to protect him from further attacks from Ford.

After it was over we kind of laughed at Ford because he got the worst end of his own anger. It took him a while to calm down.


If he had not missed kicking Mickey he might have killed the dog because it was a hard kick he gave.


I told him that he got what he deserved because Mickey was not that bad of a dog. Ford just let his temper get the best of him. It was a blessing that he misaimed his kick.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

More About Bus People



I saw Count Dracula on this recent trip to Texas. He was a young man about in his early twenties. Rather a nice looking man but weird, really weird.


He was already on the bus when I got on in Sulphur Springs, Texas. He had gotten off the bus on a break and he had a long black cape just like Dracula's cape. He wore his cape in to the bus station and was parading around like he was Mister IT.

In Memphis, we had a break and he had changed his black cape to a long brown one. I felt creepy on the same bus with him! I kept watching over my shoulder to see if he was seated. If he had gotten up I might have screamed!
He rode the bus all the way to Chicago and I don't know how much farther because everyone had to change buses at Chicago and I have no idea where his destination was--maybe Transylvania!

Probably he was just a harmless nut who wanted to look like Dracula--he succeeded!

Friday, October 10, 2008

BUS PEOPLE



I recently was on a bus trip to Texas and I am here to tell you that you see all kinds of things when you enter buses and bus terminals.


A person sat directly across the aisle from me on the bus and I say person because I could not tell if it was a man or a woman. The person did have a pony tail but then, so do lots of young people of both sexes nowadays. I really did think it was a man. Later, while this person was off the bus on a break, the lady who sat behind this person said to me something about the lady in front of her. I told her, "No, that is a man." She replied , "No it is a lady." I said, "Well she talks like a man," and she looks like a man."


Anyway, after the person got back on the bus I took greater notice of her and I had to admit that maybe she was a woman. She did have a deep voice and had on men's clothing but she also had a woman's purse and she had on rings like a woman would wear.


Another time when I was on a flight to Dallas a young person sat between me and the person on the aisle seat. We were talking together and this young person, who looked like a young boy, mentioned his age. I said to the aisle seat person, "He doesn't look that old, does he?"


Right after that the person said something that indicated "he" was a girl. I was shocked and embarrassed. If people don't want to confuse others about their gender than they shouldn't look so much like the other sex!


I certainly hope that people never have to try to figure out if I am a man or a woman!


















Thursday, October 9, 2008

Texas Centennial--1936





In 1936 I was almost ten years old. At our school they were sponsoring a train trip to Dallas where the Texas Centennial was being celebrated. Anyone going to school there along with any members of their family could take the train to Dallas to attend the Centennial.The trip was
offered at reduced rates so almost everyone was able to participate if they wished.

After much discussion and thought my Mother and Dad decided that she would go and take my sister and me on the trip.

There was much excitement and fun going on as we planned for the trip. We were to leave on a morning about 8:00 or near that.

As luck would have it on the morning of the trip I woke up sick as a dog and there was no way I could go anywhere.

My mother decided that she would go anyway and take my sister and, since my Grandmother lived with us, she would stay with me.

So my Mother and sister got ready and took a taxi to the train depot to catch the train. For some reason, either because the train left early or they got there too late, they missed the train. So that was then end of the Texas Centennial for all of us!

I was greatly disappointed because I really thought it would be a grand thing to attend a Centennial even though I had no idea what a centennial was! That was the only chance I ever would have to attend a Texas Centennial.

I can still remember the pain I felt because I was too sick to go with them. I don't think my sister cared that much that she missed going because she was only about five years old at that time.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Electrifying!



Once we had a clock that was not working properly, so Ford, my husband, was going to see if he could fix it. I almost fixed him!


We had unplugged the clock and he was tinkering with it to see if he could tell what was wrong. I was just watching him and standing by to help in any way I could. After a few minutes he had it mostly torn apart and was just fiddling with around with it.


I was still just watching and unconsciously I saw the unplugged wire and without thinking I suddenly plugged it in. Oops! Wrong thing to do. Ford got a jolt from it and he was furious! He said, "What are you doing?" I realized then what I had done and I felt like a fool. I apologized but that didn't help much.


Anyway, I guess I am a neat freak and I couldn't stand to see that unplugged wire just lying there like that, so, I plugged it in.


Fortunately, there was not enough power in the line to do any real damage but enough to shake him up. Believe me, I kept away from that plug after that.


I can't remember if we got the clock to work or not but Ford was rather cool to me the rest of the day! I guess he thought I was trying to get rid of him!