A Mess Follow Up!

Do children sometimes do something simular  to something  their parents did  in their younger days?

When I was busy working, my boys decided to make a quick sandwich, requiring , ‘mustard’. The ‘mustard’ jar had a three inch wide lid and maybe three inch height, in their haste, putting  the jar in the refrigerator,  the lid not on tight, the  ‘mustard’ hit the floor,  luckily a new throw rug  caught most of the  ‘mustard’.  What to do? My sons gathered up the rug with most of the  ‘mustard’, and put it in the dirty clothes hamper. A week later  when I was doing the wash and found this hidden “MESS”. Naturally, no one knew what happened?

When I was curious about my Mother’s nail polish, and she was busy one day, I took the nail polish, sitting on the floor,  set the opened bottle on my skirt, moved and the bottle turned over and all over my dress. I changed clothes, and made  a ball of the soiled dress and hid it at the bottom of the dirty clothes hamper. I never saw that dress again!


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Sportsman’s Park

Sportsman’s Park – only if you are old enough – do you remember? Some of the best baseball players,ever! And just in case none of us  “orphans”, said “Thank You”, then, in the  ’40s & ’50s, let me  Thank You,  the generous benefactors providing buses, snacks and a terrific ballgame all free!

As an “orphan” , you did have to be on your good behaviour all the time or be left out  of Special  “Event” outings,  like a “Ballgame”. Trips like these took “Interested People” concerned with what might help  an “Orphan” feel better and do the best he can, in the situation he or she is in. “Nothing  make a person so tall as when bent over to help someone less fortunate up.”

Today, thinking back, of the several trips I was to the ballpark, remembering the team we had, a winning team, all the Sports Activity, we kids had playing  and watching the “Professional Players” just to be up and close and getting  “Autographs, made a lasting impression!    I remember and love it all!


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Working Vacation

Vacation!  Even ‘Orphans’ get a 2-week vacation!  The  ‘camp’ name might have been  ‘Camp Wyman’  – but the girls who wanted to go  – prepared by packing a bag of essentials  –  and pick out a swimsuit, from a donation just for this occasion.

My choice was to spend  the  2-week   ‘vacation’  with my Mother at home, where I would be cutting the grass and washing windows.  Washing windows – an easy job for me, since the window sill was only about 5-foot from the ground (if I fell out), compared to the windows at the “Orphanage”, which were  on he third floor of the building. When sitting 3-stories high – in the window  sill – the window frame better be in good shape  –  or it could be   – “curtains”!  Cutting the grass  – a job no one wants to do! The equipment   – the type  of  ‘lawnmower’ you push back and forth  – in one spot – the blades must be sharpened with a good metal file  – this job does build up  ‘muscles’!

When I returned to the  ‘Orphanage’ – you would have thought I had been in “Florida” – good tan and lots of outdoor exercise  – working on knees and hands – hand clippers –  – you move around like a snail   –   very good ‘Tan’ !


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Bug Zapper

It’s   a 105 hot degrees today, meaning  the marbles in my brain recall  ‘something silly’  – that happened  in  1980s. My Dad wanted  to try  out the  ‘summer screened room’, we all put up together  in the back-yard area – everyone on the road had three acres or more.

Maybe,  2:00 am, I hear some  unusual noise – crackling, get out of bed – look out all windows – do not want to wake anyone – dial the  ‘operator’, need the  Electric  Co. –  told them must be electric lines down –  “Isee and hear sparks”  flying around –  down the road  –  with all the trees and bushes   – can’t say for sure where the lines are down?   They  wanted my name and address.    Went back to bed    –   fell sound asleep!

When I was getting ready for work in the morning  –  my Dad, said,  the Electric Co. – pulled in the side driveway   –  the biggest thruck  – lights all over  – woke him up –  and with only his shorts on .   They said,  someone at this address reported  –“electric lines down.”    The only thing they found  was a  “Bug Zapper”    zapping bugs  –  down the road.  He told them that  “no one ”  from here  would do such a  “Dumb Thing”

“Can you believe  – I could do such  a  Dumb Thing?”


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All Good Memories

It’s   “Good to Remember”  – “Good Times” – telling others of  ‘real life ‘  and a ‘day in the life’  –  connecting the generational link!   Maybe ,  “Someone of Today”  would like to be  –     “Remembered    in the  Future”  –      in a similar way?

A couple of weeks before my  ‘Graduation Day’  1952   –  Aunt Irene, took me shopping for all the accessories  to wear under and with the  – white  Organza dress , and lastly a pair of heels (a first for me).    Naturally  – we head for  downtown St.Louis  – in those days that’s where everything  ‘was’.    Scwoop Shoe  Store,   – had a very nice white pump  – could have been made just for  ‘me’.

Aunt Irene,  was having as much fun as I was  –  had a lot of trying on  –  must be sure of fit  –  can’t change our minds  –   I was so excited!    Before heading for home – we stopped at  ‘Miss Hulling’s’  for a quick snack  – talk about everything  – did we forget anything        –  Nothing Forgotten!     –      –         Not even the  ‘Best of Memories’!  – Thank you   –   Aunt Irene!


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Aunt Irene – Remembered

To have a  “Birthday” – and not be  remembered  –   ” Tragic”!  If you can hear me  – where ever you are –    “Happy  ‘124’  Birthday, Aunt Irene !”  That’s a lot of candles to blow out  – to receive a wish?

When at the  ‘Orphan Home’, it sure was  “Terrific”  – when you made  – a home-made cake from scratch  – those were the days before   – the  ‘Box’ cake to make. We three  kids were sure  ‘Lucky’, to be able to share with the other kids, some never had anyone to remember their  ‘Birthdays’.

The last ‘Birthday’,  I had there in the 8th grade – you talked  Mary Kreuner, our cousin,  and Jeanne Seattele’s   aunt  – to make a very nice  Birthday party, for all the 8th graders  –  It’s  just the  getting together and having such a good time  – making  a memory  – that helps to focus on  — all your Life  –  lots of little get together ‘s  in our  Family  –   has always  been my focal  point of sharing   all our  good  –   Times  Forever !                   God Bless you   –  in your new realm!


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