Grandma’s – 2014 Just thinking???

Just thinking – – all good things have an end – – and so it is  – or should I say  – “2014” has only a few hours  left   and it is also on the “HISTORY BOOKS” –  and everyone will talk about “2014” giving their pros and cons – as to what was good and bad??? With all due respect – all the decisions about ” 2014″  – I have to leave to the experts in those fields  – as I already know that I can see the fault in everything – and how wrong  everything  has been done – but then –   that’s only my opinion and  – – there is no way for me to fix anything  – so the one thing that I can do to correct all the wrongs in this world today – – is to “PRAY” as often as possible  – each and every day – – and hope that Almighty Yahweh  will give help to all of  us  who take the time to “PRAY!”

Within the last couple of weeks – – I received calls from some agency that does not want to say who they are  – not even who they are working for – – but – that  this is a research call  – wanting my opinion on “ACTIVE LIVING?”  –  Just to be sure that I had heard  what they said  – I repeated – “you want me to tell you something  about being “ACTIVE”  – meaning “ALIVE?”  Also, I added – “You mean  “NOT DEAD” but still LIVING”  and or “ALIVE?”

The caller would not give me any answers to the questions that I had  ask – but instead continued with their questions – – thinking   –  that  I  – would answer them for their research work – –  so I just said –  “I do not have the time for this ” – and just hung up!  This must be a “HOT SUBJECT” going on – and  – then –  in a few days –  another caller – – with the  same  – song and dance  program – no good answers for me – – and again in the evening another call – so if you received a call such as this –  “RESEARCH TYPE”   –  sure would like for someone to let me know  – what is going on – and what are they “RESEARCHING” for???   This has to be a scam?????


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“I’m here – ready to FLY!

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I am  here with my bag  – packed and ready to go “FLYING”  – I sure hope everybody is ready , too? Alyssa said that she checked  with “FLIGHT   SERVICE” and the weather is just “A-OK” – so  –  ” what are we waiting for??”  “If there is someone who needs my help – just sing out now  – or we will just leave you –  behind!”   “Alyssa told me that we were  going to make a quick stop at Louisiana Airport – first – – does that mean that we are not going to stop first at Atlanta Airport???”

When it is “TIME” to go – seems like everybody finds some little thing that they did not do – and now when it is time to “FLY” – – – – everybody that was wise and made sure everything was done when it was suppose to be done –  – – we are now waiting for the “SLOW – POKES!” “I sure am glad that I was able to get this “PILOT SHOP AREA” all dusted and vacuumed  and all the trash cans have been taken out and emptied.”

“Well – looks like we got the “OKAY” – everyone is coming to the door to leave – and this will be one year  – – that we will all be at home the  last day of this year and tomorrow – – the first day  of  next year  – we will all – –  be in Florida – playing in the Sun on the Beach –  we will be telling everyone in Florida – – that we came down here just  so we could enjoy the warm SUNSHINE – and hopefully take the  SUNSHINE back home with us in a couple of days?

“How about you, – what are  you planning to do on New Years’  EVE  (2014-2015)???”


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Christmas – Then and Now!

Back then, when we  (kids) were little – in  the 1940s – my Dad had to go to California to do “welding work” on the ships  – and we , that is my Mother would write letters – and also enclose my “chicken-scratch” letters to DADDY and one of the important parts of the day – – was waiting for the “MAIL-MAN” to bring something from DADDY!

Maybe there  were fewer people living in the greater Saint Louis area  – and of course there was no TV – we only had the radio and usually if a couple of the families had the same radio station turned on at the same time – you could be out-side and hear the program – and now thinking about listening to the radio then – you could mentally see what was going on – and still be able to do whatever you have  to do – – – But today, with TV – you have to get  yourself – right in front of the TV – so that you can “know” what is going on. You have to see “IT”   – just listening you miss out  – so today you are  – –  trapped  – –  in front of the TV – but it was fun  for us – – back when you only had radio – as  you were free to do other things  – and never missed  out  on  anything important  in the story or program – something that I feel – people living now  and today –  – are  locking their selves  into  another world???

I remember having  so much fun – just watching for the “Mail-Man” – when I was a  little girl –  – because the “Mail-Man” came two  (2) times a day!  Something that we do not have today  – and if you were to get your letter in the “MAIL BOX” by nine (9:00 p.m.) in the evening –  – that  piece of mail was delivered the next day!  Maybe because of the WAR going on  and the mail had to be moving  – so that everybody would know as soon as possible – what was  happening in the world !   Even as fast as the mail was received – there were a good many times that my DAD would send a “Telegram” to us. My Daddy was always sending some little special things – just for me – and that is how I remember him – sending some of his-self  – –  “sending little bits of LOVE – to me in the mail!”

During the WWII years – those young boys riding  on the bicycles – delivering telegrams – usually were bringing “BAD NEWS” – and I know that when the young man would be ringing your door-bell –  – your heart would just sink – –  especially if you had a family member enlisted in one of the different branches of service!  My DAD used the “Telegram Services” because being in California – a letter would take a couple of days  – – but if you paid a few pennies more you could send your letter “AIR-Mail”  and then for a few more pennies you could have that letter deliver with “Special Delivery” – so you were able to be in touch for pennies back then – and so fast was the service! – – Remember that was yesterday  – today it is  different and I am not a little girl – waiting to hear from my Daddy!!!


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“Christmas Memories”

While – remembering childhood in the early 1940’s and during the WWII years  – have a photo taken of me and my Father sitting by the lamp in the living room – and we are looking at the very large  size “Hail Stones”    in a large bowl – – that my Dad had just collected from in front of our house  – – – and during a very bad storm! In all of my years – those “HAIL STONES” – – are the largest that I have ever seen – why  such a large size – no idea – – but since  then  the average size that I have seen – – wore the size of small beans.

The memory is only remembered because I’ve seen the photo – several times and there must have  been a special reason for collecting “HAIL STONES” and taking a picture. No body was taking a lot of pictures in those days – since there was a WAR going on – you almost always had to have a “Ration Coupon” to buy so many things – because – – most of the material and  general  supplies the people used – had to first go toward the WAR effort – we did want to win the WAR – and all of us – – did learn early to do without – so that America would be victorious in the putting an end to all Wars!

When we lived in the North Saint Louis area – – it seems to me that we had lots  of  ice and snow.  At least more than we have today – and there were  no organised street cleaners – since I remember my DAD having to puts chains on the car – if we were to have to go somewhere.  – – So, one of those early years – I must have ask for “ice skates” –  – having no idea – – what “ice skates” looked like and or if I would even be able to skate – if I did receive them? Well – I received “ice skates” and there must have been plenty of ice out side on the side-walks –  the “ice-skates” that I received were the kind that you attach to the shoes that you have on – – and you should have a good strong and firm shoe on – – so that the skates can be attached properly!

My Father put the skates on me in the house and then carried me out side. These “ice skates” had double blades – on each skate – – so at-least I could  stand without falling – so my DAD took my hands and just pulled me – for a while – and then had me move one foot ahead of the other and pulling me slower to see if I could do the leg work of skating  – – but all the time I felt secure – – just holding on to him. We only went around our block and for a very long time. I was dressed so warm – – in those days little girls worn “Leg-gens”  – which were made to match your coat- – – plus the knitted hat and scarf around the neck – – and also I had  one of  those “HAND-MUFFS” – it had a long attached ribbon that went around  to the back of the neck – so  that when you took your hands out – from each side – it was still hanging on to you – it did not get lose – and was always ready for you to put your hands in  or some of your stuff or even your gloves – that is  – if you did not need them – – also a pocket that zipped shut for some money –  – it was the best for keeping the hands – warm!  The warmest.

It was amazing that my DAD would take the time to hold me  and run along side of me as I was learning to skate – as I did learn how to skate – and whenever if was okay with my parents – and the weather was just right – I was outside skating  – around the block!


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“Christmas Memories” from 1942!

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More people like this picture of me in 1942 – than so many others – that they send messages – just wanting more information –  – in fact saying that I do not write enough??? So, I thought that I would post this picture again, and tell about some of the Christmas activities that were good and fun for us – and remember  – this is during the WWII years!

In the living room of this house – there was a working fireplace and in some of the colder weather – my Father would start a fire. As a young child watching the fire  was exciting just to see how the logs burning and the flickering flames – and there was a cozy atmosphere in the room – that our whole family enjoyed. Some times – just for more excitement in the fire – – my Mother would sprinkle some granules from this round can –  – and just so fast the fire would dance with all different kinds  of colors – it was almost like watching the “fourth of July – fireworks” shooting up and into the sky – – but everything had a way of flying up the chimney – and we would kinda fall asleep just watching the fire dance as my Mother would be reading some stories  as only she could – as she could change her voice – for the different types of people in the story!

One the best things that I remember  – this is again by the fireplace – – my Father had a special pan – which had long handles  – seems that the top had small holes in it  – – and there was a hinge –  to open it and somehow – something that kept it from opening when he would flip it around. – By now – you guessed what this was – – a “Corn-Popper” – 

My Father was a “CHEF” by trade and did most of the cooking in our home. One of the amazing things we all remember is to watch him cook and he would always have a cigarette in his mouth – he never took it out and as he would be cooking – we all watch – just to see if any of it would fall into the food – as it all stayed in tack – curling over and just looking like any moment  – there would soon be a mess! – – – Getting back to the fireplace going and we would be enjoying the “POP CORN” just as fast as Daddy would make it we were eating it! Just before Christmas my father would bring home a fresh Christmas tree – that would be thick and full – because the lights that he would put on it were a much larger size lite  – than  those  that  we use for the inside tree,   today – and the size would really light up the tree and the whole room – had a very special “CHRISTMAS”  look.

While Daddy was doing the big and heavy type of work – My Mom  was helping us kids make long chains of decorations  – mixing all the colors of the construction papers that she had cut in just the size and lengths for us to glue little circles and  to keep  on adding to the chains and my Dad would put  the long finished chains on the tree. We also made some other little decorations  – these were small and had each of our own special designs – some of these – probably no one would even know what we were thinking of – – –  but each one was given all the highest of praises from my MOTHER – she thought we were doing prize pieces of art! When we were done – our Christmas Tree was a “First  Prize Winner” – that is if anyone was giving out prizes???

Sometimes for Christmas – our Grandma  – who lived in OHIO – would come and stay with us for a week  with the UNCLE and AUNT that would do the driving  – – – during those HOLIDAY VISITS – we sure enjoyed having lots of fun and a whole lot of different things to do and see.  That’s what really makes Christmas – just having “FAMILY  – living with you for a week!


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“WOW” – Take a Rest!

How is everything with you???   Now that “CHRISTMAS” is over – do you think that you can sit down and take a very well – deserved rest?  Does it seem that the “TIME” to do everything   – the clock runs faster for us who have been doing all this “hard work”  – – year after year  – – – so much faster – it is hard to keep up with everything ?

“OH” – another thought – is this the day to take everything back to the stores? We were talking about that earlier – and what we thought – was that – -everyone who bought stuff at the  “HIGHEST  PRICE”  – – just so that they could give it to someone  –  – – hoping that the receiver will be “HAPPY” – – – Did you ever give it a thought that the receiver is now standing in line at the store and returning  – their prize gift – they will now go back to the department and get the same thing for half as much – and with the extra money  get their selves a little extra gift!

If you are young and have a lot of extra energy – – to stand in long lines and be aggravated – more power to you!   In the 1970’s  – something that I had purchased for one of the children had some kind of a defect – it was a special order item from the  catalog  department, and if you were wanting the same item to be   re-ordered and sent out to you  – there was this special line – that you needed to get in. So, there we were patiently – waiting and the line moving at a snail’s pace.

Finally, one customer ahead of me  -– and now – – they are  being waited on. This was a very young couple and with a very small child  – and the item they were trying to return was a “folding /expandable gate” – and something was wrong with it – the child could get hurt in some way – due to this gate not being  able to stay shut. The store’s clerk was the type that was not about to let everyone return merchandise  – –  – if she could over-power you with some of her double-talk –  – that would get the customer so confused  – that the customer didn’t know if they were  coming or going???

Well, I heard all that I was going to put up with – so, I took a couple of steps forward – toward the “CLERK” – and I said – “loud and slowly” – so that anyone within 50 feet could hear me, “This young couple has a “defective gate” – they do not want it – they want their money back – since you do not have any others available!   Give them their money back – she is handing you her receipt  – — why are you  trying the patience of everyone in this line???”

The young couple looked at me – they did not know what to say or do – so I just said to them and anyone who was afraid to state exactly what they wanted – “YOU need to speak up loud and clear and do not let yourself be intimidated by an over-zealous sales-clerk!”  — “Always remember that when you are in the store to buy  – -– you are “KING” as you and your dollars can buy merchandise in this store or in  any other store in this “MALL” – and you can also  report “SALES CLERKS” – to the manager – the “CUSTOMER” is usually right when they have cash in their hands!”

“It’s the “PITS” when some “SALES-CLERKS” – try to take advantage of the general public – the people – who  are paying them their wages  – -– and I always feel  –  that in a situation like the above  – – that it is my duty – to give a little   “more powerful” voice – to those who are  need  of  help!

 

 

 


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