Christmas Eve – 1948
German St. Vincent Orphan Home – Christmas Eve Procession. The Infant Jesus is carefully placed in the beautiful Nativity scene. Every year that I was there, this same exact procession took place – just different children living there – that year.
Looks like, JIM WRIGHT, PATRICK BRADY, RON PORTER. Do you see someone you know?
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Take Your Little Children to Visit “Santa”
Baby Al Aldrich, is just 11 months and his first Christmas and big brother Lee, Jr., just celebrated his 4th birthday on the 5th of this December! You can tell that this picture was taken in Florida, no winter clothing and no heavy coats!
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“Merry Christmas” from S.W.B.T.
Mrs. Patricia Murphy – welcomes us as we enter! When I was working on the night shift -10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., thought I would take a picture of my very good friend, and fellow telephone operators
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It’s the Thought That Counts!
Just because “Christmas” is getting here faster than you can make up your mind as to what you fully plan on doing, STOP and Think about your Pocketbook! Do not start the year off in the “RED!”
Usually, we think that we should go all out and spend top dollar on a lot of stuff for all the family and friends, which is just so wrong to do, today. Now, is the time to start doing those things that we are gifted with, our natural talents. What nice things can we make, something that has our time and inspired feelings of “LOVE” shining through. Some of us can draw and paint and make up artistic pieces worth “millions” in our time and thought to all the detail going into the finished product. Sewing is another way of making items that can be used in the kitchen, and the bathroom, and also lots of other places in the home. Anything made by hand has the highest value, way over any amount of money you could spend.
I have items that my mother and aunt have made, and I just cannot part with these “TREASURES” from the heart! Today, we just do not take the time to make some of the beautiful things that could be cherished for generations – we just don’t have the time?
Do not spend what you cannot afford. Remember – what we all say – it’s the thought behind what you do and or give to one another. Rather than go into debt – just a note to someone stating that you r gift will be “TIME” together doing what you both would love to enjoy – something that you will both remember, forever. Friendship and time – is a “MILLION DOLLAR” gift!
Don’t break the bank – Speak volumes in Love and Time – a moment of “TIME” is all that we really own and can give – and the receiver will remember – forever!
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“A Season for Miracles.”
This is the season for “MIRACLES” to happen! If ever there was a time of the year, when more people feel alive and wanting to do something for someone else – this is that time! Seems that this is the time to freshen up the house with decorations – feeling we all get that something very “SPECIAL’ is about to happen, and we must be ready. If we don’t move fast and get with the action – we will be left out in the cold. So, each of us has a list or two that we are working from – one for the house preparation, another for the store, which takes in the meals that we must prepare for family and guests – it is the third list that we all have so much trouble figuring out, the one, “who is naughty and nice” and what to get everyone to make us look like we really care to give our very best.
The reason for the season – to celebrate to birth of JESUS – is so often not even thought of? In the “news” just recently – someone declared that the plastic statues of Joseph, Mary, shepherds, kings, and baby Jesus, displayed on a “MILITARY BASE” was offensive and mixing religion and government, and must be taken off Base! Evidently, we have forgotten that the founding-fathers of America started all their basic meetings with prayer to Almighty God, for guidance and inspiration to get this government, written up for all the people. And they were inspired, and we do have the “COUNTRY” that all the peoples of all the other countries want to come in and be a part of!
But, like all good things – there are some who just must start tearing down – that which is good and enjoyable to the masses – and start a movement that will only end-up destroying America. We must not let the few rotten apples in our neighborhoods try their destroying tactics, and get by with what they want to do.
Stand up America – United we stand – Now is the time to “PRAY” like never before for a “MIRACLE” –if we all work together – we will over-come the evil forces and become the “United States of America” that we were meant to be!
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A New Start in – 1942
We moved to north Saint Louis, to an area where the “Brady Family” has lived since coming to America from Ireland! There was the Fairground Park on one side of where we were living and the O’Fallon Park on the other side. My mother would take us for long walks throughout the neighborhood, pointing out all of the important places for me to remember – that when the time came – I could find the correct way to get there.
The “Water Tower” on north Grand Avenue then straight south to Natural Bridge Avenue where the Northside Theatre was on the one corner and the Drug Store on the corner where we would stop for a caramel nut sundae. We could then follow Natural Bridge west to Van deVanter Avenue and cut through Fairground Park, or go on down to Sarah Avenue and look at the different homes we never saw before as we aimed toward home. In the other direction, we would travel on Carter Avenue to Warne Avenue, sometimes stopping in at the “PINK SISTERS” for a Church service or go through to the O’Fallon Park. Sometimes on a Saturday or Sunday we would go on then to Calvary Cemetery to see where the Brady’s and Riley’s were resting, nicely – six foot under!
There was no “TV” – no “GAS” for automobiles – so the best thing to do was to “WALK.” The air was clean without “gas” fumes and for our health’s sake we were exercising the body and viewing the sites. We were doing what families should be doing today, enjoying the great outdoors while communicating with each other. Sometimes, we would be walking, and some relative or friend of my mother’s would be also out for a walk or going to a nearby store. Naturally, we would all stop to catch up on what the current news of the day, namely the war and who had a son or father killed in “ACTION?” Every family in those days was in the same boat, all of us poor, trading ration coupons, working our “V” garden, chickens in the garage, collecting newspapers and saving bacon grease in old coffee cans, and all for the “WAR effort!”
The walks we took along Florissant Avenue were some of the best, because there were stores for blocks and blocks. There was a “5 and 10 dime store,” dress and shoe stores, beauty shop, a meat market, a grocery and vegetables stand store, a “live” poultry store. We would go into the poultry store just to see the “live” chickens. You would look over all of the “live birds” they had and pick the one you wanted. Someone would take that selected bird to the back killing it, depending on what you were paying them to do clean and dress the bird – prepare it for you to bake or whatever way you plan to have it for dinner.
Best kindergarten school for me was Bryan Hill Elementary School which was also along Florissant Avenue, and the best teacher, my mother liked her!
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