STAYING WITHIN THE LINES

I remember a TV commercial a few years ago that must have been promoting a particular kind of car. (I forget which.) This car was for the “adventuresome”, those who wanted to think "outside the lines". It showed a long, empty stretch of highway through the desert, and the car was racing down the highway, obviously ignoring the rules of the road! 

This commercial immediately evoked memories of my younger son, Matthew. When he was four years old his dad and I divorced. As I had to go to work to support us, he had to go into daycare. There was a recommended daycare right behind the apartments in which we lived. The fence surrounding our apartments had a missing board that allowed Matthew to squeeze through, and we didn’t have to make the long trip around the block when I was rushing to get to work every morning.

In the beginning, this was a great new adventure for Matthew. He was a very bright four year old who loved his books at home, and was excited about learning. After a week or two, my exuberant little towhead began to balk at going to “school”. Finally, one day he began to sob uncontrollably and cling to me. He didn’t want to go at all anymore. I asked him why. Between sobs, he told me, “They make me stay between the lines!”

I immediately went to the director of the school with this, and asked her what on earth was upsetting him so. What was this “between the lines” he spoke of? It seems two hours of these youngsters’ days were spent in coloring mimeographed pictures! Not only was that waaay too long to keep a four year old interested in doing the same thing over and over, but to “stay within the lines” when he used his crayons?? Ahhh, how they crushed the creativity in this little boy!

The teacher in that class informed me that he had to learn to stay within the lines before he started to real school. I told her and the director that this child would be faced with a minimum of 12 years of schooling, including following lots of rules and regulations, soon enough. At barely four years of age I thought he deserved the chance to play and enjoy being a rambunctious little boy a while longer!

Not long after that, Matthew resumed his enthusiasm for attending his daycare. I later learned that for the following year, he was treated differently from all the other little ones. When they had to sit for two hours coloring within the lines, Matthew was allowed to go outdoors and play on the playground. One of the workers even went so far as to really spoil him. If he didn’t like the food they served for lunch, she would fix him a special peanut butter and jelly sandwich! His experiences in that school may not have been the best for him, but it was better than his being miserable and forced into what I considered unproductive activities at a much too young age.

How many of us, and ones like us, suffered from the restrictions society placed on us to conform at an early age? I remember a second grade teacher of my older son who informed me that they had nothing to offer brighter than average children, because, “We believe that your child will have to learn sooner or later to adjust to and get along with the slow people in our society and he might as well start to now”. So the curriculum in that particular school was geared to the slowest students. To keep Craig out of trouble when he finished his work early, I had to ask her to give him extra assignments! Not only did his behavior improve, so did his grades.

These little tales make me so thankful for the better schools my grandchildren have the opportunity to attend. There is even an entire elementary school for gifted students that my granddaughter Hannah attends in Dallas. I believe that most schools today have something to offer gifted students that will challenge them, and give them the opportunities to explore the realms “outside the lines”. The Advanced Placement courses offered in high school are another example of how our educational system has progressed. Of course, like most I hear from in our class, I believe Ballinger High School was an extremely good school, with above average teachers. I don’t know if that was the norm everywhere then, but it certainly wasn’t the norm where my own children had to attend school.

I know how important rules, regulations, and indeed “lines” are in our culture, however, I often wonder how much further along we as a society might be now if we had not had so many “shoulds” and restrictions placed on us at an early age. The people who have made the most contributions to our world are often the ones who dared to work and play “outside the lines”!

By the way, have any of you felt, like I have, that there is an inordinate amount of gifted and talented children being born into the world today? I thought for a while that it was the better health of the mothers giving birth. You know… no caffeine or medications ~ not even aspirin ~ better vitamins, more natural childbirths, etc. Now my theory is that it must be the evolution of our species. But that is another story for another blog.

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PAUL MOTA is one I can always count on to give me some feedback on the blog. I asked him to tell me a little more about growing up in Ballinger. This was his submission: 

"I have some wonderful memories of growing up in Ballinger… 

I guess most of what I remember was the freedom to go everywhere without the fear there is today of someone molesting you or anything like that. I remember coming home on leave and locking the door to my mother's house, and she had such a strange look on her face. She always said, 'no one breaks in, why are you locking the door?'

I remember as a young kid spending the whole day out at the river or at the park with my friends. I think kids today don't realize what they are missing. It was a wonderful way to grow up. Now when I think of the things we did, it is a miracle that most of us survived. Some of the fun things could have caused us severe injuries or even death. Someone was watching over us for sure.

I remember some very caring teachers all through the Ballinger system. I know from my days away from Ballinger that I had a solid education. I hope that is still continuing to be the norm. I clearly remember Mrs. Ruble trying to convince me to stay in school and not drop out to join the Air Force. But at 18, we all knew everything, didn't we? 

I had 4 sisters and 4 brothers, all born and raised in Ballinger. My mother was mainly a housewife, and my father worked for the railroad. One brother, Ramon, served his 4 years in the Air Force and returned, and to this day remains in Ballinger. He knows everyone there a lot better than I do. 

I guess I was kinda quiet in school. I went to ASU at a late age (40 or so), and since that time I have gained confidence and I don’t think I am as quiet as before. I see myself now as enjoying life, music, sports, and trying to laugh as much as possible. “~ PAUL (Editor's note: I tried to get Paul to send me a photo with a big smile!)

PEGGY BRANHAM KRUMLINDE lived in the house pictured in the last blog post ~ 805 5th Street. She correctly identified it:

"This house looks like the one we lived in on 5th street - there was a separate garage in the back with a second story apartment. It was near the water tower - about half a block or so. It has been a long, long time, though. The tree threw me off a bit - it was so small when we lived there." ~ PEG (Editor's note: As I previously said, houses ~ like us~ morph into something quite different over a period of 50 years!)

In a recent email from PEG, it sounded like she is on a cruise to Mexico about now. If that is so, PEG, send us some pictures to share!

HEALTH UPDATES:

I spoke with JERRY DAVIS this week and he sounds like he is doing very well. It will be a few more weeks before the doctors can tell the full effects of the radiation treatments he endured. However, He said one doctor told him he was pleased with the latest x-ray, and that it showed some improvement in his lung. JERRY, as usual, had a few funny stories to relate, but not necessarily any for the blog! I'm waiting on one of those, JERRY.

IRENE PIEL BATTS was given the okay by her surgeon in San Antonio to start radiation treatments. She is healing very well from all the surgery. She will meet with the doctors in San Angelo this week to schedule her treatments. Her spirits remain high, and she feels very blessed by all your prayers and concerns.

Please continue to send loving thoughts (and prayers) to both JERRY and IRENE. They both still have a good deal of pain to deal with.

Many of you by now have realized that JUNE HASH CURRY is quick to send emails, cards, and good wishes to any who have birthdays or health challenges. She is going through a battery of tests to determine if she needs another back surgery to alleviate severe pain in her upper back. I know you will all want to wish her well, and hope the cause of her discomfort will soon be discovered and completely eradicated. We want to visit with her at the next All-School Reunion.

JEEP JACKSON has recently moved to Queen City, Texas near the Arkansas border, and GLENN SMITH has moved to Abilene. I will update you with their new addresses and telephone numbers shortly. I know that GLENN still has the same email address, so you may reach him there or write to him at his P.O. box number here in Ballinger.

The weather has been so beautiful lately. The cooler nights indicate that fall may soon arrive. I hope so. This summer has been really hot! Lots of 100+ temperatures.

Have fun out there, enjoy life, and share the Good Stuff with us.

Marilyn

THIS AND THAT

NOLAN AND ROSALYN (URBANTKE) HOELSCHER

50 Wonderful Years!

Recently ROSALYN and Nolan (BHS Class of '54) celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a huge party in San Antonio. ROSALYN told me to tell everyone "we had a large party that was 'my dream party' (lots of family & friends). We served 106 dinners, had LOTS of beer, and had very good music to dance to. We really enjoyed our party." ROSALYN sent several photographs of what I believe to be her beautiful family, and ROSALYN appears as radiant as a new bride in each photo. Congratulations to you both, ROSALYN and Nolan. It sounds like the party was a great way to celebrate the next 50 years!

No one recognized this house as their home during high school. This one is on Fifth Street. I'm not sure this is the best little game to play with our aging memories. Not to mention that things certainly do change after 50 years ~ trees get huge or are cut down (kinda like us!). People remodel or paint the houses. Many may not look anything at all like they did when you lived there.

I got the address wrong on the house that SHEILA GREGORY DANKWORTH lived in. It was 400 Largent, not 401. I ran into SHEILA at the hospital a couple of weeks ago when she visited IRENE PIEL BATTS. I teased her about not recognizing it, but then it certainly wasn't painted green when she lived there! As it turns out, SHEILA said she had not been able to open the blog at all. I assured her she would like some of the stories her former classmates have sent in. She promised to try again to open the site. (Has anyone else had difficulty accessing the blog?)

I took the picture at right along Elm Creek at Ballinger City Park. The bank on this side was mostly rock, but this beautiful blooming shrub caught my eye. I'm not sure what the shrub is or whether it is wild or was planted there by City employees, but it made for a pretty summertime image. To the right of this, overlooking the park and swimming pool is a small area for RVs, complete with picnic tables and barbecue grills. Kinda makes you want to jump right in and take a swim, doesn't it? Sadly, the camera caught only the beauty and not the real murkiness of the water. I sometimes wonder if there are any waterways left in this part of Texas that run clean and clear.

I love this picture of IRENE PIEL BATTS taken at the Class Reunion. She is always such fun to tell a story to! I am happy to say, she has not lost that wonderful spirit, and is so full of optimism. She is at home now, with Home Health nurses and a physical therapist coming frequently to assist with her care. That remarkable daughter of hers and David's, Amy, is ~ as the old folks used to say, "putting stars in her crown" with her devotion and attention to the needs of IRENE as well as David, who has been fighting a health challenge of his own. IRENE will start radiation therapy soon.

Even though IRENE's at home, she is mostly in bed. It would be extremely hard to receive visitors at this time. However, she has no problem getting to her computer now, so if you'd like to send her encouragement via email, please do. And don't forget the prayers!

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JIM COWLISHAW submitted the following for our "Strange Happenings":

"Our first son was born in a small hospital in Hobart, Oklahoma. The recovery room for the newborns was a room not much bigger than an average closet, with a window so that the proud father could view his child. As I was viewing my son, a man came up and said to me, 'Your son?' To which I replied, 'Yes'. He said, 'Do you think that he will give you as much trouble as you gave your dad?'

I turned; no one was there! I have always believed that I had a brush with an angel. And I am glad that I was able to tell my father THANKS while he was still alive.

Never know, do we?" ~ JIM

This is a reminder, JIM, that you promised to take some pictures on your recent trip to Denver and forward them to me for all of us to share in your vacation! I don't know for certain how long you were going to be there, but maybe you caught a few images of some of the politicians there for the DNC?

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I cannot resist putting in this picture of CHARLES FIKES and his adorable little granddaughter Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn's the one who prayed the precious prayer for God to fix her grandmother's CD player. Who could deny this little charmer any request? CHARLES wasn't able to make the class reunion, but I have to say, CHARLES, you do not seem to have aged a bit since I saw you at the 2000 All School Reunion.

I called JERRY DAVIS a few days ago to get a progress report. BILL KING told me that the series of radiation treatments was finished. As I did not reach JERRY, I can only assume that he is well into recovery! When we finally do talk, I will give you an update.

Until next time, keep an eye out for the "good stuff" that happens all around you! And tell us about it!!

Marilyn





JERRY DAVIS

MORE STRANGE HAPPENINGS

GLENN SMITH submitted the following about his brush with the supernatural.

TIME OF DEATH

“JUNE HASH CURRY and TERRY COTHRAN have recently told stories on the blog of unusual experiences. Theirs reminded me of one that happened in September 1971.

I was living in Ames, Iowa. My dad had slowly become more and more debilitated as a result of Parkinson's disease. He'd had the condition for about ten years. Jerry and Shirley Eoff spent nearly every night for three and a half years helping my mom take care of him. During the final weeks he was in the nursing home in Ballinger.

I got a call from Dr. Chandler telling me that if I wanted to see him alive, I should make travel plans. The quickest flight arrived the next day at DFW around 7 a.m. where I was met by my nephew and his family. Somehow what is now just under a four hour drive took nearly eight that day. We sauntered for hours well under the speed limit, with numerous fuel and restroom stops. My nephew insisted on doing all the driving, despite my repeated offers, and he orchestrated a lengthy lunch break. A little south of Winters he finally heard the last of my three urgent requests to hurry.

We were indicating 80, on the way to a higher number, when I felt tension stop my breathing and pull my body erect. I entered a quiet zone of intense anxiety for maybe three to five minutes. Suddenly my whole body relaxed, as if a switch had been turned off. I exhaled, slumped in the seat, and heard my voice say: ‘You can slow down. It's too late.’

I looked at my watch and noted the exact time. (I was wearing a Bulova Accutron, the world's most accurate watch at the time, given to me by Jerry Eoff. He also wore one and he and I made a point of keeping them set as closely as possible to the atomic clock in Colorado.)

In front of the nursing home, Jerry walked slowly toward the car. He shook his head from side to side nearly imperceptibly. ‘What time?’ I asked. He pointed to the face of his watch at the exact time that I had noted in the car. ‘He thought you were there,’ he added.

I kept silent but almost said, ‘I don't think he thought I was there, but I know he knew I was with him.’ ~ GLENN

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EDITOR: We probably all have a few stories tucked away in our memories of unusual or unexplained occurrences. Some might call one of mine just a coincidence.

When I was living in “The Barn” several years ago, I was going through a particularly tough time financially. I was headed to my little church for an evening class, feeling sorry for myself, and bemoaning my condition. I reached to turn on the radio, a sob catching in my throat as I cried out to God, “What am I to do?” Immediately, the song on the radio came through the speakers, “Get a job now, ta da da da da, Get a job now..” I burst out laughing and couldn’t wait to get to church to share this with my friends in class. We always mused over the different ways we are given spiritual messages. This was the most blatant of messages I received, and I must say I got busy the next day and went to apply for a job (again). God certainly has a sense of humor!

You’ve all heard the saying, “Be careful what you wish for”? During those same years in The Barn, I had a lot of lessons to learn. And a lot of “unusual” happenings to help me learn.

At one time I had put up a makeshift “desk” in a corner of the great room that consisted of a couple of small two-drawer filing cabinets painted white, and the top of a blue folding table bridged between them. It made a good temporary desk, but I needed the blue table for other things. Every time I went through that room on my way out the door, I would glance at that corner desk and say to myself, “I wish I had a real desk back there” or “I sure do need a desk.” This went on for weeks. One day my son Matthew called me and asked if I would like a desk. A friend of his worked for a big apartment complex, and people were always skipping out on their rent, leaving all kinds of furniture behind. I was thrilled to hear I would finally get a real desk!

That evening Matthew pulled up in his truck, and I went outside to help unload my “new” desk. My eyes got big and I started laughing like crazy. Matt asked why I was laughing. I said I wish I had asked for an oak desk. You guessed it.. The small desk he pulled out had white drawers on the bottom with a blue Formica top – the same color blue as my temporary desk top! I had “manifested” a new desk by looking at my old one over and over, and stating that I needed a new one. I guess that picture in my mind went out to the Universe.

“What you hold in your thoughts, you create in your world.” This is one of the reasons I try to keep negative thoughts and pictures out of my mind. And why I don’t like to receive negative emails or stories from folks. I was told once, "Your fears are as strong as your prayers."

Am I superstitious? Nahh.. just cautious. And definitely a Believer!

Have any similar stories you wish to share with us? Let me hear them!

'Til next time, keep making "good stuff" happen ~ you have more power than you think!

Marilyn

A MEMORABLE HAPPENING

The following story submitted by JUNE HASH CURRY is guaranteed to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck as well as give you goose bumps!

"During a period when I was still in Tulsa, about two years ago, I had an experience I will probably never forget. It involved my little toy poodle, Muffin, and my Tulsa newspaper delivery man. Although it will seem to the reader to be a work of fiction, every word of this story is true and can be verified in the archives of the Tulsa World and by my family.

My youngest son, Chris, who moved back to live with me after his divorce, and I were still living in Tulsa where I took a daily newspaper and very much looked forward to reading it with my morning coffee. I had an absolutely dependable newspaper delivery man who never missed leaving my morning paper no matter what the weather conditions or whatever holiday was present. He was as dependable as the morning sunrise. He had sent a note in my newspaper saying that if I ever failed to receive my paper I was to call him directly at the telephone number given—not the newspaper—and he would immediately see that I received my copy. I filed that number in a safe place, never expecting to need it by his faithful delivery performance.

One Sunday morning while preparing for church I went out to get my paper and found it missing. I simply couldn’t believe it, and spent some time looking high and low for it; but no paper was present. I went inside immediately and called my paper carrier. He seemed absolutely distressed by my call and said he would be right over with my newspaper. Very shortly he drove up to my townhouse and came to my front door with the paper in hand. I had the inner door open and saw him through the storm door which happened to be latched. Just as I got to the door to open it and reach out for my paper my little poodle, Muffin, exploded in front of me. She went absolutely ballistic at the man standing in front of my storm door and totally refused to let me get between her and the door. I was astounded at her behavior. I had raised this little dog from a 10-week old puppy, and she had always loved every single person she had ever been around, man, woman or child. She is normally so affectionate that she’s a total pest just making her loving presence known to any visitors. On this occasion, she convinced me that if I had opened that door she would have taken the man’s leg off; so of course I did not unlock or open the door. I just shouted for him to leave the newspaper on the step and my thanks for his trouble. He looked very unhappy but got in his car and left. I spent the next few minutes scolding my little dog and puzzling over such behavior from her.

About three weeks later I was absentmindedly watching the evening news on television when a few words captured my attention about an arrest made on that day. It concerned a Tulsa World newscarrier and showed a picture of the man arrested. I couldn’t believe my eyes and called Chris in to ask him who he thought the man on TV was. He immediately identified our newspaper carrier. This man had been arrested after being identified by the granddaughter of a woman living a few blocks away from us. She had walked into her grandmother’s house and saw a man strangling her in the floor before he saw the granddaughter and quickly fled. Her grandmother was still alive, and they immediately called the police and identified the woman’s paper carrier. After this man was arrested he couldn’t wait to confess to all his crimes, which included two other elderly women in our neighborhood who had been murdered and burglarized, but whose deaths had been pronounced by their doctors as simply death by illness because of their ages and diseases. He said he always asked them to call him if they missed their newspaper, and then on the days he targeted them, he simply didn’t deliver their newspapers. After they called him, he went over with their papers, forced himself in the doors and attacked them before taking anything valuable in their homes he could find.

All these confessions were later confirmed after one of the women’s bodies was exhumed and examined by the medical examiner, although the second woman had been cremated. It seems he had also killed a woman in Arkansas and one in California, and he confessed to these as well. The woman who survived testified against him in court and he was quickly convicted and imprisoned.

I have always believed in guardian angels, and never more strongly than I do today. I know my angel was on duty on that Sunday morning when this deranged individual came to my house and was sidetracked by my normally quiet and loving little dog to keep me from harm. She had never behaved in that manner before and has not done so since that day. My angel used that precious little pet to assure my safety. I thank God for His loving care in whatever form it comes." ~ JUNE

(toypoodles.com)

Having had many loving pets through the years, and one little dog named Fancy who lived to be almost twenty years of age, this story does not stretch my imagination. I agree with JUNE that our guardian angels come in many disguises. They don't have to be very big either!

Thanks for sharing such "good stuff", JUNE. How about the rest of you?

Marilyn

ANOTHER SUMMER ADVENTURE

The last story about a trek through the mountains around Prescott, Arizona was followed by TERRY COTHRAN's tale about his recent ride through that same area:

"I enjoyed the story about Matthew on his trip out here to Prescott.. I think he discovered what the natives here already know, which is, the weather can alter your plans very quickly.

I told you that I bought a new 2008 Harley-Davidson Super Glide Custom. One of my favorite things to do is ride over the Mingus Mountains to the old mining town of Jerome to have breakfast on Sunday mornings. It is about a 65 mile round trip over there from my house here in Prescott. The problem is, it can be beautiful and sunny here at home and by the time I get to the top of Mingus Mountain, the weather can change dramatically.

Last Wednesday my neighbor (Richard) and I decided to take a ride on our Harleys. We have been having thunderstorms almost everyday for the past 2 weeks. Wednesday was beautiful with blue skies and sunshine. So we mounted up and took off toward Interstate 17 which goes to Phoenix. As we neared the Interstate about 40 miles from home, we could see that there were dark clouds, looking south toward Phoenix. So, we headed north toward Flagstaff on Interstate 17 instead. Along the way we made the decision to go west on state Route 179 to Sedona where we would pick up 89A to Jerome (for lunch ) and then back home on 89A over Mingus Mountain. It was beautiful and sunny in the little town of Jerome, which is now supported by tourism as an Arizona historical attraction. Even during the week it is overrun by tourists who want to see the little town built on the side of a mountain. We had lunch at the Haunted Hamburger Restaurant (that's another story). We had to wait for a while to sit down because the place was filled with tourists. It was over an hour before we finished our lunch.

It was warm in Jerome that day, about 102 degrees. We went out to where our motorcycles were parked and put our riding gear back on. I never ride without a helmet or protective glasses or gloves, although a helmet is not required by Arizona law. The seats of our bikes were so hot we couldn't sit on them without cooling them first. Anyway, we started home, going west on 89A over the mountain. The summit of Mingus Mountain is about 7,000 feet with lots of native Ponderosa pines. As we neared the top over the winding hairpin turns I could feel the air getting much cooler, almost too cold for a short sleeve shirt. I noticed something else, dark clouds overhead, then the lightning started.

I don't like to ride in the rain, it just doesn't work well for two wheels. I have done it many times, but I don't like it. I told my neighbor, Richard, "let's make a run for it, maybe we can get home before it starts to rain". We headed down the mountain and as we got closer to Prescott Valley, I could see the dark clouds had formed overhead there as well. As I made it home and pulled into the garage, it started. I made it just in time. I'm very glad we didn't have to wait any longer for a seat at the Haunted Hamburger or we would have been drenched. Things happen fast and furious out here in the wild west, it's no place for sissies." ~ TER

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Editor's Note:
From previous experience, I know about the "monsoon season" in Arizona. Everyone kept talking about it as though it would be something spectacular to see. I laughed like crazy when I witnessed my first monsoon rain. It came down suddenly and furiously. Just as suddenly, it stopped. It lasted only about 5 minutes. (I realize that all monsoon rains aren't over so quickly, and I would hate to be caught out in one on one of those treacherous mountain roads -- especially on a motorcycle!) No matter. We would gladly take any kind of rain here in Ballinger. It truly has been a long, hot, dry summer. Oh, yes, TER. About that "Haunted Hamburger Restaurant".....?

I spoke with ROSALYN URBANTKE HOELSCHER a couple of days ago. She was inquiring about IRENE PIEL BATTS, and giving me an update on her 11-year-old grandson who had surgery on his foot last week. (He's home now and doing well.) ROSALYN told me that tomorrow, August 1st, will be her 50th wedding anniversary. She and Nolan are going to celebrate with a big dinner and dance, that at last count had 80 people planning to attend! She promised to take lots of pictures and to share them with me for the blog.

Now for another photograph of the old homeplace of one of you. By chance, did you live here in your high school days? (Photo at left.)

The last one of the little green house at 401 Largent was the home that you, SHEILA GREGORY DANKWORTH, lived in. It more than likely was not painted green when you lived there. (Photo below.)

IRENE PIEL BATTS is still in a critical care recovery room. Her daughter made a fast trip to Ballinger yesterday to tend to some payroll business at her place of employment. She was to return early this morning, taking David with her so he could visit a while with IRENE. Right now they are primarily concerned with IRENE's overall health, and keeping any kind of infection at bay. She is very uncomfortable, as we all can imagine, so any distraction would be a blessing, I'm sure. Cards or letters welcome. Prayers ~ goes without saying!

DENNY HILL has been keeping me informed about the political climate in Europe this summer, among other things. I believe he is now on the last leg of his "working" vacation. He was taking a train to Poland on the 23rd, and after that it will be back to the U.S. in time for the start of school.

PAUL MOTA had his grandson visit him and his wife in San Angelo recently. One of the things this 11-year-old wished to do was to see the Paint Rock Hill Cross. Imagine! Ballinger may be a real tourist attraction. Now if only we could pry loose the ownership of the old Texas theater... renovate the old Runnels County Jail and put a museum in it... and.. Any suggestions?

I was musing with a friend recently. I often am like the little boy in the joke where he's given a shovel and is faced with a mountain of horse manure to dispose of. Asked why he was whistling and smiling while taking on this task, he replied, "There's gotta be a pony in there somewhere!" Well, I keep looking for the upside of the current economic climate, rising gas and energy prices, etc. My thinking is, "Wouldn't it be wonderful if these conditions cause people to drive less and less? What if we could get rail passenger service back? What if more businesses would reopen so we wouldn't be forced to shop at Wal-Mart and the Dollar Store, or travel to San Angelo or Abilene? Wouldn't it be nice to have a theater here in town to go to, at least on the weekends? Maybe a dinner theater?"

The friend promptly burst my bubble, by pointing out that Ballinger has lost so much of its population, that my dreams just are not financially feasible. They are only dreams. Or are they? Where's my pony?

Share the "Good Stuff" you've experienced lately with us!

Marilyn

"I don't know why I'm not gray..."

This guy has been my son for 39 years now. I don't know why I am still surprised when he does things that scare me half to death. Bungee jumping, dirt bike riding (photo at left), scuba diving, jet skis... He's always involved in something that should turn my hair gray! He has two children now, and I was beginning to think I could relax. His call from Arizona last week telling me the following "little tale" assures me my days of worrying for his safety are not over.

When he told me about his adventure, I was getting confused. I said, "Why don't you write about it, Matthew?" He hesitated, then told me he already had. Seems he subscribes to a blog for off-road riders, either on motorcycles or 4 wheel drive vehicles. He had asked them about good roads to go off road on while he was on a business trip to Prescott, as he had some time to kill and decided to explore the mountains around Jerome. For some reason, he didn't rent a 4 wheel drive Jeep as he planned. But the weather was beautiful when he started out, as you can see in the first photo. (TER COTHRAN, it's a good thing you were tied up with family that weekend, or you might have shared this experience!) He made me promise not to leave a comment on the off-road blog (like, Oh, my gosh Matthew, you could have been killed!). I promised.

I got his permission to put this on our blog. And I was the mother who was scared when he was scuba diving with sharks and giant stingrays all over the Caribbean! He sent beautiful underwater pictures from those expeditions.

"I found FR413. Unfortunately, 2wd Chevy Trailblazers, serious thunderstorms, 6300' elevations, rockslides and mud do not mix.

When I got almost to the top, I was surrounded by serious storms, 40mph winds, rain and more rain. I was screwed. The road had started to wash out and I was losing traction. A 3 ft boulder came tumbling down, bouncing like a super ball about five yards in front of me as I approached the top of the pass. My rental 2wd was pelted with pea and golf ball size rocks.

I will never forget that image of the boulder bouncing down the hill, thinking of the damage that it could have done to me and the rental.

I gassed it as there was no place to turn around and I could see blue skies in the distance.

Then I saw this:

No place to turn around. After I backed out of the slot, there was a wall on one side and 1000'+ drop on the other. And it was steep and muddy and raining cats and dogs.

I had to back out about a half a mile to find a place that I could "barely turn around". I had to inch up to the drop off and then pull forward to the wall several times until I was pointed back down. I would get out of the truck each time to judge my distance to the drop. I was concerned with getting stuck and the side of the road collapsing sending me over the edge.

Remember the 3ft boulder from my trip up the pass? Now, the road back down (where I had just come from), was completely blocked from the rock slides. I got out of the truck and could hear the rocks still falling around me and it was still raining like no tomorrow.

I was trapped. Nowhere to go, up or down. Rocks falling all around me, on the side of a mountain in a thunderstorm.

I was ready to abandon the truck and call 911 for help. I grabbed my cell phone. No coverage. I was thinking about waiting the storm out (I had enough water and snacks to last a few days), but I was not comfortable with the thought of riding a landslide off the side of the mountain.

I kept thinking about my wonderful kids and wife. And how long it would take for someone to find me.

I got out of the truck and somehow managed to clear a path through the landslide. I would not be surprised if I did not move a rock that weighed at least 300 pounds. It kept rolling and bouncing all the way down. I could not see it hit the bottom because of the clouds, but I could still hear it crashing for what seemed like an eternity.

I made it back down to Jerome and then to Prescott, and I am currently sitting in my hotel room nursing a six pack.

I am flying home tomorrow and had a route picked out that would take me to Crown King and then down in to Phoenix. I'll stick to the pavement for the rest of this trip.

Somewhere on the mountain. (At right)

Note the water running next to the wall.




A ghost town/old mine on the way up. (Below) I would like to have spent some time here."

~ Matthew Rider

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MIKE FOY correctly identified his old homeplace on the blog. This is what he wrote:

"Thanks for placing one of my favorite places (and bountiful memories) ever. A two bedroom house with an extremely small bathroom served my brother, mother and daddy well for twenty one years before I left for Lubbock and met my soulmate. The house used to have two large Juniper trees in front of the porch and I remember my dad on one particular night was sitting on the porch smoking a cigar and waiting on me to return from a location he was not aware of. I was famous for that, although not very bright of me. I was at the time in love with PEGGY VIRDEN. She and Barbara Gleghorn had gone to a revival at the First Baptist Church and PEGGY had asked me if I would meet her after the service and walk her back to Barbara's house. My father was not aware that I was out of the yard, much less six or seven blocks away waiting on my girlfriend to exit the church.

To bring you up to date on one little segment of this story, I was not the most studious classmate that exited Ballinger High School and my parents put a curfew, if you will, on me going somewhere on school nights. You guessed it, this particular night was a school night.

The revival lasted longer than I anticipated and I knew that I was going to be in deep trouble, just didn't know how bad. To make this a shorter story, when I did finally return my father was still on the front porch waiting for me to show up. I could hear him breathing hard as I passed through those Junipers and that was when he came to life with some choice words and planted a number ten shoe right in the appropriate place to make an impression. Lots of memories in that house on 9th Street. Even remember the phone number. (8191) Maybe someday I will tell you some stories about our hardware store that we had in the early 50s. Love your Blog.” ~ MIKE FOY

The following was sent by CHARLES FIKES:

“I was thinking of something to help IRENE in someway as she goes through some tough times. I thought of the following that happened just a couple of weeks ago.

My youngest granddaughter, Katelyn (four), was staying with her grandmother when the following happened. Grandmother was trying to get her CD player to work and was getting frustrated because it would not cooperate. Katelyn, seeing this, said to her Grandmother, ’Come and let's pray about it.’ They bowed their heads and Katelyn said the following prayer, ‘I wish I may I wish I might have this wish I wish tonight. Dear God, let Grandmother fix her CD player.’ Sure enough, Grandmother got the CD player to work shortly thereafter.

So, if God will answer a simple prayer from a four year old, surely he will answer ours and heal IRENE. Our prayers will be with IRENE during this difficult time.”~ CHARLES FIKES

I have spoken with IRENE's daughter Amy at least once a day since the surgery. I don't think any of us really understand the complexity of the surgery IRENE had, nor the difficult recovery she is going through. At first, she was extremely anxious when awaking in ICU with so many tubes running in and out of her. At one point her pulse was so fast that the Resident thought she might have had a mild heart attack. Thank goodness, that was not the case.

Due to the length (11 hours) and difficulty of her surgery, the swelling prohibits her from speaking, swallowing, or breathing through her mouth or nose. She's assisted by a temporary tracheotomy. She is communicating with Amy by way of a dry eraser board and markers.

Yesterday, Amy said IRENE was frustrated at not being able to speak, and was a little irritable. Well, yah! I can certainly understand. The frustration and anger is a good sign to me. I know she is going to fight the good fight. I also know the prayers and good thoughts we are sending are helping, as Amy said she is resting better today, and not so anxious.

Today I talked to JERRY DAVIS, who was upbeat and mischievous and fun to talk to as ever. That is a sure sign that he is recovering. He's still taking the radiation treatments, but the last one will be August 7th. Let's keep a picture in our minds of his lungs being completely clear and healthy.

Oh, yes, I AM getting a few more gray hairs now. The events of the past year, even the past six months are beginning to show! I'm ready to hear more GOOD STUFF! Send me your stories.

Marilyn

P.S.
If you have missed some of the blogs and would like to read the older ones, go to the "Archive" box on the left side of the blog post. Click on it and it will give you the dates. I believe they save them by week. Anyway, click on a time period and it will show the blog posts from that time. You can also click on any of the web "albums", and it will take you to the web and show the photos with titles.

LOVE IS ALL AROUND US...

PART I

This post will be in two parts. First, I want to put in some of the recent feedback on the photos posted on previous blogs. Maybe if I put the addresses on the pictures, it would jog someone's memory. Reckon? I received the following from MIKE FOY, right before JIMMY COWLISHAW identified one house as his. Even though MIKE was wrong about JIMMY's house, his response was so interesting I thought I should include it:"I was born September 5th, 1938 in the old hospital that used to be on the hill overlooking the Coleman highway. Spent all of my years growing up in Ballinger and enjoyed every minute of it. I don't think that I realized how much I did enjoy it until my parents both died and I don't really have anything special to come back for except for reunions. I was amused at the pictures of houses in Ballinger and the people who probably did not know where they belonged in the history books of our class. The picture I believe that no one could figure out who grew up in was the old AMARINE place on 8th street. The person mentioned that lived in that house with the AMARINE family was your ex. Can you imagine how crowded that must have been? They only had one bathroom and besides the twins living there, they had an older sister and older brother that grew up in that house. Hope I'm right. Sure looks like the AMARINE place. BOBBY and I used to back his mom and dad's Dodge back and forth in the backyard practicing how to back. Good old days. Thank you for the information on Irene. Love all of you and hope everything goes well with all. To answer the question you posed, no, I had by-pass surgery in '98 and stents in 2003. Thanks for asking. Keep up the good work on the Blog." Mike

Of course, I had to tell MIKE he was wrong. The duplex that the AMARINES and BOBBY BURTON lived in burned down years ago, according to JANICE. Now this from VIRGINIA HARRAL EGAN (by the way, VIRGINIA, we were sorry to hear that Mike injured his back, and we really missed having you with us to visit with SUSAN.):
"I think the first house on the blog dated June 27 is the house I lived in from 1941 to1958. It was located at 1001 10th St. I am having to use my imagination, because there was a big porch across the front of the house. I spent many happy hours making mud pies and playing jacks on that porch. Sharon Cook Dankworth lived across the street, and JUNE HASH CURRY lived on the other end of the block. I have very pleasant memories of walks home after school with JUNE.I do remember the rationing that JIMMY talked about during the war. Our parents made it look easy to deal with those hardships. I'm not sure that today's society would be able to cope as well if confronted with these sacrifices. I have always felt very blessed to grow up in a little town in West Texas." Virginia

Yes, VIRGINIA, there really is a Santa Claus, and you qualify for a surprise present from him for correctly guessing the photo of your former home!

Now, there are still two "old homeplace photos" unidentified. Before I put any more of those on, here are the addresses of the two unidentified photos: 400 Largent and 901 9th Street. Did you live there??


Recently, JAMES HAYS emailed me that he is now Brown County's "Health Authority". I wrote back and asked him just what exactly is a Health Authority? Here is his answer:

"In this case, it is a joint city/county health department, can be either or a combination of governmental entities, and a physician is designated to advise and give medical direction to the health department nurse, sanitation inspector, etc. in regards to public health issues -- most recently the notorious St Paul strain of salmonella or whatever pops up. I suppose I could go to a restaurant and count cockroaches. The salmonella thing is mostly copy for an otherwise ignorant and bored media. It reminds me of the story of the government form that asked 'how many employees do you have broken down by sex?' to which the respondent answered 'actually booze is a bigger problem here'.

Re: TERRY'S UFO, while about 14 years old, I read PROJECT BLUE BOOK by Edward Ruppelt, who had collected UFO reports for the Air Force and wrote the book after leaving the service. Very interesting and I have been looking unsuccessfully for a UFO since. I don't discount some of the reports, but keep an open mind. As a semi-trained aircraft accident investigator/aviation medical examiner I was informed that pilots, cops, and military folks make the most reliable reporters of accidents and aerial phenomena. Many pilots and others do not report such sightings until it no longer adversely affects their careers.

Cheers, Salud!, and Here's to You," James

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PART II (This is where the "love" comes in!)

Have you ever been around what I call an “energy vampire”? You know, someone who, when they enter the room, seems to suck all the energy out of the room, leaving it flat and cold and loveless? I’ll bet you have. If so, then you also know when life seems to abound with loving energy. All kinds of love. That is what I have experienced lately. Sometimes it leaves me in awe.

Familial love… The only child who sleeps all night in a chair beside her mother’s hospital bed. Who drives many miles for hours to and from far-off medical appointments for that parent; anguishes when both parents are having health problems at the same time and she cannot be in two places at once. One who puts her own life on hold to be there for the parents she loves.

Agape or altruistic love… The person who sees a need for a young person – not related -- to realize a dream they could never realize without financial and physical assistance; and steps up to the plate to give not only money, but a huge chunk of their time to help.

The love of friendship… So many examples! Prayers, warm wishes, cards, emails, and telephone calls for those of our friends and former classmates facing health challenges. Whether one is the giver or the recipient of any of these, love just spills over.

The ailing friend who sorts and prepares photographs to send to former classmates before her surgery. 

The friend who takes time to drop by a nursing home to help a childhood neighbor celebrate their 100th birthday; who shares an abundant, home-cooked meal or tomatoes from their garden with someone who lives alone.

All of the above is about some of our former classmates. You know who you are -- or who has expressed one or more of these ways of love to you.

The circle of friendship drawing in old friends and making them fresh and new again… I had the pleasure of experiencing that yesterday, as did some who came to visit with us and exchange some of that loving energy while SUSAN (HERRING) STAHL and her wonderful husband Sid drove to Ballinger to reminisce. 

And last, but never the least, romantic love… It was so evident that SUSAN and her husband of 30 plus years are very much in love. The kind and gentle way they spoke to one another. I believe the love and caring were very obvious to all of us in their presence. 

Perhaps I should mention here the love of precious animals. So many of us have loving pets that delight and amuse and even comfort us. Even the stray kittens I started feeding (and naming) provide me with so much pleasure, and assure me that although I am living alone in the world, I am very important and loved by them!

Too often, we are so caught up with the negativity in life that we fail to recognize all these little instances of love. All of us can think of the many times love is all around us, stop a moment, and feel the sheer pleasure of being a participant in the expression of love. Our love or someone else’s. It’s all the same. And it does make the world go ‘round!

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As some of you know, SUSAN HERRING STAHL and her husband Sid decided to swing by Ballinger after visiting with her sisters Lynn and Ellen over this past weekend. Some of us met them for lunch at the Main Street Sandwich Shop in beautiful downtown Ballinger. Sarah Chandler (Class of '58 and a cheerleader in high school with Susan) stopped by and joined us at lunch, also.
(Nancy, Sarah, and Susan at right)
(Sid Stahl and James Hays below)

Afterwards, we came to my house for more fun conversation. SUSAN and JAMES were neighbors for a time in their childhood, and SUSAN shared some funny stories about growing up here. One of the funniest stories was about how she and her sisters always loved it when a next door neighbor went on a rampage. It was summertime and there was no air conditioning at the time, so all their windows were open. When the man next door got angry, he shouted obscenities. When he started that, SUSAN's mother would quickly hustle all three girls to the movies!

Marilyn and Susan

We had some good laughs listening to James tell two Halloween stories. One was during their childhood, and the other was his version of the 1955 Halloween Pickup Chase. I am practicing using the video portion of my camera to capture some of these moments to share with you all on the blog. This time, the videos were too dark, and frankly, pretty amateurish. I'll work on that!

Glenn Smith and Susan

Susan's husband Sid told of his recent, ongoing difficulties getting passports in order for them to take their granddaughter on a cruise. The new Homeland Security rules border on the absurd at times! (For the most part, we realize the necessity for some restrictions, however, this is a twelve year old girl we're talking about!)

The next time a classmate comes to town, you really must try to join us. Such fun. Anyone else who wishes to be host or hostess is welcome to offer their home. Between emails for some and telephone calls by my trusty assistant, NANCY THOMPSON BAKER, we tried to let everyone in the area know about SUSAN's visit.
That ought to be enough for this time around. Until next time, y'all come and share the "good stuff" with us!

Marilyn

Marilyn Moragne and Susan Herring Stahl

4TH OF JULY

This morning on the CBS Early Show, they did a segment on the UFO Festival in Roswell, NM. This reminded me of a story TERRY COTHRAN told me shortly after the 2000 All-School Reunion. I emailed him and asked if he would write about it for the blog. This was his reply:

“Okay, you asked about the UFO story. I have never talked about this incident very much, except to a select group of people. I don't want people to think that I am crazier than they already think I am. To get the complete story, I have to go back to the winter of 1990.

After I retired, I moved to the mountain community of Big Bear, California. It was an especially cold winter that year and in March it snowed so much that I actually got snowed in. All of the roads were closed coming in and going out of town. After about 4 days of being cooped up in my house, I heard on the radio that Highway 118 going south out of Big Bear was open all the way to Barstow. I packed some clothes and jumped into my 4-wheel drive truck and headed to Lake Havasu City, where I had friends and family, and the weather is always warm and sunny.

I was glad to see that my old friend Richard, who also lived in Big Bear, was home at his Lake Havasu house where he hung out during the winter. I was invited to spend the night and stay as long as I wanted to get away from Big Bear for a while.

It was the first weekend in March, on a Friday night. I was standing in the front yard at Richard's house the first evening that I was in town. The sky is always clear with all of the stars glistening as there are no street lights in that part of town. No one was outside with me at the time. As I stood there, I noticed something very large moving in the sky above the roofline and just beyond the house. At first I thought it was an airplane. Then I realized that the object was too low to be an airplane and too big. There were no running lights of any kind and no wings. The craft made no sound whatsoever as a plane would if it were gliding through the air. It was close enough to me that I could see that it had windows and it was lit up inside. Bear in mind that this object was only in my sight for a very few seconds but I could plainly see through the windows (it was that close) and there was what I would describe as human appearing forms to be seen plainly through the windows. I would have to describe the shape of the craft as either cigar shaped or possibly saucer like, depending on the angle that I was viewing it. There was NO noise from this craft and as quickly as it had quietly appeared, it went out of sight in a second.

I ran into the house where Richard and other guests were seated in quiet conversation. I excitedly told them all what I had just seen, and Richard told me I could not have another beer for an hour. I tried to explain that I was on my first beer and I was not hallucinating. They all had a good laugh and went back to their original conversations.

It was then that I decided not to talk about this incident in mixed company. 

Okay, here comes the weird part. I had some other friends (Don and Anita Herman) who also had a house in California and a retirement home in Lake Havasu City that they were building where they came on weekends before they retired. I knew Don from California, as we were both motorcycle cops out there. About 2 years after my sighting of the UFO, I happened to be at Don and Anita's house just sitting around talking about things in general. Somehow the conversation got around to UFOs. Anita said that she had seen one. It seems that the first weekend in March on a Friday night, Don and Anita were on their way to Lake Havasu for the weekend. They were traveling eastbound on Interstate 40 somewhere west of Needles, California, about 50 miles from Lake Havasu City. Anita said she saw something strange in the sky hovering above the interstate. The object she saw was described by her as a cigar shaped object without wings or lights except windows with a lighted interior. She also said it disappeared in a second. I had never mentioned to her or Don about my experience with the same object on the same night until then.

That was my only encounter with anything I would consider "not of this world". After my experience I cannot dismiss the idea of UFOs or possible beings from another "place ".  Believe it or not.

I am staying here in Prescott for the 4th. I will probably go to the rodeo tomorrow and to the parade. Prescott boasts of the oldest continuing rodeo in the United States (1883) even though Pecos, Texas claims the same thing.?” TER

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I think seeing pictures of BiILL KING and GLENN SMITH on their motorcycles in the class handbook must have made TER nostalgic. He went out and bought this Harley Super Glide Custom 002.

I also asked TER about the fires burning in northern Arizona. This is what he said about that:

"The present fire that is anywhere close (to me) is south of Prescott, in the Crown King Mountain area in the Prescott National Forest. Not really a threat to me unless the winds come up in a northerly direction and it would have to come north through the Prescott proper area to get to me. Robin would be in more danger from this fire than I am. But with fire and wind you can never be sure. They are predicting thunderstorms tonight and tomorrow night in the area which would really help the entire region."

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Those of you who have viewed the photos of the old homeplaces might be interested in this little tidbit. On the blog post of June 18th "Snips and Snaps", House # 1 has been identified! I got the following tale from JIMMY COWLISHAW this week:

"The house you show, white roof, porch columns, with the left side addition was the one I grew up in. Located at 515 12th Street. The little addition was put on in about 1946 and was a bath approximately 5 ft wide and11 ft long. Served us well, as we didn't have to take baths in (tin) tubs and use the outhouse. We now have larger closets than that room was, and with 2 adults, 5 kids.. (can you believe the wait?) Last time I was in Ballinger I went by and it was still there. In the back was a little house that Mother used as a wash room, because there were only two bedrooms, kitchen, and living room. 4 girls and a grandmother, my brother, and I slept there. CHARLES FIKES and family lived next door at 513 12th Street.

We had to have a large garden to feed all the clan, but managed to give produce to neighbors in season. Had a milk cow - lots of fresh milk, churned butter, and milk clabber with cornbread. The war caused rationing on items like sugar, gas, rubber tires, and leather goods. Several other items were on the list. I'm sure that other classmates had the same hard times.

By the way, Mother would not let Dad take down the outhouse ('we might need it again'). When I returned on leave from the service in about 1960, Dad and I removed it when she went to town one afternoon.

And yes, GOOD THINGS DO HAPPEN. We are blessed to live in these times of plenty, and I'm also convinced that I take them for granted.

Well, thanks for the times to reflect. Have a good life." JIM

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I was blessed with more feedback from classmates this week than ever before. I'll post them in a day or two. MIKE FOY and JERRY EOFF have both sent me information. (Thanks, guys!) By the way, MIKE, you need to look at the house pictures from the last blog post! No one has identified either of them. Therefore, I'm only going to post one picture this time. Remember, these probably don't look quite the same as they did 50 years or so ago! Did YOU live here?

JERRY DAVIS is moving right along with the radiation treatments. I'll bet that is getting old, and he probably could use some diversion -- like maybe some funny cards, visits, or phone calls. Of course, we know we need to keep the prayers going.

The same goes for IRENE PIEL BATTS. She's gone through a lot of painful procedures lately, and hasn't even had the major surgeries. There will be two big ones on the same day -- July 23rd, in San Antonio. 

I also would like everyone to be sending lots of positive thoughts and prayers for JUNE HASH CURRY. As you know, she missed the 50th Class Reunion to have back surgery. Now she is having some symptoms that may indicate more surgery. She has been a wonderful, positive support for many in our class with health issues in recent weeks. Now it's her turn to get some of that loving energy sent back to her!

Wow! This is so long! Most of you probably will need a nap in the middle of reading it! I'll shorten the next one. In the meantime, I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July. We truly are blessed to be living in this great United States of America.

GOOD STUFF still happens here.

Marilyn