Monday, March 30, 2009

SWAN SONG (Maybe)

I always knew this day might come, I just did not know when. When I started this blog in October 2007, I knew nothing about blogs -- or how they were put together. I didn't know if I could do one, and even if I did, if anyone would read it! I've learned a lot in a year and a half about blogging, photography, videos, and my computer! Maybe that was the real purpose for my doing this. I enjoyed working on the biographical handbook for the 50th Class Reunion. Then I enjoyed the reunion itself, but it just wasn't long enough to visit with everyone. I thought a blog would be a good way to keep us all connected and share the camaraderie I felt with all of you who contributed to the handbook.

I have had a great time playing with this blog, but I have to admit how disappointed I've been that very few have appeared to have read the blog... and even fewer have contributed. There are 39 email addresses that this goes out to, and on a regular basis I hear from only a dozen or less. Even fewer contribute anything to put on the blog. I am extremely grateful for those of you who have continued to send me encouragement and praise. I would have been willing to try most anything you all had suggested you would like to see or read on what I liked to call "our" blog. Instead, I find it more and more difficult to put meaningful items here, and it seems to end up being more of my "personal" blog.

Thus, the photo of the swan with her "babies". Once this blog is finished, I intend to start a more personal one. I think my family and old friends read this one more than the classmates do, anyway. The babies represent my new endeavors in the future.

I have a couple of items to put here that may interest all of you. The first is from one of my faithful followers/contributors, JAMES HAYS. He wrote:

"After eight months of a partial restoration by Harold Stieber and myself, the critical gust load tolerance turned out to be one mph faster than this afternoon! Bounced around like a BB in a boxcar, but stayed controllable throughout test flight. Looking forward to several more hours of fun flying out of the bird"...JAMES

Now, if you are like me, most of you will not understand what on earth he is talking about...with the exception of the other pilots in the class like JERRY EOFF, BOB BURTON, and GLENN SMITH. However, you will all get a big kick out of seeing JAMES in his newly restored toy.


This is called a Pietenpol. And I have to say, it doesn't look too safe to me!! No offense, JAMES, I just never would have the nerve to go up in anything like this! That's why they invented "jets"!

I can't tell if that's a "V" for Victory, a peace sign, or if James is offering up some kind of prayer before taking off!

It is nice to see men of our age engaging in such good hobbies. Too many have given up "living" and seem just to sit by the television.

Here's a shot proving that this thing really can fly!


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For some reason, JERRI (PIEL) STEEL and her husband, Sam, have not been getting the notices sent when there was a blog update. This is unfortunate, because I feel that JERRI would have been a good correspondent and would have contributed some really "good stuff"! Her husband recently sent me the following:

"This is the Rosemary that is closest to the house. JERRI is holding a tape measure across the plant to show the width. It is blooming and the bees are visiting it. The milk bottle on the ground below the tape is for the orphan Barbado lamb that we are raising on the bottle. The plant behind JERRI is a rose bush."

That is an incredible bush...and I would love to have that in my yard to cook with! I love chicken breasts cooked with rosemary! Your place is beautiful!









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I have always believed that there is a Divine Order to things that happen in our lives. I just don't believe in coincidences. When I moved back to Ballinger in 2005, I could not give anyone a really good reason "why". I told myself I just wanted to live in a small town again, particularly one that held so many good memories. Having two of my best friends from high school living here seemed a good reason, too. I also thought it would be a cheaper place to live on my limited Social Security income. WRONG!

As February, 2007 rolled around and JAMES HAYS held a meeting to discuss the upcoming 50th Class Reunion, I began to see a purpose in my moving back here after all these years. I don't think I really knew what I was doing when I offered to attempt the handbook. I just felt compelled to do it. Same way with the blog. Until recently, that is.

I had a wonderful opportunity offered to me last fall by a dear friend and her husband. She and I go back almost 50 years, having met when my oldest and her two children were just wee ones. I met her right here in Ballinger, when I moved home after my divorce. Jane and Joe visited me last fall, and not long afterward, they called to tell me they wanted to buy a little house for me to live in where they live. It would be a long-term investment for them, and they will rent the house to me for the same low rent I pay here for a much smaller, older home.

The added bonus is that I will be only 45 minutes from my younger son and my two youngest grandchildren!
Ballinger is so "off the beaten path", that it is not on the way to anywhere! One has to make a special trip to visit here. It's difficult, particularly for my daughter in Amarillo to visit, as the plane trip has to go via Dallas, layovers, etc. and she doesn't drive long distances alone. She gets road hypnosis.

I feel that once I move to the Austin area, I may see more of all three kids and their families. I'll be in the heart of the Hill Country... surrounded by wonderful lakes and things to do! Not to mention, I'll have the companionship of my dear friend and her husband. They are so energetic, positive, and enthusiastic about life. Lots of fun to be around and do things with. (She and I and her daughter and her friend from junior high school went on a cruise together a few years back! ) She and I have shared a lot of the same experiences and heartaches through the years. She's an example of a little plaque I used to hang that stated, "A friend is someone who knows all about you and loves you just the same." And they don't ever seem to mind my not having a "partner". I don't feel like a fifth wheel around them.
Of course, I may have to be careful that they do not try some "matchmaking"!

Like my compelling move to Ballinger, I have a feeling there is some kind of "mission" awaiting me at my next location!

At first, I thought I might continue the blog, as it really doesn't matter where I live, if folks are sending me things to place on it. However, that is not the case, and I won't be around to invite out-of-towners over, go to funerals, take pictures, etc. I would love to see this continue. Perhaps if someone out there feels they would like to take it over, maybe people will contribute to that "someone" who is better known. I have already deleted most of the personal items, like family photos, etc., and Google Blogger makes it easy for more than one person to author a blog. I can put your email address on and you can start when you're ready. Just let me know. I know there must be someone out there bored, who would like to do this!

I will be starting to pack and be pretty busy before long, as I will move the first part of June. If anyone has something special they would like to share with the class before I quit publishing, let me know. Otherwise, this will be the last blog post.

Before I close, this is what my house looked like Saturday night for Earth Hour. The kerosene lamp on the dining room table was my great-grandmother's. I read for about 45 minutes, then took a long soaking bath by candlelight. Later I heard that 4,000 cities participated in Earth Hour this year to help raise awareness about global warming and the need to diminish each of our footprints upon the earth. I hope some of you did, too. I know that JUNE HASH CURRY did!


I don't know how to say "goodbye" in Swan-speak, so I'll just say a heartfelt thanks to all of you who helped make this fun for me... you know who you are. You kept it alive this long!

May each of your lives be filled with all kinds of "good stuff"...

Love and peace,
Marilyn

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

TRAVELIN' MAN

TAIPEI, TAIWAN

GLENN SMITH RECENTLY SENT THE FOLLOWING:

I got back last week from Taipei, Taiwan. I went to have two Chinese paintings evaluated by the staff at the National Palace Museum of Art in Taipei before having one of the large auction houses such as Sotheby’s or Christie’s sell them for me. The museum is said to have the largest holding of Chinese classical paintings in existence.


The two paintings were given to me fifteen years ago by a Chinese doctoral student who was in the States working on a degree in the department of which I was chairperson. He was desperate to get his four-year-old daughter to the States. His brother stood in line for 26 hours to get a visa for her, but was refused the visa and treated rudely by U.S. Embassy personnel. I called the ambassador in Beijing and his aide told me, ‘Oh, we didn't know anyone in the States was interested in this case.’ He gave specific instructions to be passed on to the brother in China. The brother followed the instructions and did not have to stand in line again. He got the visa in a few minutes and the little girl was on her way two days later.


The paintings I have are part of a few saved from destruction in 1968 when the Red Guard was rampaging through China getting rid of Confucian traditions. Out of 6,000+ art museums, it is said that 4,000+ were completely or partly destroyed. More than 100,000 works of art were burned or hammered to pieces. Some paintings made their ways to Taiwan where they now are in the National Palace Museum. Others may still be hidden in private collections in China elsewhere.


There is a wrinkle—or maybe only a potential one. MARILYN sent me a CNN clipping from a few days ago saying that the Chinese government is raising an uproar at Christie's auction house over the sale of two nineteenth century sculptures that were removed from the Summer Palace in Beijing in 1860 by British and French troops. The Chinese government demanded they be returned, but Christie's sold them in Paris for nearly $18 million each. A lot of outrage is being expressed at the moment in China about this. I sympathize with the government's position about art stolen by foreign troops. On the other hand, the paintings I have were not wanted by the government. I learned nothing new about my paintings from the National Palace Museum, but have written to Sotheby's in Hong Kong to see if they will auction them. I haven't heard back from them as of this moment.


I've been to Beijing and Shanghai previously, but it was my first time in Taiwan. I like Taipei. It's big and modern but not noisy for a city. Despite urban traffic, no horns honk, few sirens sound, and people are courteous and smile a lot. Prices are about the same as in Abilene. I stayed in a hostel (named Eight Elephants) with a number of friendly, hip acting, 18- to 35- year-olds. In restaurants and bars every young person has a camera or cell phone, mostly held at arm’s length for self portraits. Many people speak some English, and they are generous about translating in stores and on the sidewalk. A woman named Nina introduced herself at a coffee shop near the hostel. She called cabs for me, and helped me exchange money into New Taiwan Dollars (NT's). She has visited the pyramids, the Taj Mahal, Istanbul, and several other places. Her current goal is to go to Machu Picchu in Peru. I've been there a couple of times, so we talked travel when I stopped for a breakfast sandwich each morning.


The part of Asia that I saw looks prosperous. They say they feel the worldwide recession (depression?), but I saw no beggars and felt no threat of crime. Stores were clean, well lighted, and looked prosperous. 7/11 stores are ubiquitous. And Narita Airport in Tokyo sparkles and dazzles. Makes LAX look shabby by comparison. -- More to come.”…GLENN


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I've received some welcome news from WALTER and Diana (BHS '64) THOMAS. Remember, their son Greg had the rare Whipple surgery last fall. Here's what Diana had to say:


"We went to see Greg last weekend. He is taking chemo every two weeks, just to make sure they have killed all the cancer. The chemo will be over sometime in April. He seems to be doing alright with the treatments. He says he feels bad for a few days after the treatment, then starts to feel better. He has lost a lot of weight. He looks as thin as Walter, and weighs 195 pounds. That is down from 220 pounds before the surgery. He went back to work about the middle of January. Except for the chemo treatments, his life is back to normal."


What a miraculous recovery. He's another fortunate one who had lots of prayer groups praying for him. I'm so happy for WALTER'S family!


(Greg Thomas in photo on right)


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PEGGY BRANHAM KRUMLINDE has a new email address. You might wish to write this in the back of your handbook: paknm@msn.com

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By now you all have received the email I sent out telling you about DOROTHY BISHOP ROGERS' sad loss of two sisters on the same day. Some of our classmates showed their support for her at the visitation and funeral service of one of them, Helen Hovorak, this past Sunday and Monday. DOTTIE seemed to be cheered by seeing and visiting with us. DOTTIE looked as beautiful as she did in high school, with the only obvious difference being the silver in her hair. Her husband Grady is a warm and friendly man who made me feel as though I have known him forever, just by sharing a few brief words with him. A good match for our outgoing DOTTIE.

(DOTTIE and Grady ROGERS at left)

Among the many who were there at Lange's Funeral Home were classmates JANICE AMARINE, DON SIMMONS, NANCY THOMPSON BAKER, GLENN SMITH, Morris Sweeney, and David and Amy Batts filling in for IRENE PIEL BATTS. I asked DOTTIE if she minded my taking photos as I had not seen her since 1956, and I felt that others may not have seen her in a long while either.

Mr. Sweeney sat for awhile with me and DON SIMMONS, regaling us with stories. The two of them
got to talking about how bad the water is here in Ballinger. Morris said he had been to seven (7) funerals from last Wednesday through Sunday, with another one lined up for Gene Keel. You all remember Gene, I'm sure. Many of you worked for his drugstore, which is still in operation today. Anyway, our consensus was a worry that the chemicals in the water here might be causing a lot of the deaths....especially the ones from cancer. DON and I both said we buy the RO (reverse osmosis) water to drink and cook with. Sweeney said that probably doesn't do any good. DON and I both said, "Well, what are we supposed to drink??" Sweeney had a snappy comeback (especially for a Baptist Sunday School teacher!), "Beer!" DON and I both agreed that wasn't a viable option. You know, "been there, done that!" We moved on to other subjects, but I was left hoping my former science teacher was wrong about the chemistry of the water!

DOTTIE had a story to tell Mr. Sweeney about not having taken any Biology courses in high school. "That's nothing, I didn't have any either!" he responded. Sweeney taught Biology many years before the government made him quit because he wasn't certified to teach it!

NANCY THOMPSON BAKER wasn't around for long, as she has an ailing husband at home. Raising four children, with a husband on the road a lot, prepared her for being his nurse in recent years! NANCY has so much experience as a caregiver, she should have made a career of nursing. But, then, maybe she has!

GLENN SMITH was kind enough to take DOTTIE and me to dinner after the visitation, where we tried to catch up on too many years in too short a time -- and eat, too! DOTTIE, you will have to come back on a happier occasion so we can share a REAL visit. Again, we offer condolences for your loss. From what I heard about Helen, she would have been a delight to know, as are you.

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Just a reminder... If you would like to see any of the photos enlarged, just doubleclick with your mouse on the picture you want to see. If you do that on the slideshows to the left, it will take you to the web album and you will see captions with names underneath each photo. If you wish to comment on the blog, just click on "Comments" at the end of this article. A box will open for you to type your comment in. I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, be ready for "good stuff" to happen in your life. After all, spring is almost here.

Peace and love,
Marilyn

Sunday, February 22, 2009

FAMILY PRIDE

LSU A CAPPELLA CHOIR FEBRUARY 19, 2009
I started this blog last Sunday, the 22nd, when I returned from spending four days visiting family in Mineral Wells (my dad), Dallas (my son Craig and his children, Cameron and Hannah), and Plano, where I attended the concert in the above video (and spent the next day with my sister, Jean). It was at a beautiful Methodist Church in Plano, Texas. The concert was an "Evening of Music", beginning with high school choirs from around the Metroplex, and highlighted by the performance of the renowned Louisiana State University A Cappella Choir. (Cameron is second from the top, on the left end.) If you wish to hear this brief video, you might want to click the pause button on the musical Playlist to the left of the blog, then click on the arrow to start the video. The video lasts only 53 seconds. To quote from the musical program, "The chorus is chosen each year from the LSU student population... Members of the choir have been named Rhodes and Fulbright Scholars as well as twice winning the national Met auditions. Graduates hold teaching positions representing all levels of education in twenty-two different states and two foreign countries. In addition, many are now performing with major opera companies throughout the world including the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Opera, Vienna Staatoper, LaScala, Munich, Antwerp, Paris Opera, the Chicago Lyric, and the Houston Opera as well as studying in prestigious graduate programs throughout the United States." Our family is extremely proud that my grandson, Cameron Young, (grandson of the late Ray Young, BHS Class of '54) was one of only three Freshmen to be chosen to sing in this choir. The choir toured portions of Texas last week performing in the Houston, Ft. Worth, and Dallas areas.
Cameron Young and friend Sarah *****************************************************
BARBARA SHARPES BROOKS attended the wedding of her granddaughter in December. She recently sent the following, along with the photo of the wedding party." This is almost our whole family (only two missing). The wedding date was December 20th, and of course, it was beautiful. I did dance a waltz with my oldest son. I was really impressed with everything. Our daughter did it all. Then a week later her son got married, but we were home and didn't attend. Anyway we have had an exciting start to the new year.
The back row is Tom, me, my daughter Cindi, her daughter Jeniffer and new husband Gabe, and my son-in-law K.W. On the left side is my youngest son Tom, Jr. and his wife Mayra and their two girls, Ariana and Isabella. On the right side is my oldest son Marshal and his wife Judy and their two sons, Marshal Jr. and Aaron."...BARB BARBARA, except for the silver hair, you look as young as your daughter!
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BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN
Santa Fe Trail Ride 2009
PEGGY VIRDEN SHARP belied any evidence of having had heart surgery in 2007 by riding horseback in the recent Santa Fe Trail Ride, from Abilene to San Angelo, to kick off the parade and the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo that ends with performances this week. She spent two days and three nights on the Ride, along with her son Shayne Bomar, who also rode. (Photo on right.) Her great-niece Ashley Virden, (photo on left) age 11, was crowned Queen of the Trail Ride, and appeared briefly on Channel 8 when she was interviewed . PEGGY remains a role model for all us "senior" women! She never ceases to amaze me with her vitality and daring. At a recent medical checkup, her blood pressure was normal for the first time in 43 years! Talk about getting younger as you age! ("Benjamin Button")
By the way, PEGGY'S grandson, Tyce Green, who lives in Houston and attends a performing arts high school, was called back for a third audition this Saturday at Ithaca College School of Music in upstate New York. He also auditioned for NYU in New York City. He will receive a scholarship if accepted at either of these. I heard him sing Christmas Eve 2007, and next to my grandson (just kidding, PEGGY), he will be one of the most famous singers in years to come. Of course, Tyce is opting for a career in musical theater, and Cameron is preparing for a career in opera, so the chances they might compete someday are slim.
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IRENE PIEL BATTS had a recent checkup with the plastic surgeon in San Antonio. She is healing and doing extremely well from all the surgery. Darlene Smith (JIMMIE SMITH '57) recently retired as Runnels County Auditor and decided to move to Abilene. GLENN SMITH just returned from Taipei, Taiwan. Yes, Taiwan! He promises to write a synopsis of his trip for the blog. Next on his agenda may be Hong Kong! Want to share some of your family photos or recent experiences? Just send them to me -- or drop them off. We'd all like to hear about your "good stuff", too. 'Til next time... Peace and Love, Marilyn

Thursday, February 12, 2009

THE AGE OF AQUARIUS, VALENTINE'S DAY, AND MORE


"When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets

And love will steer the stars"...Age of Aquarius

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“(Astrologers) are excited because February 14th the Moon is in the 'seventh house' and Jupiter aligns with Mars. That's just like in the song from the Sixties' musical Hair about the 'dawning of the Age of Aquarius!' Some are so inspired, they are inviting people all around the world to start their day with a Valentine's meditation for peace, wisdom and understanding. I'm with them!”...Jonathan Cainer

How very appropriate that the "dawning of the Age of Aquarius" begins on Valentine's Day! Where are my love beads? After all, my son called me his "hippie mom". I really do intend to start my day with a meditation for peace. Can't hurt.

As it is Valentine's Day week, let's start with congratulations to those couples we know who are celebrating wedding anniversaries. IRENE PIEL BATTS and husband David celebrated their 47th on the 10th, and VIRGINIA HARRAL EGAN and husband Mike are celebrating number 51 on the 14th. My good friends, Jane and Joe Bush, are celebrating 27 years of wedded bliss today, and my sister Jean and her husband Mike Hill are also celebrating their anniversary (I forgot which one, Jean ~ sorry!) on the 14th. Photos of loving couples as well as my loving family members are in the slideshow, "Love Is In The Air" to the left of the blog.

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This precious little pair to the right has been visiting my back yard the past week. I guess they know it's Valentine's Day, too, as they have been billing and cooing all over the place. They are known as "Ring-Neck Turtledoves". In doing research on them, I discovered they are native to Africa, but bird breeders have brought them to the U.S. They come in a variety of colors, with the white ones being used by magicians. You know ~ the ones they pull out of a hat? I had a much larger pair take up residence two years back, but they stopped coming. Now these are here... possibly their progeny. Here's another photo of them:


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Speaking of love of another sort, how many of you were affected by what they are calling "The Miracle on The Hudson"? I get chills every time I see the picture of that huge airliner floating on the water, with people standing on the wings. I would love to put that photo on here, too, but I'm afraid I've already pushed my luck using the images I lifted from the Internet! That image is burned into my memory forever, though.

I watched mesmerized as Captain "Sully" alone, and then with his crew, was interviewed over and over. This man is so remarkable. What he said when he was asked by Katie Couric if he had any doubts that he could land that plane, will stay with me always. To paraphrase his remarks, he said, "I knew I could. ..All my life had been a preparation for that moment in time ~ education, training, and experience. I knew this was what I was meant to do."
Wow! Talk about a defining moment, when you know without a doubt why you were sent here! Your mission is so clear to you. I'm nearly 70 years old, and I'm still asking "why am I here"?
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I was thinking of doing a blog for February on "The Bony, Hungry Month", which is what the Cherokee call this month. If we were having to hunt game, and gather roots, nuts, and berries to feed our families, I guess we might call it that, too. However, I much prefer to think of February as the month of love... Romantic love, baby love, family love, and of course love of our planet. Don't forget about the love and peace meditation... And stay away from black cats and ladders tomorrow! You know it's Friday the 13th!

I'm waiting to hear more of the "good stuff" you guys wish to share with us.

'Til next time, here's some of my favorite Biblical verses:
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"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
I Cor. Chap. 13, 4-7
Peace and love,
Marilyn

Saturday, January 24, 2009

TEACHERS, PADDLES, WET PANTS & MORE ~ PART II


EDITOR: Before we get down to the continuing saga of the big guys' conversations, I have a couple of unrelated items also received recently: 
From PAUL MOTA: (Happy Birthday, Paul. It's Sunday, January 25th!)
"This is a story in a different way than the one about school in Ballinger. I wanted to relate a few memories about the house that recently burned on 6th Street. 
My mother and several sisters and brothers grew up in that house. It was moved from another location out in the country and fixed up for her and the other family members to live in. 
I was in the Air Force during most of that time so I mostly came and stayed there while on leave. Although, my family and I did stay there for about six months in 1975 after I retired from the service and before I moved to San Angelo. 
There was a kitchen table there and the breeze came in the open window and it just felt so good and so quiet and peaceful. All the cares of the world were gone while sitting there. Maximum stress relief.
I am sure my other brothers and sisters have much more vivid memories of that house. I am sure one of my daughter’s best memories of that place is how my mother would make her and all of us fresh tortillas and freshly cut french fries when we visited her. Those tortillas and fries are nowhere to be found anymore. 
Just a little story about a place in Ballinger."...PAUL
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From DOROTHY BISHOP ROGERS:
“Not a lot of news from Midland. We had a very quiet holiday both at Thanksgiving and Christmas. We were able to share some good times with our nursing home patients with filled stockings and visits. (They do love their candy!)
My husband Grady has had another round of surgical procedures. As so many fair-skinned young men of our era, he worked on the farm without a hat and sometimes without a shirt; therefore, skin cancer abounds. This round was tumors of the squamous cell carcinoma kind on both ears. They did surgery at Texas Tech last week. One ear had a complete excise at first try, but the left ear was considerably worse. They had to go in three times in order to get all of the tumor. They then cut a wedge out of his ear to pull it back together. 
This took over an hour with two doctors taking turns. Pain and sitting up in his recliner to sleep for a week has not been fun. He laughingly says he now looks like a 'lop-eared' dog, but knows I won't leave him anyway so it's okay. Ha-Ha! He really takes things so well regardless. We can hardly wait for better weather so we can do a little traveling again. He gets cabin fever, but I would cocoon all the time if I could.
I was so glad to hear that Irene is doing so well. It has been a bad year and I know she looks forward to a better 2009. As always, the news is so appreciated. Doesn't June look great?
Until next time.”...DOTTIE
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From JAMES HAYS: “You have brushed some of the cobwebs from my demented brain so I now remember having Mrs. Bridwell in the first grade. I was terrified of her and afraid to not pay attention. I later found out that I was considered an expert little phonics reader and was used to demonstrate to the first graders how to read at the mature age of 7. Mrs. Loika was married to Eugene L. My dad liked her and her family and disapproved of Eugene whom I saw only once or twice. He thought she married below her station. Funny how I remember such trivia. 
Both Grider and I had Bird Legs Louder, of course not her name to her face, named for her spindly legs which fascinated me to no end. She remarried again and changed her name or the last half of it. I remember how terrible I was the last day of school in her 6th grade class. I also remember that year because I developed a crush on IRENE, but was embarrassed because IRENE could outrun me in a foot race. 
In Mrs. Ramsey's class, 7th grade? I would catch wasps on the way to school and pull out their stingers, one of my most enviable talents, and every two or three days, slip the disarmed critters into her desk drawer and watch her scream when she opened the drawer. The janitor spent half of the year trying to find the wasp nest. The room reeked of DDT. Now I wonder why Santa Claus didn’t black-ball me.”….JAMES 
JERRY EOFF says: “I think you might have made Mrs. Ramsey cry." 
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From BILL KING: “I don't really remember Mrs. Dimmer since I went to the first grade at the Blanton school. Sounds a little familiar that Mrs. Bridwell was a teacher also. All I know about her was I never feared anyone more than her. I remember hearing the stories about Mrs. Bridwell's paddle also. I don't remember ever getting the paddle used on me in grade school even though I probably deserved it.
I vaguely remember being in the hallway but don't remember for what reason or who with. Very well could have been you and me. 
You said Miss Loika. Remembering back I thought she was married and was pregnant while we were in the third grade. Do I remember right or have the cobwebs clouded my memory again? I know if she were pregnant at the time she would not have been Miss Loika because she would have been run out of town on a rail. Today it would not be a big deal. I was also so afraid of her that I had the same problem in asking to go to the bathroom and ended up the same way you did. I remember moving around a lot in my desk hoping my jeans would dry because the wet part would really show when I stood up to leave the room. 
Isn't it strange about some of the things we remember? Nice to know you were concerned about me when you found out I had polio. During the time I was told I had polio I never ever had a thought that I would not make it. I guess I never heard anyone say anything about how bad it could be. My parents probably shielded me from that. I don't think I realized how bad it was until I returned home after three weeks in Shannon Hospital and couldn't walk but a short distance even with crutches. A lot of people traded at Beddo's Phillips 66 station and a lot of information changed hands there. I still remember my dad trading there and every time we stopped to fill up with gas I could get a soft drink and possibly a candy bar. Boy was that a treat.”…BILL 
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From GLENN SMITH: “Bill, I think Jerry had Mrs. Bridwell as a teacher for first grade. I never got the paddle either. I think JERRY told me that Mrs. Bridwell was much nicer than our fears of her would suggest. Is that right, JERRY? JERRY, you no doubt remember a lot of details that I have forgotten. I think Miss Dimmer got married not long after the year when some of us were in her class. I don't remember her married name And I don’t know if she kept teaching. 
I'm not certain whether it was Miss or Mrs. Loika--all this time I have remembered it as Miss. I vaguely recall her as young and not pregnant but don't trust my recollection. JAMES, do your remember? Or maybe IRENE recalls. 
In my "wet pants" episode, I ended up in the bathroom sitting on the radiator to dry out. I recall feeling like a criminal on the lam. 
I have two other second grade memories. One was the only fight I remember being in. The other was about the first book I read all the way through. 
The fight: There was a boy whose name I don't remember but who was suddenly always on the playground. He was our age but left Ballinger around the beginning of sixth grade. Every day in second grade he bullied me at recess, including a lot of shoving and insulting remarks. After a few weeks and a torn shirt, I told my mother because, although teachers were not far away, none intervened. 
‘Well,’ she said, ‘I believe I'd tell him that the next time he shoves you, you plan to hit him on his nose. Then, if he does it again, hit him straight on the end of his nose just as hard as you possible can.’ Next day he shoved me. 
‘I am going to hit you on the nose for that’, I said, feeling nearly too scared to get the words out. 
’YOU ARE NOT!’ he yelled as he shoved me again. ‘YOU'RE TOO YELLOW.’ 
I clinched my right fist, planted my feet, and from somewhere found unusual strength and hit him on the nose. As he went over backward into the West Texas dirt, blood spurted all over his face and shirt and pants and the ground. By the time two teachers reached the scene, dirt had caked on the blood. He looked like a war casualty, still screaming with lots of tears. I'm surprised I didn't get a dose of Mrs. Bridwell's famous paddle, but one of the teachers grabbed me by the ear and sat me on a short post with the admonition that "we don't fight on the playground." The other teacher directed the bully to sit on a nearby post. The two teachers then stood not far away and shielded their mouths behind hands and tried not to laugh but they giggled anyway. After about fifteen minutes I was allowed to leave the post but he had to stay seated. He never bothered me again. 
The book: Someone not in our class--maybe a fourth grader--had a biography of the Lone Ranger. The boy wanted to get rid of it, in fact he wanted to give it away. I accepted it because no one else seemed to want it. Took me about a week to read all of it. I had learned to read at the end of first grade. Tonto and the Lone Ranger were much more interesting than "See Spot Run." When I finished it, I took it to recess where an older kid bought it for a quarter. 
Remember the snack store that was at the edge of the elementary school ground? I took the 25 cents there after school and spent it all on an unthinkable amount of wax whistles and drinks and candy and gum. I couldn't hold all of it in my arms and both hands. Shared that with two classmates, but as usual I don't recall who. We three had enough goodies to make us stuffed, almost sick. 
I still think of that as the most satisfying intellectual experience of my life.”…GLENN \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
From IRENE PIEL BATTS: “GLENN, I think I remember that Mrs. Loika was pregnant while we were in elementary school. She was Mrs. Eugene Loika. I believe her maiden name was (Mary Ruth) Duke -- maybe John Duke's aunt. And I think you're correct that Miss Dimmer married. Seems that she married a man in the Bridwell family. Am a bit shaky on this last one, though.”…IRENE 
From GLENN: “Thanks IRENE. I have a hunch that Mrs. Loika was a nicer person than I thought she was. It would be annoying to have someone walk into class late every day. Of course the solution would have been for me to get my father to drop me off at school before going to the creamery with the milk. I did ask him to do that but for some reason it didn’t happen, or it didn’t happen soon enough.” ...GLENN 
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Once more, JERRY EOFF chimed in: “Y'all keep talking about that big paddle but no one has mentioned the fearsome ELECTRIC paddle that was stowed somewhere on the premises.
You guys had bum luck with your teachers I have no tales of fear specific to any of mine. Mrs. Bridwell commanded respect, but I have some good memories there too. 
I didn't have Miss Loika but it seems like it was she in the first grade that came and slapped my hands soundly for drawing swastikas on the planes that I drew getting shot down by American planes. Even a few months after the war was over I thought that was out of line considering they were getting shot down. I don't know why she was even around to do it. 
Miss Morgan was just there. All I remember about it was that her room was on the second floor and the windows faced the main building and blocked the view out. Some of my best education came from looking out the windows. Mrs. Tisdale's room looked out toward the high school and I first learned that the angle of the sun changed shadows on brick walls as the season changed. I learned a lot about building construction out Mrs. Louder's windows while they were building the new Jr. High wing out them. There was a whole world to be seen out study hall windows in high school and with the windows open you could always tell by the smell when the river was flooding. Did I mention that I probably had the lowest grades of any person in history that got into dental school?”...JERRY
BILL KING responds to this: “JERRY, I have remembered the talk about the electric paddle over the past years but it had slipped my mind recently. I wonder if the thought of that paddle ever stopped anyone from pulling some of our stunts? Probably not, since in most cases we acted and then thought about the consequences, if we thought at all, and by that time it was too late.
I also remember being in a classroom and watching them build the new Jr. High wing. It might have been in Mrs. Louder's room also but I can't remember. I was totally fascinated by the construction since I had never seen anything like it before. I remember those construction guys hauling wheel barrows of cement up a narrow plank from the ground to the area being built. I think they were mixing the cement in individual mixers also. Those guys earned their wages.”…BILL
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More from BILL KING: “GLENN, I don't remember anything about your fight but I do remember one kid leaving Ballinger, I think during the time you are talking about. His name was Johnny Cowan but I don't remember him being a bully.
Do any of you remember Dwight Davis that was in our class maybe even in Jr. High? Many years ago I was on a company trip and was changing planes in Dallas Love Field and someone got my attention from an upper level. We remembered each other but were both on a schedule to catch a connecting flight and didn't have time to exchange information.
GLENN, I remember the store across the street from school. We called the street the bus lane. If I remember correctly we call the store "The Stand". It was a very small place and the area we placed our orders was inside of The Stand, but it had a dirt floor. I think the area where the food was prepared had a wood floor. The Stand was operated by people by the name of Green I think. An older couple and their son and maybe another person were always there. You could take a quarter and go to The Stand and get a burger or hot dog with chili, a drink, candy or push-up and be stuffed. After eating in the lunchroom for a while I would get tired of the food and take my lunch money and pig out at The Stand. I would like to hear other stories about The Stand.”…BILL
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More from GLENN: “BILL, I do remember the name Dwight Davis. I have a picture of his face in my mind, but I don't know if I am remembering right. I recall him as a nice person.
The cars on railroad tracks antics sound like things some of us talked about, but I don't remember. I think a doctor drove his car down the Abilene Southern tracks to cross Elm Creek to deliver a baby. Does anyone else in the class recall that story?”…GLENN 
EDITOR'S NOTE: I think RODNEY FLANAGAN was born at home. He told me something about the doctor having to put his car on the railroad tracks to get to their house in the country. It was December, so the bridge may have been iced over. Anyway, RODNEY's dad helped in the delivery. If my memory is fuzzy on this one, please correct me RODNEY. 
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JERRY EOFF said: “I guess I married the whole county! Dwight is another cousin courtesy of Shirley. Shirley's aunt on the Fry side married Foy ‘Buster’ Davis, and Dwight is his nephew. The last load of stuff I brought back from cleaning out the Eighth Street house had his Scout Handbook in it. Not sure why I had it. I see him at the occasional funeral. They moved to Rocksprings from here. Not sure where he lives now. Mary Ellen was Buster's daughter. Someone might remember her from the first grade. I think she is a year older and they moved to Hobbs after our first grade. 
Push-ups were fine inventions. Eugene Green had The Stand. He invited me out for some insubordination that I didn't realize I was committing. Seems like I did that every once in a while including once to Mr. DeShazo (so much for sainthood). Later I did an ID photo for Gene’s application for a job in Abilene. There were also two stands at Jr. High. Mrs. Hamner had one. I don't remember who had the other. One was across Eighth Street from the playground, the other across from the Eighth Street entrance to the new wing. I suppose they were the vending machines of the time."...JERRY
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From BILL KING: “JAMES, I remember Eugene Loika being married to Mrs. Loika. I believe Irene said her name was Mary and that sounds right. I also remember Eugene standing around talking to people on Saturday afternoon and comments about him being a big talker and not much of a worker. I probably heard that from my dad.
I also remember ‘bird legs’ Louder. I don't remember anything about her except what we called her. I had forgotten who we called ‘bird legs’ until you connected the dots for me. (EDITOR’S NOTE: I remember hearing Miss Smith called ‘bird legs’ in high school.)
JAMES, I am glad you brought up the 7th grade teacher Mrs. Ramsey. I could visualize her but couldn't remember her name. I think the whole class was very unkind to her due to her reaction on many things. The wasp thing does sound a little familiar to me. She appeared to not be a very strong or stable person and the worst thing she could have done was be a Jr. High teacher. I remember something about her husband being in very ill health and she had to take care of him so along with dealing with us she probably had a difficult life. As I remember when anything in her class went wrong she would walk around the room crying or go to her desk and put her head down in her hands and cry. She lost control of her class early on and most everyone played on that. With our life lessons learned we would have been more kind today but we were Jr. High kids then.
In Mrs. Ramsey's class I became more aware of what war does. I had five brothers in WWII at the same time but they all came home safely. Then came the Korean War. As many of you probably remember, KENNETH DOTY came from a large family of about 10 children if I recall correctly. We were told one day in Mrs. Ramsey's class KENNETH had lost a brother in Korea and that left an impression on me. I couldn't really grasp what that meant since I had not had to deal with death in my family at that time. That had to have been total hell for KENNETH and his family. If I am not mistaken KENNETH lost another brother in Korea during that same year or soon after. Maybe some of you can add to or correct me on this.”…BILL 
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More from BILL: “JAMES, you touched on the polio again so I just wanted to bring back some more memories. Three in your family had polio during the main epidemic. I just wanted to be first so I started a year ahead of you guys, but my brother was admitted to Shannon eleven months to the day, July 1949, after I was, and he has memories of the staff talking about the possibility of him not making it either. They didn't know he was aware of what was going on. He survived with minor problems.
During the summer of 1949 the epidemic was in full swing. During that time movies, schools, churches, swimming pools and almost any gathering place was closed for a period of time. People even hesitated to shake hands. People were also scared out of their minds. DDT was used without control to kill just about anything and it's a wonder people didn't die from it. People were obsessed with mosquitoes, and fly control and foggers were used to fog out DDT. One type of polio was the bulbar polio that attacks the brainstem that controls breathing, swallowing and other vital functions. For bulbar polio someone could possibly be confined to an ‘iron lung’ to keep them from dying. If power were disrupted to the iron lung, the hospital staff would have to manually pump the respirator to keep the patient alive. One of the iron lungs is now on display in the Fort Concho Hospital building in San Angelo.
JAMES, do you remember Dr. Spencer and the therapist Lanier Bell and a very large black guy that also did physical therapy? I have tried to find out the black guy’s name but can't. They were the best, tough but gentle. I have tried to retrieve information about me and my brother from Shannon archives but none exist. I contacted Dr. Ralph Chase here in San Angelo for assistance and he told me that records during that time most likely were kept in the shirt pockets of the doctors and therapist and were never officially recorded.
A thankful polio survivor.”…BILL
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JAMES responded: “I remember all too well my brush with polio. I was tortured every 4 hours with ice-cold shots of penicillin until it finally broke me out with an allergy to it. After I was free of fever, they sent me to a ward with five other boys and switched the torture to Kinney Packs developed by a nun whom I was convinced at the time she was a demented sadist. I realized later that she was a saint. It worked like this: The physical therapist, I remember Miss Smyth, would pin me down with clever wrestling holds while an assistant kept me from escaping on the other side of the bed which was no great shakes as I was weak as a kitten from the polio, and then from a steaming pressure cooker on wheels they would pull out hot pieces of old army blankets and wrap my arms, legs, and torso nearly scalding me and finally removing them after they ‘cooled’ as much as they could in July in San Angelo. Happy tenth birthday, James. But it worked, and I had little or no residual problems after about 6 months. Grider did well after his first two or three days and my dad had a slight weakness in his shoulder for a few months which recurred when he had a slight stroke 28 years later.
I was in the hospital with a boy from Winters named Buddy Dyess. I found out later he was closely related to Edwin Dyess, an Air Corps pilot who was a one man air force in the early part of World War II, until he got the last P-40 shot out from under him and was captured at the big surrender. He escaped from the Bataan death march and got home just to get killed in an accident stateside. Medal of Honor and Dyess AFB named for him.
I remember very well a year later on the 25th of June 1950 when the Korean War broke out. Nobody could find Korea on the map because the maps still had the Japanese name for Korea on them. I was one of the first to find out where it was, and for a couple of days I got to show some adults where Korea was. A Ballinger boy, Billy Jack Middleton, was captured in late 1950 when the Chinese entered the war, and I marched in the band in the parade when he was repatriated in 1953. His mother, Mrs. Middleton, was the high school librarian.”…JAMES
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EDITOR: Well, everyone, I hope reading all these reminiscences brought back a lot of memories for each of you of your years spent growing up, whether here in Ballinger or somewhere else. If you wish to share any of those memories, send them on! And if you have answers to any of the guys' questions, either email them personally (remember email addresses are in your handbook, or you can copy it off the emails I send to the class.), or send it to me to publish.
Again, I'll remind you that you can doubleclick on any photo to see it enlarged. If you doubleclick on the slideshows to the left of the blog post, it will send you to the web albums where you can view each picture with captions underneath. You may enlarge them there, too. You may also change the music that is playing by clicking on the forward or back arrows.
Of course, you can also go through the archives to see all of the past blog submissions. Just click on the week you wish to view. 
Until next time, let the "good stuff" happen!
Peace and love,
Marilyn