Saturday, July 24, 2004
THE FIRST HALF OF 1968....
Fall came with football activities, homecoming and Scouting events. Fall always meant going on the hunt for black walnuts to bag and sell for the troop needs. It is amazing how that paid for most of the year’s expenses along with the chili supper.
Mom and dad came for Thanksgiving and brought aunt Beulah with them. Dale joined us along with Louis and Gail. Our family Christmas exchange always made the visit lots of fun and the house was filled with laughter and story telling. Dale was working on an airplane he was building which got the attention of dad, Louis and George….of course George Jr. and John were right with them. I have pictures at the kitchen table where Dale is the center of attention with his project. If he needed any suggestions I’m sure there was a lot of brain-power present to draw from.
Christmas came and went with the usual activities, banquets, gift exchanges and all the decorating. We had our “neighborhood family” and we enjoyed all of them and the festivities.
January 1968
New Year’s came with a blanket of snow and a year ahead ready and waiting. In March John received his Webelos Rank at the monthly Pack Meeting and Mr. Ferris came to present him with his Troop #185 neckerchief. John had just had his 11th birthday. At his first patrol meeting with the Scouts (later in the month) he came home with the Patrol Flag; he had been elected Flag Bearer. In April he went on his first campout with the Troop and came home smelling like smoke and worn out. He made it as far as the couch and crashed. It was always an immediate chore to wash George Sr.’s, Jr.’s and now John’s gear. Usually it wasn’t too bad but always smelled smoky; the worst was if it rained and the things were all wet and muddy…….and smoky.
The Kansas School for the Blind had Parent’s Day later in April. I took the day off and attended, it was always a festive occasion for the kids because most of them came from the far reaches of Kansas and didn’t see their parent’s often. John had befriended a kid named Joe who came from a town over by the Colorado border. He would ask several times a year to bring Joe home over the week-end, which we did. Joe always wanted hominy……I guess they didn’t serve it in the school cafeteria. He was always well mannered and appreciative.
We drove home to visit mom and dad over Easter. After spending the night we drove back to Cabool on Easter Sunday and brought grandma Strain down for dinner and to visit. Aunt Beulah came from Arkansas and uncle Alfred came also. Any time the Andersen’s got together they ended up playing some rousing card games. Becky enjoyed playing with them so she was the relief person when someone wanted to get up and stretch. The rest of us enjoyed listening to the good natured banter back and forth while we visited or did some stitching.
There was always a treasure trove of food for mom and aunt Beulah were two of the best cooks in the world and we looked forward to their efforts. The day was warm and balmy with the azalea’s blooming in the yard along with mom’s other flower offerings. Their growing season was always several weeks ahead of us at Shawnee. The wild Redbuds were blooming in April………always a desired sight when we made the trek home.
George Sr. and John went to Camp Naish in June and spent a week with our Troop. Going to camp was always a precursor to our summer vacations. Once that was out of the way we were able to plan the rest of our summer. George Jr. was working at a senior residence home, Lake View Village, with his best friend, Dennis Wade. They carried food to the tables in the dining room and removed the dishes when finished. The boys enjoyed their work and were adored by the residents. Becky applied for work in the Infirmary (lied about her age) and was hired. She had just finished the ninth grade and George would be a senior in the fall.
We made plans for the next family trip while we were home at Easter. It was agreed that we would go to Mesa Verde and Grand Canyon this year as well as several other places within the boundary’s of the main areas we wished to see. This year uncle Alfred decided not to go and Becky wanted to take her friend (Patty Warren from next door) along so we made those changes. Everything was now in place for our next trip West.
Until Monday,
Essentially Esther
Mom and dad came for Thanksgiving and brought aunt Beulah with them. Dale joined us along with Louis and Gail. Our family Christmas exchange always made the visit lots of fun and the house was filled with laughter and story telling. Dale was working on an airplane he was building which got the attention of dad, Louis and George….of course George Jr. and John were right with them. I have pictures at the kitchen table where Dale is the center of attention with his project. If he needed any suggestions I’m sure there was a lot of brain-power present to draw from.
Christmas came and went with the usual activities, banquets, gift exchanges and all the decorating. We had our “neighborhood family” and we enjoyed all of them and the festivities.
January 1968
New Year’s came with a blanket of snow and a year ahead ready and waiting. In March John received his Webelos Rank at the monthly Pack Meeting and Mr. Ferris came to present him with his Troop #185 neckerchief. John had just had his 11th birthday. At his first patrol meeting with the Scouts (later in the month) he came home with the Patrol Flag; he had been elected Flag Bearer. In April he went on his first campout with the Troop and came home smelling like smoke and worn out. He made it as far as the couch and crashed. It was always an immediate chore to wash George Sr.’s, Jr.’s and now John’s gear. Usually it wasn’t too bad but always smelled smoky; the worst was if it rained and the things were all wet and muddy…….and smoky.
The Kansas School for the Blind had Parent’s Day later in April. I took the day off and attended, it was always a festive occasion for the kids because most of them came from the far reaches of Kansas and didn’t see their parent’s often. John had befriended a kid named Joe who came from a town over by the Colorado border. He would ask several times a year to bring Joe home over the week-end, which we did. Joe always wanted hominy……I guess they didn’t serve it in the school cafeteria. He was always well mannered and appreciative.
We drove home to visit mom and dad over Easter. After spending the night we drove back to Cabool on Easter Sunday and brought grandma Strain down for dinner and to visit. Aunt Beulah came from Arkansas and uncle Alfred came also. Any time the Andersen’s got together they ended up playing some rousing card games. Becky enjoyed playing with them so she was the relief person when someone wanted to get up and stretch. The rest of us enjoyed listening to the good natured banter back and forth while we visited or did some stitching.
There was always a treasure trove of food for mom and aunt Beulah were two of the best cooks in the world and we looked forward to their efforts. The day was warm and balmy with the azalea’s blooming in the yard along with mom’s other flower offerings. Their growing season was always several weeks ahead of us at Shawnee. The wild Redbuds were blooming in April………always a desired sight when we made the trek home.
George Sr. and John went to Camp Naish in June and spent a week with our Troop. Going to camp was always a precursor to our summer vacations. Once that was out of the way we were able to plan the rest of our summer. George Jr. was working at a senior residence home, Lake View Village, with his best friend, Dennis Wade. They carried food to the tables in the dining room and removed the dishes when finished. The boys enjoyed their work and were adored by the residents. Becky applied for work in the Infirmary (lied about her age) and was hired. She had just finished the ninth grade and George would be a senior in the fall.
We made plans for the next family trip while we were home at Easter. It was agreed that we would go to Mesa Verde and Grand Canyon this year as well as several other places within the boundary’s of the main areas we wished to see. This year uncle Alfred decided not to go and Becky wanted to take her friend (Patty Warren from next door) along so we made those changes. Everything was now in place for our next trip West.
Until Monday,
Essentially Esther
