Friday, September 10, 2004
GOODBYE TO 1976....
Summer is always time for the visiting and travel that we don’t do in the other months. John was home for the summer and he is always like having instant entertainment. His mind is very spontaneous and creative….like dad and myself, he sees life through “cartoon” eyes. Any thing that’s going on, instantly plays out as a cartoon feature and the situation becomes instant comedy. Dad never forgot a movie. He could recite lines from the silent movie era…….in fact, he was quite a movie expert….being in love with the screen from it’s beginning.
Mom, on the other hand, knew all about the movie stars. He was interested in the part played by the star….mom was interested in the star. She used to tell me about poor Rudolph Valentino, the screen Romeo of the early films, how popular he was, how women swooned over him…..and then….the tragedy of “talkies”. His voice was high range and squeaky….a real ‘turn off’ to the ladies. He dropped out of sight like a dud from the Space Center.
After his death there was a lady in black who always came and placed a red rose on his grave. The mysterious visitor was never identified due to the heavy black veil she wore. Were that to happen in this day and age, the media would hound her until they knew who she was. It is nice to remember that an element of mystery is a good thing.
Jean Harlow was a blonde bombshell in the 30’s. Platinum hair and gorgeous body, at the top of her popularity went to sleep under a sun lamp one day and died from the effects of third degree burns. Hollywood mourned her short and famous life.
Dad laughed about Laurel and Hardy long after they disappeared……Ma and Pa Kettle, Wallace Berry....later on came Abbott and Costello, Bob Hope…he loved them all. Listening to dad talk about his favorites held you spell-bound. He could bring his “mind pictures” to life so well that you could almost hear the reel turning from the sound room. John inherited his gift.
After a fast summer we took John back to Bolivar the end of August to find a new dorm for his lodging. It was quite impressive. We stayed long enough to help get things squared away and waited in line for registration…..it all went a lot faster than when he was a freshman. There are some benefits to being a ‘grade up’ on campus. Shortcuts are there if you know where.
George had been down several times and we were always glad to see him. He was doing well in his job and he was a kid who liked security and knowing what was ahead; so he was moving along and didn’t plan any jumping off place for something better. One thing about Civil Service in those days….if you got on and did your job, it was yours for life. Just don’t screw up. Retirement benefits are a good thing.
We had lots of family visits in the fall. Aunt Mary and Sadie (mom’s sister and cousin) came from Nebraska frequently and mom would go back with them at times. Aunt Beulah and her sister, Mildred, came to visit mom several times and we continued bringing grandma Strain for dinner and to visit. Along with people coming and going my brother, Louis, called and wanted us to drive dad’s new Maverick out to Seattle for him. He offered to fly us home if we’d drive out and bring mom along.
Mom had never been to California so having made one trip there I knew she would love the sights. We agreed and left home late in October for a scenic route through the Southwest. We took her on the same route we did on our honeymoon. From Missouri we made the Texas panhandle, Tucumcari and Albuquerque our first day. (900+ miles…due to the time changes in our favor going West.) The next day we got as far as Barstow, CA and spent the night.
We made it across the desert to Morrow Bay and then went north along Coast Highway 1, to the Monterey Peninsula, Seventeen Mile Drive, Carmel. We stayed at Monterey and had supper at Fisherman’s Warf. Mom loved it all and it was fun to see it again through her eyes. The next day we drove through Santa Cruz, and San Hose, to San Francisco. We took mom through the city enough to get a good “feel” of it……saw the usual landmarks and sights, then crossed the Golden Gate to Santa Rosa. We had a good lunch there and continued north to the giant redwoods and Eureka. A day later we reached Renton after coming through Portland.
We spent a few days with Louis and Gail and then flew home. Mom loved to travel. Her sister Mary, always teased her about remembering all of the good places to eat. She said any road mom had been over she had a running account of where to go for the best food. Not a bad thing in my book.
Fall and leaf raking set in big-time when we got home…Thanksgiving and Christmas found our table full and overflowing with family and food. We counted our blessings for the many benefits of the past year……and for the goodness of family…..and so, we bid farewell to 1976.…….
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
Mom, on the other hand, knew all about the movie stars. He was interested in the part played by the star….mom was interested in the star. She used to tell me about poor Rudolph Valentino, the screen Romeo of the early films, how popular he was, how women swooned over him…..and then….the tragedy of “talkies”. His voice was high range and squeaky….a real ‘turn off’ to the ladies. He dropped out of sight like a dud from the Space Center.
After his death there was a lady in black who always came and placed a red rose on his grave. The mysterious visitor was never identified due to the heavy black veil she wore. Were that to happen in this day and age, the media would hound her until they knew who she was. It is nice to remember that an element of mystery is a good thing.
Jean Harlow was a blonde bombshell in the 30’s. Platinum hair and gorgeous body, at the top of her popularity went to sleep under a sun lamp one day and died from the effects of third degree burns. Hollywood mourned her short and famous life.
Dad laughed about Laurel and Hardy long after they disappeared……Ma and Pa Kettle, Wallace Berry....later on came Abbott and Costello, Bob Hope…he loved them all. Listening to dad talk about his favorites held you spell-bound. He could bring his “mind pictures” to life so well that you could almost hear the reel turning from the sound room. John inherited his gift.
After a fast summer we took John back to Bolivar the end of August to find a new dorm for his lodging. It was quite impressive. We stayed long enough to help get things squared away and waited in line for registration…..it all went a lot faster than when he was a freshman. There are some benefits to being a ‘grade up’ on campus. Shortcuts are there if you know where.
George had been down several times and we were always glad to see him. He was doing well in his job and he was a kid who liked security and knowing what was ahead; so he was moving along and didn’t plan any jumping off place for something better. One thing about Civil Service in those days….if you got on and did your job, it was yours for life. Just don’t screw up. Retirement benefits are a good thing.
We had lots of family visits in the fall. Aunt Mary and Sadie (mom’s sister and cousin) came from Nebraska frequently and mom would go back with them at times. Aunt Beulah and her sister, Mildred, came to visit mom several times and we continued bringing grandma Strain for dinner and to visit. Along with people coming and going my brother, Louis, called and wanted us to drive dad’s new Maverick out to Seattle for him. He offered to fly us home if we’d drive out and bring mom along.
Mom had never been to California so having made one trip there I knew she would love the sights. We agreed and left home late in October for a scenic route through the Southwest. We took her on the same route we did on our honeymoon. From Missouri we made the Texas panhandle, Tucumcari and Albuquerque our first day. (900+ miles…due to the time changes in our favor going West.) The next day we got as far as Barstow, CA and spent the night.
We made it across the desert to Morrow Bay and then went north along Coast Highway 1, to the Monterey Peninsula, Seventeen Mile Drive, Carmel. We stayed at Monterey and had supper at Fisherman’s Warf. Mom loved it all and it was fun to see it again through her eyes. The next day we drove through Santa Cruz, and San Hose, to San Francisco. We took mom through the city enough to get a good “feel” of it……saw the usual landmarks and sights, then crossed the Golden Gate to Santa Rosa. We had a good lunch there and continued north to the giant redwoods and Eureka. A day later we reached Renton after coming through Portland.
We spent a few days with Louis and Gail and then flew home. Mom loved to travel. Her sister Mary, always teased her about remembering all of the good places to eat. She said any road mom had been over she had a running account of where to go for the best food. Not a bad thing in my book.
Fall and leaf raking set in big-time when we got home…Thanksgiving and Christmas found our table full and overflowing with family and food. We counted our blessings for the many benefits of the past year……and for the goodness of family…..and so, we bid farewell to 1976.…….
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
