Once a year, the bluebirds and the camp fire girls would have a fundraiser. We sold Russel Stover chocolates just like the girl scouts sell cookies. There were always prizes for those of us that sold the most and so forth. I think if we sold 50 we could go to camp for half the price, and if we sold 100 boxes the camp was free. Kathy was a camp fire girl at the same time I was a bluebird, so we would go out to sell the candy in our neighborhood together. She would take one side of the street and I would take the other. Mom or dad would drive the area we were selling in to carry all the boxes of candy. It is pretty hard for a couple little girls to carry very many of them. Plus sometimes the customer needed change.
We did sell enough to get reduced camp fees. I also found out, after a few years of experience, that the smaller you are the more you will sell. People just have a hard time saying no to a little girl in a uniform. To this day, I will buy just about anything a small child is selling.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Hives
One time in the middle of the night, I woke up to go to the bathroom. When I went to get out of bed I couldn't stand up on my feet. It was very scarey because I didn't know what was wrong with me. I got down on my hands and knees and crawled into mom and dad's room. Mom woke up just before I got to her bed. I was crying by then and told her I couldn't walk. How horrible that would be for any mother to hear!! She got me out in the living room where there was more light so we could figure out what the problem was. I had a very bad case of hives all over me, even on the soles of my feet!!
Good news was---I wasn't crippled, bad news was I felt miserable for a two or three days before the hives were completely gone. Mom had me putting a paste of baking soda and water on the hives and they did start getting better from the first application. I hated doing this because it was so messy. Mom also had me soaking in the tub a couple times a day---she put something in the water, it might have been baking soda also but I'm not sure.
As to the cause of the hives, we (well mom) thought it was probably because I had been eating so many tomatoes in the previous few days. I mean I ate a LOT of tomatoes. It was the season when you could get those big red-orange home grown ones. The flavor of these tomatoes were incredible (to a tomato lover.) I still love a good home grown variety of red orange-tomatoes!!!
Good news was---I wasn't crippled, bad news was I felt miserable for a two or three days before the hives were completely gone. Mom had me putting a paste of baking soda and water on the hives and they did start getting better from the first application. I hated doing this because it was so messy. Mom also had me soaking in the tub a couple times a day---she put something in the water, it might have been baking soda also but I'm not sure.
As to the cause of the hives, we (well mom) thought it was probably because I had been eating so many tomatoes in the previous few days. I mean I ate a LOT of tomatoes. It was the season when you could get those big red-orange home grown ones. The flavor of these tomatoes were incredible (to a tomato lover.) I still love a good home grown variety of red orange-tomatoes!!!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Our Ice Skating Rink
One winter Michelle and I and the two girls next door went to the creek (canal) and it was frozen over. We were sliding around on it and having a great time. All of a sudden though, the ice started cracking. The two friends were right by the sides of the creek and were able to get out quickly. Michelle and I were in the middle when the ice broke and we fell in. It was freezing cold as you could imagine! We couldn't climb out of the canal because it was so slippery. The girls on the bank were trying their best to pull us out but their feet kept slipping too. They finally did get me pulled out and the older friend and I were able to get Michelle out.
Needless to say, we were so cold and yet didn't want to go home because we thought we would be in big trouble. When we got home mom just put us in a nice warm bathtub--oh that felt so good. Neither one of us remember getting punished for that at all, I think mom just said something like you shouldn't have been over there in the first place.
Needless to say, we were so cold and yet didn't want to go home because we thought we would be in big trouble. When we got home mom just put us in a nice warm bathtub--oh that felt so good. Neither one of us remember getting punished for that at all, I think mom just said something like you shouldn't have been over there in the first place.
Fabrique Creek
What we called fabrique ( fab-reek) creek was actually a concrete drainage canal that went on for miles. The sides of it were a bit higher than we were tall. When it was dry Michelle and I would go exploring in it as if it were a cave. We knew that we were pushing our boundry line of where we could go, but actually we were right on the edge of that street we weren't suppose to go past. We chose not to disclose our explorations, not because we thought we would get in trouble, but because we would have been told not to go there anymore. This don't ask don't tell policy still let us explore and not be disobeying!!
We had such fun doing this. I don'tknow what in the world we thought we might discover, but you never know, there just might be something interesting just around the next corner. Our sister Kathy did not join us on these expeditions, but sometimes the two girls next door would come too.
I don't know how many miles that "creek" was, but it was quite a distance. We never did reach an end to it before deciding we had already come too far and had better head back the other way.
We felt like Lewis and Clark must have felt when they went exploring! lol
We had such fun doing this. I don'tknow what in the world we thought we might discover, but you never know, there just might be something interesting just around the next corner. Our sister Kathy did not join us on these expeditions, but sometimes the two girls next door would come too.
I don't know how many miles that "creek" was, but it was quite a distance. We never did reach an end to it before deciding we had already come too far and had better head back the other way.
We felt like Lewis and Clark must have felt when they went exploring! lol
My Shoplifting Spree
When I was probably five years old I went grocery shopping with mom. We went up and down the aisles getting a little of this and a little of that--just a few things we needed. When we were finished shopping we went to the checkout lane. We were in line for a little while so mom and I just talked some more. Once we got checked out and the groceries all put in the car, we got into the front seat to go home. Before mom even started the car, I offered her a piece of gum. The look on her face showed a bit of confusion as she asked me ("where did you get that gum?) I said that "they had some free ones by the cash register." Mom explained to me that they were for sale not free and that I had to take it back. I was really scared to take that gum back! I thought they might even put me in jail! These were the thoughts running through my mind as mom walked me back into the store. I handed the gum to the clerk and told her that I took it and didn't give her any money. She took it from me and asked me if I was ever going to do that again. I assured her that I wouldn't. She said "I'll let you go this time but don't be doing that anymore." I felt so relieved and happy as I walked out of the store and back to the car with mom.
I told mom that I thought they were free like the candies in the diners or restaurants. There just about always was a bowl of candy that said "take one" up by the cash register when we paid our bill. So I of course thought that the gum by the register was the same thing. I was a kid--they had free gum--I took one, simple enough huh?
My crime spree ended just that quickly!!
I told mom that I thought they were free like the candies in the diners or restaurants. There just about always was a bowl of candy that said "take one" up by the cash register when we paid our bill. So I of course thought that the gum by the register was the same thing. I was a kid--they had free gum--I took one, simple enough huh?
My crime spree ended just that quickly!!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Kathy's Room
When dad built on the addition to the house, he put Kathy's new bedroom directly behind Michelle's and mine. She had to come through our room to get to hers. They did it that way because they didn't want Kathy way out in the back of the house away from the rest of us. The other option would have been to have her door open up into the rec (recreation) room. She would have been pretty much closed off by herself back there.
Her room was off limits to Michelle and me, unless she invited us in. She had been ill and needed her quiet private space. Michelle and I respected this and left her alone.
Once in awhile, Kathy would let me sleep in her bed with her. This was really a big thing to me. Afterall, she was my big sister and I looked up to her. She was, and still is, very precious to me. The three of us sisters are still very close.
Her room was off limits to Michelle and me, unless she invited us in. She had been ill and needed her quiet private space. Michelle and I respected this and left her alone.
Once in awhile, Kathy would let me sleep in her bed with her. This was really a big thing to me. Afterall, she was my big sister and I looked up to her. She was, and still is, very precious to me. The three of us sisters are still very close.
Beech Day at Joyland
Joyland was our large amusement park in Wichita when I was a child. It catered more to older kids and adults, we had a Kiddyland for the small kids. Joyland was connected by a walking bridge to a regular park with a playground, pavillion and picnic tables.
Once a year in the summer, Beech aircraft would reserve Joyland for all of it's employees and their families. Mom would pack a big ole' picnic lunch and we would all head for the park. We went to the regular park first and found us a spot. We would unload all of our stuff and set up our picnic area. Mom and dad usually brought a blanket to spread out under a tree so they could relax while us kids went to the rides. This was our point of contact--this is where we were to all meet at certain times. It worked great and we always had a wonderful time. The picnic always tasted great also!!
One year (one of the years when I was a little older, probably around 10) I fell in love with the roller coaster. The octopus had always been my favorite up until then. I would get off of the roller coaster and get right back in line to go again. The line was not ever terribly long. This particular year I rode the roller coaster 23 times before they closed the park on me.
Although Joyland seemed big to us, it was nothing compared to the immense parks we have today like the Six Flags parks. We thought it was just the right size for us to have a great time, and we did!!
Once a year in the summer, Beech aircraft would reserve Joyland for all of it's employees and their families. Mom would pack a big ole' picnic lunch and we would all head for the park. We went to the regular park first and found us a spot. We would unload all of our stuff and set up our picnic area. Mom and dad usually brought a blanket to spread out under a tree so they could relax while us kids went to the rides. This was our point of contact--this is where we were to all meet at certain times. It worked great and we always had a wonderful time. The picnic always tasted great also!!
One year (one of the years when I was a little older, probably around 10) I fell in love with the roller coaster. The octopus had always been my favorite up until then. I would get off of the roller coaster and get right back in line to go again. The line was not ever terribly long. This particular year I rode the roller coaster 23 times before they closed the park on me.
Although Joyland seemed big to us, it was nothing compared to the immense parks we have today like the Six Flags parks. We thought it was just the right size for us to have a great time, and we did!!
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