Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Happy New Year
Well, CV fans, let me be the first to add to our blog in the new year. Happy New Year to everyone. So, how about answering Phil's questions in the previous blog: Remember. I know there are interesting tidbits out there. Also, if you have photos you would be willing to contribute to the ongoing slide show let me have them.
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15 comments:
Gary, the beginning of the year is another good opportunity for us all to thank you for providing such a good way of getting together and sharing memories.
I would like to know who added the photo of me and my grandsons to the picture gallery. I'm not upset, but curious. These two boys are the apple of my eye! Justin Gordon, age 8, is on the left and Archer Gordon is ten.
Diane, I'm the culprit. Wayne emailed me with a copy of the photo and I put it up. I'm trying to get as many photos of bloggers as I can, since it has been many years since we've seen each other. The last time I saw you was as Linda's kid sister when I used to come up to your area to play. BTW, who lived just south of you? I remember a boy that I would play with in grade school years, but I can't remember his name.
Gary - Our neighbors to the south of us were the Gordons. The dad was a brother to my father-in-law, Tom's dad. Both brothers were known as Sweed. My neighbor was Rollin, or "Little Sweed" and Tom's dad was Leon, or "Big Sweed."
The boy you remember was Gary Gordon who was my sister, Linda's age. He is no longer living. As I recall he suffered from COPD
(emphasema.)
I don't know if people who use the terms "north, south, etc." when referring to Cedar Vale are permanatally brain damaged or have an orientation I could never figure out!
I vote for permanent brain damage! We can never keep north and south straight after growing up in CV.
Thanks for the info about Gary Gordon. I had thought his name was Gordon, but couldn't remember the first name. Strange, since it is also mine.
Hello CV bloggers...I've been enjoying reading all your stories for a while.. Being a complete novice on computer blogging I decided to try and see if I figure out how to contribute. Nancy (Hankins) and I are in Arizona for winter, in good health and life is good. Later Gary Metcalf
It would be nice to have Gary Metcalf's email address if he would like to share. We could talk about baseball.
Welcome, Gary ...
Makes me curious how many more ex-CV folks are out there enjoying reading this blog. Please post a comment and don't be concerned about what to say or anything else. It would be so great to get a response from a bunch of you!!!
I just got started by elbowing in
when I had something to say. It's more fun to be involved!
A Girls Viewpoint of Growing Up in Cedar Vale
First, I want to tell all of you how much I have enjoyed this blog! Thanks Gary!
Secondly, I am so impressed with all of your memories. I must admit I am unable to remember as much as some of you.
My family moved to Cedar Vale after WWII. My father, Floyd Goode, had the title “Master Mechanic” at Boeing. He and his team had only one job: to keep the large machinery used to make the airplanes parts running 24/7.
My mother, Marjorie Ward Goode, worked for Boeing as a “Rosie the Riveter.”
When the war was over, Boeing wanted to keep Dad, but he was always a small town boy and accepted a job at Ames Garage in Cedar Vale. Both my parents grew up in Chautauqua County and most of their families still lived there.
During the war years the Wichita schools were so crowded we only went ½ days. Imagine my surprise when I started the 4th grade in Cedar Vale and I had to go all day!
My sisters, Jeanette, Billie, and I took piano lessons from Mrs. Kirby. We suffered the sore knuckles from her pencil with each mistake. She was probably a lonely person, but smart as she always scheduled our lessons to last until suppertime so she would be included in the meal. I think my mother must have thought everyone else was feeding Mrs. Kirby too. On lesson day we always had dessert; normally we only had dessert on Sunday and special occasions.
At about that time I joined Girl Scouts and our leader was Edna Bird. Some of my fellow scouts were Judy Stone, Nancy Hankins, and Elizabeth Robinson. What fun we had hiking, picnics, overnight campouts, cooking over an open fire, singing, making crafts and learning to make s’mores!
I feel very fortunate to have had the friendship of those girls. Over the years we had slumber parties , sang every song we knew, put on impromptu plays, rode Elizabeth’s Shetland pony, played board games, went to the movies, told ghost stories, went on out of town trips, dragged main (we’d put 25¢ of gas in at a time) and of course, talked about boys.
One summer morning Nancy Hankins and Elizabeth Robinson had a “Come as you are Breakfast.” They woke Judy Stone and me up at about 7 am and took us to the Robinson house. In the dining room the table was covered with a linen table cloth and set with their good china, crystal, silver and linen napkins where we were served an elegant breakfast. We had such a fun time with lots of giggling in this formal setting with Judy and I in our ‘baby doll’ pajamas and ‘bed heads.’
During our high school years I was a ‘soda jerk’ at Hankins Drug Store. I was lucky to have Don Hankins as my first boss. He was always supportive and interested in his employees. He was one of the nicest, kindest men I have ever known.
Mr. Beggs was one of my favorite teachers. I enjoyed marching band more than concert band probably because I wasn’t that good on my cornet but I could really march! I loved our purple wool uniforms with the gold trim. My first marching parade was in Sedan for the Chautauqua County Fair. We had to be in our places in the hot sun, it seemed forever, until it was our turn to start marching. I awoke on the pavement. Mr. Beggs wouldn’t let me march. So my first real parade was at the Arkalalah in Ark City, thank goodness it was cooler then!
I liked chorus more than band. Mrs. Morris was my favorite teacher. The Mikado was absolutely the highlight of my high school music career. I was cast as Pitti Sing and every once in awhile I still catch myself humming ‘Three Little Maids from School!’
Our Senior year Judy Stone and I were giving the task of gathering colorful foliage to be used as decoration for some activity in the school gym. I can’t remember what it was –Halloween Carnival? We drove up and down country roads gathering anything that was orange, red and yellow. We then decorated the gym with our treasures. One of our teachers came to check on us and with an incredulous look said we were decorating with poison oak! I probably don’t remember what the activity was because I was subsequently admitted to the hospital that afternoon and didn’t get to go.
Following the war, there was a mass exodus to rural America and a wish for a safe, innocent and simple life. Our generation was fortunate to live during that time.
I don’t know maybe that’s too simplistic, but I do know I had a very good childhood in Cedar Vale.
Sure was nice to hear from Nancy. I look every day to see who had decided to grace us with their thoughts and memories. These are memories of some of the best days of our lives.
I hope that some of the writers will share their email addresses with me so I can issue a formal invitation.
It was great to hear from Gary M. and Nancy Goode. (Nancy, I had a crush on you for most of the grade school years after you joined us.)
Let us know where I can reach you and I'll be happy to issue the invite. Email me at: tchbth@mac.com.
Lots of fun reading your "growing up" comments Nancy. That could well have been a Blog enty rather than a comment. What a world! Here I live two blocks from you in our little town and I have to learn about your life on the internet. I hope we hear more from you. DFCox
By the way, Nancy, I do remember the time you describe at the county fair, where it was so hot that you passed out. As a fellow cornet/trumpet player, I was standing next to you. Its a wonder more of us didn't faint, since we were in those wool uniforms, buttoned up to the neck.
Welcome, Nancy ... and such great memories to share!
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