Long, long ago!

You will need to click on the above to read it - not sure why it didn't scan larger.  But an old elementary school friend sent this to me - she'd been going through old scrapbooks and  found it.  It's about Mrs. Emigh starting a new Bluebird troop in Granada Hills.  And I'm on the front row - on the left.  I even remember that dress.  

There are few photos of me from my childhood so it's a real treasure to find one.  I have several friends from my K through 12th  grade years, and I always went to their birthday parties.  Maybe I should ask them if they have old photos with me in them.  It's fun to remember being a kid - with photographic evidence!

I remember Bluebirds and Campfire Girls - and I remember going to the Emigh's house for meetings.  I remember learning to spool knit and making a pot holder for my mother.  I think I spool knitted for months after learning how.

One of the major items I remember is that whereas Girls Scouts sold cookies, Campfire Girls sold marshmallows - and the marshmallows came in boxes.  I thought they were exceptionally good marshmallows too!

The other thing I remember is that I didn't stay with the program.  I recall feeling left out because my mother would not buy me the uniform.  They said I could still come, but I didn't want to without the uniform.  On the other hand, there is an old photo of me with a Campfire Girl shirt on!

So who knows what the real skinny was!

Happy Birthday to Sue!!

I usually sort of tack my good friend Sue onto Ella's b-day post - since they are birthday buddies - but thought that Sue deserved a post of her own!!  (Not that I have that vast an audience!!)

And isn't this a great photo?  And doesn't it just capture something really great and special about Sue?

The answers are both YES!!

So here it is - and here's a great big birthday greeting for our beloved Sister Cornwall!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Hope it's the best day ever - and that the year ahead is wonderful!!

"Many happy returns . . ."

click on card to read it!
 

We finally received the birthday greetings from the White House!  Helen was very pleased - she wants me to frame it so it can hang on the wall in her room.  She said, "Well, I don't think very many people here have one of these."

They will send cards starting at age 80 - you Google "White House Birthday Greetings" and the link comes up.  There is no charge - you just fill out the form and press send!  They said to allow 6 weeks - and I had allowed maybe 5 weeks - and it came 3 weeks after her birthday - so I'd say leave 9 weeks!!

And no political comments!!  A card from the White House is a card from the White House!!

number 53 - or should I start the 2016 count early??

I hit book number 52 sometime in the summer - and then things got busy and I wasn't really reading much - finally rectified that with this last novel before his death from Ivan Doig.  Leslie and I were having a discussion about The Whistling Season and she mentioned that she'd read a review of the last book he'd written - and I hadn't even known there'd been a last book!

The critics were not totally kind about it - but since he died, I guess they felt they couldn't be too critical.  It is not his best work - but it's a good read once it gets going. And it is vintage Doig throughout - and that's why I read him.  I think I have now read all the books he wrote - maybe some day I will rate them.

The major weaknesses are some improbable scenarios, wordy passages, and a too-tidy tying up of details at the end.  But the tale of an 11 going on 12 year old on a Greyhound bus ride across the plains - who then goes back the way he came with an unlikely great-uncle he didn't know he had - is story-telling with pizzazz - something Ivan Doig did well most of the time.

I will miss more books coming from him!!

Number 54 is The Martian - Phoebe suggested it - it's slow starting too - but it will pick up I'm sure!!

Celebrating Marjorie and Fall - and the year's loveliest smile!

Today it is officially fall - the autumnal equinox was yesterday.  And it is also our beloved Marjorie's birthday - our second without her!

Marjorie was a bright light in all of our lives.  I am grateful that I counted her as my friend.  She left us too soon, but her memory and influence is ever present.  I often think, in certain situations, "Marjorie would say this!" or "Marjorie would not like this."  or  "Marjorie would approve."  It's kind of a gold standard for me.

I saved the above quote because I liked it - I've had it on my computer for several years.  Looking at it today, it seemed to fit - Marjorie did have the loveliest smile.

We'll remember that!

Seminary - 70's style!

I was having a conversation with Sue Cornwall, a friend in our ward who also happens to have taught 4 of the 6 Terrill children in Seminary.  And she's in her 21st year of teaching Seminary.  I told her that my mom had taught Seminary for 13 years and that I'd recently come across some photos of her class.  Not sure why I have them, but I do! Sue said she hoped they'd turn up somewhere where she could see them.

 

I recall odd bits about my mom's Seminary career.  For one thing, she was always concerned about having an appropriate Seminary teacher's wardrobe.  As you can see from the above, she took this very seriously, and we had lots of discussions about the various merits of dresses versus skirts and the world of jumpers!!

She'd also contact me for ideas for Halloween - she always liked to dress up that day - usually in a witch costume with treats for her students. She didn't need to ask me about treats - as the mother of 12 children, she'd perfected all the necessary treats - mainly cinnamon rolls and chocolate chip cookies!

And in the collection of slides that these photos came from, there are some slides that appear to be some kind of skit or presentation.  She says she doesn't remember what it was about.

If I figure it out, I'll have another post for you!

A great film about a little known philanthropist!

Harry was sharing with me about a review of a recent documentary he'd heard on NPR.  While he was googling about the man - Julius Rosenwald - and sharing what he was reading, I was googling the Laemle to see if it was playing there!

It was!  At 1:50 and 7:30.  Since we are retired - at least I am  and Harry's schedule is flexible - we hustled into Pasadena and saw it.

We were not disappointed at all.  In fact, I am really wondering why I never heard of this man before.  As the son of Jewish immigrants, he grew up learning to hustle for himself - and ended up acquiring half the ownership of Sears, Roebuck and Company!!  He promoted the extended use of the catalog - and came up with the idea of making their book shorter and fatter so that it would end up sitting on the top of the catalogs in people's homes!!  Genius!

As his wealth expanded, he became more and more generous and forward-thinking.  He was devoutly Jewish, believing in the tenent of the Jewish doctrine to be righteously engaged in good works!

He started by donating money to build YMCA facilities that would be available to blacks.  As as despised minority, he identified with the plight of African Americans.  He continued to share his wealth and was instrumental in building over 5,000 schools in the rural south that served the former slave population there.  They were called Rosenwald Schools and benefited countless young people of that era. He also aligned himself with Booker T. Washington and contributed to the growth of the Tuskegee Institute.

I'm truly amazed that I've never heard of him, because I have read extensively about the Civil Rights movement - and he was certainly a forerunner.

Well, there are lots of books about him, so I can get busy now!

And if you have a chance to see this film, do!