We experienced “fall” weather this week. What a change from the more than warm weather we have had to degrees in the 50’s. There wasn’t much going on during the week. Gina cut my fingernails on Wednesday. I still do not have the strength in my left hand to cut nails. Thank you, Gina!
Friday night MMCRU football boys played at home with Westwood being the opponent. Steve and I went to the game early, found a parking place, and ate our picnic lunch. I made hamburgers and along with chips and a drink, we enjoyed the game even though it was colder than previous games played.
Don’t forget the 9 a.m.-1 p.m. o’clock Fall Festival that is Saturday, October 14. Although it isn’t as elaborate as the one Marcus celebrated for 3 days back in 1909, times have changed and people just don’t have the time they had back then.
Have you looked at the Hawkeye business on North Main Street? Besides not using yellow for an outside color, there is a “hawk” on this building.
Looking back at 1949, there was a strong South wind that did much damage in the month of October. This was unusual coming this late but it did happen.
Mary Ellen Kelly wrote in her column about what a friend had told her about the following: The friend had worked for years in one of Washington, D.C’s largest and most fashionable stores, that frequently during the summer, the store would broadcast an appeal to the clerks not to go out on the streets in shorts or other extreme types of informal dress, because the F.B.I. reports that the over-whelming majority of young women who had met with foul play or had reported annoyances, had been indecently attire.
Kelly replied, “With advertising shouting from the billboards that it is practically a woman’s moral obligation to enhance her charms, with all supplements available at the drugstore, it is not small task for a girl to wade through the muck and emerge unsoiled. A rule in writing could well apply to the art of dressing wisely—never emphasize the obvious!” (Even today, there are television advertisements about how to keep your skin in good shape using their product that would keep a woman looking younger, etc. Times have not changed in that area!)
People were alerted to the following ad: “Poison Rat Bait to be Spread this Week-End”. Another rat eradication is being planned for the city dump grounds this weekend, and owners are warned to keep their pets confined the first few days of the week. The bait will be put out Monday night. Poison bait to be used by town residents at the same time may be secured from Dump Grounds Commissioner, Otto Carlson. (Unless I am mistaken, the dump grounds at that time were located where Radcliffe’s lived and Julie Stofferan now lives—before the present dump grounds west of town.)
On “Little House on the Prairie”, Mr. Edwards, a neighbor on the prairie, and a friend of the Ingalls’ was helping Charles built their house. He is very friendly with the Ingalls’ children and on one of his times he stopped to rest, he was shown helping Laura (about 9 years old) how to spit! “You have to build up spit and put it in the corner of your mouth until it is necessary to spit it out”, he told her. Just then Mrs. Ingalls came upon the scene. Laura said, “Mr. Edwards is teaching me how to spit”. Mrs. Ingalls said to Mr. Edwards, “Do you think that is an accomplishment”? He replied that it never hurts to have spit on hand when something comes to be needed.
That “spitting” brought back a memory concerning Cameron. Our house had the washing machine in the basement and no dryer then—just clothes lines in the basement. No matter how cold it was outside, clothes from the washing machine would go outside to be hung on lines. Then after the clothes had frozen stiff, they would be brought back to the basement and hung on those basement lines until they were dry. It was a “smell” that frozen clothes brought out after they dried. Then I heard of a woman who declared she got arthritis from hanging clothes outside when it was so cold. Well, that did it! From then on, the clothes never left the basement if it was that cold outside.
So, while I was taking some clothes from the washing machine, Cameron was standing on the stairs leading to the basement. All of a sudden, there was some “spit” that went over my head, just missing me! I looked and saw it was from Cameron. I really told him what I thought of what had just happened. All he could say was, “My mother, I can’t help it. The other boys are teaching me to spit and I have to practice more.” (The other boys were from the neighborhood but included Cameron’s older brothers.) That was the last time he spit in front of me—I’m sure it was going on otherwise!
Hopefully in this week’s paper, the 74th anniversary of Vernon and Gladys Means will be in. I did go back in time and found their wedding that happened 74 years ago!
Geringer-Means Repeat Nuptial Vows in Sioux City. Gladys Marie Geringer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Geringer, and Vernon LeRoy Means, son of Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey Means, were united in marriage at twelve o’clock non on Saturday, October 1, in the Concordia Lutheran church in Sioux City. The Rev. E.L. Wittkopp, former pastor of Trinity Lutheran church at Marcus, performed the ceremony.
The bride was charming in a forest green crepe street length dress with green accessories. She wore a corsage of yellow and white baby mums.
Mrs. Stanley Carlson, attendant for the bride, wore a grey and yellow plaid taffeta dress with white accessories. Her corsage was of yellow and white baby mums.
The bridegroom and his attendant, Stanley Carlson, wore brown and grey business suits respectively with white carnation boutonniere.
The popular young couple left immediately after the ceremony on a short wedding trip. On their return, they will be at home in a trailer house they purchased on the Harold Geringer property.
To this union was born Duane (Judy), Dave, Denny, and Deb (Mike) Heath. Their sons are all deceased. I’m not sure how many grandchildren they have or how many great-grandchildren there are.
Remember in your thoughts and prayers those who have lost loved ones to death, have had their lives changed, have health problems some of which are terminal, are struggling to make ends meet even thought they have a job; help those who desire “wants” are more important than “needs” that prestige isn’t everything and be with those who are still struggling to shorten the distance between family/friends to build a bridge instead of a wall. Count your blessings!
When we were having Spring stormy weather, three female cats found shelter in our barn. Shortly after their arrival, there were three litters of kittens! Bethany cannot financially send these kittens to the vet nor continue to feed that many. The Human Society charges $65 for each animal received and that same animal would cost close to $100 to adopt. They have these rates because of the cost of having that many animals on hand. These kittens are healthy, friendly, sociable kittens that are looking for a good home for FREE. To keep the barn healthy, no kitten can be returned. Won’t you consider one or more for a forever pet? She has loved every one of them (even named them) but it is easier to part if a good home is found. Contact her if you can provide a good home.
I will leave you with this quote from Helen Keller (1880-1968) American author: “Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.”