Monday Musings

I just saw a commercial on TV that is just sad. The guy is getting a new cellular phone and he talks about how many calls he gets. He doesn't get any so he pretends it is on vibrate. Jon was here last night and we both decided that was just a sad commercial. Lots of commercials are that way. I don't know who is responsible for writing them but whoever they are they don't really understand people.

European commercials, on the other hand, can just be a hoot. They get sent around the Internets. My favorite is the one with the little boy throwing a tantrum and wanting a "sweet." He is just awful. It is a commercial for condoms. Much better than the little girl saying "I don't like broccoli" That one just drives me up a wall. I hold the mute button close when I watch TV any more. Not that I have been able to watch much TV. The worst one, however was the couple talking baby talk to each other about a cell phone. Or maybe it was the one on depression hurts. Or maybe - Hell they are all bad. No fun at all. Make me laugh and I might buy your product. Remember "Where's the Beef!" Now that was good. I never got tired of it.

There is nothing worth watching on television . Most of the shows on right now are just dumb! Since the writer's strike the offerings have gone down the tubes.

Somebody tried to put a comment up on my Barbara Streisand post complaining about her using her celebrity to further the Democratic party causes. I did not choose her because she does that (although she does and it was mentioned in the article) but rather because of her many faceted career. She has been a singer, a comedienne, an actress, a director, a producer. Yes, she does have political thoughts and is not afraid to tell them. So does Ben Stein. I don't like him and he is not a woman so he won't get put up on women's history month. Come to think of it I probably don't like him because of his right wing political views... I think I used to like him. Oh well, I live in a black and white world.

I absolutely love the Internets. I think I mentioned that one of my mother's Bridge Club friends son e-mailed me about something he found on line. I wrote him back and asked him how he had "discovered" me. I thought maybe he had read this blog. His answer:

You ask where I found your entry ~ it was the AOL Journals.

I was trolling the Web for information about Beardshear and simply stumbled across your journal entry.

I have been casually doing family history since I retired from the University of Illinois (uiuc) in 2003. I say "casual" because it has been sporadic, non-systematic, and without discipline ~ not much progress. Perhaps contacting Dennis Wendell would motivate me. Thanks for the tip.

I enjoyed your entry because our experiences are so similar. I have a clear memory of Lew and Kate Cole and their house. When we moved to Ames in 1941 we rented a small house across the street, I believe the address is 517 Crawford (we bought the house at 713 Crawford in 1943). One day Jackie Hoffman and I got into Lew's barn and I recall being cut by a rusty nail and Mom being very upset; she punished me by tying me to a tree until Dad came home from work and administered a proper whipping. I was probably about four. Later Lew tore down the barn and built the two-flat on its foundation. I also recall when he installed the brick on the house at 522.

The house had two apartments upstairs. The Larson's lived in the larger one and there was a working man's small sleeping room. They shared the bathroom.

Did you know the Hanson sisters at Gilbert? Probably not, as you were younger. Very cute. Keith, my older brother, dated the older sister for a while when he was in high school and they both worked at the National Tea grocery store, and I remember the younger sister from the summer when we de-tasseled corn.

Mom died two years ago, so now there is less reason for me to visit Ames, although I admit to a fondness of Steve's meatloaf lunch.

It's fun to read about Ames and that special time in our lives. Both Susan Allen Toth and Ted Kooser have done superb jobs of capturing in print that experience. Susan really nailed Carr's Pool and the Library. Incidentally, I'll see Susan's sister, Karen, in Santa Fe next week, where a few of us AHS folks will gather.

I, of course, remember some of the same things he did. Uncle Lew's barn and I almost got myself dead on a couple of occasions in that place. He build a duplex inside it and then tore the barn down. Now it is owned by my Aunt Jo. I also remember the brick being put on the house. I t was fun to touch bases with him. I had mentioned to him that, while I had gone to Ames through 5th grade, I had moved and wound up going to Gilbert High School and graduating with a class of 17. Next year will be my 50th year. Time sure flies when you are having fun.

Which reminds me. In 1958 I went to California for a month to visit my Aunt Ellen. While there we went to San Diego to visit my Great-Uncle Jean Underwood. He was quite a character. This summer I will go to San Diego for 5 days for the meeting of the United Grand Imperial Council of the Red Cross of Constantine. I imagine I will find it changed some in the last 50 years.

I want to redecorate my house. New paint and carpets. Anybody want to help? I also need/want a new desk. I figure if I put it out there on the blog it will be provided. I used to read the words, "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need." (Mary Baker Eddy) on the wall at Church every Sunday. I found that sometimes Divine Love even provided things I didn't know I needed. Now mind you it did not meet every human want but the needs were always met.

I think I have rambled on long enough now. I was supposed to pick up my Aunt Jo at the airport tomorrow and was looking forward to it but her son left a message on my answering machine -"I will be picking up Mom tomorrow morning." so I am disappointed. Oh well now I won't have to get dressed til noon. ARTYAL, Hugs - Big ones, j