Time Flys

Wow, it has been 4 years since I wrote on this blog. We moved to Lincoln since then. That was an experience I wouldn't want to do every year. We had lived in Waverly from 1974 until 2010. We had things in our basement and garage we inherited back in the 80s when our parents died and before that in the 60s when my grandmother died and a cousin of my moms. I still kept some of it so later our descendants will know a little about their ancestors. But the harness from my father-in-laws plow horses had to go. I still think we have too much "stuff" but hopefully the children won't have too much to sort through. I love it here. We have so much room and a large yard and deck. I can still go outside and work in the grass and pull weeds and plant flowers. We are close to shopping and church and friends. Our next move we probably won't care where we go or even know if we are "going" somewhere. We have two grandchildren on missions for our church, Samuel David Flack in Japan, and Lauren Margaret Teusch in Germany. Benjamin James Teusch came back from a mission Puerto Rico in June, 2011. We had our 50th wedding anniversary in August 2011, celebrating with family in Lincoln in June. Our children, Nancy and Jim and Paul and Julie and grandchildren, Ben Lauren, Elizabeth (Beth), Claire and Samuel, Alex, Ryan, Callen, and Brynna were present as well as our Best Man, John Richards and his wife Ruth. My brother, Stanley and wife Rebecca, my sister, Mary Ann and friend Pam, our nephew Michael and his wife Michele. Our nephew, Sean, stopped by later to see us. Verl has been Bishop of the Mahoney ward since June, 2010. He has also been treasure of the Lincoln Association of the Retired School Personnel for 4 years. He has giving up that responsibility this month.

Spring is Sprung

Spring was Sprung and now it is summer already. Maybe not by the calendar but by the wind and temperature. We've already had some 90 degree temps. I love it.

I was sad but happy today as I called Ben in Utah to tell him how much I loved him and how much I will miss him. He went into the Mission Training Center today and will train to serve a mission in Puerto Rico for two years. The happy part is his willingness to serve the Lord and forget himself as he teaches others about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is a choice son of God. The church has been a blessing to us and our children and grandchildren. I am so glad Verl and I had prepared ourselves "while in our youth" to be able to feel the Spirit and recognize the plan of salvation for us and our families. I'm grateful for the peace that I feel and health that I have.

Long Winter

Why do the winter's seem longer & darker each year? Is it that the calendar has changed, the earth rotation is off, there are more clouds or is it just my own personal perception? Am I growing cataracts on the lenses my eyes, did I forget to take off my sunglasses or do I need to wash my windows? Probably none of the above. I think that I'm just not having fun anymore. maybe I'm just depressed from lack of sunlight or maybe I just need new & exciting experiences. Since I am in the last third of my life-line, I want to have more fun. Maybe I'll go to Fla to visit my cousin, Jacque, next winter, and then on to Ariz to visit my nieces, Stephanie and Julie. Then to California to visit my aunt Bette and cousin Debbie. That should keep me warm most of the winter and provide new and exciting experiences. Ummmm! What about my husband? Well, he doesn't mind cold, dark weather.

This has been a difficult last two months for me as my friend, Mary Jane Wells, was killed in a car accidenton Oct 2. She had just dropped off her granddaughter at school and was on the way home north of Waverly when a truck with a flat bed and pulling a trailer with lawn equipment, ran a stop sign on Waverly Road. The driver never even applied his brakes. Mary has raised two of her own children and three adopted children. She and her husband, Brad, were in the process of raising 5 granddaughters. They were just 60 this year and Brad had retired. They had dreams of getting a newer, larger home to raise their little girls. Brad is continuing to care for four of the girls and the baby is being cared for by her mother. I miss Mary and hope to be around for the family to help as much as I can.

My Horseback Riding

I always wanted a pony and my dad had arranged to rent some pasture when I was 9. We had a friend, Poste Gish, who was a livestock trucker and had the opportunity to see lots of ponies and horses at stock sales. He brought several different ponies to us to see and try out. I didn't know much about riding and after trying out several of the ponies, I heard him tell my dad, "I don't think she will ever learn to ride." I was really devistated by that thought. I remember thinking that yes, I could learn to ride. Then he brought a spotted mare pony to us one day. She was just my size and I COULD ride her. I named her Ruby Jewell. She was mostly back and brown with some white areas and she had a shered mane. It was cut short and stood up along her neck. She had some problems with her front feet, but Poste said he thought he could find a way to help her. When a horse eats too much grain or green hay, they can become, what we call, foundered. It affects their feet and hoofs. The hoofs, like fingernails, can grow rapidly and in a distored way. The quick, or bottom of their feet become sore and inflammed. Her front legs would also be sore. Poste and our vet fixed her up by trimming the hoofs and covering the bottom of the foot with leather pads and then putting on shoes. Another thing they did, which seemed weired, was to pump air underneath the skin of her front legs. They would make a small slit in the skin and insert a small tube in the slit. They they would put air in the area between her skin and the muscles and tendons of her leg. Anyway, this helped her a lot and I was able to ride her.

We began to ride in the Washington Township Rough Riders that year, 1951 when they moved to Tarkio. I was in the pony group, of course. Verl was 13 and in the older group who rode horses. We did lots of things on our horses and performed at horse shows and Rodoes all over the midwest. Some things we did were, square dancing; formation drills; Roman riding (standing on two horses); Cossack riding (standing on one horse); trick riding; a cowboy and indian show with a covered wagon, indians, and cowboys; chariot races; and trick roping. Our dads and moms were our leaders and footed most of the bills. Our group did get paid by the organization where we performed because it was really expensive to ship horses and equipment for the show to the show destination. We had white shirts and green pants, (it was orginally a 4-H group) and each of us carried a flag on a pole. The flag was white with the 4 leaf clover for the 4-H club. The pole fit into a little leather pouch attached to the right side of our stirrup so we could carry it while we rode. A few years later, I rode a horse owned by Joe Craven. Joe was in the military so his uncle Woodrow (Woody) Collins let me ride that horse for several years in the Rough Riders and rodeos. His name was Rex. I won lots of barrel racing and pole bending contests with him.

We bought a Palamino Quarter Horse mare, named Susie. She had several colts along the way. I showed her a few times in the breeding mare classes. She was a good mare. Her colts were Misty, Dandy and Tammy. Maybe be others I don't remember. Dad bought me Arabian colt whose name was Zartai but had had been nicknamed Hoppy by his breeder owner because he was always hopping aroung and over water puddles. He did that forever after. We had him trained by a professional trainer and I rode him in horse shows all over. Dad got me a new saddle, black with a white seat and a white M on the stirrup leather. He had Judy on the breast collar in white. I also had a black shirt and slacks with white leather trim fringe on them.

In 1955, the Mo High School Rodeo came to town and stayed for many years. My Dad and Verl's Dad were very active in the organization. In 1958 I won the All-Around Cowgirl award. I won second in the barrels, second in the pole bending and third in the cutting horse contest. That was enough points to beat everyone else. I think I won, because my friend, Betty Johnson, had knocked down a barrel and didn't place in that contest. She had won that award the year previously. She won the Queen Contest and went on to be the National H S Rodeo Queen. I won a padded seat, cutting horse type saddle with engraving of the MO. State High School Rodeo on the back and 1958 on the stirrups. Recently I clean that saddle and said to myself, "Wow, that was 50 years ago."

When Verl and I moved to DeWitt Ne in 1966, we took Tammy with us. We had a colt while we had her there. Then when we lived in Tabor, IA in 1970, we had Tammy and a pony at our place. That was the last time we had a horse. My dad was ill with Parkinson's and we sold all the horses left in Tarkio. Dad was president of the National HS Rodeo in 1962 or 63. The National was held in Tarkio that year.

Memories

It seems as if people have better memories of their childhood than I do. That is kind of sad. So I'm going to write about a few that I do remember.

Toothless

When I was a wee one, I remember a neighbor of ours, an elderly woman I suppose, would come over for coffee and cookies and visit with my mom. I found her utterly fascinating because she had no teeth. Her mouth went up and down in a squishing-like movement and her lips stuck out as she chewed. When she talked, I could see her gums and her tongue would slip in and out of her mouth.

May Day

When May Day came in Kansas in the forties during WWII, it was a wonderful day. I made little baskets out of anything available and put little wild violets in it for flowers. Mom would make or buy little candies to put in the basket. I would sneak up to the door and put the basket down and knock. Then I would run like crazey for the nearest bush or tree to hide. It was fun to see the people look all around for the May Day basket deliverer.

Wet Pants

At the age that I was just being potty trained, I played a lot with my little neighbor friend, who also happened to be named Judy. I would get so far from home that I didn't always make it to the bathroom. I would take off my wet underware and hide them in a bush. Mom would start missing my underwear and go out and find them in the yard.

The Dog

We had a fairly big dog, big to me anyway. One day he got out the front door when I opened it and he ran out into the street. The son of our friends ran over him and he died.

Donuts

When my dad got home from the war, it was wonderful. I was about 3 years-old then. He would take my brother and me on a ride in the car. We always wanted to do the "donut." That was a fast trip around the end of a dirt road that ended in a circle. We would go round and round.

The Cow in Delphos

We lived on the edge of town in Delphos, KS when I was about 4. We had a milk cow. My mom was afraid of most big animals and that included our cow. One day the cow got out of its pen by the shed. I marched right out there and got her back in the pen, climbed up on the fence and fastened the gate.

Other Delphos Memories

Our neighbor had a horse and sleigh. He used to take all the neighbors for a ride in the snow.

Since Dad was working at the lumber yard, he had access to a round watering tank and would get one for the summer so that we had our own little swimming pool. The neighbor boy was always dunking my head under. One time I was sure I was going to die because he held me under for so long, I came up gasping for air.

We had a Boston Terrier female dog called Toby. Toby had puppies. One day we came home and couldn't find them. They had wandered into the closet and a couple of them crawled into a pair of boots and couldn't get out. They suffocated.

Stan fell down the long stairs that we had and got a concussion. That is why he is the way he is today!

King City

Grandma Stanley had a little pond in her back yard with gold fish in it. A few years ago we visited her house and the people who lived there wondered about the concrete edging in the back yard. We were able to tell them that it was the outside edge of a fish pond.

Grandma had a dog named Skipper. He was tall and white with curly hair. (not a poodle)

After she moved to the big old house, she had a little playhouse with dolls and doll dishes in it. I used to play there with Mary McCammon.

Grandma belonged to a group of older women called the "hoolie ladies." I'm sure that's probably not the way you spell it. They did all kinds of community projects and they had lunch at someone's house each month. Grandma would take me with her when I was there. I locked myself in the second floor rest room one time and someone had to get a ladder to recue me out of the window. Every one called grandma, "Stan."

When she was almost 65, she found she didn't have enough Soc. Sec. credits to get any retirement money. So she got a job in St. Joseph, MO at the YWCA as a cook to pick up the work credits. Not sure how long she worked, but she has a small apartment there and I used to go stay with her.

She and grandpa Stanley went to Minnesota fishing all the time. After he died, Grandma took my family fishing up there to Little Pelican Lake. Grandma put the worms on the hooks and I pulled in sunfish almost faster than she could bait the hooks. I saw a snake one time and I scared its baby snakes so much that they ran into their mother's mouth. I guess they are supposed to do that.

I think that she taught me to love to garden. She had beautiful roses and other flowers at every home that she had. She also had a vegetable garden and canned many of the vegetables.

Enough memories for today.

Friends

Over the years I have had a lot of really good friends. I don't make friends easily but when I do, they stick forever. I recently lost a friend, Roberta or "Bert.". She and I went to UNL together and were P.E. majors. She wasn't the most beautiful girl in the world for sure, but she was my friend. We have kept in contact for many years and have seen each other only a couple of times when she came back to Lincoln for a visit with family. We had a late night date at the Villiage Inn with another school friend about 10 years ago. It was about 9 p.m. when we met that night and talked until midnight. Both she and our other friend lost their husbands a few years ago. I'm fortunate to still have mine. But that is another story.

Bert and I have written to each other a lot and emailed since that was invented. Her kids are daughter, Jean and son, JJ. I went to Roberta's wedding back in 1963. She had met a boy, Frank Nickerson, who was stationed at the Lincoln Airbase. He was being transferred back east and they got married before he left. She stayed in Lincoln until May, 64, to finish her last semester of school before joining him. They have moved around and settled in San Bernadino Valley California.

Bert found out she had lung cancer and had treatment for it. She was a smoker. She called me in Oct, 2006 and we talked for two hours. She said she was doing ok. Her sister had spent a couple of weeks with her and JJ was taking her for treatments. She had cats to keep her company. I always thought I would go spend some time with her. It never happened. It should have happened. It wasn't long before her emails were bouncing back to me. I tried to call her, no answer. Stupid me, I didn't know Jean nor JJ's phone numbers or addresses. Recently I called her nephew in Lincoln. Roberta had passed away on Jan 12, 2007. She had gotten bad quickly and was eventually in a nursing home at the last.

I miss her, my friend.