Fall Festivals

Reminiscing


Cynthia Allen-Linck

10/18/15




How can it be fall already. It is here though with all the familiar sights, smells and flavors I have been looking forward to; burning leaves, candle smoke, and pumpkin spice everything... wide blue skies, cool evenings and falling leaves.

Leaves have been falling for a while, even though there hasn’t been a frost yet. Although, it was 35 degrees on my thermometer a few days ago! The first frost can’t be far away. The garden is being cleared and the plants brought inside. Garden mums provide a last blast of color.

A sure sign of fall is all the animals on the road who couldn’t compete with the cars as they tried to get fattened up before their winter’s nap.

Festivals and Threshing Bees fill the weekends with crafters, artisans, and reenactors providing fun for us in modern times and reminding us of the hard work it was in older times. So many crafts, treats, and antiques - so little time!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

And Now it's October

the golden hour of the clock of the year. Everything that can run

to fruit has already done so: round apples, oval plums, bottom-heavy

pears, black walnuts and hickory nuts annealed in their shells,

the woodchuck with his overcoat of fat. Flowers that were once bright

as a box of crayons are now seed heads and thistle down. All the feathery

grasses shine in the slanted light. It’s time to bring in the lawn chairs

and wind chimes, time to draw the drapes against the wind, time to hunker

down. Summer’s fruits are preserved in syrup, but nothing can stopper time.

No way to seal it in wax or amber; it slides though our hands like a rope

of silk. At night, the moon’s restless searchlight sweeps across the sky.

"And Now it's October" by Barbara Crooker

from Small Rain. © Purple Flag Press, 2014.

More Memories of Horton

02-21-14

　


As expected I forgot some places when I talked about the Horton of my Childhood.


Mici reminded me about Askren’s store, and the great candy selection there. How could I have forgotten that! Mr. Ulrich ran the Chevrolet dealership before Coders. And Joey’s High Fashion also provided the latest hair styles for both men and women.


Thanks to Peggy I was reminded that the Dairy Inn was not on my list! That was one of my favorite places. Jiffy burgers and ice cream cones – oh yeah! We often ended up there in the evening when we "went for a ride."


When we made ice cream at home we went to the Ramirez Ice House for a big block ice. My sister and I took turns sitting on the freezer as dad cranked. Apple Cider from Lehman’s Apple Orchard was a favorite, and Georgia McAfee was making women beautiful in her shop behind Chuck’s Barber Shop.


The proverbial shade tree mechanic was Forest Butler. If it had a motor, he could get it running for you.


There are so many Horton memories of tagging along with my Dad Jimmy Dan, not to mention all the stories he had to tell. He is after all the inspiration of Reminiscing. Thanks to everyone who responded. It was nice hearing from several readers near and far, and I always welcome more. 

The Horton of My Childhood
01-23-14

The Horton of origin was a fantastic, exciting place.  I think Horton is still a great place.   And, with some effort and cooperation, it sounds like we could be on the road to being fantastic once again.

This time I am going to reminisce about the Horton of my childhood.  I just turned 54, so you do the math. Shopping downtown covered everything from apples to wingnuts and just about everything in between.  The shop keepers were always there.  You knew their shops by their names,  and everyone knew the other from school and church.

If we needed groceries, we went to Doug’s IGA or Wilma’s Grocery, or Gockel’s, and we got meat from Fishy at the locker plant.

The latest model cars were on the lots at Foster Ford and Coder Chevrolet.  When we needed gas for the car, we went to Randall’s Station, Snyder Oil, or Tollefson’s Station.  Randall’s also had the coldest pop, and I could almost always talk Dad into buying a candy bar with Mr. Tollefson’s help.  When the car needed to be fixed, Shippy’s Body Shop and Statler’s Auto Repair took care of that.  While Clark’s Tire and Chapman’s Service Station could keep good rubber on the ground for you.

All of your utility bills could be paid downtown.  Electricity and water at City Hall, phone at the telephone office, and your gas bill at the Gas Co. office.  The Gas Co. was my favorite stop on bill paying day.  Mr. Kallos called me cream puff!

There was no lack of places to get the stuff you needed to fix the stuff you already had.  The lumber yard, Chappy’s Hardware, Western Auto, and Hanson’s Hardware and Appliance seemed to have an endless supply of anything you could ever want.  They all had more than just nuts and bolts too - I bought my first full size guitar from Western Auto!  When your appliances or TV quit, Andy Hanson or Ray Barton could get them going again for you.  Or you could buy new from them as well.

Many Saturdays saw my allowance disappear at Duckwall’s on Barbie paraphernalia and puzzle books and the Newsstand on comic books.  The old dusty treasures at Booth’s Trading Post always pulled me in.  And a soda or a Green River at Lou’s Drugstore was the best.

You could outfit yourself with clothes and shoes from Hamel’s Department Store, Eck’s Dress Shop, and Jamison’s Shoe Store.  Keeping those clothes clean was easy at the laundry mat, or Jamison’s Famous Cleaners.

Everything you needed for sewing, knitting, crocheting, and embroidery could be found at Hamel’s and Duckwall’s.

English Leather Shop had boots for dad, and tack for the ponies.  Did you know that combs for pony manes work quite well for girls with long, thick hair too?


You could wet your whistle (or so I am told) at the Pool Hall, and Edge Town.  The best root beer in a glass mug was at the B & R Bar and Grill.  Bill and Rosie let me sit on the counter to drink mine.

You could see the doctor and get your prescriptions filled downtown.

You could rent a room or an apartment at the Grande Hotel. My Grandpa lived there!

I sang often at the Masonic Hall accompanied by Mrs. Chapman, and spent countless hours at the Ceramic Shop with Margaret.

It seemed like every woman in town worked at - or had worked at the Garment Factory.  And who could ever forget the aroma that engulfed the town from the Cheese Factory?

The men got haircuts at Winchell’s or Schecher’s Barber Shops, and the ladies could go see Wilma at her Beauty Shop, or Veda at The Hairport, or Janice at the Beauty Boutique.

My first pair of 14 ct. gold earrings came from Ubelaker’s Jewelry.  I still have them.

The best fried chicken (besides mom’s of course) was served up by Georgia, Grethel and Doris at the Cottage Inn.  The best fries with gravy were made by Grace at the Huddle, and The Town Café seemed to be the place for breakfast and the coffee crowd.

Most of my entertainment growing up was provided by the library , the swimming pool, and the Liberty Theatre.

Times change, towns change, people change.  It’s good to remember the past, and develop a vision of the future.

I have by no means listed, much less remembered,  all the places in Horton in the 60's and 70's. Thanks to my mom, and Donna Hallauer for their help with a few names.  What do you remember?  Let me know at tapestry@rainbowtel.net.

What Does Summer Taste Like

With summer winding down, I find myself wondering if I have tasted all that summer has to offer. Summer has a definate flavor you know. Of course that is different for everyone. For me, Summer is Strawberry Pie flavored. I did a random survey of family and friends, and the tastes of summer range from watermelon and sweet corn, to cottonwood pollen. The taste of fresh produce from the garden is obviously best in summer. People anxiously wait for that first tomato or cucumber or batch of green beans. Some tastes invoke memories of childhood, of homemade ice cream running down your chin, s’mores sticking to your lips, and sharing Jiffy Burgers with Dad. Tastes remind us of places we have been like taffy from Silver Dollar City, cotton candy at the fair, or cinnamon pecans at the Renaissance Festival, even corned beef sandwiches in the car at Squaw Creek. And apparently Pepsi tastes best when consumed on the 4th of July at Mathias’ pond. Just like comfort foods cheer us up when we are blue, the tastes of summer make us happy. Have you finished tasting Summer?

Busy Busy Busy

That title is a line from the magician in the Frosty the Snowman cartoon. It catches your attention and makes you ponder the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Unfortunately, busy busy busy is no longer reserved for the holidays. We are all so busy these days, every day it seems. Work, home, meetings,and appointments fill our days and evenings. We are so busy we even depend on organized leisure by playing on teams, or scheduling exercise time. "The Busy Trap" is an article from the NY Times by Tim Krieider, where he describes himself as “the laziest ambitious person” he knows and encourages everyone to step back from the world’s frenetic pace. “Life is too short to be busy.” http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/the-busy-trap/

I read this article just a few days before the death of Andy Griffith. He will best be remember as the level headed, handsome sheriff of Mayberry, the ideal place to step back and relax. Andy and the residents of Mayberry presented us with real messages about life and living. When the preacher told his congregation one Sunday morning that they needed to take time to reflect and enjoy their day of rest it backfires a bit. The citizens of Mayberry are so intent on recreating those leisurely days of listening to the band in the park on Sunday afternoon that they busy themselves to the point of misery. They knew they wanted to capture that feeling of nothing to do and nothing to worry about, if only for an afternoon. Because it was important. Another Sunday in Mayberry found a busy business man passing through when his car broke down. With nothing open on Sunday he was forced to eat at Aunt Bea’s table and listen to Andy and Barney sing The Church in the Wildwood. He was taken back to a quieter time from his childhood and didn’t want to leave even after Goober helped get his car fixed. Robert Fulghum wrote “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” where he reminds us of all those important things we learn early in life. My version goes like this: “All I’ll Ever Need to know About Life I Learned from Andy Griffith.” ★ Be kind to your neighbor. ★ Go out of your way to make your friends feel good about themselves. ★ A cold pop on a hot day can make just about anything better. ★ Share what you have with those in need. ★ Help each other all the time, not just when it is convenient. ★ Protect nature. ★ Resolve things with wisdom instead of force. ★ Hold hands while you walk to church. ★ Make sure no one leaves your house hungry. ★ Never pass up the chance to go fishing. ★ Sing on the porch whenever you can. ★ Slow down, see, listen and enjoy life. See you at the fishin’ hole.

Have A Nice Day

09-01-11

It’s not a timex - but it is still ticking. For 38 years! I won the shiny bright yellow Smiley Face clock for selling magazines for band in the 8th grade - in 1973. Incredible. The clockworks seem to be as enduring as the symbol on the face.

The clock has been proudly hung in every place I have ever lived since then. Smiley moved with me to my college dorm room and helped me get to classes on time. From a prominent place in all the kitchens of my adult life Smiley has made sure the family stayed on schedule.

When I moved back to my childhood home, Smiley reclaimed his original spot on the wall in the north bedroom. From there he helps me stay on track to get to work on time every morning.

The Smiley Face was born in 1964 for a moral boosting "friendship campaign" at State Mutual Insurance. Harvey Ball spent 10 minutes designing and drawing the graphic and was paid $45. He should have copyrighted it! When the Smiley Face craze hit in 1970 Bernard and Murray Spain did after adding the words "Have A Nice Day" and the rest is history. It became a symbol for an entire generation of Americans, and is one of the most well known images in the country. The number of smiley buttons produced by 1972 was estimated at 50 million.

Since then the Murrays and their imitators have created posters, greeting cards, shirts, bumper stickers, jewelry, key chains, CLOCKS, and many other items. In 1999 United States Postal Service unveiled the Smiley Face Stamp and that same year the first World Smile Day was held.

My first Smiley was a felt patch that mom made on her sewing machine and sewed on a jacket for me. It is the universal symbol for happy. I often sign my cards with a Smiley face of sorts. And the ascii version helps convey my mood in text and email messages. :) You can hand someone a smile with the happy face printed on a card, and medical professionals have even adopted the symbol for their pain scale. Smiley with a smile for feeling no pain on one end, and Smiley with a frown for feeling bad on the other end.

Smiley is here to stay and we will no doubt see him in various and unexpected places. Not everyone in my family shares my love for the cheery yellow Smiley Face Clock that wishes me a happy day - but they can appreciate the tenacity with which he keeps on tickin’!

Dancing Without Stars

Anyone who knows me is aware of the fact that I am not athletic. Heck I am not even all that coordinated. You can imagine that when I was informed my senior year of college that I still needed a PE credit to graduate I was less than enthusiatic. The thought of dressing out for PE with a bunch of physically talented college freshman was more than a little intimidating. Now, try to imagine how excited I was to find a class called “Folk, Social, and Square Dancing!” Open to all majors, no dressing out, no shower rooms, no special shoes. Perfect!

The year was 1981 and all I wanted to do was graduate with my English degree. Dancing a few hours a week proved to be rather fun. My assigned dance partner was a Freshman PE Major named Kennedy Johnson. Lucky for me I was paired up with someone coordinated and athletic. He “got” it and I just followed him. Thanks to Kennedy Johnson I got earned my PE credit successfully and painlessly. That name has stuck with me all these years - and yes I believe there is a JFK/LBJ story in there somewhere. Over the years I have told the story of my college dance class, my dance partner and his unforgettable name many times.

Moving ahead now to the present day I am reminded of just how small the world we live in really is. I recently attended my nephew’s wedding. I did not know the family of his bride and with the exception of a couple of people, I did not know anyone there that I was not related to. As I read through the program before the wedding I was surprised to see the name Kennedy Johnson listed as the bride’s brother in law.

I thought “Could it be?” I hadn’t seen him in 30 years, but yes the bride’s escort did seem familiar. The age was right, the stature.... I knew I had to find out if this was indeed the same person.

When I walked up to him at the reception and asked if he was Kennedy Johnson, he asked if we had met before because my eyes looked familiar. (Dance partners spend a lot of time looking at each others eyes).
I asked if he was at Benedictine College in 1981. Yes...
I asked if he took a dance class. Yes...
He said that class in the dark old gym on the South campus. Yes...
I said well, I was your dance partner.

For some reason it always feels good to reconnect with someone from your past that you shared happy memories with. And I am always humbled by the thought that no matter how brief our relationships or encounters with people are we should always be generous and kind. We never know when or how they may come back into our lives.

Who knew that my college dance partner Kennedy Johnson and I would one day be practically related!?

Polka anyone?