Tuesday, August 14, 2007

CG- Circa 1955


Do all young boys want pretty teachers? These days too many pretty teachers are brought to our attention by way of their mug shots, after they've been caught dabblin' where they ought not be!
I was disappointed on my first day of second grade...
I don't remember any of the other teachers, but no one could have called Mrs. Saunders pretty. You can see from this photo that she had a skin pigmentation problem, which stood out like a Nazi Swastika when you first met her.

She was a gentle soul, and she cared for her kids right to her very core. She may have been the best teacher I ever had. I think the pigment problem became invisible to me after about a week in her class. By the end of the year, I loved her dearly.

I mentioned in a comment to my 1st Grade post the name "Sirona Morton". I now realize she wasn't in that photo 'cause she's definitely in this one. Lots of other familiar faces here too.

(Look at teacher's pet, right there next to her!)

Monday, August 13, 2007

Recognize him?


This is not quite as exciting as ELVIRA,
and I did a crappy job of blacking out his name (sorry).
This guy is much, much older then us '65 grads
and he is recognized throughout the world
and we all knew of and loved him.
I'm giving you the first hint now:
1st hint:
He was a model and part-time stuntman in Hollywood in the
1930's before his "big break" in 1949.
This big break is what made him famous
until the day he died in 1999.
2nd hint:
His initials were J.C.M.
Later, around 1940, he dropped one of his initials.
(I'm not telling which one)

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Here's your answer

Elvira
Mistress of the Dark
Better known as Cassandra Peterson
Anonymous got it right

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Recognize her?


Oh, come on, you all know her. Any guesses as to who she is?
She's almost our age, born in 1949.
This is just for fun!
I'll give ya a hint later.
1st hint:
her initials are C.P.
I briefly met her at an autograph signing
here in Indy at a car show many years ago.
She is NOT a race car driver nor an athlete.
2nd hint:
She holds a record in the
Guinness Book of World Records
as the youngest showgirl in Las Vegas history
(late 60's) but that's NOT what made her famous.
She's an actress with a "gimmick" and it's the gimmick
that has made her famous world wide.

Friday, August 10, 2007

SAD NEWS

I just learned that Bill Porter; who was one of our teachers in high school, passed away last night. He lived accross the street from my mom and dad in Greenwood. Bill had been diagnosed with bone cancer in May. I am so sad to learn that he died. He was always nice to me in school and a good friend as a neighbor to my folks.



I don't know any details about his funeral or calling. It will probobly be in The Daily Journal and the Indianapolis Star tomorrow or Saturday.

"Your Hair Is Romance!"


I'm sure we watched this ad as kids. Remember the jingle?
(If, when you click the link, you get a page that says "You are not authorized..." click "Go" again, and it should take you to the link. Don't know why it sometimes won't go directly!)

Lots of old TV Ads here.

Monday, August 06, 2007

HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED

WHAT MADE ME ME

Long ago and far away,
In a land that time forgot,
Before the days of Dylan,
Or the dawn of Camelot.

There lived a race of innocents,
And they were you and me,
Long ago and far away
In the Land That Made Me Me.

For Ike was in the White House
In that land where we were born,
Where navels were for oranges
And Peyton Place was porn.

We learned to gut a muffler,
We washed our hair at dawn,
We spread our crinolines to dry
In circles on the lawn.

We longed for love & romance,
And waited for our Prince,
And Eddie Fisher married Liz,
And no one's seen him since.

We danced to "Little Darlin"
And sang to "Stagger Lee"
And cried for Buddy Holly
In the Land Than Made Me Me.

Only girls wore earrings then,
And 3 was one too many,
And only boys wore flat-top cuts,
Except for Jean McKinney.

And only in our wildest dreams
Did we expect to see
A boy named George with lipstick,
In the Land That Made Me Me.

We fell for Frankie Avalon,
Annette was oh, so nice,
And when they made a movie,
They never made it twice.

We didn't have a Star Trek Five,
Or Psycho Two & Three,
Or Rocky-Rambo Twenty
In the Land That Made Me Me.

Miss Kitty had a heart of gold,
And Chester had a limp
And Reagan was a Democrat
Whose co-star was a chimp.

We had a Mr. Wizard,
But not a Mr. T
And Oprah couldn't talk yet
In the Land That Made Me Me.

We had our share of heroes
We never thought they'd go.
At least not Bobby Darin, or Marilyn Monroe.

For youth was still eternal,
And life was yet to be,
And Elvis was forever
In the Land That Made Me Me.

We'd never seen the rock band
That was Grateful to be Dead,
And Airplanes weren't named Jefferson,
And Zeppelins were not Led.

And Beatles lived in gardens then,
And Monkees lived in trees,
Madonna was a virgin
In the Land That Made Me Me.

We'd never heard of microwaves,
Or telephones in cars,
And babies might be bottle-fed,
But they weren't grown in jars.

An pumping iron got wrinkles out,
And "gay" meant fancy-free,
And dorms were never coed
In the Land That Made Me Me.

We hadn't seen enough of jets
To talk about the lag.
And microchips were what was left
At the bottom of the bag.

And hardware was a box of nails,
And bytes came from a flea,
And rocket ships were fiction
In the Land That Made Me Me.

Buick's came with portholes,
And side shows came with freaks,
And bathing suits came big enough
To cover both your cheeks.

And Coke came just in bottles,
And shirts came to the knee,
And Castro came to power
In the Land That Made Me Me.

We had no Crest with Fluoride,
We had no Hill Stree Blues,
We all wore superstructure bras
Designed by Howard Hughes.

We had no patterned pantyhose
Or Lipton herbal tea
Or prime-time ads for condoms
In the Land That Made Me Me.

There were no golden arches,
No Perrier to chill,
And fish were not called Wanda,
And cats were not called Bill.

And middle-aged was 35
And old was forty-three,
And ancient was our parents
In the Land That Made Me Me.

But all things have a season
Or so we'ver heard them say,
And now instead of Maybelline
We swear by Retin-A.

And they send us invitations
To join AARP,
We've come a long way, baby,
From the Land That Made Me Me.

So now we face a brave new world
In slightly larger jeans,
And wonder why they're using
Smaller print in magazines.

And we tell our children's children
Of the way it used to be.
Long ago and far away.
In the Land That Made Me Me.

GB - After reading this
Would I go back???
You bet ya ! ! !

Echo

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Class of '67-- the Early Years

Someone asked to see a photo of Mrs Parrish's class
that would have graduated in '67.
This is a photo of the persons of interest
and they all look guilty!
How many can you ID?

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Weren't We All Rebels?

Keeping with the theme of late-




Or alternatively, and maybe even more apropo:

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Wheels, Tunes and Memories

Sit back and relax and take a Stroll down Memory Lane with this
fantastic site.

My brother Terry (many of you may remember) is involved in a car club and is also a judge of Custom Car Shows through out the country.

He sent me this site and it is just so perfect for remembering old times.

Remember This ?

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

A STROLL DOWN MEMORY LANE

In July while recovering I posted the "How Good Is Your Memory ???" about TV shows we use to watch in our youth. I never dreamed that is would have the impact that it did. I hear from GB that it has topped the records so far with (57 comments).

S - O - O- O I have come up with a new memory jogger. Let's see if we can have as much fun with this one. Now we all will have to admit that in "our day" music was real music. The entertainers actually "sang" the songs and you could understand the words. They didn't even use make up to hide their identity. Well Little Richard (maybe a little bit) HAHA

Shifty and I love listening to music from the 60's and carry overs from the 50's. Shifty use to travel with a band back in the 60's. He did the set up for them and promoting. They were called JERRY AND THE DECADES. All of the guys in the band were from London Kentucky and surrounding areas. Little did they know back then that a couple of the guys would go on to stardom and work with some of the "big name" entertainers of today and yesterday.

If you think back I am sure that you will remember a group called EXILE. Memory not so good ???? Well this may trip your memory !!!!

Kiss You All Over, She's A Miracle, Cant's Get Close Enough, Give Me One More Chance, It'll Be Me, Woke Up In Love and Take Me Down and many more.

One of the lead singers with EXILE is Les Taylor. Shifty grew up with Les and he started out with Jerry and The Decades. We had the great experience of seeing EXILE in concert two years ago. Shifty hadn't seen Les in some 30+ years. It was a really moving experience to see them re-united after all those years. After the concert we gathered around their tour bus until the wee hours of the morning talking and reliving the "old days". I think those guys would still be talking if they hadn't had to get on the road for another concert.

Also in their band is a super guy - who is like a brother to Shifty. His name is Fred Wooton. Fred is a Steel Guitar player and backup singer. He is known in the music industry as one of the most outstanding guitar and steel guitar players around. Aside for his unbelievable talent there is something else that makes him unique. He doesn't read music. He plays strictly by ear. As the years went on Fred has played in the bands of some top names that I am sure your will recognize. Keith Whitley, Lori Morgan, Ricky Skaggs, Linda Ronstat and I am sure a few more that I have forgotten. We visit with Fred and his wife quite often and spend Christmas with them each year. It is really something to hear Fred & Shifty rehash tails of old. I didn't know Shifty was such a hoot. I couldn't believe the story Fred told about Shifty letting some "goopie girls" believe he was from England on one of his road trips. When I heard the story I said, "Honey, how could you lie to those poor little teeny boppers". He said, "on heck, I didn't lie, I just told them I was from London - I just didn't say London Kentucky". Oh some of the stories they can tell.

Anyway, enough of that - HERE IS MY NEW MEMORY CHALLENGE TO YOU !!

How many songs from the (60's) can you remember? And even some of the carry overs from the 50's that we like to claim. And to make it even more interesting CAN YOU REMEMBER THE ARTIST'S? I will have to admit that I have a pretty big collection of 50's & 60's music and I can't believe how many of the songs I know but have no idea who sang them. When I looked some of them up I swear I have never heard of them in my life.

So think back to the hours spent at the Bee Hive, The Frost Top and the Sock Hops and lets see how good you are. If you don't know the band or artist but remember the song it will be fun to see who can fill in the artist/band name etc.

Here is my starting contribution:

Creedence Clearwater Revival - PROUD MARY, HAVE YOUR EVERY SEEN THE RAIN, TRAVELIN BAND and who can forget THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL

Tommy James & The Shondells - MONY MONY
Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs - WOOLY BULLY
The Kingsmen - LOUIE LOUIE
Wilson Pickett - LAND OF 1,000 DANCES
Betty Everett - THE SHOOP SHOOP SONG (It's In His Kiss)

HAVE FUN AND JOIN IN

Echo & Shifty

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

1st Grade- Mrs. Parrish


I'm hopeful the way I copied this pic will allow you to click and enlarge it.
Several faces here you'll recognize if you do that...
(I count at least four active VK bloggers... do you see more?)

Monday, July 23, 2007

Shattered Glass

Self absorbed?
Sure we were. Our time was important!
Why should we have to waste it?


It was Good Friday.
Liberals/Progressives of today, don't read the next sentence...
We were gonna get half a day off for the Easter holiday. The entire school was moving to the gym so Mr. Vandermeer and others could say a few marvelous words and send us on our way. In the past, these Good Friday assemblies had taken 90 minutes or so...
Why should we stick around for an hour and a half and accomplish nothing? We had "places to go, people to meet"!


So Tom, Ron, and I came up with a plan...
we'd just mosey on out the North door of the gymnasium down to our cars, and quietly leave.
No one would know. No one would care.
And that's exactly what we did.
The weekend passed, and we thought we had pulled it off.


But Ron G. had seen us get into our cars, and for some reason Ron felt compelled to tell some member of the faculty about three classmates breaking the rules.

Monday morning started normally.
Then, over the P.A. system-

"Would Tom #####, David ####, and Ron ####### please come to the office!"
Uh-oh. We'd been ratted out!
Question was, by whom... and how much trouble were we in?


Already seated in Vandy's office- Mr Vandermeer came in and sat across from us.
He started out carefully making his points quietly and calmly...
"Leaders of the class... looked up to and emulated by others..."
Then the volume and tempo both increased-
"Who do you think you are? Do the rules not apply to you?"
Then the temperature went to a full boil!
"I have to expel you for three days. You CANNOT make your own rules!"... and as he spat out the word CANNOT!, Vandy brought his fist forcefully down on the plate glass covering over his desk, shattering it into a thousand dime-sized pieces.
I sensed motion and looked to my left to see Tom moving out the door as fast as his legs would carry him. Momentarily stunned by the sight of shattered glass dancing all over Vandy's desk, I came to my senses and quickly followed his lead.
I don't know what Ron did... Ron, if you're reading, fill us in!


But I hafta tell ya this-
It's another great story to be able to tell,
and e
xcept for the detrimental effect it had on our grades, the three days of involuntary vacation during early Spring in Central Indiana was not altogether a bad thing!

Friday, July 20, 2007

I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar!

Let me apologize up front-

Can't help myself....

I just gotta share this video,
knowing full well it shows I am low class and easily amused!

More George Carlin . . . .

George Carlin turned 70 on May 12, 2007.
So, like him or not (I love him),
he's got to know something about life.


Here's 10 things he believes on "How To Stay Young":

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay them

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.


AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

HARRIS ANNUAL MINI REUNION

Have put out a few feelers to try and find out what would be the best date
for this years October Mini. And guess what !!!!!

THERE IS NO BEST DATE FOR EVERYONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As you all know when you try to plan something with a big bunch of family
and friends NO ONE DATE will fit into everyone's schedule. So all you can do
is pick a date and pray that it will work for the majority.

S0000000!!! Let's all mark your calendars for:

OCTOBER 20th.

Hopefully for those of you who still work this will give you enough time to schedule
that week end off - and for those of you (hopefully) coming in from afar you can get
some good pricing on air line tickets. (Hint - Hint - Fly).

Last year I sent out invitations, posted to VK, made individual phone calls and almost
had a nervous break down worrying if anyone was coming, what they were pitching in etc.

This year I am going to keep it simple and send out invitations about a month
to six weeks ahead of time and keep updating here on VK. I am asking that all
of you help me out by talking to anyone and everyone that you see or talk to.

As usual we will have a pitch in dinner - seems easier than trying to have something
catered as (in the past) we never know until a week or so before the event who is going
to be here. (And in one case - until I opened the door).

Last year there was a lot of planning for the OJ roast. THIS YEAR we are going to just sit
back and relax and sit around the bonfire. For those of you who have never experienced the
bonfire you are really in for a treat. Shifty works for month's stock piling (BIG) hunks of wood.
And just a note for future reference, the old saying that if you play in fire it will make you wet
your pants - IT AIN'T TRUE - A few of the guys spent a lot of time "keeping that fire goin" and
not one of them wet their pants. (GB - or did I miss something). There have been some great stories, lots of laughs and even some "bet's" related to past fires. You will have to talk to GB and hear about the "bet" part of this. Did she ever pay up???????????

Fly- Just a little personal note here - Shifty and I will be on vacation the last week of Sept.
so figured that the week end of the 6th would be "out of the question" as that would be
pushing it to get my kitchen floor mopped. HAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Echo & Shifty

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

A Night Out - Update




A Night Out, Sat Sept. 15, 2007. We will visit with friends and classmates, enjoy a buffet diner and then watch the tried and true -laugh out loud “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” at the Beef and Boards Dinner Theater. Come join us for this Night Out. Singles, couples, it really doesn't matter - you will be with friends and everyone deserves a night out once in a while. This is still a couple of months out – plenty of time to clear your calendars. But, don't wait too long to decide. Right now, there are plenty of good tables available. And they should be able to group us close together, Up front and center. It will be fun so, Check your calendars and let me know as soon as possible. Call me or email me if you have questions. You can also go to www.beefandboards.com/ for information. Respond via VKs or email and I will be in contact.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Farfel



N-E-S-T-L-E-S,
Nestles makes the VERY BEST...
Chaaaawwwwwklet!

Then, and Now

In the shower, thinkin'...
(Hot steamy air is good for that!)

How many classmates, schoolmates, and friends are now stoppin' by here at VK?
Twelve or so participate on a reasonably active basis. Checkin' the sitemeter, I know several more are lurking... reading, and for whatever reason, won't stick their necks out.
(Luddites?)

I'm fairly certain of my next comment:
This class, because of its size and because of world events when we graduated, has always been special. And reading/hearing comments from Bo and others about the spirit exhibited by other H.S. classes, I'd bet our class is closer and has more esprit than most.

There is a core group of people we can thank for that-
those people that planned and organized all the class reunions since we graduated.

At the top of that list, of course, is TwoDogs.
A little background here:
TD and I were never what you would call "close" during our school years. I respected and liked him, and I think he felt pretty much the same about me. We have grown closer over the last several years, and I have had a first-hand chance to see how much work, how much detail TD has applied, trying to locate classmates, then stay in touch with them. Let me emphasize this...
The wonderful things that are happening to our class now would NOT be happening, were it not for our class President! We picked a good one!
TD, thank you from all of us!

But "Thanks" can be spread around to others, and I'm gonna leave it to TD to fill in my blank spots, 'cause I know I'll leave several out. Please, TD, (and anyone else that knows), mention anyone I forget so we can also applaud them!

BobWhiteDan, Linda B-K, Dale, Indy Echo, Hawkeye...
Those are some of the folks off the toppa my head that were on committees to try to insure we had a great time when we got together, and left us all with very fond memories.

To all of you:
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

Friday, July 13, 2007

Memory Lane Revisited

After last week's wonderful drive down memory lane, thought you oldtimers would enjoy this.

Take Me Back To The Fifties