We just completed our first week at our new location and we love it. The adjustment has been easy, getting everything done has been an experience. We’ve had great help by friends and we truly appreciate them. But like in all moves, there are opportunities to pitch and purge. We were also moving from a much larger building to a smaller one. We had a lot of wasted space in the other building. Now, we are learning to use our smaller space wisely.
This Saturday, November 11, is Veterans Day, a day that we take pause and thank those who served our country to help make it not only a free country, but the greatest nation on earth.
Many wars have been fought on this land and lands abroad by men and women who risked their lives for us, and yes, some gave the ultimate sacrifice, their lives.
It’s always easy to tell the seasons are changing. Although many like the fall season, they don’t like the next season....winter.
Summer’s okay and I love spring. But as a youngster who had fire red hair, summer was not my friend. Sunburn after sunburn after sunburn. And it was always a blistered (usually second degree burns), painful experience.
If I had been traveling with Christopher Columbus in 1492, looking for a new sea route to India, China, Japan and other places, we would still be looking. Since I have no sense of direction, hard telling where we would have ended our journey. Come to think of it, he didn’t do such a good job of going to those countries because he ended up here.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Halloween season as many are putting up “spooky” decorations. This year, the giant size seems to be pretty popular as more and more of them seem to be popping up around town.
Eleven days ago I celebrated my birthday. Yes, friends, it’s great to be 78! There were no sirens, whistles, but there was a parade in “my” honor. Actually, it was the Fall Fun Festival parade. I just like sharing it with them.Every few years the festival falls on the 23rd and 24th of September. This was one of those years. The 23rd of September was also the birthday of my late husband, Chuck. Chuck and I always had a good time together and even more so on our birthdays.When our three kids were little, we used to tell them there was a parade uptown for our birthday.
In my last column, I shared about one of my experiences while a student at Quincy Beauty Academy. Even though I lived 65 miles from home, my mom made sure there was still a watchful eye on me; my landlord, Mrs. Smith.
Although our group of girls didn’t like the idea of having curfew, we really did love this sweet elderly lady. But as teenagers, we did disobey, a time or two.
On May 28,1963 I graduated from high school. It was a hot day and was held in the ‘59 gym. Two weeks later, June 11, I started school at the Quincy Beauty Academy. At that time, cosmetology school was only six months, but they crammed a lot in your heads in six months.
I was only 17 at the time and didn’t turn 18 until the following September.
Like all teenagers, I was elated at living away from home and being on my own, although I was still totally dependent on my parents for money, food, living expenses, etc. But the thought of being at home with NO curfews was a dream come true.
But I should have known that my mother was one clever woman. She had to look far and wide to find a home on Main Street, six blocks from the school (walking distance) because none of us had a car.
Should I or shouldn’t I? Or maybe it should be do I want to or not? Ordinary questions but sometimes they’re tough to answer. Now that I’ve got you all to wondering what I’m up to, I should do some explaining.
Illinois State Fair Memories By Sally LaelThe Illinois State Fair ended last week and I’m sure it was a great experience for those who attended.Even… Login to continue reading Login…