Back to School

          Back to school.  How many times have I excitedly awaited the beginning of a new school year?  How about 55 years? Time to reminisce.
          I did not attend kindergarten so first grade was greatly anticipated, and with Mrs. Modeska Alston as my first grade teacher, I was not disappointed.  My first report card remarks included how quiet I was and how I needed to interact more with the other students  Needless to say, my second report card's remarks included, "Sandra tends to talk a lot with her classmates."  I don't remember much about the first grade except that I got to drink chocolate milk at recess and that I got to draw and paint a lot. My second grade teacher was Mrs. Rabon. She gave me my first and only paddling at school; actually, she popped my ankle (after rolling down my socks (?), and hit my ankle with a ruler.  What did I do?  As memory serves me, I was simply following rules by putting up the puzzle after I finished with it. (As a teacher, I know now that I was probably dawdling as I put it away, AND the reason I was playing with the puzzle was because I ALWAYS had to be the first finished with everything, right or wrong, so that I could go play with a puzzle.) My third grade teacher was Miss Louise Stamps. Two things that I remember about her class-first, we walked to her house to watch one of the space flights (no TV's at school) which teachers would never be allowed to do today, and two, we had a very young, attractive sub whenever Miss Louise, who we all thought was old as the hills, was out. The boys LOVED her.  She wore extremely high heels and tight dresses and did the twist during free time. Miss Johnnie Sue Burgess was my fourth grade teacher. We learned Alabama history and the multiplication tables.  It was either during this year or our third grade year that during recess the girls would chase the boys and kiss them when they caught them. Then, Edwina told on everyone, so the teachers made us quit.  My fifth grade teacher was Mrs. Gardner. Mostly, I remember that she read good books to us and that she was very pretty and soft spoken.  My six grade teacher was Mrs. Geneva.  Everyone was scared of her--the boys needed to be as I think most of them got a paddling from her, but I remember liking her.  It was this year, I think, that John F. Kennedy was assassinated.  I remember the teachers talking in hushed voices in the hall then an announcement over the intercom that our president was dead.
     Other random memories from elementary school: riding an elephant for a quarter :-); having no librarian so the teacher took us to a room with books and we picked one out to read--I don't think we took them home, just read them during our "library" time; having music with Mrs. Elizabeth Abrams (to this day, I will just start singing the words of songs out of the blue, and I know that I learned them from her); playing jacks outside under the awning waiting for the school doors to open; having a school nurse and a bed to stay in if you didn't have anyone at home to come get you; taking YEARS of piano and wishing that I had practiced or at least paid attention.
     Following elementary school was junior high and senior high at Aliceville High School.  From there, I went to Livingston University where I graduated in December 1973 and immediately began working at Pickens Academy the following January of 1974. After PA, I worked at Warrior Academy in Eutaw, AL; Morgan Academy in Selma, AL; Pickens County High School in Reform, AL; Carrollton Unit School in Carrollton, AL; Buhl Elementary in Buhl, AL; and at my present job at Collins-Riverside Middle School in downtown Northport, AL. WHEW!!!!! And I loved every minute of it and still do.
    So, "Back to School" time is still exciting to me.  I will be at school before 7:00 a.m., have the library open, and be ready to help any teacher or student begin this new year. Happy 2013-14 School Year!!!!

Aunt Kat

Today, Dennis and I drove my mom to Sumter County to pay our last respects and to celebrate the life of one of my favorite aunts, Anna Kathryn Shelby Plott. Aunt Kat was mom's oldest sister. She, Uncle Walter, and their three boys, Gene, T...ony, and Tommy, lived just down the road from my grandparents, and as we visited my grandparents almost every weekend, it was inevitable that she and her family would be an important part of my life.
My love of reading came from Aunt Kat. The minute I would walk in her door I would head to the bookshelves in her living room. There I found, and read, such classics as The Prince and the Pauper, Heidi, and Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates, over and over and over.
Today, her pastor read from her Bible-notes that she had made as she read and studied God's word. Her favorite Bible verses and songs were shared just as she had prepared for them to be. While having an excellent meal prepared by her small country church, my eyes were drawn to a dry-erase board with the following verse printed on it:
"Nothing makes me happier than to hear that my children live in the truth." Third John:4
I know where my aunt is, and I celebrate with her. See More

Aunt Kat's boys, Gene, Tony, and Tommy

Aunt Ruth, Fred, and his family
 

 

Tommy and his family

Gene and Aunt Nina, the youngest

ROLL TIDE!

   I just realized that 39 years ago, Dennis and I went to the Orange Bowl in Miami to watch Alabama and Notre Dame play.  I remember all too well that Alabama lost that game.  We drove down with friends in our new red and white Chevrolet Blazer. Both side windows and the back window were painted with pachyderms. Talk about country rednecks from Pickens County, Alabama!! We took the back seat out, "installed" two lawn chairs, and rode "in style" all the way to and from Miami.  Needless to say, we were disappointed about the game, but we stopped by Orlando Disney World on the way home hoping it would make us feel better. (It did.)
  This year Dennis wanted to send Parker and Jason to the Orange Bowl as part of their Christmas.  Because Parker knew he would be returning to the states to get a visa after three months in Paris, he bought a round trip ticket as it would be cheaper.  When Dennis gave "the boys" their present, Parker called to exchange his ticket.  Unfortunately, the exchange would cost close to $5000!!!!! Now, Dennis and Jason are going to the game.  They will get up early in the morning (Saturday), head to the airport in Birminghan, fly to Houston (crazy) and have a four hour lay over before heading to Tampa.  At Tampa, a rental car and hotel room will be waiting for them. They will drive to the game from Tampa and have found an Alabama memorabilia (?) tent where they plan to spend some time waiting for the game to start.  After the game they will back track and head home.
   My plans are to stay with Savannah,, Libby, and Luke.  We have plans to see Monster, Inc. on Saturday afternoon. We will watch the game from home wearing our new TUSK sweatshirts and hoping that both kids will be asleep. ROLL TIDE ROLL!!

Trick or Treat-Smell My Feet

    With October comes great memories.  Our first Halloweens were in Eutaw, and our porch was always decorated with an extremely large spider web with several spiders as well as a ghost that swayed gently in the wind.  Throughout the house, ghosts made from suckers covered with tissue were placed high enough that the kids could not reach them but could see them.  They were allowed to pick a ghost each day until Halloween IF they had been good. Choosing costumes was easy at this age, and the kid's first ones were usually done by Dennis' mom, Miss Ruby.  The only exception was on Parker's first Halloween when he was only a few months old , and his Aunt Emily supplied the costume.  She found a one piece cowboy outfit complete with attached boots which I still have.  My favorite costume of Parker's was his second or third which was a convict outfit.  Miss Ruby made the costume, and I made the ball and chain. Even back them Parker was a good actor or should I say HAM!

He won first place in the costume contest, he won a cake at the cake walk, AND, more importantly, he won Adverb.  Adverb was a goldfish, and Parker and his creative Daddy named him. Unfortunately, Adverb did not live long.
   The next year Parker had to decide which He Man character he wanted to be and, of course, it was the villain, Hordak. Miss Ruby had gone to Europe the spring before and brought both kids precious "alp" costumes.  There was no way Parker was going to wear THAT, but Savannah did. She was a little Swiss girl, but perhaps her favorite thing that year was the wax lips!

  Our last year in Eutaw Parker was very into The "KaWatee" Kid, so again, Miss Ruby made his costume.  Savannah's costume that year was easy-she was "Duper" (Super) Girl.  We found her costume at Gayfer's in the little girl's pajama section.

The second house/neighborhood that we lived in at Selma was my kid's all time favorite place.  Castlewood had no through streets, so it was a favorite place for everyone else in town on Halloween.  Most of the kids, including mine, had golf carts that they used every day and especially on Halloween.  Neighbors decked out their porches, yards,and themselves, and it was truly one big party every year. Church buses dropped loads of kids off to walk our streets and "Trick or Treat". I remember our first Halloween there.  I had to go back to the store THREE times to buy candy.  I finally closed my door and turned off the lights when my sweet girl started giving everyone her candy.  My niece, LeeAnn, and her first husband lived in Dallas County for several years.  One Halloween they joined the "festivities."  Chris wore camouflage from head to toe, had a ski mask over his face, and held a tremendous stick in has hands.  He would stand just inside the door with one light shining on him.  When the doorbell rang, we would slowly open the door.  We would have to chase after the kids to give them the candy--I think this might have scared them, too.  It was so much fun that Savannah and Parker chose to stay home to give out candy instead of going around the neighborhood to get candy.
I do not remember which year they wore each costume, but here are a few more pictures; I have more, but I've lost them somewhere on this computer!

 One year Parker was Dick Tracey and Savannah was a hula girl.  If you look close,you can see my large spider web. It followed us from Eutaw to Selma.

Savannah was the flower girl in Amy, LeeAnn , and Carol's weddings.  We were able to use two of the dresses for Halloween.  This was LeeAnn's,and we added a floppy hat and fan to become a southern belle. For Amy's wedding, she and Abby wore dresses that were white, so we added a veil and a bouquet of flowers to become a bride.
The year Parker was in the fifth or sixth grade he decided that the was too old to dress up and trick or treat.  However, about the time Savannah was heading out, he changed his mind.  His costume that year.......he put on his daddy's Morgan football staff t-shirt, Morgan hat, red shorts, and wore a whistle.....and became Coach Windle.
When we moved to Carrollton, my kids were too old to Trick or Treat.  Instead, a new tradition found us.  Without fail, our house was rolled with toliet paper every Halloween and some other days, too. Now, I wonder who did that?!

Our Pets

   During our 38 years of marriage, Dennis and I have had several pets.  Our first was a black cat named Gemima who lived in our apartment and traveled with us to our first house in Eutaw.  She was notorious for jumping from the bar in the kitchen to our Christmas tree in the living room and knocking it down.  As you can tell in the picture below, she loved climbing.

 Our next pet was a Great Dane named Kong--short for King Kong.  With plans to breed Great Danes, our third pet was a female Dane named Amazon.   (Don't you love my plaid outfit and Dennis's shirt?!)

We were never able to breed the two Danes because Amazon was hit by a car and left unable to breed.  We kept these two dogs in our house until they were just too big.  Eventually, they moved to Mr. Ralph and Miss Ruby's yard in Carrollton.  In the following pictures, Amazon is with Dennis, and Kong is with me.

 We chose our next pet because our children, who are both highly allergic, wanted one so badly.  We found a breeder of chihuahuas, and Parker, Savannah, and I traveled to choose the right one for us. The breeder literally had a barn full of chihuahuas---all ages, shapes, sizes, and colors.  It was unexpected that my two kids picked the exact same puppy.  I had had visions of an  afternoon of arguing over their choice. They  chose a black, long-haired (the breeder assured me that chihuahuas were good for children with asthma even if it had long hair), month old chihuahua. On our drive home, we discussed names and finally decided on the name DOC since we considered her to be an asthma specialist.  We had Doc a long time but lost her while we lived in Carrollton.

Even though the two kids were in college and not necessarily wanting a new puppy, we got a new long-haired, white chihuahua next.  Roe, short for Marilyn Monore (you, know--she's a blonde) , will be our last pet.  She has been good company and a godsend when Dennis was sick.  BUT, as with most chihuahuas, she is very finicky.  She barks continuously when company comes, and her white hair is everywhere.  To help with the hair situation, we decided to get her shaved.  We have had bad experiences with this in the past, so we were prepared, or so we thought, for this trim.  Our small chihuahua becomes an angry pitt bull when anyone tries to groom her.   So last Tuesday, we woke up early to give Roe a sedative.  Forty-five minutes later, we gave her another one.  When we got to the vet's office, she was still wide awake and not happy to be at the vet's.  As the groomer had not yet arrived, we left her and went up the road to work in Dennis's classroom.  We received a call from the groomer and were asked to pick up Roe.  When we got there, the groomer said that she would not be able to groom Roe again. Roe, who was still wide awake, was an unhappy dog.  By the time we got home, she was asleep and slept for two days.  The following are before and after pictures of  Roe's visit to Dr. May's groomer.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Our Sweet Libby

Many times I run across friends who have access to Facebook who tell me how beautiful and precious my grandchildren are.  While I realize that most of them are just being nice and making conversation, I know that many are sincere. What I really wish is that they could all meet Libby and Luke and know them for who they are....especially Libby.  I know that I am prejudiced, but I have never seen a more loving and caring two-year old.  It is scary how closely she pays attention to what everyone says and copies them word-for-word in all situations.  For example, if you sneeze in front of Libby, without thinking, her comment will be, "God Bless You." "Please" and "Thank You" are regular words in her daily conversation and this is without being prompted. Many times I have turned to remind Libby to say "Thank You" to someone, and she has already started saying it. Not only does she mimic words, but she also uses caring actions.  She will put her tiny hands on your face, and ask you if everything is alright or if you feel good.  She has been an extremely bright point for Dennis in the past year or so.
   Today was an extremely hard day for Libby and her parents.  Through the course of the day, she had to endure a catheter, x-rays, and blood work.  And, no, she was not perfect throughout the procedures; she is two after all.  But, she was a trooper. This sweet child has tightly wound her "Soach" and Gran around her little finger....not to control us, but to love us.
   With all that she has endured. not only today but in her two plus years, she is remarkably unspoiled and caring toward others.

Remembering.......The Palace in Alice.........ville

    The other night Dennis and I went to a movie at the Cobb Theaters.  Afterwards we had a late dinner or very early breakfast at IHOP. We began reminiscing about our hometown, Aliceville. It is much different today than it was in the 60's.  Every building had a business, and one could buy almost anything you needed in downtown Aliceville during those days.  Today, there are many empty buildings, and many residents go out of town to make most of their purchases. Our main topic of conversation, however,  became the Palace Theater.
   I can remember Momma dropping me off at the Palace every Saturday afternoon as did most parents in Aliceville. No one worried about leaving their children alone at the theater. While I don't remember the exact cost, I do know that Momma got a pretty cheap baby sitter for Saturday afternoons. I'm thinking that 25 cents covered the cost of admittance as well as a coke, popcorn, and possibly a candy bar--depending on the size of each.  The movies were mostly westerns or scary, but each one began with a newsreel and then a cartoon. I was bad then, and I guess still today, about going to the restroom when the movie became too scary.....such a wimp.
   During those days, the Palace was open every night.  My mother was a big Rock Hudson fan, and if one of his movies was playing, especially if Doris Day was the lead female, we went on Tuesday nights. My daddy did not like movies, and Momma wouldn't go by herself, so she took me.  Usually, I slept in her lap while she watched Rock and Doris.
   The Palace had a special room in the back corner for fussy babies. If your baby cried, you simply went in the soundproof room and were able to continue watching the movie while the other movie goers watched in quiet. I remember that the "hot spot" for teenagers was the row right in front of this room...specifically the corner area.  I never sat in this area, but a lot of teenagers "fought" to get those seats.
     The Palace also had a balcony. The balcony is where the black citizens of Aliceville watched movies.  While they probably wanted to be down where we were, we were all wanting to be upstairs. Blacks also purchased their tickets on the other side of the window and entered through a different door. It all seems so ridiculous now.
   When I was a teenager, the Palace sponsored several "Battle of the Bands".  All I remember about this was that our local bands competed with bands from other towns.  The only other band besides the Aliceville bands that I remember was The Surfers from Tuscaloosa. 
    On a final note- the Palace was the location of my second date with Dennis.  The movie was Imitation of Life, and we were probably two of only ten people there.