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Having a working bicycle in 1945 was very important to me and lots of my 10-year-old friends in Stonewall. But our WWII enemies, the Japs and the Germans had seen to it that bicycles, cars and such were fairly unavailable in the USA. Especially Stonewall. We had plenty of old bikes, but it was hard to find one that worked. Bicycle chains were scarce so if you couldn’t fix yours, you were out of luck. My brother and me spent many an hour figuring out how to fix those things and eventually got good at it. Flat tires? We were masters.
Read moreMy dad once told me about the first selfpropelled automobile he ever saw. He couldn’t remember exactly when but he was just a little kid who was born in 1910. The car amazed him and his numerous little brothers as the car chugged past their house on Goat Ridge Road in Leflore County, Oklahoma. The boys were so impressed they tried to preserve the tire imprints in the sandy road, but you know how sand is. The tire tread marks were soon gone. And dad said it was a long time before another car ever came by.
Read moreLast week was a busy week for many Allenites. It was the alumni week here in Allen and many former Allen grads were all about town for the big celebrations. Then last Saturday night I drove over to my old hometown of Stonewall for the alumni meeting over there. A good meal was had in their great cafeteria and much to my surprise, not one of my classmates of 1952 showed up. But, nevertheless, Pat and I had a good time and a good lot of visiting with other old friends that made up the crowd. Saw some old acquaintances from out of state too that I hadn’t seen in many years. Ann Brooks, Pat Toney and Billie Miller to just name three of them. Had a good time reminiscing about old times in old Stonewall.
Read moreI didn’t know that in order to leave one Baptist church and get into another (and keep your good standing) you had to walk down the would-be new church’s aisle, declare your intentions and instruct their church clerk to write your old church clerk a letter (on her own church’s stationery) and request this letter. Good heavens I thought after my mom had explained all this to me, I wondered what other secrets concerning wellbeing and heaven-going I hadn’t been told about.
Read moreI know looks aren’t everything. At least that’s what mama tried to tell us when we were living hand to mouth over in Centrahoma. Things went pretty well when there was just immediate family around, but someone always came back. You know, the refugees from the dust, the poverty, and foreclosing banks. Such as my uncle’s families from California who returned periodically to visit. Many people from the “dust bowl era” migrated someplace else for the simple reason most chances for being prosperous in the dusty environs of Oklahoma and surrounding states had gone down to about zero. Books have been
Read moreFor many of us the end of this pandemic is at hand. And I say, “Praise the Lord.” Being cooped up and suffering through one of the coldest winters in history has also been hard on us. I am a guy who loves getting out and seeing my fellow man.
Read moreMay we always remember the long 17 days we just endured. It may not have been as entertaining as the winter of ’48 but so far it sure has my attention. It has been a time of something just getting worse. And yes it could have been worse. For many others it was. For me it started out on the 5 . I took Pat to the doctor up in Tulsa that day. It was rainy and cold and when we arrived it was slick, icy and 23 degrees F. But we made it home okay only to watch our weather just grow colder and colder.
Read moreSitting in my cozy den, safe from the howling winds of this cold spell, Pat and I enjoyed watching the Grand Ole Opry’s celebration of its 95 celebration. It was good TV and to two octogenarians it made for many great memories.
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