Continued

Let's talk grandparents. A couple at a time. Let's start with the couple on the left. My Dad's parents. We called them Momoo and Popoo. Momoo was a tall and thin and always had this expression on her face like she had just eaten something really unpleasant.

She was an east Texas farm girl who married a German immigrant (my grandfather). At the time, he was considered an alien (aliens were not illegal at the time). Her family disowned her entirely, including her twin brother. During World War II, the federal government stripped her of her United States citizenship. I have the document she was required to carry at all times. After the war, her citizenship was restored and my grandfather earned United States citizenship.

But she pretty much remained unhappy and unpleasant. Even her furniture was unpleasant. It was scratchy horsehair stuff that was really uncomfortable. We always had to be on our best behavior in Momoo's house. Even outside was dicey. She would tell my mother that if she let us play on wet grass, we'd get 'kidney trouble'. I know my Mom loved those visits as much as we did. It was always pretty tense.

However, there were two really good things about going there.

The first was pallets. They had no beds for us kids so they would pile quilts up on the floor - lots of quilts and they called them pallets. The adults really did a great marketing job on these sleeping arrangements cause we thought it was the coolest thing ever to sleep on the floor.

The second thing was Chaffee, MO. It was a tiny, magical town. If you wanted to build a small 1950's town in middle America, you'd build Chaffee. Green grass and a band shell in the middle of town. And there was a Woolworths dime store 'downtown'. Momoo and Popoo lived about 3 blocks from downtown and we (my sister and I) were allowed to go to town by ourselves. This was huge. Major. The biggest deal ever.

The very minute possible, I'd bolt from the house and make a beeline for downtown. And to Woolworths. Usually I had a dime. Sometimes nothing. I enjoyed wandering up and down the aisles dreaming of what I would buy when I had no money. It was tougher when I actually had 10 cents. The decision was real and serious. I spent hours and hours shopping downtown and loved it.

There was actually a third thing that made trips to Chaffee not only bearable but fun and that was Popoo.

To Be Continued...

Quiet Sunday

No rain, no clouds today but I have the shades most of the way down so I'm happy. I had a nice swim. The tweak I made to my swim gloves worked perfectly. No more flapping flaps. Also, while I was swimming, there were no crowds. One other guy and me. While I was in the locker room dressing after, about 4 women left to hit the pool. I'm thinking it got pretty crowded pretty fast. Timing.

I came home and made a delicious breakfast. Then sat down and got caught up on the internets and paid bills. And now, here we are.

I've been thinking up some sewing projects that are not dolls and hit on a good one this morning while I was swimming. I have several dolls already cut out and waiting for assembly so I'll do those first. And then I may branch out a bit sewing wise.

The soccer team, who one all the marbles last season, has their first home game this afternoon. I suspect the neighborhood will get a little lively. I really like the soccer fans. I love their marching band and their fan parade - it's one of the joys of living here - they march right under my terrace. It's like a parade for me. (The football band does the same thing but by the time they march, all the fans are already drunk and throwing up - not as much fun to watch as you might think.) I'm jazzed that the Sounders season is starting again. And while the sunny weather isn't fun for me I know it will be for them so I hope it holds at least until the game is done.

Time now to wash up the breakfast dishes and get going on the rest of the day.

My tweets

• Sun, 10:25: I love @the60dB but they don't love me. No android app - STILL -and now Alexa says 'sorry, i cannot access your 60db skill right now.'

(no subject)

Indeed, the Sounder parade was grand and led by the Major League Soccer trophy. Here's the beginning of it (not my picture).



Here's what it looked/sounded like from my terrace. Such fun.

Otherwise some sewing done and then some knitting. My right arm is bothering me again. It's so weird sometimes it's the upper arm, sometimes it's the forearm, it used to be the elbow. The damn thing is always complaining about something. I did dig out the brace that I got from the doctor and had it on for a while and it helped but my arm got tired of it. I think I'll reposition and try again. It's not yet 4 pm. I have lots of knitting yet to do today.

Time for CBS Sunday Morning.

Long Distance Information

I wonder how many people heard the news about Chuck Berry's death behind the lyrics to one of his best songs "Long distance information, give me Memphis Tennessee. Help me find the party trying to get in touch with me."

And wondered WTF??

In the olden days, you could go to the hallway of your home (cause that's where everyone had their phone) and pick up the telephone and dial (yes, poke your finger in the hole and move the dial) 0 and get an operator. Depending on your system, you might get the local operator by default and you'd have to request the long distance operator.

And then she'd (and, yep, they were always of the female persuasion) patch you through to the operator for Memphis or where ever you wanted. And then you'd give her the info to the get the phone number. And then she would connect you. If you were cheap, you'd ask for station-to-station. That meant special long distance rates would start the minute anyone answered the phone. If you paid more you could get person to person and that meant the extra charges wouldn't kick in until you were talking to the person you wanted to call.

Information operators were kind of notorious for NOT providing info based on requests like Chuck Berry's. They'd want more than just the name Marie in Memphis.

But, one time, in the early 80's when operators were getting less and less helpful, I got one that went the extra mile when I really needed it.

My BFF Heather had gone to Lake Tahoe with her new-ish boyfriend to visit his family and while she was there, her grandfather died. Her sister called me asking if I knew how to get in touch with her to let her know. I happened to know her boyfriend's last name (which her family did not) and the Lake Tahoe clue so I got on the horn to Long Distance Information right away.

The operator could not find any Lidicoates in Lake Tahoe. I was getting panicky. I explained (with out the music ala Chuck Berry) the situation. I knew nothing about that section of the country so I asked if there were maybe nearby towns that people thought of as Lake Tahoe. And she said not really but then said 'you meant Lake Tahoe, Nevada, right? Did you try Lake Tahoe, California?' ??? No! It was in another phone district (handy) so she patched through and found the number in that second Lake Tahoe and within minutes I had my friend on the phone. I was so grateful and have never heard that Chuck Berry song the same way again...

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