thanks for the memories

I culled some deadwood from the basement boxes

     I found our baby books for Julia and Emily.  We managed to fill out a few of the pages, but the first seven years of our baby's life turned out to be the first seven weeks.
     I found some preschool drawings Emily and Julia did.....can't really tell what they were drawing, but we saved them.  Until today.
     Report cards, first birthday cards for the girls, including some from relatives long gone.  I put those aside, for now.
     Yearbooks from Lake View High School for the classes of 59, 60, 61 and 62.  My brother Carl said those were my other brother Denny's books.  Not sure if his kids want them, but I will ask.  Otherwise I will get them to the high school.
     My NIU BS diploma.....but it was a little mildewed, so I tossed that.
     A notebook full of articles and pictures I took when I was starting out in journalism, and an editorial I wrote when I worked at the Northern Star...no need to save them, so I pitched them.
     Several of my columns from when I was editor at the Ogle County Life.  I did not toss them yet, thought I would read through them any maybe share one or two with all of you.
     As parents, we tend to save a lot of stuff we think our kids will want someday.  But in reality, no one wants the picture of a lion that faintly resembles a mole on my left arm.  We may have hung it on the fridge once, but that was a long time ago.
     I do have a couple of pictures I want to share with you.

     I took this picture at a turkey trot at the old high school.  When it came time for Illinois Press Association honors, the paper submitted it and it won for best feature picture for newspapers of our size in Illinois.  I still have the plaque.  Looking at the picture, I think I may have gotten her age wrong, but I am not sure.  

     Jackie taught at Steward School when she first started out.  At the annual Christmas program, Bob VanHise, the janitor, came though the chimney and got stuck....bringing the entire chimney down.  The crowd went crazy.  This was also submitted, but the judges, if I remember correctly, gave it an honorable mention because it looked staged.  We had a second picture of Bob standing off to the side, scratching his head, in front of all the students and parents.

 

     The skinny young fella on the right was smiling for the only time during the entire prom experience.  I wish I was that size again.

     So, there you have it.

     A trip down my memory lane....as my memory recalls it, anyway.

     By the way...if you want some old school papers, stop by anytime.

     Peace and Love