January 2004
Volume IV, Issue 1

"Spurs That Jingle Jangle Jingle"
  from Gwen Garig, Editor  

          Well, here's the cowgirl again.  Wish I could find a picture of a little Greenie in cowboy boots to add to this edition.  Don't know why I love cowboys so much, but I do.  This morning the old song kept ringing in my head, "I've Got Those Spurs That Jingle Jangle Jingle...as we go riding merrily along."

          Jokes have been made about that song, but I'm just taking it from the simple way it is said.  Last month, I sent out many "spurs" and some of you dear ones picked up on them and really blessed other Greenies with your memories.

          Every thing has a purpose and for me the purpose of the Gusher is to bring the Greenie Family closer to each other.  To have fun reminiscing, to fill in a lot of gaps we never knew about each other.

          Also to know what is going on in each other's lives now along with bits of wisdom others have learned to pass on to us.  A place to share our good news with people who really care and don't think we are just bragging.  A place where we can be silly and light hearted or serious and sad, but free to share from our hearts.  Goodness knows...we gotta share somewhere with someone.  Why not with a Greenie?  Anything is important to us if it is important or just fun to you. 
         

SPEAKING OF SPURS

SPURRED BY

"Betty Helen Hughes Dale"  

          I really got "spurred on" by Helen Hughes Dale when she sent me this email.  If it reminds you of something you did in high school, why not share with us.  Thanks, Helen.

          Helen Wrote:  Thanks so much for what you are doing!  Because of the very small part I had in the last Gusher I heard from a very dear "old" friend.  (Of course we are "getting there" in age, but here "old" means "long ago"). 

          My family and neighbors always called me "Betty" from the Elizabeth in my name.  I grew up in a neighborhood where the boys greatly outnumbered the girls.  That was nice.  This friend had an old black car (I know not the make or model) and they painted "things" on it.  On the driver's door was a big heart and in the center it said, "Betty Hughes, our girl".  I felt honored.  I had not thought of that in years.  Thanks for the memories.

          Gwen says:  Doesn't it make you curious as to who the "old" friend was?  And who was the guy who owned the car, and who painted that on the car?  If you get real curious, you can email Helen from our email list on the Greenie web page.  I personally enjoy having a lot of gaps filled in on the lives of my friends.  Things we never knew because we were each busy on our own turfs.

          Reading about the old black car, brought back a very fun memory to me.  It involves Dennis McDaniel and TWIRP week or Corrigan week-end.  I think we called it TWIRP week, the Woman Is Required To Pay.  Boy, were my eyes opened to how expensive it was for the guys to have a date.  Most of us didn't have money or jobs at that time. 

          But there was one guy, Dennis, that I really wanted a date with and as far as I remember, he had never asked me out.  I just thought he was so "cute".  As it turned out, there was only one thing that led him to agree to have a date with me.  It was a model-T ford that belonged to my brother.  It had to be cranked up from the front, then you had to get out of the way and run jump in the driver's seat. (I nearly ran over my younger brother Bruce one day, because he didn't get out of the way fast enough.)

          I still remember driving down Railroad Avenue with Dennis in the front and Anita Kay Mcleod and her date in the rumble seat.  We had to put straight back chairs in the rumble seat and when we turned a corner, we nearly lost Anita Kay and her date at each turn.  I can't remember much else about that adventure except that without that Model T, I know I would have never had a date with Dennis.  This brings us to a message from Dennis's sister, Virginia.

FROM THE KEYBOARD OF

VIRGINIA HURLEY  

          Hello to all of you from the SPHS Classof '54---and anyone else who may be interested in our comings and goings!  As usual, we had a great Christmas with family and friends.  But then came the "bug".  You know, that one that puts the most prim and proper of us down in absolutely the most indelicate way.  Thank goodness it didn't last more than a day, and the good news was that it was worth a 3 pound weight loss.  That, in addition to the several pounds I shed as a result of taking a holiday job in retail.  What on earth came over me??!!

          I had all my Christmas gifts bought by Thanksgiving, and that weekend was perfect for decorating the house.  I climbed on the roof and put all the lights on the eaves, climbed the ladder and draped them in the large trees in our front yard (while Jay did all the electrical work and told me when I had enough lights on a fuse circuit!)  Then on Monday I was reading the newspaper (much like Henry Fonda in "On Golden Pond," looking for "gainful employment.")  Suddenly an ad leaped out from the page, and on investigating the address I found it to be a delightful gourmet kitchen shop that I like very much.  I dressed quickly, went to investigate, and was hired.  So, between December 1 and last Saturday (January 3) I worked, walked, bent, stooped, climbed, smiled and talked as I sold kitchen goods, cookbooks, gourmet foods, gadgets and the like.  It was all very enjoyable, but by my last day I had enjoyed enough.  Now, even though I started out to work 3 days per week, I've decided to be available only on an "as needed" basis, and hope I won't be needed anytime soon.

          Lessons learned:  (1) Old women don't go to work in retail at Christmastime.  I had not done that type work since high school at Morgan & Lindsey, having had a 32-year career behind a desk.  (2) No matter how comfortable your good old shoes are, they may not be enough to keep your dogs from barking by the end of a day on your feet.  (3) Having a job completely apart from one's career is very rewarding and can be quite fun.

          So, if you still have good health and have had an itch to work, do it!  I see many older men in hardware and home improvement stores, and mature women are always needed in retail establishments.  (Good work ethics we learned in the 50's.)  If you don't want the structure of working for pay, volunteering is still a great way to get out of the house and provide some much-needed help to churches and social service agencies.  After all, we didn't get to be 67-68 years old without getting some great experience along the way.  Use it! 
   

"BEE ALL THAT YOU CAN BEE"  

          [Thanks Virginia .  This looks like a good place to insert a cute hand made card sent to me by Helen Hughes Dale.  If Johnny can add the picture I will show you what it looks like.]  She says:  I give my granddaughters "bee" pins, dolls, pictures, knick knacks, etc. with bees on them and this saying..."Bee all that you can Bee".  We use it to encourage each other.

          They use index cards to make these cards to write notes on.  

          Another thing Virginia makes us think of is "food" so let's move on to meet Wanda Wilson Ryals at:

THE GREENIE COOK NOOK  
(Send your recipes to Wanda and she will feature them in the Gusher)

wmryals@earthlink.net  

January 2004 - Sugar Free Spiced Tea

 2 cups of Instant Lemon flavored tea (sugar free)

2 cups of Tang (This can be purchased in sugar free also)

l tsp. ground cloves and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon l cup of Splenda

Mix all of this together real well and store in an air-tight container

TO USE:  Add 2 tsp to a cup of hot water or 2 1/2 to a Mug of hot water...may add more to each according to your taste.  Really good on a cold Winter night.

  Enjoy!

           Well, Wanda would never serve you a cup of tea, without a good laugh to go along with it.

It's her "Get Well" soup for our souls.  What a blessing.  So it didn't surprise me when she decided to call her column:  60 'Something - Humor  where she shares jokes about getting older.  I agree it always makes me feel better to laugh than to cry.  

60 'SOMETHING - HUMOR

by

Wanda Wilson Ryals

           When you were 17 and graduating from dear old SPHS, did you ever think we would be 67 one day getting ready for our 50th class reunion?  I don't know about you, but AGE wasn't a part of my thinking process.  I was more concerned with YOUTH THINGS such as wearing my hair in a duck tail, polishing my saddle oxfords, etc.  Now some of us are more concerned with wearing hair in the form of a wig, dyed, bleached, frosted or a believable taupe...and polishing bifocals.

          I think about the status symbols of today.  You see women with little cell phones on their purses or in their ear.  I can't afford one so, I just wear my garage door opener.

          I have gotten that dreaded Furniture disease...have you heard of it?  It is when your chest falls into your drawers.

          I've thought about making a Fitness video for folks our age.  We could call it "Pumping Rust!"

          I saw a couple of funny signs recently.  One on a Second Hand Shop read:  "We exchange anything - bicycles, washing machines, etc.  Why not bring your wife/husband along and get a wonderful bargain?"

          Then in our break room at the office, I read:  "After tea break, staff should empty the teapot and stand upside down on the draining board."  (Boy, I don't know about you but that would really be a trick for me to do.)
 

MEMORIES OF KATE ZACHERY

by

Theo Houston

My senior year, I took American History from Ms. Kate Zachery whose room was on the 2nd floor, across the hall from Mr. Floyd's office. Each morning after the rollcheck, one student would pass a container around. Students who could, put a penny or two in the box.

This went to help support an overseas orphan. This must have happened in all her classes daily. When the monthly fee of $26.00 was reached, this would be sent to the sponsoring entity.

Often, she would show pictures of the sponsored child, a girl, if I remember. This is still vivid in my mind as I sat in front of her desk and was called on frequently to pass the container.

Ms. Zachery was a quiet, retiring spinster when I was in her history class, but she became animated when she read letters from this child. This probably was the only way she could do any outreach of this kind, considering the salaries of teachers back then. God though, was watching and gave her tenacity in pursuing this mission. I learned a lot from her...not all from the textbook.

[Thanks Theo. I never knew this.]  
 

"CHEER UP - CHEERLEADER!!!"

You'll be just fine!  

          These words were typed in bold red letters.  They were just the words I needed to perk me up and get me off the pity pot.  I had forgotten that I was usually a cheerleader at heart.  Now, another Greenie became the real one.  

          The dead line was drawing near for the Greenie Gusher and I felt like I was walking in quick sand.  It wasn't so much that I hadn't heard from many, (which I hadn't) but other things were piling on and weighing me down.  Neither had my new computer arrived and my old one had been stripped of most of the tools that I normally use, such as a spell check.  The bottom line is, I was despressed.

          I didn't want to do this, but I was desperate, so I cried out to my Greenie friend and asked if she could help me contact some other Greenies.  I just didn't have any spunk left in me to ask nicely for their help.

          WOW!  Did she ever get to work and help me.  Now I am up again.

          This is just another reason I want the Greenie Family to be available to each other.  Have you ever heard of the proverbial see-saw?  When one is down, the other is up?  I was counting on my Greenie friend being "up" that day.  If she weren't, then I didn't know what to do.  She never said she was "up", but knowing her, if she thought someone was in a bind or hurting, she would do her best to help, even if she were down.  And help me she did.   Thanks Friend for that true Greenie spirit.  Gwen

                                                When You're Up, You're Up

                                                When You're Down, You're Down

                                                When You're Up Against A Greenie 

                                                You're Up Side Down.

          So world, don't pick on us Greenies.  We have true Greenie friends on our side, and they'll turn you Upside Down.  Let's stick together.

 A FEW QUOTES FROM GREENIES ABOUT:

WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED ON THEIR ROAD OF LIFE

Shirley Carvell Greene:  When the doctor tells you it can't be fixed, the only thing to do is "Look Up."

Gwen Garig Watkins:   "All things are possible if you only believe."

Helen Hughes Dale:  "I never worry about what people are thinking of me because they usually aren't."   And, of course:  "Be All That You Can Be."

John Watson: " Keep Looking Up!"   

HEY GUYS!!!

          Don't let us girls have the last word.  I know you got into more mischief than we did.  We only talk to "fill in the gaps" of silence.  I know Don Marshall has some great bear stories and Ronnie Berwick is so good about visiting other Greenies and keeping us long distance people informed.  The list is too long to make of all the other men out there who can write a short note for the Gusher.  We do need you, so please have mercy, and speak up.  Thanks, Gwen  

                     JERRY FORTENBERRY TO THE RESCUE
Well, I thought we were going to have to run this issue without some advice from our men, but received some words from Jerry just in time. These are his answers to some of the spurs. Thanks Jerry.

         OK Gwen:  Sorry it has taken so long to get back to you on your questions on spurs.  It has been a very busy 2 months and hopefully things will settle down.

1.  Have I been Nervous about attending our next reunion?   No.  I am on the planning committee for this year and we have had several meetings, which the only thing I can say is that if we have half as much fun at the reunion as we have had at the planning meetings, it will be great.

2.  What I would like to see in the Greenie Gusher is   more information on some of the classmates that we never hear from and what they have been doing for the last fifty years.

3.  What was my most embarrassing moment?   When we were in the 11th grade I ran across the street to get a Hamburger at lunch and did not look before running across the street. I was lucky that the man driving the car that hit me was not driving fast and I was only shaken up.

4.  Who was My favorite teacher?   It was Dallas Fontenot who taught Vocational Agriculture.  What I remember the most is the trips we took to Mexico, and to the State fair. I also remember the fun times we had in class.

5.  The most important lesson that I have learned in life is   To be who you are. Do not be ashamed of who you are and what has happened to you in life.  Be kind to your fellow man and when possible be as good a friend as you can be.

6. What I learned from experience for those who care for elderly parents/family. Treat them as if you were in their place.  They took care of you when you were in need, and remember that even though sometimes things are not at their best that they are your family and deserve the best care you can give them.

7.  How did I adjust to retirement?   I did not retire.  I only changed bosses.  I worked for 40 years in the Tele-communications Industry and what I enjoyed most was the challenge that it presented.  Now I work for my wife, doing what ever it takes to make her happy, and that is also a challenge.

8. The Greenie that I ran into in an unexpected place   was Jim Bob Barlow at Bellevue Beach in Copenhagen Denmark, while serving in the Army in about 1958.

UNTIL NEXT MONTH

          Please remember these Greenies in your prayers.  If you have others to inform us about please let me know through www.angelfoodblessings.com.  You might like to send them a "Get Well" email.

Skeeter Woods

Theo Matthews Houston

Anita Kay McLeod Smith's granddaughter Skylar

Margie Gibson Crabtree

Sherry Laurent

Moby Manchack  

Myra Reece (Shirley Carvell Green's friend) 

GreenieGusherOnline Archives