More pics

Mass this AM, volunteered at rectory and now home to pick up/putz.

More pics of long ago:

Couple of pics of the Kelley Hotel and one of the old Iola court house. My mom worked at the Kelley Hotel. We lived across the street at the Iola Hotel  where my dad managed  the 49 rooms. It had a wonderful large front porch, and nice roof top to see all the Holiday parades. To the South of the Iola Hotel was a Montgomery Ward Store and a shoeshine parlor and the Iola Theater to the North.

The court house was located in the central square w/a door on each side of the building.  The door locations provided a great entrance and exit for our local kid speed skating group. We would separate into small groups, gather at each door, hollar "GO" and rip through one door and out the other----the sound was maddening--- all that metal wheel clatter going over the closely placed  tiles w/kids laughing/ and squealing. This was a weekly event until poor planning (we did it the same day/time  each week) led to our getting captured by the clerks who had fun chasing us and even more fun calling our folks to come and get us. Think it took about a month for the clerks to figure out our schedule.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Dog Day's

 Mass this AM, volunteer a short while at the school then home to mow/yardwork. Boys off to groomer later in AM. They are getting better about going---just a lot to handle getting to and from the groomers.

Temperature is 71 degrees and expected to hit another triple digit  today.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Garden Visitor(s)

Still dark, cloudy, 75 degrees and quiet.

Thought I would share a pic of one of my latest garden visitors. Planted extra parsley this year---lots of pots of it. The Swallow tail butterflies are scurrying about laying eggs on all the parsely plants---A little different slant on a butterfly garden. They only feed on the parsely. The Monarchs only feed on Milkweed. May think of putting in a pot of Milkweed next year.

Plan to go to Mass this AM and then attend  a volunteer luncheon @ 12:30pm, hosted by the new priest at the SLC. 

Thinking of all of our family in the storm areas and wishing them safe keeping.

Love, Mom

Summer of 1952

 Mass early this AM, ran an errand, took a walk in the 73 degree morning...

Still sorting through old pics/things. These were 2 of my favorite summer places, especially in 1952--The Iola Library and the Iola swimming pool. Would spend each morning at the library (lying on the cool tile floors gazing through the stereo-optic viewer, reading, and chatting w/the librarians), then jump on my bike at noon to ride to the pool and swim for rest of the day.   Probably read over 100+ books that summer. Got an award from KU during that school year  for all of the book reports----lucky I chatted w/the librarians and they remembered me as I had to request notes from each of them for my teacher to authenticate my reading (or pestering/chatting) summer skills.

Write up on the pool: " The Iola Swimming Pool was one of the largest in the region when it was constructed.  It was one of several WPA projects started in the 1930s. " This is really an early pic. Do not recall the slippery slide on the right side. There were 4 diving boards 5', 10' 15' and 25' (mastered all by the third grade). Jackie was also a wonderful swimmer, passed her first aid swimming/test in Jr High and helped the kids w/polio swim in the small pool each morning. The structure on the left was the concession/shower/fountain area. The fountain was surrounded by a circular stairs on each side and left you w/an Esther Williams moment when you descended the stairs in the evening while the water was spraying from the fountains.  Remember my mom going swimming one evening w/us--not an Esther Williams moment-she was a little under the weather, became nauseated and will add no more to this story other than to say the outcome would not have made Esther proud.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

How high's the water, mama?

 Expecting rain/stormy weather today---feels like it also. Still dark but the air is thick outside. Took the "boys" little or no time to get their busines done and back inside----hardly a bark this AM. Nice.  Mass this AM, volunteering at the rectory, spending some time w/Allie, then free wheeling...

More old pics: Pics of Bassola (formerly known as Shale Mound when I was a child) and the flood of 1951. Think they might have shaved the tops down because I remembered it being much taller. This was located right across from our home. Jackie and I had so much fun exploring, "boating", "sledding" down the wet shale (after a good rain) in wash basins, swimming, fishing, and ice skating on this pond.

Below was described as:

"The granddaddy of all floods hit Iola in July, 1951. The water rose within half a block of the square.  You can see just the top of the Marsh Arch bridge." We stayed in our house until the water was coming in the back door because all of the "old guys" told my dad the water had never reached our house before. We left during the night ---who'd thought a 1941 Chevy could hit 70 MPH and almost fly through water---We did. Jackie and I laughed---thought it was one of the most exciting rides except for a few hill jumping trips through the KC, KC hills as we left the relatives homes during the holidays.

Loved finding these pics---have more to send---of course along w/a story or two.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom



Back in time

Mass yesterday AM and to the movie in the afternoon. Fixed salmon for supper, watered plants, read, Face Time w/LJ and family, watched a little TV then off to bed at 9:30pm w/ the Dogmingos.  Quiet day. Sure have a lot of those this summer w/it being so hot outside. Find I have to really work to make the weekends work for me-----long days. Looking into doing something enjoyable this winter. Now, the challenge will be to find what the something is.

Going to share some pics this week w/you of days long ago.  Picture of my 4th grade class at Jefferson Elementary. I was as tall then as I am now---skinny but tall.  Weird thing---I went to school w/these kids from 2nd to 6th grade and I still remember some of their names. Was surfing the net yesterday and there all these pics were.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom



Oh Joy!

Mass this AM, pulled some weeds while it is still cool (85 degrees, 51% humidity),  plan mowing later when the grass is not so wet. Supposed to be another triple digit day. Oh Joy!!!

Still intending to see a movie before the weekend is over. Looking for some fall classes---they cannot be over 6 weeks in length and must be during the daytime---preferably in the AM. Maybe they will offer a class for "overcoming control issues"----that would sum up all of the above. Oh Joy!!

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Today

Mass this AM (to be offered for our family), back home to sweep, possibly see a movie later in the day----Nice. Cooler, but humidity (83 %)  makes the air hot/heavy. Getting things done in small amounts---have all day to do it---will just mix it up a bit.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch. 

Love, Mom

Silly Day

 Mass this AM, off to run errands, back home to putz in the flower garden.

Sharing more of the ever flippant Oscar Wilde: Most modern calendars mar the sweet simplicity of our lives by reminding us that each day that passes is the anniversary of some perfectly uninteresting event.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Nuttin' New

Nice day yesterday---Mass in AM, ran lots of errands, did laundry/house work, and got things marked off my to do list. The weather is getting so nice---in the 90's but nice.

Mass this AM, volunteer at the rectory/school, then home to rake some leaves...Mass to be said this Thursday for our Family at 8:30am at St Patrick's Church. (Thanks Vicki). 

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Short and Sweet

Mass this AM, Phia's 5th BD, off to Vet w/Rowdy for "well boy" check up, then plan to spend the rest of the day free wheeling.

Stay healthy, well, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom (and Oscar Wilde)

Cooler weather

Planning a quiet weekend. Mass this AM. Looking forward to doing lots of yard work today--- mowing, edging, digging, weeding, cleaning out some flower beds, then sitting out on the back deck this evening w/a good book and the Dogmingos.

Spencer is feeling better---less coughing, more normal barking.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

FYI: Mass being said tomorrow at St. Pat's at 8:30am for Ken and on Thursday (Aug 18th/8:30am) for our entire family. Nice.

Love, Mom

Spencer the con artist

(This is not a pic of Spencer---this is the vision I have after spending the last 2 days with him)

Mass this AM and took Spencer to vet (he has coughed the last 2 days,  a whooping, dry, type cough---thought he might have eaten something and irritated his throat---just wanted it checked out), we are covering all areas, reducing inflammation and also covering w/antibiotics. He DID NOT COUGH one time while we were at the Vet---although he coughed his little a_ _ off when we arrived at the Vet parking lot.  Treating myself to go to a movie this afternoon and an early supper. Take that Spencer!!!!-----you will miss me while I am gone. Do you suppose dogs pull these antics just to get attention? Love the little guys---they sometimes (most of the time) prove to be a lot of maintenance.

Weather is great, sunny.....great evenings to sit on the back deck. Things have "greened" up. Planning to mow tomorrow and spend the entire day out in the yard----Nice.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Today

Birth is a beginning
and death a destination
And life is a journey:
From childhood to maturity
and youth to age;
From innocence to awareness
and ignorance to knowing;
From foolishness to desecration
and then perhaps to wisdom.
From weakness to strength or
from strength to weakness
and often back again;
From health to sickness
and we pray to health again.
From offense to forgiveness
from loneliness to love
from joy to gratitude
from pain to compassion
from grief to understanding
from fear to faith.
From defeat to defeat to defeat
until looking backwards or ahead
We see that victory lies not
at some high point along the way
but in having made the journey
step by step
a sacred pilgrimage.
Birth is a beginning
and death a destination
And life is a journey;
A sacred journey to life everlasting.  
                                   (Rabbi Alvin I. Fine)                                                  

Weather "Girl"

Know I am not a girl but I do know my weather and I am here to tell you ----we are having nice weather today---slightly windy but temps are between 70 and 80 degrees. Mass this AM, ran errands and will volunteer the rest of the week at school to help w/enrollment.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Masses coming up this week at St. Pat's (8:00am) on the 9th (for Pop) and 14th (for Ken).

Love, Mom

Maybe Rain

Weather prediction for today: Maybe some rain....but still hot. Already 81 degrees and 76% humidity----I call that almost raining and still hot. The weather has  proved to be a topic of monotonous conversation. Like a long trip w/little ones---instead of---are we there yet? ----it's how long will this hot weather last?

Off to Mass and then volunteer most of the day at St. Pat's school. 

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

More of the Hot Stuff

Hear we may break a heat record today. Plan Mass this AM, volunteer at rectory, school, then try to work in the mowing before the heat tops out the thermometer. 

Stay cool, healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Hotsy Totsy

Mass this AM. Planned to mow this AM but already 103 degrees, grass still too wet to mow...Gonna jump in the car, run errands, and do inside stuff for a while.

Nice weekend--volunteered at Church most of yesterday morning, went to a family wedding reception in the afternoon and "chilled" w/the "boys" the rest of the day. Nice.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom