“How strange it is to view a town you grew up in, not in wonderment through the eyes of youth, but with the eyes of a historian on the way things were.”
The early morning was dark, but the sky is a bit lighter now. It has been raining on and off. The wind gusts are sometimes so strong the oak tree by the deck sways and bends, the trunk in one direction, the limbs in another. The dogs are out and back quickly. Henry even used to dog door. It is already 58˚. The high will be in the 60’s, but the rain will get heavy and hang around all day into the night. I am going nowhere today. My dance card is empty until next week.
When I was a kid, classrooms in the old school, built in 1910, had cloakrooms right outside the door of each room. Hooks in two rows, one above the other, lined the wooden walls, but there were never enough hooks. There were too many of us, 45 or more in each room. We’d hang out coats two to a hook or just stuff our coats between other coats where they’d stay. I remember there was almost no room to walk in the cloakroom with all the coats hanging one way or the other. In the afternoons, just before dismissal, the nuns had us go out row by row to get our coats. A stampede would have ensued otherwise. We’d get our coats and go back to sit down at our desks so other rows could go. We’d stay there until the bell rang. The youngest kids were on the first floor giving them a greater chance of survival when the stampede ensued. I used to go out the side, rarely used door, which gave me an edge.
When I was growing up, I had favorite places in my hometown. I loved the railroad tracks. One route brought me to the old station and the end of the tracks while on the other route, the tracks kept going, and I never got to the end. I loved the zoo. Sometimes I’d walk there and take the bus back if my mother had the money. I always brought a lunch. The town barn where the horses were kept was behind the town hall. I’d watch the horses in their stalls from the doorway. Right around the corner, was the rag man’s house. When I was really young, he had a horse and wagon and would wander the town looking for newspapers even though he was called the rag man. I loved uptown, the square. It had the best stores, all of which are gone now. I still miss Woolworth’s.
Explore posts in the same categories: Musings
November 12, 2021 at 12:24 pm
Hi Kat,
Driving to work this morning it was a crisp 41° With clear skies and I noticed that some of the trees leaves are beginning to turn color. Our peak time for fall colors is around Thanksgiving when we usually get our first freeze.
Mentioning your elementary school coat closet reminded me how cold it has been in our building the last few days. When they built this building in 1984 they didn’t install any heat. The architect assumed we are in Texas and a large concrete building would maintain heat. Sorry Charlie, It doesn’t work. My hands feel like ice cubes. I wonder if they have the AC turned on.
It’s almost lunchtime and the cafeteria has chicken noodle soup. A hot bowl of soup sounds great for lunch.
November 12, 2021 at 5:22 pm
Hi Bob,
The wind made it much cooler than the temperature. Since afternoon, it has been pouring, and the wind is still strong. I hate that it gets dark so early. It makes the bad weather seem worse.
None of the schools I attended had air conditioning. It sometimes got hot in June so we just had to struggle through. All of them had heat. I only remember feeling hot, never cold.
I love chicken noodle soup. At one of my pizza/Mexican places, the owner makes chicken noodle soup, and it is thick and delicious. Ill have to be patient until it gets colder.
November 12, 2021 at 2:47 pm
This is something I accidentally “found” today and I’m making the stretch from trains to buses. It’s a great little song that was made popular by The Dinning Sisters back in 1945. This is a newer version from the original cast recording of “ON THE RECORD” – A Tribute to the Great Vocal Groups of the 20th Century which opened at The Triad Theater in New York City in 2013. Vocals are by cast members
Deborah Tranelli, Amanda Savan and Bill Daugherty
I just thought it was fun and the vintage video which accompanies it seemed like perfect KTCC material.
Thanks for indulging me. Enjoy!
November 12, 2021 at 5:55 pm
Back then people dressed up to ride the bus, train or airplane. Today you’re lucky if they have on cloths. Some Texas cities, a few years ago, would arrest homeless people on vagrancy charges and buy them one way bus tickets to California rather than go to jail. Imagine riding next to a passenger who hasn’t bathed in a while for an18 to 20 hours on a bus. 🙁
November 12, 2021 at 8:50 pm
I remember those days. Dressing up made the whole experience special. Now some people who are traveling look like the homeless you mentioned.
November 12, 2021 at 6:25 pm
im6,
It is a great little song, right up my alley. I’ve posted the Dinning Sisters here before. I like them. I can hear them singing this song.
I’ll hunt up some more of On the Record. If they are half as much fun, I’ll enjoy all of them.
The woman’s red hat is staying with me. Her outfits changed but never her hat.
The video was just perfect for this song.
Many thanks!