Loose Strings From The Past

Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Sixty-three Years

    Ken and I were both at the church on time May 28, 1955.  I was “cool, calm and collected.”  The minister asked us to join right hands.  I thought I had touched a block of ice.  This unnerved me.  I wasn’t sure Ken wouldn’t freeze and fall over.  A good friend and neighbor to my…

  • A HIGH RIDE

    The Standifer home in Ada, Oklahoma, bordered the Frisco railroad tracks.  A siding was between the property and the main track.  A circus used the siding during their annual visit to Ada.  Elephants were used to unload and move their carts to the performance site. Ken was sitting on the section house * watching the…

  • Billy Graham

    We have been listening to TV tributes and memories of Billy Graham today. In high school, the only out-of-town trips for Ken and I were football games.  My sister-in-law went along as chaperone for us and our friends.* There was one exception.  In 1951 Billy Graham held a crusade at Farrington Field in Fort Worth. …

  • MY VALENTINE

    Ken proposed to me on Valentine’s Day in 1954.  We went to dinner at a steakhouse in Ponder.  He proposed later that evening. We were both students at North Texas State College.  (Now University of North Texas)  Ken worked in the college library.  He worked 100 hours a month for 30 cents an hour.  This…

  • A WORLD WAR

    World affairs were beyond my comprehension when bombs were dropped on Pearl Harbor in 1941.   I have no specific recollections of that day. I was in first grade. I was aware that some of my brother Carroll’s friends were joining the Texas National Guard, whatever that was.  They were too young to join without parental…

  • The DAIRY BARN

    The barn was so much a part of life on the dairy that it was taken for granted.  Every day’s activities began early as Holstein cows lined up outside the barn to be milked. There was a brief quiet time in the middle of the day.  By 4 PM spotted cows were standing quietly waiting…

  • A SPECIAL CHILD

      The year was 1969.  I was teaching in a migrant kindergarten.  A deaf boy, Guillermo,* was placed in my class.   There were no experts to consult.  I was told to make him feel accepted and work on socialization.  He watched the other children and followed along.  The biggest help was a cousin who had…

  • The Informer

    There was a six- foot fence around the school.  I had some books to take to a teacher and knew the north gate would be unlocked at noon. I entered the school yard and had turned toward the classroom when I heard the latch on the gate open. I heard someone call, “Lady, Lady, help…

  • Hurricanes and Tornadoes

    We have been captivated by TV coverage of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma the last few weeks.  A friend from the Houston area and a cousin from Beaumont were here during Harvey.  They could not return home until last week.  Fortunately, their homes were unharmed.  The devastation has been painful to watch.  I am having trouble…

  • Lovable Lady

    My brother started dating Lora Mae Linam after he returned from WW11. She became a Williams when they married on June 13, 1948. I was thirteen years old. It was a small wedding at the home of Lora’s parents. I had a pretty new dress and felt very dressed up. I was watching and listening…

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