TLC #31: December 21, 2001
Dear Hearts and Gentle People:
Holiday greetings from the old hometown! Lexington's halls
are decked with boughs of holly, wreaths, and a multitude of lights. We kicked
off the season Dec. 1 with the second annual Festival of Lights Parade. I'm
thrilled to report that the 50s Gang (Coens, Hulvers, Scharnhorsts and
Worthingtons) float "Home For the Holidays" won third prize, thereby
beating out the floats of small children, church groups, Scouts and other
unworthies. Nevertheless, everyone had a wonderful time. Weather was cold but
clear and calm.
Although I am not anxious to meet up with another bite of
turkey for a while, I am still very grateful for my blessings. I know you
are too. Your notes reflect it. And I hope the remainder of your holidays are
especially blessed this year.
Barbara Tabb said it with
eloquence:
Happy Thanksgiving
from our house to yours -
May your day be filled with good company, good
food, and a renewed appreciation for all the blessings you have. I know
that I have much for which to be grateful, and that includes the many friends
that I enjoy. And, I do thank you for your friendship, and the warm
correspondence that I look forward to in here. It means a lot to
me.
Thanks also to the
computer, I have renewed contact with people that I've known almost all my life,
and that keeps me reminded me of the value of 'old friendships'. I
treasure the happy childhood that I had, and the values that I hang onto
stubbornly because of what I learned there. It is worth even being 'old'
to have experienced what I have in life, and I wouldn't trade that for
'youth'. I may change my mind on that as the years wear on, but I doubt
it. LOL. I have been lucky indeed, and it is my interaction with people that has
made that so.
Thank you.
We will be going to
Dallas (for Thanksgiving) at our older son's house, and be talking to the rest
of the family via telephone. All together would be best - but, distance
and time restraints prevent that this year. Of course, the 'feast' will be
enjoyed by all, and I do still know my way around the kitchen, so will be busy
today and tomorrow making sure we have plenty of good vittles.
:-)
May God bless you and
yours, and God bless America.
(((Hugs))) and ............. love,
Barb
P.S. God bless
Australia, too. I've made friends with many people over there through
chat, and have included them in this mailing. I know it isn't Thanksgiving
Day over there, but wanted to send along my best wishes and thanks for those
friendships. :-)
Diane Gibson Conger wrote that one of her blessing this year
is TLC. I'm so glad to do this for those of you who are reattaching and
reacquainting with old friends. I myself am chatting via email with people I've
been out of contact with since graduation. Hope you are too. -
Ed.
What's new in the old
hometown? Well, let me tell you we had some excitement last week when a house
traveled across Main from 10th Street to its new location at 12th and
Franklin!
Local
attorney/mover&shaker Bob Langdon purchased the Eneberg House at 157 N.
10th. The house, sometimes referred to as the Walton (no, not that one) House
was built in 1868. Greek Revival in style, it is thought to be the oldest frame
house surviving in town. Bob moved it to its new location (Dr. Wilcoxin, the
vet, once had an office in the building which was removed) because it is
directly across from the location of our new movie theatre-to-be. He plans to
have a retail establishment of some kind, and there has been talk of an ice
cream parlor.
Now I quote
from the local newspaper: "The property, although somewhat inconspicuous
today, saw a great deal of traffic in Lexington's former days. It sat on 10th
Street, which was a main thoroughfare from Main Street to the once-busy
riverfront." And if that doesn't elicit a chuckle, then you're
not really from Lexington.
Mary Pat Gueguen Miller:
Hi Dear
Scribe, I was wondering if others had thought of submitting Thanksgiving
and/or Christmas memories for the next TLC? (Like THE most
memorable,
or the most exciting, or the saddest, etc.) I was thinking WAAAAY
back
to maybe the late 40's when I was six or seven, when we had a LIVE
turkey for
Thanksgiving, unbeknownst to me, and I opened the door to the
basement, and
THERE HE WAS, in all his glory, gobbling at me. Scared me
out of a
year's growth. That and watching my Grampa hatchet off his head,
and
the poor bird hobbling around the back yard, splattering blood
everywhere,
I will never forget.
Diane Gibson Conger:
(Part 2)
Maib's Restaurant was a real
institution in our town. On Sunday it was our family tradition to walk
down the street from the First Baptist Church to eat at Maib's. When we
walked in we could smell the wonderful food odors and hear the clanking of the
dishes and the mumble of people conversing and see the waitresses hustling about
serving delicious food. It was always packed with people who were regular
Sunday diners and a few other guests. We stopped by some tables and had brief
conversations with our friends and waved and greeted others as we made our way
to our table. Maib's back room was available to accommodate showers,
rehearsal dinners, family gatherings, meetings etc. It was a focal point
for our community. You have lovely restaurants and tea rooms in Lexington,
but somehow my heart yearns to return for another meal at
Maib's.
Ah, me too! Lots of wonderful memories
of Maib's! - Ed.
Duncan
Lee:
It seems
most of your subscribers are a few years ahead of me in life and
that could
be a result of having more time on one's hands to spend on the
computer.
Perhaps most of my classmates of Class of '60 don't have the time
that I seem
to have. Lucky me.
Anyway, I enjoy reading the stories of Lexington and
LHS from the early
'50's. Jim O'Malley's recent mention of Ernestine Seiter
prompts me to
write. That, and the fact that I have begun substitute teaching
makes
teaching a pertinent subject for me. I was fortunate to have
Ernestine
Seiter for English in seventh, eleventh and twelfth grades. She was
also
the drama teacher, and I acted in two plays for her. I have always felt
she was
out of place in Lexington, but what lucky students we were that she
was
there. Of all my teachers, and that includes my mother who I had
for
freshman and sophomore English, she was the most influential on my
academic
life. (By the way, Mrs. Seiter and my mother were best of friends
until
Ernestine's death.)
My senior
year, the Thespians did "The Diary of Anne Frank" and two things
happened in that performance I don't remember ever seeing in an LHS play. Now, I
could be wrong, because I can't remember every single play over six years. The
first was that we, the cast, did not fluff or forget one single line of
dialogue. The second was that we received a standing ovation. We practiced and
rehearsed for what seems like months. Many of the rehearsals to learn the lines
were held at Mrs. Seiter's house, where we were made to feel totally at home. I
remember finding a bottle of Mogen David wine in a cupboard and almost being
allowed to have a sip. As an English Lit. teacher, Mrs. Seiter had a way to make
reading things like Shakespeare appealing to 17-year-old boys. I don't know how
she did it, but she did.
I wish I had her knack, because teaching today
is totally different from those days. Classroom discipline is virtually
non-existent and most substitutes I know enter each classroom with fear. In the
older grades, that is fear of physical harm. Nice kids being raised these
days!
If only I had Miss Lena as a companion in some of these
classes!
And, in response to his
earlier message, Duncan wrote:
To my
chagrin, two days after sending (a tongue-in-cheek) email, there was an anthrax
scare in Reno that turned out to be false, but did frighten a lot of people. I
don't make light of the situation anymore.
As a matter of fact, I believe
too many people in this country don't take
seriously enough the threats
against us. I do take them seriously and get
angry at people who still seem
to have the "it can't happen here" syndrome.
It HAS happened here.
And, it will probably happen again.
I lived in England for eleven years
and traveled the world by air for more
than 20. Security at international
airports around the world are 10 times
more strict than anything presently in
place in the US. They've been that
way for years. Once you get used to the
system and prepare for it, there's
hardly a second thought about it.
Many times I was made to get off a plane
prior to take off and pick out my
checked baggage which was set out on the
apron next to the plane. Any bag not
claimed was not boarded. Of course, a
suicide bomber would just identify his
bomb-loaded case and get back on the
plane. We now know that it can happen.
We need to tighten up our airport
security immediately.
Enough of that
soap box stuff. It's exciting to hear all that's happening
in Lexington. I
sincerely hope the new highway by-pass brings in many new
visitors and
doesn't let them whisk on by without stopping.
I remember
Mose Butler well, too. I never figured out how he could direct
traffic at
both Central and Arnold schools, but I think somehow he did.
Editor's anthrax
scare:
A
large hand-printed padded envelope, heavily taped, lopsided and from Boca Raton,
FL,
arrived addressed to me with the return address "Mrs. John
Hopkins," a fictitious name if I ever heard one! I had not ordered
anything, was not expecting anything, and so I called our local police asking
what to do. They sent two HazMat people to the house, who examined the package
with special gloves. Then they called Boca Raton to inquire about this Mrs. John
Hopkins. Imagine her surprise when Diane Harris Hopkins received a call from the
Lexington, Missouri, police department. Turned out she sent me some old
clippings and photos for the Historical Museum. My face is still
red.
Liz Anne White
Kramer:
Great
newsletter as always. I feel so sad about Gordon Reed. He gave me my first
job (which was above and beyond the call of duty)! When I walked into the store
to apply, I immediately knocked over a mannequin and, trying to catch same,
demolished an entire table full of sweaters, etc and broke the arm off the
poor soul trying to stand her back up. Gordon just stood there and
watched. He said "Gee Liz-could I help you with something"? I
said no- I had just come in to apply for a job. He said "anyone that
can still ask after making such a mess is hired." Loved that place for
years and of course spent all my paychecks prior to getting same. Shall miss
Dortha Vialle-she and Mom had the Hobby Store next to the old Main St. theatre
for many years. Was a great hangout and they had such good times.
Liz Backs
Guevel:
Great newsletter
- not too long and good variety (just in case you
wanted a
critique!! ?) You are doing such a great service for all of
us.
It must be in the DNA. Keep up the good work.
Yes, indeedy, I
do want critiques, suggestions, ideas, fillers, commentary. Have I left anything
out? Hope you are enjoying your holidays. May God bless you
all.
Your devoted
scribe,
Susan
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