Living out in the country meant living with all kinds of creatures around the house and sometimes in the house. Once when my mom stepped out into the utility room she found one of those creatures. Lying on the utility room floor was a nice large black snake. You would have to know my mother – she hates snakes. There was quite a scene that day as we made sure that snake was gone and checked to see that no snakes could ever come into the house again.
One of the memorable gifts my brother and I received while living in the country was a pogo-stick. There where a lot of competitions to find out who could stay on the pogo-stick the longest.
My brother and I have both competed with each other from time to time and it was no different when we were children. I always remember the times I win and so I have fixed in my mind one particularly satisfying moment. Phil had discovered that bleach will whiten things. Since we both had tennis shoes with the usual amount of dirt and grass stains on them, we decided to clean them up with bleach. Since Phil was three years older - he had control over the bleach bottle. One Sunday before church we decided to bleach our shoes. In order to make sure my shoes didn’t get as white as his, Phil poured a lot of bleach on his shoes and used only a tiny bit on mine. Three hours later when we got home from church, Phil's shoes were certainly whiter - but the bleach had also eaten through the canvas in his shoes. They were white but worthless. Ah - the sweet feeling of winning was mine!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Friday, December 28, 2007
Reading, Sheep, and Dummies
While living out in the country, I became a very adept reader. After school, I would usually go to dad’s grocery store where they had a comic book rack. I spent many happy hours sitting on the magazine rack reading the comics. By the time I was in 2nd grade, I was reading at the 6th grade reading level – thanks to comics.
While we lived out in the country, my dad decided to try raising sheep. We had a small flock of sheep. Dad would get some bags of tobacco to mix with the sheep feed to help kill worms. One time we had to give pills to the sheep. Since we didn't have much equipment, we gave them the pills by hand. I tried to help dad by holding onto the sheep as he shoved the pills in their mouths. One of the sheep had a collar and I decided it would be easier to hold onto if I straddled it. But when dad tried to give it a pill it took off and I forgot to let go. I rode it for several seconds as it drug me through some thorn bushes and I finally let go of its collar when it kicked me in the stomach.
While we still lived out in the country, I got a puppet by the name of Danney O’Day. I spent a fair amount of time try to learn ventriloquism, but I never got any good. When we sold the house, the people who bought it had a girl about 2 years younger than me. Although I didn't remember it, nine years later when I met the girl and took her home, she claimed to remember me trying to impress her with that puppet.
While we lived out in the country, my dad decided to try raising sheep. We had a small flock of sheep. Dad would get some bags of tobacco to mix with the sheep feed to help kill worms. One time we had to give pills to the sheep. Since we didn't have much equipment, we gave them the pills by hand. I tried to help dad by holding onto the sheep as he shoved the pills in their mouths. One of the sheep had a collar and I decided it would be easier to hold onto if I straddled it. But when dad tried to give it a pill it took off and I forgot to let go. I rode it for several seconds as it drug me through some thorn bushes and I finally let go of its collar when it kicked me in the stomach.
While we still lived out in the country, I got a puppet by the name of Danney O’Day. I spent a fair amount of time try to learn ventriloquism, but I never got any good. When we sold the house, the people who bought it had a girl about 2 years younger than me. Although I didn't remember it, nine years later when I met the girl and took her home, she claimed to remember me trying to impress her with that puppet.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Going Blind
Some time while we were living in the country I had my infamous blind experience.
I was riding the bus to school and began bragging to a friend that I could shut my eyes and concentrate so hard that I couldn't open my eyes again. When I was challenged to prove it - I did. I shut my eyes and pretended I couldn’t open them.
When we got to school, I forgot to stop pretending. My friend told me to open my eyes - we were at school. But I said I couldn't. So he got the bus driver. The bus driver told me to open my eyes and again, I said I couldn’t. The teacher came next following a similar pattern. And then came the principal. By now I realized I had dug a deep hole and didn't know how to get out. They led me into school and told me to sit at my desk. I thought it was a trap to see if I would peek. So I kept my eyes firmly shut. Next, my parents were called and then finally we went to the doctor.
At the doctor's office, I had x-rays taken. The doctor asked if I had had my head hit recently.
Fortunately, the week before I had fallen out of the truck while it was moving. I hadn't been hurt - but this at least provided my way out. While laying there, I gradually developed the ability to open my eyes. The doctor decided that it might be a delayed reaction to my fall and sent me home to rest for the remainder of the day. My eyesight never failed me since.
My parents and my brother never found out I was faking until I was 43 years old. I was preaching a sermon at the First Christian Church in Lebanon and used this story as a sermon illustration. That Sunday my parents decided to visit and they heard the true story for the first time.
My brother found out the truth shortly after that. He had felt guilty for decades believing he was at fault. For when I had fallen out of the truck, it was because he had pushed me. The door hadn't been fastened securely and the push was just enough to make the door open and for me to roll right into the ditch - not hitting my head or getting hurt in the least. That's how I became blind.
I was riding the bus to school and began bragging to a friend that I could shut my eyes and concentrate so hard that I couldn't open my eyes again. When I was challenged to prove it - I did. I shut my eyes and pretended I couldn’t open them.
When we got to school, I forgot to stop pretending. My friend told me to open my eyes - we were at school. But I said I couldn't. So he got the bus driver. The bus driver told me to open my eyes and again, I said I couldn’t. The teacher came next following a similar pattern. And then came the principal. By now I realized I had dug a deep hole and didn't know how to get out. They led me into school and told me to sit at my desk. I thought it was a trap to see if I would peek. So I kept my eyes firmly shut. Next, my parents were called and then finally we went to the doctor.
At the doctor's office, I had x-rays taken. The doctor asked if I had had my head hit recently.
Fortunately, the week before I had fallen out of the truck while it was moving. I hadn't been hurt - but this at least provided my way out. While laying there, I gradually developed the ability to open my eyes. The doctor decided that it might be a delayed reaction to my fall and sent me home to rest for the remainder of the day. My eyesight never failed me since.
My parents and my brother never found out I was faking until I was 43 years old. I was preaching a sermon at the First Christian Church in Lebanon and used this story as a sermon illustration. That Sunday my parents decided to visit and they heard the true story for the first time.
My brother found out the truth shortly after that. He had felt guilty for decades believing he was at fault. For when I had fallen out of the truck, it was because he had pushed me. The door hadn't been fastened securely and the push was just enough to make the door open and for me to roll right into the ditch - not hitting my head or getting hurt in the least. That's how I became blind.
Fireworks
Fireworks was an important part of growing up. While growing up, fireworks were legal inside the Lebanon City Limits and we sold them outside the store on north highway 5. Later we had to move just outside the city limits to sell the fireworks. Phil and I both worked the fireworks stand as we got older. We would put up a regular tent - one that we used for camping, and sell the fireworks on three tables around the front.
We set off a lot of fireworks growing up. Phil had an old plastic model plane – the kind with a gas-powered engine. The engine had long been removed, so one year we decided it was time to blow it up. We placed an M80 in it, lit the fuse and threw the plane into the air. It sailed along for a little while and finally blew into a million pieces. Sometimes we would make cannons with our fireworks by taking a metal pipe, putting gravel in it and placing a firecracker in the end. Depending on how big the firecracker was, you could shoot gravel across the road.
We also used firecrackers to blow up ant hills in the woods next to our house. Planting even a “ladyfinger” could reek devestation among the ants.
M-80's were the most dangerous and fun of the fireworks - and of course, they're now illegal. They were supposed to be about 1/4 stick of dynamite. I set one of these monsters off behind the store once. The store had a concrete block wall behind it and I set the M-80 underneath a three pound empty coffee can. When I found the can after the blast, it had completely blown the lid out of the can!
While grandma Rushia lived in town, I sometimes spent the night with her. Once, while there, on the night before the 4th I woke her up at about 5:30 to let her know that today was firecracker day.
It's a wonder I didn't blow off any fingers.
We set off a lot of fireworks growing up. Phil had an old plastic model plane – the kind with a gas-powered engine. The engine had long been removed, so one year we decided it was time to blow it up. We placed an M80 in it, lit the fuse and threw the plane into the air. It sailed along for a little while and finally blew into a million pieces. Sometimes we would make cannons with our fireworks by taking a metal pipe, putting gravel in it and placing a firecracker in the end. Depending on how big the firecracker was, you could shoot gravel across the road.
We also used firecrackers to blow up ant hills in the woods next to our house. Planting even a “ladyfinger” could reek devestation among the ants.
M-80's were the most dangerous and fun of the fireworks - and of course, they're now illegal. They were supposed to be about 1/4 stick of dynamite. I set one of these monsters off behind the store once. The store had a concrete block wall behind it and I set the M-80 underneath a three pound empty coffee can. When I found the can after the blast, it had completely blown the lid out of the can!
While grandma Rushia lived in town, I sometimes spent the night with her. Once, while there, on the night before the 4th I woke her up at about 5:30 to let her know that today was firecracker day.
It's a wonder I didn't blow off any fingers.
Dogs
While we lived in the country, we had several dogs.
One of the most memorable was Temper – a Chihuahua. Temper thought he was a hugh dog and he tried to boss other dogs around. He also liked to burrow. One night my grandpa Appling spent the night with us and during the night Temper stole his underwear, carried it out to the sofa and burrowed into it for a comfy night’s sleep. Temper was frightened of thunder and more than once he found a basket of clean clothes and burried himself in them while the weather was bad outside. Sometimes we would pretend that Temper was a beef roast and put him inside a toy roll-top desk to pretend that it was an oven. We would lift the lid and ask, “Is he done yet”? Temper loved to run with other dogs also. He finally ran off one night and we never found him again.
Bosco was our next dog. Bosco would get onto the roof of one of the garages by climbing the cellar roof and stand at the peak looking for my Dad to come home. Bosco loved to chase cars. We tried to break him of the habit but we were never successful. We heard that one method of making a dog quit chasing cars was to shoot him in the face with a water pistol filled with soapy water. That would make his eyes sting and he would quit that habit. Dad and I drove around one day, even driving across the yead, trying to shoot him with a water pistol but neither of us were good enough shots. Bosco was finally done in by his habit when he got hit by a car.
King was our next dog. He was a beautiful German Shephard. He disappeared for a few days once and after that he was very docile and often got intimidated by the other dogs. We think he may have been beaten while he was gone.
Frisky was our next dog and he lasted the longest. We got this poodle while still living in the country and while we still had King. He lived to be about 20 years old. He was a bossy dog and would intimidate our German Shephard. Dad got some clippers to save money on hair cuts for the dog and I found out that Frisky had pink skin that sunburns easily. Frisky liked to find disgusting things and roll in them. He thought it made him smell good. Eventually Frisky got cancer and had one leg amputated. The vet came and visited us after the surgery and told us how Frisky would get all the other dogs barking and she would have to go out and get him quieted down. He continued for a few more years as a happy 3 legged dog.
One of the most memorable was Temper – a Chihuahua. Temper thought he was a hugh dog and he tried to boss other dogs around. He also liked to burrow. One night my grandpa Appling spent the night with us and during the night Temper stole his underwear, carried it out to the sofa and burrowed into it for a comfy night’s sleep. Temper was frightened of thunder and more than once he found a basket of clean clothes and burried himself in them while the weather was bad outside. Sometimes we would pretend that Temper was a beef roast and put him inside a toy roll-top desk to pretend that it was an oven. We would lift the lid and ask, “Is he done yet”? Temper loved to run with other dogs also. He finally ran off one night and we never found him again.
Bosco was our next dog. Bosco would get onto the roof of one of the garages by climbing the cellar roof and stand at the peak looking for my Dad to come home. Bosco loved to chase cars. We tried to break him of the habit but we were never successful. We heard that one method of making a dog quit chasing cars was to shoot him in the face with a water pistol filled with soapy water. That would make his eyes sting and he would quit that habit. Dad and I drove around one day, even driving across the yead, trying to shoot him with a water pistol but neither of us were good enough shots. Bosco was finally done in by his habit when he got hit by a car.
King was our next dog. He was a beautiful German Shephard. He disappeared for a few days once and after that he was very docile and often got intimidated by the other dogs. We think he may have been beaten while he was gone.
Frisky was our next dog and he lasted the longest. We got this poodle while still living in the country and while we still had King. He lived to be about 20 years old. He was a bossy dog and would intimidate our German Shephard. Dad got some clippers to save money on hair cuts for the dog and I found out that Frisky had pink skin that sunburns easily. Frisky liked to find disgusting things and roll in them. He thought it made him smell good. Eventually Frisky got cancer and had one leg amputated. The vet came and visited us after the surgery and told us how Frisky would get all the other dogs barking and she would have to go out and get him quieted down. He continued for a few more years as a happy 3 legged dog.
LEBANON – LYNN CREEK STAR ROUTE
When I was in 1st grade we moved “out into the country”. We moved about 2 miles out of town on highway YY. Our mailing address was Lynn Creek Star Route. Our house sat at the end of "S" curve - so named because the road curved like an "S". There was a small woods across from our driveway we would wander around in. The house had sandstone on the front and two buildings that served as garages. One of them had a small cellar attached to it. The other had a small room that we used at times as a play room. The property had about three acres of land with it.
There were a lot of great times living in the country. I would ride my police car to the edge of the sidewalk leading to our house and eat lunch. Sometimes I would climb up one of the trees in the front yard and try to listen in on phone calls by placing my "walkie-talkie" antenna on the phone line near by. One year my brother and I got stuffed bears. My brother Phil got Yoggi Bear and I got BooBoo bear.
There were a lot of great times living in the country. I would ride my police car to the edge of the sidewalk leading to our house and eat lunch. Sometimes I would climb up one of the trees in the front yard and try to listen in on phone calls by placing my "walkie-talkie" antenna on the phone line near by. One year my brother and I got stuffed bears. My brother Phil got Yoggi Bear and I got BooBoo bear.
LEBANON – MONROW STREET
When I was three year old, our family moved to Lebanon. I think the first house we lived in was on Perry Street, which is behind Detroit Tool. At the time my grandma and grandpa Appling (Guy and Julia) lived on North 5 outside of Lebanon. At the time I always had to have my blanket to sleep with. One night, I went to spend the night with them and forgot my blanket. My parents had to drive up to their house to give me my blanket. I still have that baby blanket. I loved to rub the satin edge and just about wore that blanket out. One of my favorite foods at the time was butter. I would eat butter every change I got. Guy and Julia had an interesting house in the country with a gold fish pond on their property.
I went to half day kindergarten near Donnelly school in Lebanon. After kindergarten, I would go home and watch “As the world turns” with my mom. For my kindergarten graduation, the school put on a play. We all had costumes to wear. Steven Smooty, I believe, was a lobster. I was a frog. I wore a custume which my mother made. My lines in the play were "croak, croak." Kindergarten graduation even included caps and gowns. My kindergarten teacher was a large woman with red hair.
My first memory of living in Lebanon was when we lived on North Monroe Street. It was while living here from around 5 to 7 years of age that I met some of the people I would interact with for the rest of my life. While I was living here, I met Mike Abbey, Gib Adkins, Steven Smooty, Nancy Brown, Alan Reeves and Sharon Barnett who lived up the street. Sharon was a little bit older than the rest of us and she is the only one that I lost contact with completely. Mike had this huge dog that was named Eli. He was ¼ wolf, ¼ coyote, and ¼ St. Bernard. I would walk down the ½ block to his house, but I was afraid to actually knock on the door. I would stand out on the sidewalk and call his name to come outside. At one point, we found a nest of 3 baby squirrels. We split them up to try and take care of them. Needless to say, they all died although Mike insists that his was the sickest but lived the longest.
The house on Monrow stree was great. It had a basement that was big enough for me to ride my tricycle around when the weather was bad outside. And since the house had originally been heated with coal, there was still a boxed off room in the basement and a window for the coal to come through. While living here, my Grandma and Grandpa Appling moved across the street from us. One time I was spending the night at their house and decided that I had had enough. I put on my cowboy boots and walked out of the house during the night and went home.
I began first grade in this house going to Hillcrest elementary. I joined cub scouts while living here also. My mom and Nancy Brown’s mom were Den Mothers. One riddle I remember puzzling over in cub scouts was “Railroad crossing without any cars, can you spell that without any R’s?” It was tough at the time. While living here, we also had many animal funerals. Any dead birds or squirrels or turtles would be placed in a coffin (cardboard box) and buried with proper formal Christian ceremony. I believe my brother Phil usually preached the sermon.
It was here I learned the joys of fire. Once, I went next door with a friend and we played with matches. We were in the back of a neighbor’s yard and we built a little fire. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing and soon the fire got out of our control. Before too much damage occurred, an adult found us out and put out the fire.
And it was here that I had my coolest toy. It was a robot with a remote control. It could shoot ping-pong balls out of one hand and launch rockets from the top of it’s head. They just don't make toys like they used to!
I went to half day kindergarten near Donnelly school in Lebanon. After kindergarten, I would go home and watch “As the world turns” with my mom. For my kindergarten graduation, the school put on a play. We all had costumes to wear. Steven Smooty, I believe, was a lobster. I was a frog. I wore a custume which my mother made. My lines in the play were "croak, croak." Kindergarten graduation even included caps and gowns. My kindergarten teacher was a large woman with red hair.
My first memory of living in Lebanon was when we lived on North Monroe Street. It was while living here from around 5 to 7 years of age that I met some of the people I would interact with for the rest of my life. While I was living here, I met Mike Abbey, Gib Adkins, Steven Smooty, Nancy Brown, Alan Reeves and Sharon Barnett who lived up the street. Sharon was a little bit older than the rest of us and she is the only one that I lost contact with completely. Mike had this huge dog that was named Eli. He was ¼ wolf, ¼ coyote, and ¼ St. Bernard. I would walk down the ½ block to his house, but I was afraid to actually knock on the door. I would stand out on the sidewalk and call his name to come outside. At one point, we found a nest of 3 baby squirrels. We split them up to try and take care of them. Needless to say, they all died although Mike insists that his was the sickest but lived the longest.
The house on Monrow stree was great. It had a basement that was big enough for me to ride my tricycle around when the weather was bad outside. And since the house had originally been heated with coal, there was still a boxed off room in the basement and a window for the coal to come through. While living here, my Grandma and Grandpa Appling moved across the street from us. One time I was spending the night at their house and decided that I had had enough. I put on my cowboy boots and walked out of the house during the night and went home.
I began first grade in this house going to Hillcrest elementary. I joined cub scouts while living here also. My mom and Nancy Brown’s mom were Den Mothers. One riddle I remember puzzling over in cub scouts was “Railroad crossing without any cars, can you spell that without any R’s?” It was tough at the time. While living here, we also had many animal funerals. Any dead birds or squirrels or turtles would be placed in a coffin (cardboard box) and buried with proper formal Christian ceremony. I believe my brother Phil usually preached the sermon.
It was here I learned the joys of fire. Once, I went next door with a friend and we played with matches. We were in the back of a neighbor’s yard and we built a little fire. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing and soon the fire got out of our control. Before too much damage occurred, an adult found us out and put out the fire.
And it was here that I had my coolest toy. It was a robot with a remote control. It could shoot ping-pong balls out of one hand and launch rockets from the top of it’s head. They just don't make toys like they used to!
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