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MARY ANN- WHEN I FIRST MOVED TO N.Y. PEOPLE THOUGHT I WAS FROM THE SOUTH. THEY SAID I HAD A SOUTHERN ACCENT. I TOLD THEM NO I WAS FROM ARIZONA BUT WAS BORN AND RAISED IN OKLA. THEY SAID OH THAT'S THE ACCENT I HEAR. HOW COULD THEY KNOW THEY'VE NEVER BEEN TO OKLA. WHEN I GO BACK TO VISIT MY FAMILY IT REALLY COMES OUT STRONG AGAIN.

06/12/09 08:24 AM

#720

Mary Ann- Thank you. Judy's family and ours had friends (The Swanns) from St. Louis when we were in grade school. They would offer us 'sodas'. We always called it 'pop'. I thought a soda was something you got in a glass at Rexall's Drug. We did not drink 'pop' that much growing up. We would have 2-3 gallons of 'raw' (straight from the cow) milk in our refrigerator (ice box). It was about 1/3 cream and 2/3 milk. We would shake it up and pour it in iced tea glasses with chunks of cream floating on top. Our family would drink 1-1 1/2 gallons at a typical meal that also included red meat and fried potatoes. I think that is a big reason my father died at the age of 46. He was also a smoker and overweight. In the summer, Mom would get Cherry and Lime 'Kool Aid' and mix it together to make cherry limades. If it was really hot, and Russell and I were thirsty, we would go drink the 'home brew' that was stored out in the barn. It was bottled in 16 ounce Coke bottles. It was probably about 7-8 % alcohol content. It didn't take many of those to get a 'buzz'.

Where has Carla been? You don't think she got 'trampled' down in Canton shopping do you?

You can take Lavanna out of Oklahoma, but you can't take the Oklahoma out of Lavanna.

06/12/09 01:50 PM

#721

THANKS STEVE I CONSIDER THAT A COMPLIMENT. JUST READ YOURS AND THE "ICE BOX" IS ANOTHER THING THESE YANKEES NEVER HEARD OF THEY THOUGHT I WAS TALKING ABOUT A BOX TO PUT ICE IN LIKE IN THE OLDEN DAYS.LOL I ALWAYS CALL THE FRIDGE THE "ICE BOX".

06/13/09 12:41 AM

#722

Mary Ann Johnson (Null)

Lavanna - I still have an "ice box", even if it is a side by side! There are a few terms I can't shake (including "wash rag").
Steve - I think I remember one of the Greiner boys saying they drank more than a gallon of milk a day and I was amazed - until I had a teen age boy. Talk amout massive amounts of food!
Are you kidding about the "Coke"? I knew that it had cocaine in the original recipe, but I didn't know about the alcohol. Rhea told me that Coke and aspirin would give you a buzz - she probably learned that from Becky too. My mom bought one 6 pack of the small, glass bottled, Coke - sometimes - and there were 3 of us. I just rarely had "soda pop". I only remember drinking milk (from the red headed milkman) and water.
Does anyone remember Glencliff Ice Cream? I have vague memories of going there (downtown on Canadian) and getting lime sherbert cones. It may have been a dairy store, because I think I remember Glencliff milk bottles.
And way back.... how about the "Clown Drive In"? I do remember they served A&W Root Beer in baby mugs- I think for a nickle. I think there were car hops and I loved the frosted mugs.
There was also a watermelon stand on Main, around where the old Pizza Hut was. My mom would sometimes pick me up, after a day at the pool and we would go there and buy a slice of cold watermelon and eat on picnic tables there.
I think Paul mentioned the Grand Cafe. We used to eat there on Sunday, after church and I think the football team went there after games, in Jr. High - so, of course the girls followed. I think the guys got steak or hamburgers, but I always got French Fried Onion Rings and a "Coke". Pancake Day was held there also. I'm getting hungry.
I wrote to Wayne to congradulate him for his public confession and told him that I had another confession to pen, but I'm too tired (and hungry now). Maybe tomorrow.

06/13/09 12:43 AM

#723

Mary Ann Johnson (Null)

Lavanna - One more, Yankee's don't "fix dinner" either, because it's not broken - they " prepare dinner". I like to fix my dinner with all the fixins.

06/13/09 07:18 AM

#724

MARY ANN- ALSO DINNER IS LUNCH AND SUPPER IS DINNER. THEY DON'T SAY SUPPER. THEY NEVER HEARD OF THE 5 SECOND RULE AND THEY NEVER EAT WITH THEIR FINGERS. THEY CUT CORN OFF THE COB AND SLICE CHICKEN INTO PIECES, WHO EVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING. THEY CALL ME A "HILLBILLY" BECAUSE OF THE WAY I ACT AND SPEAK, BUT I DON'T CARE I'M PROUD TO BE AN "OKIE".

06/13/09 01:59 PM

#725

Mary Ann- You used to not be able to buy beer in Oklahoma. So you either had to take a 'road trip' to Noel, Missouri or make it yourself. My dad would make his own. He would mix things up in a 10-gallon crock and let it 'work' for 5-7 days (it smelled like fresh bread baking). We would then strain it through our milk strainer to get all the sediment out. We only had 'coke' bottles to bottle it in. Mom would sterilize them in the baby bottle sterilizer and we would pour the beer in them and place a cap on them. We stored it in the barn and Russell and I would sneak a few out during the summertime.

06/13/09 08:47 PM	#726
Paul Ray Wever Hey folks, I was just in google maps and they now have street views of Vinita! I remember when I moved to Chicago and everyone there (and everywhere else, it seems) call sacks bags. Mary Ann - do you remember that little mom and pop ice cream parlor that used to be on South Wilson, it later closed and became a liquor store?

06/13/09 11:01 PM

#727

Mary Ann Johnson (Null)

Steve - I was way too tired last night when I tried to catch up on reading and missed the words "home brew" - duh! Got any ocean front property in Oklahoma to sell me?
Paul - All I can think of was Ammerman's, was there a place south of that? Also, was there a small place between Delaware and Canadian on the West side of Wilson? I remember drinking tiny, glass containers of real cream (for coffee drinkers) in some cafe along there. There was a woman named Minnie Hannabon -sp?- she always wore braids wrapped around her head. I think she and her husband owned one of those little cafes. But the memory is kind of hazy.

I wrote to Wayne and told him that I enjoyed his confession so much, that I might pen another myself! You all realize by now, how very wordly and wise I was as a teen. I considered myself to be very mature, having seen so very much in my life. But, I had missed one thing and apparently, so had Lynnda. Miss Priss and Miss Prissier were dragging Main one Sunday afternoon, when a cool car with some guys pulled up beside us! They pulled up a little and we could see a Kansas licese plate. Now just like the girls from other towns were always more interesting to the guys, out of town guys were very alluring to us. They were REALLY cute, Steve. They dropped back beside us for awhile - they were smiling and waving and we were smiling right back! Then their car pulled up real close to us at a stop light: they were pointing to something in their back seat. Lynnda nervously rolled down her window as they inched their car a little forward. Lynnda and I both stared at something in their back window that we were unable to identify for a few seconds and then we saw the light! Moonlight! We both screamed and they pealed out with the "mooner" in the back seat, maintaining his position!
We were totally offended and grossed out. We did what every law abiding teen citizen in America would have done. We marched right into the police station and reported this crime to the Chief of Police and even gave the license plate! I imagine he had a very difficult time contolling the laughter. Never mind, we certainly felt vindicated!

06/14/09 12:35 AM	#728
Paul Ray Wever Mary Ann - I remember Chief Goins. It seemed like he had been in that position forever. Did he call your mother to let her know that you'd been in to see him? She would have gotten a good laugh out of that.

06/14/09 07:22 AM

#729

MARY ANN- MINNIE HANNABON WAS MY SECOND GRADE TEACHER AT RIVERSIDE SCHOOL. I'M SURE THOSE WHO WENT THERE WILL NEVER FORGET HER SHE WAS A FULL BLOOD INDIAN AND WE WERE AMAZED WHEN WE FIRST SAW HER. BUT SHE WAS REALLY NICE AND KIND TO ALL HER PUPILS.

06/14/09 11:13 PM

#730

I'm reading through all the comments...trying to catch up!
Mary Ann - what a memory you have! I can't remember names of people I know let alone names of people from 40 years ago.
Lavanna - I had a terrible time when we first moved to St. Louis because they called "pop" soda and "supper" was dinner. They always knew I was from down south.
Steve - I had an uncle that made homemade wine. Was the beer hot? That can really make you sick. I still don't like beer.
UPDATE: We have had so much rain here that we are about to float away and more is expected all next week. We took the boat out today (between raindrops)and I drove (only for the 2nd time) and actually did an excellent job! I even managed to pull into the Marina and get gas without banging into anything. The front of the boat is so long that it is hard for me to see. The only thing I don't like about boats is they don't have BRAKES!

06/14/09 11:33 PM

#731

Mary Ann- I'm so glad that it was a 'misread' rather than a mental condition caused by falling off the turnip truck.

Rhea- Yes, the beer was hot, but after one you didn't care. By the way, I am sending 2 pair of 'floaties' for you and Rodger to wear the next time you take your boat out and YOU drive. You may want to wear them to bed as well. Don't you live close to the water?

06/15/09 12:14 AM

#732

I am an EXCELLENT driver! It's the other people out on the lake that I have to worry about. I may need the floaties with the forecast of another 2-5 inches of rain.
BTW - We have a pair of EAGLES on our lake and they have 2-3 babies every year. We get to watch them all summer until the babies learn to fly. They are an awesome sight!

06/15/09 12:22 AM

#733

I just uploaded a photo of the EAGLE on our lake. We watched him catch the fish and take it to the nest. AWESOME!

06/15/09 02:45 PM	#734
Paul Ray Wever Great photo. Wow Rhea, first it's mosquitoes and now it floods, what's next?

06/16/09 12:00 AM

#735

Carla Ray Williams (Yocum)

Tornados....

06/16/09 12:39 AM

#736

Rhea- My class followed an Eagle on the internet...Sutton Center.com. It is on Sooner Lake in Oklahoma. The baby was so much fun to watch!
Steve-I did not get trampled in Canton! I have been trying to finish the school year, welcome a new team member to First Grade, and spending time in the ER...my mom cut her head on the table at the nursing home and I met the ambulance at the ER. She picked a bad day because it was full!!! We were there for about six hours! I started to sew her up myself! I am sure they will remember my name for a long time! I took a picture with my camera phone and sent it to the hospital admimistrator! Right after that my daddy had to have his pacemaker tuned up! He also got broncitius ( I don't think I spelled it right! Probably due to lack of sleep!)and has had to have breathing treatments three times a day. One of my team mates had a new baby, my Principal's daughter got married and we attended the funeral of our friends 28 year old daughter who passed away from brain cancer! We had a tornado on Wednesday night and the neighbor's huge tree fell on the corner of our house! The street over from us had trees blocking the street and it looked like a war zone! Shingles, vents, gutters, and a chimney all over the neighborhood. Bill cut the tree in little pieces with a chainsaw. Then on Saturday Bennett had a summer track meet and Bill and I volunteered to help! The heat index was 107! Bill was working the pole vault and I gave ribbons to the race winners! He got sick from the heat and had to go home! He is still trying to get over that! This has all happened in the first week since school was out! I have never had such a busy week! I have a feeling that it is going to be a long hot summer!
Congratulations on your 35 years!
I had no idea you were running a still! I hate beer...I think it looks like horse "pee" and probably tastes like it too! I prefer Blackberry Wine and/or Margarita's! I don't hold liquor very well so I only drink every now and then.
Mary Ann-We go back to school on August 17th and have a week of inservice and the kids come on the 24th! My new grandson is due on the 25th! I guess my kids may start with a sub! I have three days of a Phonics Workshop starting tomorrow so I don't feel like I have started summer yet! I usually present workshops in the summer...but I decided not to do that this summer. I hope you sell your house soon! Do you have another one picked out yet?

06/16/09 12:48 AM

#737

Carla Ray Williams (Yocum)

Steve-I am so happy that Nick and Sharon are back together! Whose baby is she going to have? I think it will be Nick's but my friends at school think it will be Billy's.

06/16/09 11:54 AM	#738
Paul Ray Wever Carla - It sounds like you need a vacation, by yourself, on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere.

06/16/09 03:56 PM

#739

Carla Ray Williams (Yocum)

Carla- WOW. There has been more happen to you this past week than has happened to me in my lifetime.

06/16/09 08:14 PM

#740

Paul-With my luck I am sure that would turn in to a nightmare too! I am in the sandwich generation...taking care of my parents and my grandchildren...but I am thankful that I still have them to take care of and I am lucky to live so close to my grandchildren! I am not complaining...but I was frustrated with the ER. It really riled me up! I don't get mad often, but when I do watch out! My hair maybe white now but I still have a redhead's temper! I am hoping to relax with my geneology and scrapbooking!

06/16/09 08:54 PM

#741