What I see from my room

I have been admiring the beautiful red leaves on the neighbor's tree. I decided to take a picture this morning. Richard sent an e-mail reminding me of how car tires used to be in the day of intertubes. Your tire didn't go down slowly like they do now. It would just sound like a gunshot when the tire blew and very difficult to control your car. I have had several blowouts in my life and I always managed to get to the side of the road. You could not go very many feet on a blown-out tire. I always had a big tank of a car full of kids so I never lost control like you would in a lighter car.

The time I remember the best is when I got a blowout coming up Eli Hill in this huge Pontiac. It was about 10am and I had just bought groceries at the Thriftway Store at the bottom of Eli Hill. I always did my shopping in the morning so that I would be home when the older kids got out of school. That morning I had the usual ones not in school yet, Richard, Debbie, Darrell and Dan.
I was part way up the hill when I got the blowout. I just had to leave the groceries in the car on the side of the road. I started walking home with the kids and was hoping I might make it before the other kids got home. It was probably at least 4 or 5 miles to the house but the problem was that I had to carry Darrell and Dan. Dan was not walking yet and Darrell could not walk very much. I had Richard hold Debbie's hand and kept them in front of me so I could see them the whole time.

My guardian angel was watching over me. I had probably walked about a half mile and one of the neighbors we had when we lived in Buckley drove by. She thought I was just out for a walk with the kids. She said she got up the road a bit and then got to thinking something did not look right that I wouldn't be out for a walk carrying two babies. She turned around and picked us up and we got the groceries and she took us home.

Now you are wondering why I did not just change the tire. I have never changed a tire in my life. Any time anything happened to a car that I was driving I would just leave it on the side of the road and when your dad came home he would rescue it. I know how a tire is changed but I have never done it. The biggest problem we had with tires was that we ran them until there was hardly any tread left and we almost never had a spare tire or even a jack in the car I drove. Your dad always had that stuff. He probably figured I wouldn't know what to do with it anyway.

There were many times in Bonney Lake when your dad would be gone for a week or more that I did have to figure things out for myself. This has always been hard for me to do. All my life I have been around men who would do things for me (until I met Clayton) and whenever there was a problem they would take care of it. I am still that way today. If I can get someone to do things for me I am happy. If I have to figure something out on my own I will but it is easier to let someone else do it.

Beautiful Fall Day today

Beautiful Fall colors.Last Friday evening we went to the stake center to watch the Shakespearean play "A Midsummer Night's Dream". It was just great. For an a non-professional group, the acting was wonderful. The story plot was well done and the costumes were excellent.

My son Richard e-mailed me to tell me he enjoyed my story about Pegasus, the flying horse. It really makes me feel old when I think that most of my children and of course, grandchildren do not remember all those Mobil stations with the Neon signs of the flying Horse.

Richard also talked about Duane's gas station in Bonney Lake. It is now a car detail shop. Duane who owned the station also built the U-Haul in Bonney Lake and Richard says he is still alive. Richard talked to Duane's son and his son remembers going to school with David (the one living in Alaska now). He also remembers that your dad was called "Red". Debbie brought up an interesting thought. Of all seven children and all the grandchildren, none of them had red hair. Either it was not a dominent gene or it was a throwback from an older generation.

We bought most of our gas at Duane's gas station. It was down Eli hill and almost into town. That was the gas station I was happy to see the day I got lost carrying the dynamite caps around in the car.

Flying Red Horse

I got an e-mail from my son Richard again reminding me that I have not been keeping up on my blog. He says I need to be putting on current events and past events. I was pretty good at that for awhile but it seems to be getting harder to find things to write about, but, Richard, I will try. Richard says I am the best Historian for the family. If this is true, I think the family is in trouble. Richard give me some suggestions about things to write. We took a picture of the Flying Red Horse when we went to the Museum in Dallas. I think all of you are too young to remember when the Flying Red Horse was on all the Exxon Mobil gas stations. Not only do I remember all those stations but what fascinated me more when I was a child was to watch the gas being pumped from the big glass pumps.


So now I will give you all a little history lesson about the Flying Horse (Pegasus). According to Greek Mythology, when Perseus cut of the snake-covered head of Medusa, Pegasus the flying horse leaped full-grown from the blood soaked ground.

To tame Pegasus, the goddess Athena provided the mighty horse trainer, Bellerophon with a magical golden bridle. Bellerophon and Pegasus performed many deeds including the slaying of the fire-breathing Chimera. Unfortunately, when the ego-driven Bellerophon tried to fly Pegasus to Mount Olympus to join the gods, the winged-steed bolted and cast Bellerophon to Earth, where he spent the rest of his life wandering the planet shunned by both gods and man. Pegasus now resides in the heavens as a constellation of stars.

In the 20th century, the Pegasus character was used as the winged mascot for the Exxon Mobil Corporation. Their flying red Pegasus symbol was used as early as 1911 and adopted as a trademark in the U.S. shortly after the organization of Socony-Vacuum in 1931. **

The Pegasus logo, a symbol of "speed and power" was first colored red by the Mobil Sekiyu in Japan. In 1934, Magnolia Petroleum Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation's predecessor) erected a "oil derrick" atop the 29 story Magnolia Hotel building. It supported two 30 by 50 foot red neon signs made in the image of Pegasus, the flying red horse.

A restored version of the original revolving Pegasus was reinstated as a part of the Dallas Millennium Celebration where a $600,000 duplicate flying red horse neon sign was relit at midnight to bring in 2000.

** In 1931, Socony merged with Vacuum Oil to form Socony-Vacuum. In 1955, Socony Vacuum was renamed Socony Mobil Oil Co. In 1963, it changed it's trade name to Socony Mobile. To celebrate it's 100th anniversary in 1966, "Socony" was dropped from the corporate name.

Temple in Dallas, Texas

We went to see the Dallas Temple when we were on our trip. We just walked around the grounds. Very beautiful. Sunday Debbie fixed dinner for the missionaries. It was a very nice dinner and everyone had a pleasant time. Choir practice started Sunday also. We only stayed for part of it because Debbie had to get back to her dinner preparations. That girl does so much all the time. It wears me out just watching her.

I have to tell you one funny thing. We were on our way to Choir Practice and Debbie called Kent and asked him if he would scrape off the top layer of cat fur on the black chairs. I just cracked up. Charlie really loves those chairs.

Today I went to the store and also I had a check to deposit. I couldn't deposit my check because it is Columbus Day and the bank was closed. I know--you can use those envelopes, which I have done but I don't like to.

The midwest is having some early snow and so is Colorado.

Fall is here with beautiful colors and falling leaves

This might not look like Texas to you, but it is. We took this picture at the Arboretum in Dallas. Here I am writing two days in a row. Last night Debbie and I went to the Relief Society meeting. It was craft night. Debbie was in charge of the craft where you put the dry ingredients for Chocolate Chip Cookies in a canning jar with a pretty cloth cover over the lid and the recipe for the cookies attached. I am sure you have seen them. Some of the other crafts were candle decorating, glitter pumpkins using the small decorative pumpkins and some other crafts mostly for Christmas. Also in the kitchen it was set up to make your own pizzas or tacos. There was a recipe booklet and some of the ladies gave instructions on how to make the dough.

Some of us "older" ladies didn't sign up for any craft. We just sat around and visited and looked to see what everyone else was doing. I am glad I went. We had a nice time.

Beautiful Sunset

I love pictures of outdoor scenery, especially sunsets and sunrises. I took these pictures from the back deck. Every Sunset has distinct coloring and shapes. Both of these pictures were taken seconds apart and see how rapidly the colors changed.

Richard reminded me that I have not written on my blog for six days. I have just spending time outside in the sun as much as I can. We are having such a lovely fall but I know the rains are coming.

Nothing real interesting going on. I just have something to ponder. In November we will have to decide whether Fairwood should be it's own city. I am waiting to read the Voter's Pamphlet to read the pros and cons. If this happens, we would be living in a different city without moving. If there is one thing you can count on in life it is change.

Since I don't have babies to write about, I will put on some more trivia I read. Thanksgiving will be coming in November so here is some turkey trivia.


TURKEY TRIVIA

Only Tom Turkeys gobble. Hen Turkeys make a clicking sound.

Domesticated Turkeys cannot fly.

Wild Turkeys can fly for short distances up to 55 miles per hour and can run 20 mph.

June is National Turkey lover's month.

It is estimated that at maturity a Turkey has 3,500 feathers.

Did you know that Benjamin Franklin proposed the Turkey as the Official bird of the United States? He thought it was a much more respectable bird than the Eagle "and withal a true original native of America".

When Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin sat down to enjoy their first meal on the moon, their food packets contained roasted turkey and all of the trimmings.

Halloween is around the corner

Debbie took all these nice Pumpkins pictures when we were at the Arboretum in Dallas, Texas.

Fall is definitely here with all the beautiful colors of Fall. I haven't anything real exciting to talk about so I just thought I would put on some Halloween Trivia for you to read.

Halloween Trivia and Fun Facts

Orange and Black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with the fall harvest and black is associated with darkness and death.

Jack O' Lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out Turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.

Pumpkins also come in white, blue and green. Great for unique monster carvings!

Halloween was brought to North America by the immigrants from Europe who would celebrate the harvest around a bonfire, share ghost stories, sing, dance and tell fortunes.

Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped Penny candy in America.

The Ancient Celts thought that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween Night. They began wearing masks and costumes to avoid being recognized as human.

Halloween candy sales average about 2 billion dollars annually in the United States.

Chocolate candy bars top the list as the most popular candy for Trick-or-Treaters with Snickers being #1.

Halloween is the 2nd most commerically successful holiday, with Christmas being first.

Bobbing for apples is thought to have originated from the Roman Harvest Festival that honors Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees.

Black cats were once believed to be witch's familiars who protected their powers.

We did go to a Potluck at Church last evening. Debbie made two very good casseroles and a fruit salad.