Tag Archives: Found items

Dad’s 9th Grade Report Card

Things, , ,

Among some of the more interesting items I found at Mom’s house last month was a Joseph Spiess box of photos, letters and documents that belonged to my Uncle Don and Aunt Leila. One of the items was my dad’s 9th grade report card from Plato Township High School.

For some reason I’d always thought dad quit school before 9th grade, but I was mistaken. Maybe it was just after 9th grade. It was not something he was proud of. I think he actually might have liked school — or at least respected the teachers because he always wanted me to be a teacher and was proud that I became one.

Despite dropping out of high school, this report card doesn’t look too bad — It looks like science was his best subject (after PE). His English scores were good the first semester, but not so good the second. I don’t understand the “incompletes” in Agriculture though. His dad was a farmer.

His English teacher, Miss Muirhead, must be a relative of our alpaca farm friends.

Rabbits

Memories,

Rabbits are okay. They’re cute and furry. I don’t have a garden so I don’t worry about them eating my vegetables. But I don’t love rabbits. Well, at least I don’t love rabbits anymore.

See, back in the 1970s I read Watership Down. Then I read the book referenced in Watership Down: The Private Life of the Rabbit ((Actually a pretty good read.)). Then I visited Watership Down (along with Stonehenge and Oxford) when I visited England the following summer.

So, my sudden fascination with rabbits caught the attention of folks who cared about me and for a few years I was given rabbits as gifts.

I’ve kept a few —

This is not a rabbit, but it has rabbits on it. Jeremy found the bit of white rock (it could have been from the White Cliffs of Dover as we visited those that trip too. It has interesting indentations that suggest it is a fossil of some sort) and painted Watership Down on the side along with a couple of rabbits..

watership down out of white rock

Then there is the green soapstone rabbit. I don’t remember where this came from, but I am pretty sure it was a gift.

green soapstone rabbit

I’m pretty sure I bought this one for myself. At least it looks like a rabbit.

brown fuzzy rabbit

Finally, I must have really liked the rabbits snuggling in bed, because I bought (or someone bought me) another rabbit from that line of pottery.

cute rabbit

 

When Dean first came to my apartment shortly after we met, I had all of these figurines (and more) sitting around. He must have really liked me to look past the bunnies everywhere and decide I was worth keeping.

These guys are going back into the knee-wall from where they’ve stayed for the past decade or so. Although, I kind of like the green one. Maybe he can stay out for a while.

Aunt Ginny’s 3-D Viewer

Travel, ,
Drawing of a house in Elgin
Drawing of Grandma and Grandpa Green’s house in Elgin

I have lots of vague memories of my grandparent’s house in Elgin. They lived in a tall, narrow house on a bit of a rise on the corner of Raymond and Bent Streets. Downstairs was a living room, kitchen, dining room and a room off the dining room that, I think served as my uncles’ bedroom when they lived at home, but was a sort of playroom/library/extra bedroom by the time I came along.

Milprem. Helps you take the misery out of menopause. Photo of miserable middle aged woman and her doctor
Box containing 3-d viewer

One of the items I remember playing with most often was a sort of early View-Master — a stereoscopic viewer for kids. The box it was kept in didn’t exactly depict the treasure within.

The viewer itself was brain-colored marbled plastic with double eyepieces at one end and a slot for holding cards at the other end. You’d place a card — or group of cards in the slot at the end and look through the eyepieces and see a single 3-dimensional drawing.

The viewer made by Craftmen’s Guild in Hollywood, CA.
Your turn

In addition to the viewer, the kit came with several sets of story cards — looking through them today brings back happy memories of being a kid at my grandparent’s home. Here is one of the sets.

The Little Pig That Flew Just Once

 

1. "How does one fly Mr. Crow?" "Oh I dunno you just ups and flies is all that I can say."
“How does one fly Mr. Crow?” “Oh I dunno you just ups and flies is all that I can say.”
"Ya just take off and fly and that's all there is to it I guess." "Do you suppose I could fly Mr. Crow?" "Maybe -- try and see."
“Ya just take off and fly and that’s all there is to it I guess.” “Do you suppose I could fly Mr. Crow?” “Maybe — try and see.”
With that the pig 'reved' up his little old screw-like tail -- and into the air he rose.
With that the pig ‘reved’ up his little old screw-like tail — and into the air he rose.
What fun they had! They turned and dived, and spun and just capered all over the sky.
What fun they had! They turned and dived, and spun and just capered all over the sky.
He led a flock of geese for a while.
He led a flock of geese for a while.
He played leapfrog in the clouds. The pig had worlds of fun until he happened to look down.
He played leapfrog in the clouds. The pig had worlds of fun until he happened to look down.
He squeals as he realizes where he is.
He squeals as he realizes where he is.
The little pig was so frightened he forgot to fly -- he just turned loose and fell. Luckily he landed in a nice soft tree.
The little pig was so frightened he forgot to fly — he just turned loose and fell. Luckily he landed in a nice soft tree.
He grabbed a limb and held on for dear life. Mr. Crow had to help him get down.
He grabbed a limb and held on for dear life. Mr. Crow had to help him get down.
The little pig was glad to be back in his mud hole and they tell me that to this day no other little pig has tried to fly.
The little pig was glad to be back in his mud hole and they tell me that to this day no other little pig has tried to fly.

I’m fairly certain I liked this more when I was a kid than I do now. The others are a little better — and some are not at all PC. If I feel like it I might upload the rest, but don’t hold your breath.