Wise as an Owl

Olney Avenue School, wise as an Owl was the school motto. Funny all these later how I remember that. I attended this school from K through part of the 3rd grade. It was a wonderful old school. It's the picture I see in my mind when someone says the word school. Funny how much smaller it is, then my memory of it. lol

In my mind I see large big steps going up to the big doors. Seems I have better pictures of this somewhere, I must find them; and if I can ever get my scanner working again...

This school was built in 1906. It had huge windows that actually opened! It had a boiler room where you went to bang out the erasers, or cut through to get to the bathroom on the other side of the building. We were all actually a little afraid of going to or through the boiler room. The building wasn't very old went it caught fire in 1914, on a cold winter's day 96 years ago. That's right, the fire was Jan 13, 1914 and it gutted the almost new building. Firemen worked through frigid temperatures to control the blaze with ice on their uniforms. Several received scalp wounds when portions of walls fell down around them. The fire was caused by a defective heating system, and due to oil on the floors spread rather quickly. (the floors were beautiful hardwood). 320 students who were then enrolled got several weeks off; no doubt they were happier than their parents. Another difficulty of fighting the fire was lack of water pressure in the fire hoses. The firemen really had a time of it.

This school had large cloak rooms, with 2 entrances. I have fond memories of a certain cloak room. Mark, gave me my first kiss in the cloak room. lol This school educated a large number of students. Many of my school friends' parents attended school here. Girls played on one side of playground while the boys played on the other. Things weren't co-ed back in the day. Sadly this cool old building was demolished in 2004. I wanted to go and tour the inside of it, never made it though and am sorry I didn't get to before it was gone.

The buildings are gone; but I still have memories of the building and the people. How bout you? Do you have memories of your school days?

The black and white photo is the school prior to the fire, and the 2nd photo is shortly after being rebuilt after the fire.

When I Grow Up I'm Gonna....

When I grow up, I'm gonna be? What? This yummy, super soft baby alpaca yarn is waiting to be something. My daughter selected this when we had a yarn shopping day. She loves green and purple. Most of her clothes are green and purple. Her room where she's living will be green and purple (still hasn't technically moved in).

This yarn is too pricey to buy much of it, so one skein of each limits what it came become. She asked for a scarf and while she knits herself; she wanted something beyond her current knitting skills. So, it's not really a question of what it will become; but the details of what type of scarf. So, when you shop for yarn, do you know ahead what you're going to make? Or do you buy colors, textures you like and figure it out later?

She asked for stripes, so currently I'm thinking about whether or not I want each color to have it's own texture, or maybe only one color have a pattern/texture with stitches in contrast to a plain 2nd color....Thoughts? I don't think I want both stripes be the same stitch?

Kindness, something we're taught

It's been awhile since I've posted a memory of Mom. Guess I'm only about half way into the alphabet at letter K. Kindness is something I remember Mom talking alot about. She'd often say put yourself in their shoes, treat them as you want them to treat you, But for the grace of God go I. I must admit when real young I didn't understand the last quote; but remembered her saying it anyway.

I remember her always saying to be kind, not to pick on people, not to say mean things, and to stand up for the underdog. When I was real young, I had a friend with a brace on her leg from polio. I remember her being a whiz with puzzles, something I wasn't good at at all. Kids were pretty mean to her, guess they didn't know any better. I also remember how excited I was when my friend got the brace off her leg and for the first time we were able to go down the slide together. I probably wouldn't have that fond memory if it weren't for Mom, teaching me how to be kind.

I had a little boy in my class named Frankie who had seizures in class, even the teacher wasn't kind to him. One day when an incident happened and I was upset about it, my mother showed me again how kindness pays off. She went to school and explained to the teacher what was going on with little Frankie. The teacher had actually punished him for not paying attention. Mom knew from my description about what happened that he had seizures, it wasn't that he wasn't paying attention. After that, things went better for little Frankie.

Thanks Mom for those important life lessons, and the memories they've given me.

The picture is of hubby, my young daughter and I years ago. Just a picture I thought I'd share.