Wednesday, August 27, 2008

If anyone is reading this post for the first time, which has to be a mistake...you must have taken a wrong turn in cyberspace and ended up here.... I'd offer you a cup of coffee if I could...

Anyway, if this is your first time here - or for those of you who have forgotten why I titled my blog what I did - I want to remind you - I love what my granddaughter, Ellie, hears when she has learned the names of her 3 favorite Disney ladies. Instead of Cinderella, Little Mermaid and Sleeping Beauty, she says what my title reads. I don't want to forget that. I actually remember some of my mispronunciations from when I was Ellie's age. I've written that I was part of a large extended family, living in Evergreen, AL.
[Even the abbreviation is different than it used to be. It used to be Evergreen, Ala. I don't know who decides to change those things, but they did. All states have 2 capital letters for the abbreviation. Missississipi used to be Miss. California might have been Calif. I think it was. Anyway, it was all different and too slow to write, I suppose, for our fast world -
so now here we are.]
Sidetracked! I remember that one of my uncles, Waynard Price, would always ask me, "Elizabeth, when is your birthday?" He loved to hear me say, "July the teenth-fourth". I didn't know that, until I learned how to say it correctly and realized why he always asked me. I have a clear memory of when he asked me, after I learned the correct pronunciation. I remember where I was standing - on the street in front of his house - 111 McMillan Street. The kids and adults spent time in that street area - it was VERY slow - almost no traffic - more walking - and it was almost as if it was their front yard. I've actually written about that address in one of my posts - I think it was the one about the Northcutt family. Anyway, he asked the question and I was ready - "July the fourteenth!". Sad. He looked disappointed, and I didn't get to hear his familiar chuckle which I love to remember - But I teased him back and told him I'd learned the right way - almost an "I gotcha back!" moment. Same uncle, Waynard, used to laugh when he heard Ann, about the age Ellie is now, call "The Gary Collins Show" (popular morning show I watched) "The Very Collins Show". He loved that. Got so tickled. He chuckled.

Back to Ellie. Her pronunciations. I love it.
So, now she is saying The Pledge of Allegiance, which I think Ann has written about on her blog - well there is more - I don't think Ann has time right now to blog - and I learned last night more of Ellie's version of The P of A. I don't have it all, but I intend to get it down on paper. The following is what I know so far.....

I pledge allegiance to my flag
of the renited states of a miracle
There's so much more and I have to get it on paper before she learns the correct way. Last night after she said it, then Luke, having no clue what she was talking about, wanted to say his version. There was some mumbling, and then he waited for our applause as we'd given it to Ellie. We did. We applauded him.
Moving On.
Time for more Diary Entries - from 1962 - my last entry I posted was August 12, 1962. So today I'll catch us up - From August 13, 1962 to August 27, 1962. We'll see what memories these entries will awaken. (let me just say, that as I enter these I am going to type exactly what I wrote, which is often a misspelled word)
Monday, August 13, 1962 - Dear Diary, I didn't go to band today. I slept to late.
Tuesday, August 14, 1962 -Dear Diary, I went to play with Jeannie B. Price today.
Wednesday, August 15, 1962 - Dear Diary, I went swimming with Connie Sue Gunter today.
Thursday, August 16, 1962 - Dear Diary, I went to band today.
Friday, August 17, 1962 - Dear Diary, Mary Ann and I fixed a boat today.
Saturday, August 18, 1962 - Dear Diary I went swimming with Rachel today. then after dinner I went to play with her.
Sunday, August 19, 1962 - Dear Diary, We ate over at Ella's today. We had a party for Mary. (my aunt)
Monday, August 20, 1962 - No Entry
Tuesday, August 21, 1962 - Dear Diary, Went to band.
Wednesday, August 22, 1962 - Dear Diary, We ate out at Mrs. Stowers tonight.
Thursday, August 23, 1962 - Dear Diary, Went to band. Daddy got my class something to eat at 4 Points.
Friday, August 24, 1962 - No Entry.
Saturday, August 25, 1962 - Dear Diary, I went to the show. 3 movies. stayed all afternoon.
Sunday, August 26, 1962 - Dear Diary, Went to Sunday School and Church.
Monday, August 27, 1962 - Dear Diary, Went to the show with mother. "Gone With the Wind"
All those names mentioned - major players in my world. I've written about some of them. Rachel is my cousin who is 2 years younger than I. We played together all of the time. Her dad was Waynard Price, whom I mentioned earlier. Her mom is my mom's sister. Again, earlier posts explain this. It was Lucille, Edith, Florence and Mary. So, in the diary entry about the party for Mary - it was Mary's birthday. I just did the math. Mary turned 30 that year. Mom was 43 in 1962. Florence was 40. Lucille was 46. I guess Ella, my grandmother was about 66 or 67. I think she was no older than 20 or 21 when she had Lucille.
Also, when I said that I played with Rachel after Dinner - I had to have meant lunch. Back then we always called lunch, dinner. Weird. I actually thought it was a "yankee" thing to call noon meal lunch. Very odd of me, but then I guess I learned that from fam.
Rachel's oldest sibling is Suzanne. Her older brother is Rusty. Rusty and my sister, Mary Ann are the same age and were in the same grades at school - not always the same teacher. Big Difference! Suzanne is 6 years older than I. She was the second grandchild born in the N'cutt family. I've written about Bert who was the first grandchild - so they carried some heirarchy - respect from the younger cousins - at least I saw it that way. I once introduced Bert to a friend as the patriarchal cousin - I think it was at mom's funeral when some of my S'boro friends were in Evergreen. I may have listed this before but here is how it goes, with birthdays. You know we're close if I remember all the birthdays. Actually, I just learned Bert's this summer. He and Susan told me he'd just turned 69. We were all aghast that he's so close to 70 and made many jokes about that. He's so funny. Some of the exact dates I know very well. I think Scott's is June 9, but I'm not positive.
1. Bert C. Summer 1939
2. Suzanne P. January 1945
3. Scott C. June 1947
4. Mary Ann W. January 16,1949
5. Rusty P. June 1949
6. Elizabeth(me) W. July 14,1951
7. Rachel P. May 14, 1953
8. John R. October 1954 - October 28, 2004
9. Jim R. December 1955 - Spring, 1959
10. Melissa R. July 16, 1958
11. Mary Claire R. February 1961
12. Edward R. June 28, 1964
There's so much I could say about each cousin and their parents. Not a one I don't love and like. Absolute Truth! I've got to close. It was much too indulgent to write this much. I have things to do.
Guess what? It's just been August 19, 2008 - and, yes, there was a b'day celebration amongst the fam for Mary. It all continues.
P.S. HAPPY DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION WEEK! :-)
ALL VERY INTRIGUING.

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