Autograph books Part 2

As promised, here are some more entries from my mother-in-law's autograph books (read original post). These are from Wellsville High School 1933-34. Enjoy!

Aug. 27, 1933
Dear sister,
When you are old and cannot see, put on your specks and think of me.
Your brother, Noah (age 7)

3/15/33
"Hershey",
When you are married and have a baby boy, and when his hair begins to curl I wish you then a baby girl, and when they both can drink from tins I wish you then a pair of twins.
Robert Crone

Nov. 7, 1933
Dear Ethel,
Remember the pumpkin,
Remember the gord,
Remember the night,
We rode in the ford.
Your schoolmate, Fairy Rank

11/8/33
It is easy enough to be joyful
When life flows along like a song,
But the girl worthwhile is the one who can smile,
When everything goes dead wrong.
Annabel G. Rice

No. 27, 1934
Dear Ethel,
May your life be like arithmetic.
Joys----------added
Sorrows-----subtracted
Riches-------multiplied
Love---------divided by 2
The girl who sits behind you,
Lena Kinter

Nov. 8, 1933
Dear Ethel:
My name is Stanley Sherman.
Wellsville is my station.
Alpine is my dwelling-place.
Schoolwork is my salvation.
"yeh"
As ever,
Stanley Sherman "Stan" "Sherm"
"Coca-Cola"
"The pause that refreshes."
"Remember the Coco-Cola battles"

Nov. 21, 1934
Dear Ethel:
When the evening pulls the curtain down,
and pins it with a star,
Remember that you have a friend,
No matter where you are.
Your friend and classmate,
Thelma Wagner
"Yours till I have quadruplets"
"Jean" "Jane" "Joan" "June"

Nov. 22, 1934
Dear Ethel,
To meet
To know
To love
to part
Are the four sad words of a schoolmate's heart.
A schoolmate
"Hat"
Dorothy Sheaffer

Watch for more excerpts.

Quote of the day

"When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it." - Henry Ford

Quote of the day

"What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure" --Samuel Johnson.

Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Looking forward to your answers. P.S. Hope your Monday is off to a terrific start. Have an awesome week everyone.

Writing fun

Inspired by Janet Reid's awesome fun contests this week (Check her blog), I thought it would be fun to do something similar. First, answer these questions:
1. Adjective that describes you.
2. Something you hate to do.
3. The type of vehicle/model you drive.
4. A person you graduated high school with.
5. Your favorite condiment.
6. The color of the shirt you're wearing.
7. The name of someone you saw today.
8. Your favorite food.
Now, using your answers write a sentence using all of the words. My answers to the above questions are:
Energetic
Clean
Ford 500
Kris
Ketchup
Pink
Laura
Steak
So, my sentence is:
Kris was so energetic that she decided to clean the ketchup off the seat of her Ford 500 before making steak (pink for her; well-done for Laura).
Now, you try. Can't wait to read your posts. And, have an awesome weekend everyone.

Creating characters

“Every human being has hundreds of separate people living under his skin. The talent of a writer is his ability to give them their separate names, identities, personalities and have them relate to other characters living with him.” --Mel Brooks

Do the characters you create have a little bit of you in them? If so, what? Is it the way they look? Their mannerisms? The way they talk or walk? Their hobbies or habits? Likes and dislikes? Hopes and dreams? Please share.

Quote of the day

"For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die."
--Anne Lamott (Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

What have books shown you?

Life's treasures: Autograph books

I was going through a box of things that had belonged to my mother-in-law, Ethel P. Hershey Gross. She passed away in 1994. Ethel was the oldest of 11 children and, after helping to raise all of her brothers and sisters, she put herself through nursing school. She was an incredible woman, far more independent than many at the time.
Ethel married my husband's dad, a widower with five boys. They met in the hospital, where he was her patient. She gave up her nursing career to live on a farm and raise five stepsons. She eventually had my husband, her only child, when she was in her early 40s.
Anyway, I found something really neat in the box. There were two autograph books, one from 1933-34 from Wellsville High School and the other from 1935 from Dillsburg High School. Apparently these books were the "hot thing" at the time. The pages — yellow, blue, pink and green – are faded, but the writing is legible.
The sayings and rythmes the students wrote make me smile and laugh out loud. There’s an innocence about them that transports me to another time when life, it seems, was simpler in some ways, tougher in others.
So, here's my first post from the treasure trove I've found. Visit often for more entries from these books plus many other things I've found, including a "List of baby beeves to be sold at public auction at the York Fair grounds, Friday, October 7, 1932."

Mar 17, 1935
Dillsburg H.S.

My Dear Ethel P. Hershey Bud:
With all my chirping I can't think of one (1) sensible thing to say. But I must make it clear and plain that thou shalt not forget to remember not to forget about our "great charter" – you know the one we made Mar. 26, 1935 saying that thou shalt have 10 children or else – well I shalt have placed before me by you a large dinner which is not to be scorned at – If you have 9 or less kids I shalt place before you the most delicious dinner which you ever ate – Mar. 26, 1967
"Twitter twitter"
"tweet tweet"
Birdie
Carol Bird

Can you imagine? 10 kids! This just cracked me up. So the date was set: March 26, 1967 for the big dinner. That would have been 32 years after they had made this pact as seniors in high school – plenty of time to have 10 kids. Well, my mother-in-law never had 10 kids. I wonder if Birdie did? And if they remembered the pact they made so many years ago. And how about that Birdie and her "twitter"? Who knew so many decades later we would have a thing called Twitter. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I have. Have a terrific day!

What would your author blurb say?

Most books include a couple of grafs about the author. What would you want your author blurb to say? Whether the bio blurb appears on the book flap, in an “about the author” section or in promotional materials, it's an important introduction to you and your awesome work. It’s your opportunity to make a good impression and connect with your readers.
So, write a bio blurb for your latest work and share in comments. And if you found this difficult, why?  Good luck!

You know you're a writer when...

Let's come up with a list. You know you're a writer when...

• you pull over while driving to write a scene that just came to you.
• you stay up late and rise early to work on your latest novel.
• you'd rather write than watch TV.
• you talk about your characters as if they are real people. 

 Please add yours in comments. Have a super day everyone:)

The magic of fireflies

  
   I saw my first firefly of the season. Even after all these years, those dancing lights make my heart happy. I’m reminded of a childhood spent capturing them in the cup of my hand, then setting them free. Of barefoot summers filled with dripping cherry snowcones that stained every T-shirt I owned. Of hot fudge sundaes from the ice-cream truck that never missed my street. Of my lemonade stand and my clubhouse (we were The Buffets) and my climbing trees. Of sleepouts and scary stories and smores and oh so much more. I'm always amazed at how such a tiny thing can evoke a wave of memories so real I can taste the salt and be knocked over by it thunderous power.
  The magic of a firefly.
  The magic of childhood.
  Oh how I miss the sweetness of youth. 

  Do you have a favorite summer memory you’d like to share? Love to hear about it.

Quote of the day

"Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second. Give your dreams all you've got and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you."

--William James, 1842-1910, American Psychologist, Author

Don't miss LM Preston's party

This is one virtual launch party you won't want to miss. LM Preston, author of Explorer X- Alpha and  The Pack (coming out in August), is throwing the bash with tons of great giveaways. Visit her blog for all of the details. Oh, and she is also spotlighting party guests. Today, it's me. So make sure you pop over and join in the fun. LM Preston's blog. Go here for her party blog.
 Let's show LM our support.