You can tell it's about the end of the school year . . . it's a rat race.
"Me first," saith the youngest member of the family.
"Get away from there. I'm older than you," snorted No. 1 son.
"Now both of you hush. Tell me who has what and I'll do the scheduling," the Queen Bee hummed.
"I've got a track meet and it comes before his old banquet," No. 3 daughter said.
"Phooey on you. That's girls stuff. Boys are more important," the growing young man insisted.
At this moment, the King entered the room and demanded attention. (Sometimes well, probably most of the time, they don't even know he exists until the money supply runs low).
"What's going on here?" the Master saith.
"You keep out of this, Ivan," Queenie said, "I'll schedule things."
"Schedule what?"
"School programs, track meets, athletic banquets, walkathon. You name it."
"Whatever are you talking about?" I questioned.
"The calendar."
"Oh oh. The calendar."
"Well," Queenie snorted, "you make the children put everything on the calendar by the telephone and that's what they are doing."
"Oh . . . yeah, the calendar. Say, I've got a couple things to jot on that too."
"You're going to have to wait your turn, Dad," the boy-with-the-drivers-license said.
Your family is probably better organized. You may just crack the whip and everything goes ship-shape. In our house, someone just pulled the plug from the barrel of school and community events.
Darrell Allgood says the family begins to notice the difference in the children when they start working regularly. "They get independent. Can't help but appreciate that."
Neil Hayhurst, the "boss" of Dara Allgood at Montgomery Ward Catalog Store, likes to tease Dara and LuAnn Griepenstroh about their work. They just smile, wait on customers and do their jobs well. So well that Neil can slip away for a coffee break and know that his customers are getting good service.
Well, we try to set up a schedule of things going on in school and the community and organize them so that we all know what's going on.
Of course, you realize that we rarely have the family at the dinner table at the same time.
It used to be that Millie served the evening meal to the family. Now she runs some sort of a cafe serving at shifts.
Junior High Principal Jim Hanks is an expert in the hub-bub. He just mops his brow and keeps on going. "There's so much going on now, it's hard to keep up."
For example, the schedule on our calendar points to a track meet, Elks youth dinner, athletic banquet, distributive education banquet, music awards night, and who knows what we've missed. Then there are the regular church, youth fellowship, choir and oh, yes, Millie's Friday night adult education class taught by Wayne Whitney, the horticulturist.
There are "little" things that shred the schedule occasionally, like mowing the lawn, spraying the trees, piddling in the garden, track practices and later and later evening meals.
And, too, the two youngest have jobs looking after a number of lawn jobs and No. 3 daughter is kept pretty busy by Dick Miyoshi at The Lodge.
Of course . . . as I said . . . you are probably better organized. Oh, well, we do get to say hello to each other at the breakfast table.
Arbor Day 1976
Mr. and Mrs. John Steinhelder, co-chairmen of the Arbor Day celebration, and Mr. and Mrs. Ellsworth Merkel of the Arbor Day Foundation, and a host of other volunteers are to be complimented on a whopper of a weekend celebration despite the rain.
If you didn't take in a number of the events, then you missed something very find. Nebraska City can be especially proud of the way it works together for the celebration.
Few communities can toast the success that existed again this year.
Everyone loves a parade and this year I joined the parade.
"R-r-r-i-n-n-g."
"St. Mary's Catholic church, the Rev. Tom Ozanne speaking."
"V-a-r-o-o-m-m-m v-a-r-o-o-m-m-m."
"Put . . . putt . . . v-a-r-o-o-m-m . . . hello, Ivan" was the answer.
"Hi, Father Tom, what say we crash the fun today and ride in the Arbor Day parade?"
"You gotta be kidding," he said and then quickly, "okay, be right up."
Father Tom and me wheeled our motorcycles to the starting point where we met up with Marv Rumery on his Hon-duie, Buck Hammers and Richard Strange on their new 1000cc Hondas, Jim Sammons, riding one of Tim Hall's Tri-State Cycle Harley "hogs", Wirth Davis on his Hon-duie and a number of other bikers.
"I've never done this before," I confessed to Wirth.
"Me neither," he admitted. "What are we supposed to do?" he asked.
"Dunno," Father Tom answered. "Bŭck says we're supposed to follow the saddle club . . . and dodge it."
"Oh," I answered.
"Oh . . . oh . . . oh," Wirth said. "I've got it now."
We made it just fine.
The interesting thing was the number of people. I guess it's really true . . . everyone loves a parade.
Beaumont Glass
Mrs. Arthur Sackles showed us an article in the Antique Trader newspaper concerning the Beaumont Glass company which operated around the turn of the century.
I confessed my ignorance about the beauty of cut glass. The only glass I look at carefully is the type that contains jelly.
For you collectors, the unique pattern was identified by the company as No. 101 in line and No. 74 decoration. Must have been quite a business. The plant was relocated to Grafton, W. Va., around 1905 and before the year was over the plant ceased operations.
Mrs. Sackles or Mrs. Troy Cushing can give you more information.
Rescue call
The Nebraska City Rescue Squad added three new names to its roster the other night for a complement of 30 squadsmen. The three new squadsmen (all have completed the required Red Cross first aid courses) are Lynn Viox and Shawn Nutter of Hinky Dinky and David Rohlfs, owner of the Western Auto Store.
Rescue Chief Harold Rowe pointed out that it has been a long time since the squad had a full complement of 30 volunteers.
The real interest in the newest members came from Ron Badberg. The squad has some sort of a rule that requires the newest member to be the "kitchen committee." Guess who's had K.P. for several months . . .
One of Nebraska City's newest businessmen is looking forward to the summer boating season. K. R. Kneale owns the Nebraska City Marina shop on the river bridge road in the same building as Larson's Farm Center.
"K. R." is making plans for a grand opening of his new business, fixing up his display area and bringing in a large supply of boats, motors, and all kinds of equipment that goes along with boating.
"I'm really looking forward to it," he said the other day.
Meanwhile, business is as usual and that's good for any new establishment. So when you have a moment, stop in at the Marina and look around.
And recreation equipment brings up the subject of vacation. Despite jets, missiles and such, they still haven't invented anything that goes faster than a week's vacation.