Norms Bait and Tackle

BarbStAubrey · January 10, 2025, 03:42:10 AM

Good information - thanks Patricia

Marilyne · January 14, 2025, 11:26:03 AM

I hope that some of you saw the full moon last night - The "Wolf" Moon, it was called. It was a spectacular sight, and somehow was very uplifting for me. I was in the kitchen preparing dinner and fortunately happened to see it rising, low in the sky, and was spellbound until it moved out of sight. It's those little things in life that we appreciate more as we grow old.

This week I've been lost in memories of growing up in what was once a beautiful, pristine area . . . Los Angeles County. My thoughts were of the 1930's and '40's, before L.A became what it is today. All the miles of orange groves and other fruit orchards, bulldozed down to build houses for the millions of people who began moving there after WWII. Unrecognizable now from what it used to be back then. Easy to to understand how a fast moving wildfire, can sweep in and burn down whole communities, killing not only people, but wildlife, trees, and scorching the good earth.

MaryPage · January 14, 2025, 02:50:06 PM

MARILYNE, this is MaryPage & my senile dementia is catching up with me & I have tried to respond to your moon in L.A. post & could not find the REPLY notation. Finally went completly away & then back, and THERE it was. Anyway, I remember the thirties well, also, as I was born in 1929. L.A. sounded like Heaven on Earth in all the magazines back in those days. Well, I relate to your memories & the pain that goes with them. We were not only the PROUD of us United States of America back then, but we were so carefully nurtured by family & teachers to be kind & polite to one another. Oh, & the Brownies & the Girl Scouts, too.
Gosh, I can still remember wearing that little brown uniform!

phyllis · January 14, 2025, 04:19:33 PM

I have been thinking back, too. Tom was assigned to the Santa Monica IBM office back in 1954-55 and we lived in Culver City. Our major weekend activity was driving all over that area just looking at all the sights that area had to offer. It is so painful to see the terrible destruction that has happened. And, I feel so sad for all the loss of life and the destruction of all those homes and businesses.
I can't even imagine how people are able to deal with that.

Marilyne · January 16, 2025, 09:33:45 AM

MaryPage and Phyllis, thank you for commenting on the fire disaster in Los Angeles and surrounding suburbs. The many fires burning there, are now under control, and will be out soon. It would be a blessing if only it would rain, but nothing predicted through the end of January. Same up here in Northern Cal, but we did have a couple of good storms in December, so we're okay.

Phyllis, I remember you saying that Tom worked out of the Santa Monica IBM office, which is probably no longer there? Culver City was nice back then, but now is right next to the huge LAX (Los Angeles International Airport), so it's very noisy and the traffic is difficult.

MaryPage, I was also a Brownie, and then was a Girl Scout. I have some pictures, and may scan them and post them. How proud we were of those uniforms . . . The dress, the neck scarf, and the little brown beanie!

Vanilla-Jackie · January 16, 2025, 01:16:48 PM

Add me to the " Brownie " list please..
I joined at a rather later age, think eleven, just when most girls were joining the Girl Guides..
I still remember the small church, the marching with the band a short distance along the main road on the Sunday..
Yes, i too had all the uniform, the brown dress, brown belt, brown beret, yellow scarf, and of course the lapel and badges that i had proudly earnt..

Ciaobella · January 17, 2025, 12:05:05 PM

Hello everyone, it's good to be back after a busy Christmas and New Year's break. I had to giggle when I saw the topic of Brownies because I used to be a Brownie leader for my daughter's troop back in 1978 at our Catholic school/church. As a child I had never heard of this organization. There were two little "charms" as they call it, we taught the girls. One was: "Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver, and the other is gold." And when they were being installed, we placed a mirror on the floor and turned them around 3xs and they would say, "Twist me and turn me and show me the elf, I looked in the mirror and saw myself." I never really knew the meaning of this until searching Google and this is what I found.
https://makingfriends.com/girl-scout-leader/the-brownie-story/

Brownies have always been known for being honest, fair, and helpful. Have you heard about Brownies? Do you know how Brownie Girl Scouts were named? Here is one version of the story.

Mary and Tommy lived with their father and grandmother. Their father worked very hard all day and their grandmother was too old to do the housework.

Their father tried his best to keep the house clean. Mary and Tommy didn't help him very much. They just played all day long.

"Children are hard to care for," said Father.

"Children are a blessing!" said Grandmother.

"Not my children," said Father. "They do not help me a bit."

Just then, Mary and Tommy ran in, their shoes covered with mud.

"Wipe your feet outside!" said Father.

"What makes Father so angry, Granny?" asked Tommy and Mary.

"He is tired and you two do not help him. What this house needs is a brownie or two."

"What is a brownie, Granny?"

"A very helpful little person. She came in before the family was up and did all sorts of chores. The brownie always ran off before anyone could see her, but they could hear her laughing and playing about the house sometimes."

"How nice! Did they pay her, Granny?"

"No, brownies always help for love. But, the family left her some treats at night like cookies, fruit, and juice. She liked that."

Oh, Granny, where are the brownies now?"

"Only the Wise Old Owl knows, my dear."

"Who is the Wise Old Owl, Granny?"

"I don't know exactly, my dear."

"Oh, I wish she hadn't gone away!" said Mary and Tommy together. "May we put out some juice and cookies for her? Maybe she will come back if we do."

"Well," said Grandmother, "she's welcome if she chooses to come. There's plenty of work for her to do here."

That night, Mary could hardly sleep. She kept thinking about the brownie.

"There's an owl living in the old shed by the pond," she thought. "If it is the Wise Old Owl, she can tell me where to find a brownie. When the moon rises, I'll go look for the Wise Old Owl."

The moon rose and Mary hurried to the pond in the woods.

Everything was so still that Mary could hear her heart beating. Then suddenly, "Hoo! Hoo!" said a voice behind her.

"It's an owl!" said Mary. "Maybe it's the one I'm looking for."

The owl flew by her onto a beam that ran under the roof of the shed and said, "Come up! Come up!"

The owl could talk! Then it must be the Wise Old Owl! Mary climbed up the beam, and said, "Please, where can I find a brownie to come and live with us?"

"That's it, is it?" said the owl. "Well, I know of two brownies that live in your house."

"In our house!" said Mary. "Then why don't they help us?"

"Perhaps they don't know what has to be done," said the owl.

"Just tell me where to find those brownies," said Mary, "and I'll show them what needs to be done. There is plenty to do at our house!"

"Well, Mary, I can tell you how to find one of the brownies. Go to the pond in the woods when the moon is shining and turn yourself around three times while you say this charm:

"Twist me, turn me, and show me the elf

I looked in the water and saw_________."

Then look into the pond to see the brownie. When you see the brownie, you will think of a word that ends the magic rhyme."

Mary reached the edge of the pond in no time. She slowly turned herself around three times while she said the rhyme:

"Twist me, turn me, and show me the elf

I looked in the water and saw________"

She stopped, looked into the pond, and saw only her own face.

"How silly," said Mary? "There's no word to rhyme with elf, anyway. Belf! Helf! Jelf! Melf! I saw nothing but myself! Myself? That rhymes with elf! How strange! Something must be wrong! I'll go back and ask the Wise Old Owl about it."

Mary went back to the shed and told the Wise Old Owl she saw nothing but herself.

"And what did you expect to see?" asked the owl.

"A brownie," said Mary.

"And what are brownies like?" asked the owl.

"Granny says brownies are very helpful little persons. I saw no one but myself when I looked in the pond and I'm not a brownie."

"All children can be brownies," said the owl. "Couldn't you help out around the house and pick up your own things?"

"I don't think I would like it," Mary said.

"Would you rather be someone who makes work instead of doing it?" asked the owl.

"Oh, no!" cried Mary, "I don't want to be like that. I'll tell Tommy and we'll both try to be brownies."

"That's the way to talk!" said the owl. "Come on, I'll take you home."

Before Mary knew it, she was in her bed. When daylight came, she woke up Tommy and told him what had happened. Together they crept downstairs and did every bit of work they could find to do before their father woke up. Then they went happily back to bed.

When Father came downstairs, he looked around and rubbed his eyes. The table was set, the floor was clean, and the room was as bright and shiny as a new penny.

At first, father could not say a word. Then he ran to the foot of the stairs, shouting, "Mother Tommy! Mary! Our brownie has come back!"

One morning, Father woke up very early and heard laughter coming from the kitchen. "It must be the brownie," he thought. He went downstairs, opened the kitchen door, and saw Mary and Tommy dancing around the room.

"What's this?" he asked.

"It's the brownies! We are the brownies!" sang Tommy and Mary.

"But who did all the work? Where are the real brownies?"

"Here!" said Mary and Tommy as they ran into their father's arms.

When Granny came downstairs, Father told her how he had found the brownies.

"What do you think of it all, Mother?" asked Father.

"Children are a blessing," said Grandmother. "I told you so."

Cute little story.

MaryPage · January 17, 2025, 02:17:01 PM

Wonderful story, CIAOBELLA! I'd never it before today.

I went on to be a Girl Scout. What did we call that? Flying up?

BarbStAubrey · January 17, 2025, 04:49:45 PM

thanks for the story - that was great...!

Back in '41 and '42 there were no Brownies in our area and I'm guessing now. after all these years it may have been our grades is why we were chosen any how, a few of us were allowed to become regular Girl Scouts when we were only 9 - Back then Girl Scouts were for those 10 to 14 - I turned 9 in January of '42 and by February I was among the 4 or 5 of us that were allowed to join the troop that a few years later my mother became the troop leader -

One of our first projects I remember going to Mrs. Diamond's house and we wrapped old sheets cut in strips 2" wide for bandages for the troops - at the beginning of the war none of what we associate with WWII had been manufactured yet and they were working with equipment and the way of being served as if it was still WWI - we were even knitting wool socks for the service men.

Knitting was easy for me since whenever we were sick in bed you did not just goof off - you either knitted or darned socks and my Grandmother taught me how to do both when I was not yet 5.

As a kid I was always coming down with something so lots of knitting - this was way before any anti biotics - penicillin came out just before the war but then all the penicillin went to the troops so civilians did not have it as a cure till after the war.

I remember the best available was sulphur - they were large round wafers that were blood red and tasted so bad that I would hold it in my mouth not wanting to chew or swallow and of course some leaked out and mom would laugh saying I looked like a vampire - of course her laughing was just the good humor I needed and before you know it I swallowed the dreaded tasting sulphur.

Another early memory from Girl Scouts was our patrol met at Mrs. Clark's house and she taught the 6 of us how to make lemon meringue pie with a graham cracker crust. I used that way of cooking on the stove the filling and whipping the meringue and making the no cook graham cracker crust right through the years when my children were young. The lemon custard was a package mix by I think Jello.

Marilyne · January 17, 2025, 06:36:24 PM

Ciaobella, thanks for posting that cute Brownie Scout story! I was also a Brownie Leader, when my oldest daughter was in First or Second grade? I well remember the initiation ceremony . . . "Twist me and turn me and show me the elf . . . I looked in the mirror and saw myself!" Like you, we had a mirror on the floor, surrounded by flowers, that represented the water. I recall all the little girls being so serious and so thrilled with the whole ceremony. Like Barb, I was a Brownie in the early 1940's. I mostly remember the uniform, and going out as a group to collect cans and newspapers for the War effort. We also made scrapbooks to send overseas. I'm going to take a look at a couple of my old photo albums, and if I can find pictures, I'll scan them and post them here.

MaryPage · January 17, 2025, 09:54:30 PM

Barb, you've got me beat in one particular: I think I was six when I learned to knit. & they tried to teach me darning, but I just couldn't get it. Ha! Outfoxed them! I have you beat in one respect, though. It was my beloved GREAT grandmother who taught me to knit!

I pretty much feel, quite often in fact of the matter, most of the time now, as though I am the only living relic of World War II. I think of it as a time when people really cared about one another. I was an Army Brat, but literally Everyone, or, at least, every man, went off to war, & Mama & I went home to Grandma's. where she would leave me when she was able to join Daddy at one post or another. This was in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

You know: God's Country. It sort of startles me when one or the other of you mentions that war. I guess we are not all that far apart in age, after all. I can certainly attest to the fact that even little kids pitched in & did their part in the war effort. I had an intense sense of community back then, which seems not as strong now.

patricia19 · January 17, 2025, 11:44:42 PM

I was also in the Girl Scouts from Brownies through I believe, Intermediate? In any case, my sister and I went to Girl Scout camp for a number of years until she and I became camp counselors and we would paddle out at night in a group to meet up with the counselors from the Boy Scouts on the other side of the lake.

I remember that badge competition, and our softball team was fierce and so were cookie sales.

MarsGal · January 18, 2025, 07:30:09 AM

I was both a Brownie and a Girl Scout, though I don't remember much much about my Brownie years. The things I remember most from Girl Scouts included making a mini-grill from a large can for camping, the time we made puppets and put on a show for our families, and when we made dinner in the church kitchen and served our families. I kept my badges for eons, and thought I still had them, but they are not where I remember I put them. I guess they were a casualty on one of my moves. Bummer!

Ciaobella, your first quote has been with me since I was around 15 years old. Never forgot it. I have a thin book of short poems and sayings that I bought at a local gift shop around that time. I kept giving it and a companion gold covered volume to family and friends as gifts and buying another for myself. Alas, the last time I gave the gold volume as a gift I discovered that the store no longer had the volume in stock. Those two little volumes introduced me to Helen Steiner Rice. For years afterward I would look for and send cards with her poems on them.

Lunch with the gals at Black n' Bleu was a great success. Several of us had never been there before. Located in an odd spot and with a limited menu, it nevertheless attracts diners. I had picked out a blackened salmon dish, but then the waitress gave us the specials menu. Since I was not terribly hungry and I had really wanted french fries with dinner, I ended up getting fish and fries and side order of fried clams. Sue and her friend, Dodie, had the pork chop dish. The waitress did not take any notes and when the meals came out, they were all correct (there were six of us to remember). Imagine my eyes popping out at the size of the clam and fish portions. The french fry portion was smaller than expected (bummer). I do not know what the fish was but it was flaky, at least 10" in length, maybe about 4" wide and about an inch at its thickest. Needless to say, half of the meal came home with me. Oscar had a little of the fish for his dinner. Impressive.

Ciaobella · January 18, 2025, 01:53:57 PM

MarsGal,

QuoteThose two little volumes introduced me to Helen Steiner Rice. For years afterward I would look for and send cards with her poems on them.

Oh, how I loved Helen Steiner Rice poems and cards! She sure has her own beautiful style.

You all have such wonderful memories and stories that just fascinate me. I was born in 1952, so I have no recollection of the wars since WW11 ended in 1945 almost ten years before my birth. I was second to the youngest of seven children and my Daddy was killed by a NY Central train on his way to work in 1955, so my mother never taught us six daughters any particular skills other than the basic survival skills of rationing food, laundry, house cleaning and the love of our Lord, (Think Little Women and that was my childhood. (I would be Jo the writer.)

Barb, I had to giggle reading you had to darn or knit while being sick. Eww... that red pill just sounds horrible!

MaryPage, I am a great grandmother of a 2 yr. old and spend every Friday with as I call him our Little Prince Charming Haze, and I can only pray he will treasure and remember our times together when he is our ages. I did teach my one granddaughter to crochet a caterpillar rattle toy for her soon to be sister back when she was 7 yrs. old, she is now 29 yrs. old and reminded me recently of how she remembered me teaching her how to crochet that toy. Oh, we are so very blessed aren't we.

Patricia, sneaking out to meet up with the Boy scouts at nighttime... now that is the cutest story ever, just like the movie Parent Tramp with Lindsey Lohan, my granddaughters watched a zillion times at my house for sleepovers.

Marilyn, it would be fun seeing your Brownie pics, hope you can find them.

Without getting political, I have to say I am so excited to watch the Inauguration on Monday! Regardless of what party anyone is, history is being made and for the second time only it will be held inside the Capitol Rotunda building. My hubby and I went to visit Washington D.C. back when Clinton was president and that is the only building, we were not able to go into. For some reason it was closed that day. But sitting in the "Blue room" on the windowsill bench looking out at the fountain in the backyard of the White House imagining all the past and present presidents and first ladies who walked the floors I was walking was a once in a lifetime experience, I will never forget. Shortly after that, 911 happened and they stopped all tours through the White House. I have a picture of myself standing on the front entrance near the huge white pillars as I was walking out my hubby snapped it. It would be wonderful if one day citizens could tour inside again.

Ciao for now~[/size]

patricia19 · January 18, 2025, 02:28:26 PM

Ciaobella, we thought we were really daring back then, sneaking out and meeting up in our canoes in the middle of the lake only to later find that the adults and many of the younger campers knew about it all along. I understand it was practically a rite of passage at GS camp.

The main experiences I recall was selling cookies and earning our badges. And overnight camping out in tents behind a leader's home at minus thirty for our wilderness badge. I do remember times as a Brownie of singing GS songs while the leader played the piano, but that's about it for my time as a Brownie.

Back then, I was positive I would be a great writer and poet one day and I had many notebooks filled and took many elective classes in creative writing and as a stage hand and lighting assistant for junior and high school plays. I was so confident back then until the sixties and everything changed.

Marilyne · January 18, 2025, 04:23:42 PM

Mars, I also remember Helen Steiner Rice, and besides loving the cards, I also had a small thin book of her poetry. Now I'm inspired to do a Google search about her, and enjoy all of those poems once again. They would probably be more meaningful now than they were back then. Sounds like you enjoyed your lunch at the Black 'n Blue restaurant. I love seafood restaurants, but unfortunately we have to drive to Sant Cruz, if we wan t good fresh fish. Neither one of us likes to drive "over the hill" anymore, but I still have my memories of many a delicious dinner on the wharf.

Caiobella, I think they have a partial guided tour of the White House, when it's decorated for Christmas every year? I remember reading that it was cancelled in 2020, because of Covid, but I think it has resumed in the past couple of years? When Laura Bush was First Lady, I watched a tour of the Christmas White house on PBS. It was spectacular! I haven't seen one since?

Patricia, although I was Girl Scout, we did'nt have Scout camp near us, so we all went to the YMCA Camp, for ten days every Summer. (The girls went at different times from the boys.) Like you, I became a councilor when I was 16 . . . and like you also, we wold quietly sneak out at night, and row across the lake to meet with the teen boys at another camp. (Scouts or Y boys, I don't remember?) It was innocent fun, that I remember to this day.

Jackie -I've been meaning to reply to your post about becoming a Brownie and then the Girl Guides. When we were first married 1956/57, I worked at a department store and working with me, was a young woman my age, who had recently married and moved here from Edinburgh, Scotland. We became lifelong friends. Fortunately her husband and mine were compatible, so the four of us had lots of fun together. The only reason I mention it here, is that she had been a member of Girl Guides, and loved to talk about all the things they did for the War effort, and after the War as well - doing volunteer work in convalescent hospitals. I miss her, but nice to have such good memories.

patricia19 · January 18, 2025, 04:39:53 PM

Is everyone prepared?

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/15/weather/arctic-siberian-cold-outbreak-forecast-climate/index.html

MarsGal · January 18, 2025, 06:30:18 PM

This morning I discovered the Thimble Shoals Shipwatching channel on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X35_bcOvyto I looked it up and discovered that Thimble Shoals Light is at the confluence of the James River and the Chesapeake Bay. Super. I get to see more navy ships sail by. Tomorrow I am going to check out the video of the infamous Dali leaving after repairs.

Ciaobella · January 19, 2025, 11:01:45 PM

Patricia19, yes, I am ready to hunker down in my house for the next few days and snuggle with my dog, couch throws, book, and laptop with hot cocoa or coffee to keep me warm. My hubby loves to do puzzles so he will be at the kitchen table working on one. At mass today Fr. Jim announced he knows how much the elder love to get out and go to morning weekday mass, but he said please stay home and stay warm, don't chance getting out in these conditions.

Marilyne, I had no idea there were any tours in the White House since 911 due to security reasons. It would be so exciting to see the Christmas decorations. Here in Toledo, Ohio we have the Manor House located in our Wildwood Park and each year for one week before Christmas it is decorated with many different Christmas themes by volunteers who must be approved by a panel. The beautiful Georgian Colonial style home was built over a two-year span, from 1936 – 1938. My hubby and I have made it a tradition to tour it and have taken our kids and grandkids.
https://historymysteryman.com/the-story-of-the-stranahans-champion-spark-plug-and-the-preservation-of-wildwood/

BarbStAubrey · January 20, 2025, 01:37:27 AM

Can't believe it - there is a possibility of snow on Tuesday for Houston - shock

Sure is cold tonight - it will be an interesting few days - I'm thinking me and my pet pads will be encased on the sofa with the TV on - hardly ever have TV on before 6: but not only a lot going on just the idea of trying to do anything in this cold is beyond my concept of daily life.

phyllis · January 20, 2025, 08:11:50 AM

I will join the chorus and say it's cold here in North Carolina, too. Not supposed
to go above 35 today. It is 26 right now but sun is shining. Hope the heat pump keeps going but the propane logs in the fireplace are ready to go if they are needed. I have to order groceries and I will make sure soup is on the list.

Take care, All.

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