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Friday, July 23, 2010

Videos of Picnic now available

Dan Criswell's video of the Woodsdale Kids picnic is now available for $10. All proceeds will go to paying for the shelter for next year's picnic to be held on June 25, 2011. If you are interested in obtaining one contact me at katequinn5@verizon.net.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Bible School

Looking back on my theological education I am always amazed that Woodsdale School sent everyone across the street to Vance Church for a dose of Jesus once a week. Today there would be a major explosion if a public school even thought about such an indoctrination. For over thirty years I have been married to a little jewish girl from Richmond Virginia. Where did I get the notion to join the lost tribe? I think it came from Woodsdale. The jewish kids did not go to Vance Church to have their brains dry cleaned. They stayed back at school and studied. This may be a partial answer to why the jewish kids were always above average. As a trouble maker sometimes I went to Bible School, and sometimes I stayed back at school with the Old Testament gang.

From bible school I do remember a couple of incidents. It used to be painful to have to read bible verses under the direction of some old ladies over at Vance Church. I did have some help shirking my indoctrination by good old Charlie Jones. Every time we went over to the church one of the first things Charlie would do is throw my bible out the window. The old lady teaching the class, who I think was Jesus grandmother would say "Mike could you read the 23 Psalm". I would say "my bible fell out the window. Then grandma Jesus would say " Didn't your bible fall out the window last week?". I think this all had something to do with me being back with the Jewish kids, and it may end up explaining how I married a Jewish girl. In the end it does show the Lord works in strange ways.

Today I am happily an orthodox atheist. My early Christian education served me well. If the old ladies at the church knew what a fine man I turned out to be they would believe in miracles.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

The Importance of Sidewalks

Judy reminded me of how important sidewalks were to us growing up. Along with roller skating (and even now I can feel the vibrations, created by the skates shuttering along the cement, traveling up my legs; worse, I can remember catching a toe, tripping, falling, and hitting hard. No broken bones, which is truly miraculous), we spent hours playing hopscotch. Using chalk to draw out the squares was a rarity; usually we found a rock to line out the squares. Then, selecting the "right" stone for tossing took a while: size, weight, dimension-- all were part of the process. Flat, medium weight, and not too large. We were allowed a few practice "pitches" before the competition began, and the games were fiercely contested. Hopscotch was such a marvelous way to improve your balance, as storklike, you bent down to retrieve the stone. At times you teetered and were unable to maintain your one-legged pose. Turn over as soon as your other foot touched down. No "do-overs." Determining whether your stone was actually in the square was the beginning of many arguments. I don't recall seeing many hopscotch boards on neighborhood sidewalks these days. Too low-tech, I guess. Like roller skating, hopscotch was primarily a girl's pasttime. Were boys banned, or was hopscotch just considered a "sissy" game?

Another sidewalk sport was jump rope. Although today's jumpers have moves we could never have imagined and probably not have executed, our double rope jumping with mulitiple people hopping in and out was impressive. Unlike today's high tech ropes, we generally utilized a piece of clothesline. Again, I don't recall many boys taking their turns as serious rope turners or jumpers. If they did offer to join the game, it meant they would either turn the rope at warp speed or jump in with someone and get both quickly entangled in the rope.

Jacks was another game played on the sidewalk along with various ball games that required chanting while bouncing the ball and clapping or turning ... was it onesie, twosie..? I know someone out there remembers.

(As I mentally revisit these summertime activities, I realize the dense canopy of the beautiful old trees that lined our Woodsdale neighborhood streets made these games much more enjoyable.)

Lastly, we all, boys and girls, used the sidewalks for bike riding. How I miss my three-speed English Raleigh with the "headlamp" lighted by energy generated by the front wheel. Of course, I had a bell to warn unsuspecting pedestrians of my approach. I rode everywhere, often over the Kenwood path to visit Colonel's for a wonderful wizard or Suzanne Garden and an afternoon of card games. The only caveat was that I had to be home by dark. When were the laws passed that disallowed sidewalk bike riding? For kids, it was so much safer.

So, here's to sidewalks.... "step on a crack-- break your mother's back."

Lee

The Picnic

Sorry, Woodsdale Kids, but I was too busy having fun to take any photos for the blogsite so I guess what happens in Oglebay stays in Oglebay. It was wonderful to see so many of you there and to get caught up on all the years apart. Special Thanks to Andy Barger who got the shelter for us....he had to leave early so many of you hardly got a chance to talk to him, but he got us the charcoal and started the BBQ and then had to take off for the airport.

The "after" party at the Alpha was fun as well. I need to pick a date for next year and am thinking that the weekend after the Fourth of July is probably a good one and if we keep it the same every year people may just get it stuck in their minds and come.

Special thanks to Jim Ault and Howdy Meagle who help organize people, RSVP lists, reminders, etc.

I am not sure when Dan Criswell's video will be ready, but I'll let you know. It should be a nice keepsake.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

the picnic

I just wanted to say I had fun at the picnic , although I did not get to meet too many of you it is great that there was a nice turn out, As Kate mentioned I would like to have a get together at the Etz mansion in late summer early fall and get to meet all of you and hear the sled riding stories, everyone who finds out which house I have says the same thing "I used to sled ride down your hill! "

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Old postcards of Woodsdale/Woodlawn and the Etz house





The first picture shows the house where we all used to sledride in the front yard/hill. The next picture is Poplar Ave with the Spillers house first on the right. The next is Maple Avenue with Kim Butler's house first on the right.