A Trip to Topeka

This past weekend (October 21-23) LaDonna and I took a trip to Topeka. It was a chance to get away yet stay close enough and not spend a lot of time and money on travel. So many times there are places/things of interest in the area that we tend to overlook. Several years (many?) ago we spent 4-5 days of vacation in Kansas City with the kids. We stayed at a motel within ten miles of our house that had a pool and visited sites in the KC area such as Fort Osage and the Truman Library. Before taking our current three day get away we looked at going to Leavenworth, KS, St. Joseph, MO or Topeka, all within an hours drive.
We got to Topeka thursday evening and took a scenic day trip to Wamego, KS on Friday. Wamego is about 40 miles west of Topeka on highway 24 which happens to follow the Kansas river. It was a beautiful fall day, the colors and the Flint Hill region giving lots to look at. We passed through several small towns along the way; Silver Lake and St. Mary's which had a college with several stone buildings that one time had been an Indian mission. The purpose of our trip to Wamego was to visit the "Wizard of Oz" museum. When asking the museum host why Wamego for an Oz museum, she replied that someone in town gave a large collection of memoribilia and since no specific town in Kansas is mentioned as Dorothy's home, any town in the state could be "no place like home". Of course there were lots of movie exhibits as well as displays based on the original book, spin-offs and sequels. Next to the museum was an eatery called "Toto's Taco's" and a sewing shop called "The Wicked Stitch".

After our visit to the museum we ate a picnic lunch in the town park. The park was home to a dutch windmill moved from a farm originally built in the late 1800's outside of town. Wamego was a small town and as such had its own unique personality. Not sure we discovered it but it was fun looking at the attractions mentioned as well as several old historic homes.

Saturday found us in Topeka looking at "The Great Overland Train Station Museum" and the "Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site". Both contained exhibits and pictures to be read. The Train museum had a unique fountain and plaza outside as well as history of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad (ATSF). With Topeka as headquarters of the Railroad their historys have much in common. The Brown v.Board of Education site had a lot of pictures and videos giving history of desegragation in the United States. Lots to read and look at so we rested some in the afternoon before heading to see a movie "Moneyball". It fit well with watching the World Series game that night in our motel.

Finally on Sunday we took opportunity to walk around the state capitol building. There was work being done on the outside of the building and of course the inside was closed. Around the capitol people were setting up booths, signs, etc. for "Race for the Cure" that would take place in the afternoon. Before leaving Topeka we headed for Gage park. The park houses the Zoo, a small train, a Carousel and a Rose Garden as well as usual sports and picnic facilites. LaDonna had a great time taking pictures in the rose garden and yes, we rode the carousel. It was another beautiful fall day and great to be outdoors. It was fun to get away and enjoy exploring new places and just like the story says........"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore" (fooled you didn't I?) -30-

Dad's Home Cooking

The picture is from 1957, outside of our house on Della Street in Springfield, MO. The back door leads into the kitchen. Of course my Dad spent time in the kitchen. Sometimes he would even cook. It wasn't something he did on a regular basis but he did have some "favorite" recipes he would cook from time to time. Some that I remember and want to share with you include - beef stroganoff, clam chowder and chili. He would also whip up a batch of scrambled eggs from time to time as well. He probably cooked other things but these are ones I remember.
For Beef stroganoff Dad would slice strips of beef, brown them in the skillet with some flour and butter. He would add this to a pot (this was before crock pots were famous) along with noodles, sour cream and mushrooms. He would allow this to simmer for a while on the stove. He would use the wide egg noodles and it seems like he may have used home made noodles. I'm not sure of the amounts, time cooked, etc. I mainly remember that it tasted good.
Another of his recipes was Clam Chowder. This was mainly a winter time meal. Dad would mix a can of whole clams with milk, butter, seasoning and let it simmer for a while. This was always served with oyster crackers. Chili was another dish that Dad would fix, but it didn't usually attract as much attention.
It seemed that most of Dad's cooking took place on Saturdays or Sundays, usually the evening meal. I remember one particular dish that Dad fixed on a Saturday evening when we lived in Riverton, Illinois. Dad was doing some grocery shopping one Saturday afternoon and I happened to be with him. The meat case/counter was in back of the store and Dad spotted some pork? beef? brains and got in a discussion with the meat clerk about them. As the clerk wrapped them up I remember saying something like, Yuk! I'll never eat those things. That evening for supper we had scrambled eggs as the "main" course. Knowing that Dad had fixed the eggs I commented, Gee, these eggs are pretty good. Dad replied, got those brains in them.
Because of that meal I have a lot of extra memory. (OH please!) Okay, but I do have memories of Dad cooking and from time to time have tried to duplicate some of his recipes. Just like my Dad, most of my cooking is done by the seat of my pants; add a little this, try that, see if it works, can't hurt, if it's not good I won't make it again, if it is good I'll probably never be able to duplicate it.
Some of my favorite recipes include those that Dad made (except the brains) along with Pork Steak (Brandy's fav) Toll House Pie (family fav) and Pecan Pie (my fav). Whenever you come to visit you might get something I make, but you'll never get any brains. -30-

Feed the Birds OR For the Birds?

In the movie "Mary Poppins" Jane and Michael have a desire to feed the birds. Their desire is fueled with a song by Mary Poppins who tells of a bird women in the town square feeding the birds and selling bags of popped corn for "tuppence a bag". Michael's desire to use his two pence to feed the birds creates a stir within London's banking establishment. So, why do we feed the birds? Why are we attracted to such a simple thing like this? Allow me to share some of my "bird brain" thoughts on the subject.
When I was growing up there were Sundays we would go to one of the parks in Springfield, Illinois and feed the ducks. Our feed was usually a bag of dry, moldy bread we might have in the house. Great fun then and with our kids while they were growing up. Simple, cheap entertainment. Bird seed was too expensive.

Hummingbirds are fascinating to watch. They are so small, move their wings so fast, yet can hover to take nectar from a flower or a liquid feeder. Our Pastors wife, Nell Anderson from Lebanon, MO, would hang a feeder outside her cabin's kitchen window in Colorado. It made the birds easier to see. My Mom did the same thing at her home on Planeview Drive in Lebanon.
GM and GP Brown had a bird feeder that hung from a tree outside of their kitchen window on Lincoln Street in Jefferson City. Mrs. Brown always had a camera handy at the table waiting for that perfect moment to take a picture. Today GP Brown has several feeders outside the back deck at his home on Nelson Drive.

So, why do we feed the birds? They fascinate us with their movement, their colors, cheap entertainment. Our bird feeder hangs on the back porch outside of our kitchen window. It's always fascinating to watch them when working at the kitchen sink. We have a small book on the counter to look up any new birds that we see. Most of our birdfeed visitors are cardinals, bluejays, sparrows, some woodpeckers, juncos, finches, grackles, etc. One unusual bird visitor was a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. It was only around for a few weeks during its migration from Central/South America.

Once when I was sitting on our back deck enjoying a cup of coffee and newspaper I could hear the crack of sunflower seeds as a Cardinal was visiting the feeder. Obviously I remained very still. So, why do we feed the birds?
Maybe we feed the birds because it's something so simple. It reminds us how birds, as free and unencumbered as they are, survive. "Consider the ravens: they do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!" (Luke 12:24) Is that why we feed the birds, because it reminds us of Gods love?
When I was growing up, my Mom (Grandma Rita) would tell me, feed the birds in winter and they'll come back to sing for you in the spring. -30-

TRAINS- All Aboard!

Those of you who read this blog on a regular basis know that I am a FOMR. (Fan of Model Railroading) That is one term that designates those who enjoy the hobby of model railroading. Why a blog now about trains at Christmas? First of all some familys have the tradition of placing a train around the base of their Christmas tree. Secondly, many model trains are given and received as presents at Christmas.

Let me introduce you to my cousin, Larry Don Ristine. In this picture he is age 10 and is about 7-8 years older than I. When I was a child of age 3-4 he was one of my first "heros". He had an electric Lionel model passenger train set. He also had red hair and lots of freckles. It was one of my desires to grow up and have as many freckles as Larry Don. When going to his house he would sometimes pull the train out from under the bed, set it up and run it around the track. If our visit was short he might just pull out some of the cars for me to look at. As a side note, his mother is my Aunt Virginia, Dad's oldest sister.






In the 2nd picture you see my Dad putting together my first train set. It was a battery operated lightweight metal train. It ran on a track and had a few cardboard buildings that Dad put together. You can see in the picture how excited I am.
Several years later I received an O scale model train when we lived in Hutchinson, Kansas. It was an electric train and I remember one car that had a giraffe in it that would "bob" down when it passed under something that dangled above it. Mom reminds me that it was kept on a piece of plywood under a bed and could be pulled out to play with.

When my son Matthew was about 10 years old he received an HO scale model train set for Christmas that he let me "play with". At first we set it up on a 4'x 8' piece of plywood on a counter in our family room. Eventually it was set on a table in the basement and operational expansion continued from that point.......yadda, yadda, yadda, etc.
In 2008 our family took a trip to New Mexico. One of the highlights was a trip on the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad. Everyone enjoyed the trip, especially Julia, JC and Jetta when the train blew its whistle. More family memories involving trains could be shared but that's not the purpose of this entry.






The last picture is of my current layout. It's not finished but rather a work in progress. Grandkids and other family visitors are invited for a trip to the basement to see the latest additions. Sometimes the train will deliver cookies or other treats. Maybe that's why people love trains. Merry Christmas to all. -30-

Thanksgiving Traditions

They say if you do something special one time, well that's nice. But if you do something special more than one year in a row it becomes a tradition. Obviously in the Campbell family a big Thanksgiving dinner is tradition. However, there are other activities around this time of the year that have become somewhat of a tradition. Some have lasted a few years only to fade out and be replaced by new traditions. I can't say that in growing up I remember any special family traditions. When our family lived in the Springfield/Lebanon area many Thanksgiving meals were shared on the farm in Strafford. Certainly they were huge meals and many of the family was gathered together. However, huge meals and family gatherings took place throughout the year as well.
When we lived away from Missouri I remember Mom/Grandma Rita fixing a turkey. Seems like she was always up all night cooking it. It may have had something to do with the size of the bird. It seems like pecan and pumpkin pies were a tradition with pecan pies winning out (at least to me)
Since your Mom and I have been married I can think of several traditions that our family has had over the years. One tradition was going to see our family Christmas movie on the friday or saturday after thanksgiving. Some of the movies we have seen include; "The Little Mermaid", "Beauty and the Beast", "Earnest Saves Christmas" and "Toy Story". As the kids have grown that tradition has somewhat faded with attempts made to rekindle the tradition. For a few years the weekend after thanksgiving began our Pageant season at FBC Raytown. Part of Pageant Prep was the first big rehearsal on sunday afternoon preceded by an Orchestra chili supper at our house.
Speaking of chili, how about some of our family food traditions at thanksgiving. Pecan and Toll House pies would certainly top my list - I bake them. Banana pudding is a tradition from Grandma Brown. We all keep that going but I know Susan has "taken" it to Atlanta and had plenty of practice. Brandy has taken it upon herself to acquaint us with "Brandy's bodacious bon-bons". We'll keep that one too. As part of a college class project Jennifer had to cook the thanksgiving turkey. We were not disappointed. I don't think Andrew is disappointed with any thanksgivng dish as long as there is ketchup around.
There is one "Thanksgiving story" that I remember my Dad telling. All of the Campbell family was at the farm for Thanksgving dinner. After dinner Dad and the other men decided to go hunting. Between all of them they only had one rifle. So they agreed that the one with the rifle would go to the bottom of the hill and the other men would start at the top of the hill "flushing" out any rabbits or other game toward the bottom of the hill. The hunt began only to end when one of the men, trying to scare out some game, killed a rabbit with a rock. The hunt ended with lots of laughter and a good story to tell and remember. Isn't that what traditions help us do? Remember the past and thank God for our blessings over a table of good food and good company. -30-

LETTERS

Several weeks ago my Aunt Veda loaned me her copy of the Wright County Historical Book. It contains family articles, pictures and historical information about Wright county. Very informative and interesting but inside the pages I found a letter that my Mom had written to Grandpa/Grandma Bear and Aunt Betty's family in December 1961. At that time we had recently moved to Springfield, Illinois from Hutchinson, Kansas. Mom tells about the house we lived in, getting settled, the weather, and family matters. There is nothing of real historical value but it does give some insight to the daily lives of the Campbell family at that time. I didn't realize we had no TV at that time.
Several times in this blog post I have quoted from letters that Mom saved or wrote to family members. Finding this latest letter written by Mom reminded me that letter writing is becoming a lost art. Think about it. How many letters have you received in the mailbox the last few weeks? I'm guessing not very many. Today it is much simpler to call on the cell phone, tweet, twitter, face book, e-mail, etc. Those are all very convenient I suppose but in my opinion have very little historical value. We may save our electronic correspondence but how accessible will it be in 25, 40, 50 years? Some time ago I read the book "Truman" by David McCullough. Somewhere in the book it was mentioned that President Truman was in office at the peak time of written correspondence. Family letters written by Truman gave insight to his personality as well as family doings. Memos gave information about decisions made. After his term in office much of the Presidential correspondence began to be replaced by newer, electronic, less accesible media.
So, what does this have to do with anything? As trivial and ho-hum as it may seem there is a value in letters. Right now it may not seem like much, but letters I send to my family will tell my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren a little bit of what life was like, "back in the olden days". Writing about weather, going to ballgames, yardwork, etc. may get boring but somewhere in all of that there may be a spark of information that tells a little bit about who I am. I know I treasure letters, poems, etc. I find written by my Mom or Dad.



I've included in this blog some envelopes/stamps/postmarks from some old envelopes I have. My Grandma Bear gave me her stamp collection when getting rid of some of her things. She had received a lot of her collection from Dr. J.M. Brooks. The postcard is an advertisement he received from a medical company. Dr. Brooks is of no personal importance to me but it does show a little bit of what life was like in the late 1800's and early 1900's.



The special delivery envelope did not contain the letter, but it does show some interesting information.
If you are not into letter writing, let me at least encourage you to save letters that you receive. Many years from now they will remind you of friends, family, things you did and maybe bring a smile to your face or kindle treasured memories. -30-

September 22, 1951

Not many people who read this blog were around on September 22, 1951. I know I certainly was not. However, it is an important date in Campbell family history. You guessed it. It was the day Rita Yvonne Bear married James Glenn Campbell. There is not a whole lot I can say so I'll let these few pictures do the talking.

The first picture is the newspaper wedding announcement. In case the article is not clear...."Mr. and Mrs. F.E. Bear, 903 West Turner, announce the engagement of their daughter, Rita Yvonne, to James G. Campbell, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter B. Campbell of Strafford. The bride-elect is a graduate of Senior High and Mr. Campbell attended Poteau, Okla., Junior College and SMS. Tentative wedding plans are for September."

This next picture is from the Wedding reception which was held at the home of Grandpa and Grandma Bear, 903 W. Turner. Note the writing around the edge of the picture. I'm guessing Mom wrote it. I'm sorry to say I don't know where the wedding was held. My guess would be at Woodland Heights Presbyterian Church. I should really ask Aunt Betty, Aunt Veda or someone else who was there. I don't remember seeing any pictures of the wedding itself. I do remember seeing a picture of a wedding shower (?) that showed a humpty-dumpty cookie jar with salt and pepper shakers. I can remember getting many cookies out of that jar while I was growing up. Mom gave that set to me several years ago and it is a much treasured family heirloom.




Some people who attended the wedding/reception are shown in this last picture. The original picture shows four people but I only included three here. The woman on the right is Grandma Campbell and the woman on the left is Aunt Colean (uncle Don's wife/Mike's mom) I don't know the woman in the middle, but she was someone who took time to be at this special ocassion.

There are many special dates in our family that give us opportunity to remember those we love, those that have "gone before us" and those we never had ocassion to meet. We mark our lives and family history by those dates. As years go by those dates become less and less important, but the memories of the people they represent never do. Take a few moments to remember special dates and those special people. -30-