I "POast" about my life ... 1974-1975 Senior

I can only say that Girls camp is the Best Inspiration in the World.
Cindy Bingham, Tami Pugh, Charlotte Payne, Marlene Reidhead, Kimberly, Chris Willams (I think! I did this from memory)  PEOPLE!  Label your pictures!!! I guess now it's referred to as tagging and dang what will happen with all the digital pictures and selfies of the world today (2014)!!!!  "I was these girls' JC, nothing makes me happier than being at camp with my friends".  I can testify that the Young Woman and Girls Camp programs are my foundation for spiritual testimony building experiences.  "I know that in the trees and the nature in Gods creation I feel the spirit more and that all of us need the friends we find there".

Movies of the Year -- Other Side of the Mountain, 

One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest and Rhinestone Cowboy - (wow! really?)

Maybe in addition to shows already mentioned I would add;

TV  --  Saturday Night Live, Six Million Dollar Man, Welcome Back Kotter and Johnny Carson

Music  --  Captain and Tennille, Carpenters, Eagles, America, BeeGees, Kris Kristofferson, The Beatles, and still lovin' Cher, Elvis is still King!!!

(Looks like my music is toning down a LOT!)

1974 -1975

Mesa High JackRabbits  Carry On!

JA, Sissy, Sis, Pregers on the beach in Rocky Point as I record it "she is HAPPY and SAD at the same time. Seems l like that Jorge guy doesn't want to marry her, he doesn't have a job or even want one it sounds like, he still lives at home with his Mother! I think all he does is sing and boy can he do that, I love to listen even though I don't know what he is sayin!  I don't think she is happy about his life and for once has found a situation that she can't seem to control. But I do know, I can see it in her eyes - she wants the baby, I think it will make everything ok! She loves it down there in Rocky Point. She especially likes her job. Daddy isn't too happy about any of it, not the pregnancy, the job or the Mexicans!"  But I continue "Mom and Daddy seem to still love her and Timmy thinks it's hilarious (I don't think he really does), but he tends to make all uncomfortable situations funny just to get thru them I think. Mother has just engrossed herself into her job and her calling, non of us kids are where she thinks we should be at this point. What a disappointment we all are to her. But God Bless her she still is there being our mom and showing unconditional love."

Matthew Philip Ren
born a couple weeks late and kinda gray!
Iris went down to stay with Sis before the birth and ended
up sown there for about 4 weeks.  He was sick and they needed him to be in the states at a hospital so "me and Terry drove down to Rocky Point at a moments notice because Mom had to work and picked up Sis and Matthew and brought them back to Mesa.  I wanted to show Terry Pocky Point but when we got there is was dark and cold we couldn't see anything, I was super disappointed. Sis and Matthew say in the back sit like worn out rags all the way home, silence. She was exhausted and she seemed scared, weird for me to see my Big Sis be scared. Dang that baby is so small and he has lots of black hair I love him already. I hope and PRAY he is going to be ok."
"Sis took Matthew to the Doctor they put him directly into the Hospital and today they flew him in a helicopter from Luthern in Mesa to Good Sam in Phoenix - he has 5 holes in his heart. Mike O'loughlin - a friend of Sissy's gave him a blessing. Man am I praying now. he's got to be ok."

My Mother wrote this poem to me on Mothers Day, I was 18 and just getting ready to graduate...

A mother you aren't as yet my dear, But the promise has been made to you

A "Queen" in your home you'll someday be, If to the Lords word you are true.

Wonderous blessings and keenest joys of Motherhood you will one day feel

If the road you choose to follow leads to purest love and the celestial seal.

May God grant you peace and serenity as a long the path you sing and dance --

Be not discouraged, nor dismayed at ever the darkest circumstance.

Smile and be happy - my freckled face, You've a very special life to live.

Do your duties cheerfully and always talents share as useful service give.

Lift up your eyes and look ahead see that Queen upon her throne,

With this mate who can take you to the Temple and claim you as his own.

the Temple is beautiful I WILL be married there someday

Went to the Stake Center to the Dedication

Once upon a time I lost my dad. I thought God was out to get me, that he hated me that he took away from me the Daddy I'd finally gotten better acquainted with after all those long years of not having him around, not knowing if he loved me or not. It must have been Gods way of punishing me - he was a real jerk!  I remember telling my mother all of this in a little small mud house we lived in on McDonald St! I remember her crying and begging me to get it together. I was working nights, I made bad choices. I took off my covenants so to speak. To what? Hurt God back? The result and consequence of that one choice has been everlasting.

What consumes your mind controls your life.

I want to be a woman of substance, power change. I am scared fearful.

I had the thought yesterday that it is ingrained in me my Dads lack of faith in me. He didn't want me around to protect me to not let me have that evil cowboy influence. Yet I went to school everyday!!!

He was the most honest, fun, Best thing that ever happened to me in High School.  I learned the most about what I REALLY wanted out of life and the future while dating him and hanging out with he and his family.  Enough said.

Kelly McCoy

First Hour

Sociology

Feb 1975

When I was a baby girl

I loved to be cuddled and
loved

I was even meant to be a boy too

But Surprise! it's a Girls -- Kelly Sue!!

I've always liked people - ALL!

I told my sister when I was Four...

"Strangers are just friends we haven't met yet."

I'll always need people too, I bet!

I love to talk, dance, and visit.

My temper can flare at small things.

It's very difficult at times for me.

to control my moods; often I feel - "WOOPPEE!"

I like to be the leader

I like to feel looked up to and true.

Thou at times I have no self confidence.

I care and like to let me shine thru!

Teacher comment; This is neat!  A+

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJg-kECOj5g

This year of school was pretty good in comparison to the others. I started to date Terry off and on.  He told me that Ricky was selling pot at Youth conference, way back when I was dating him and thought that he was being a "good mormon"! I had NO IDEA. He has always been a good friend, a stand up guy.
By 2nd semester we were dating pretty steady. I like school better than the last 2 years.  I am loving dance and everything that goes with  it.  My teacher Mrs Albrighton takes me to her class at ASU and uses me for her examples and assignments in her college classes.  I love love love it.  I tried out for cheer for BBall and made it, but then realized games are on Mutual nights and I need to make choices right now that keep me on the right path, going to mutual is one of those good choices for me, so I didn't do it.  I really liked all my classes my top ones being; Government, Free enterprise, Home Ec and Dance - of course Dance being my favorite.  Saturday night dances are a favorite, a dance card is required.  I love seminary I go every day and I love the film strip story about Tom Trails.  The music that goes with this series, still to this day plays in my head!  So grateful for great teachers; Brother Jeff Swanson, Brother Todd Parker and Brother Charles Beckert !!  

"I do have a testimony that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been restored and that Joseph Smith is a prophet. I know that angels watch after me and that Heavenly Father loves me. I am grateful this year to study the scriptures".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv_FrwMZJqM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJg-kECOj5g

After Graduation I went on the Class senior trip Jane and I had a blast hanging out together, I was very grateful for her, she's a good person and a wonderful steady non judgmental friend.  After that I was invited to go with the Willis Family on a trip to Salt Lake City -"Jan took me shopping and bought me a blouse, shoes and a purse. Downtown SLC is awesome and we shopped in all the fine stores. Went to the Temple grounds. It's so peaceful. I sat in the room with the blue sky and Jesus for an hour I really need to get my act together."  I stayed for a summer Dance class at BYU. My journal seems to be worried about money and annoyed by the "Rulz at BYU" and "even this far away from home I ran into Mesa mormon girls today Loretta Huffaker, Dawn Adair, Becky Miller Anna Adams and Tracy Kanaga."  I am staying in DT U building.  

me and sis Summer 1975
..."all I want is for my siblings to accept and include me with them and all their fun stories and lives".

Enters Young Single Adults....

Ricky dropped out of High School first semsester and went into the Army.
In the summer of 1975 he returned... home on leave.

Hanging out with Janeece so much - I met her Brother Blaine...  

we went to lots of car shows, Dirt Bike races and road rallies and even a trip to California!

We cruised not only Main St in mesa now but we went over to Phoenix too!

In Sept I start school at MCC...Super fun, I tried out for and made the Dance Team, I loved the classes, Practicing and the trips - even if it was with the Band!  We went to San Diego for a Competition Show - I was very impressed with myself being involved with all of this!  I really liked all my classes, but especially Sociology.  I was enrolled in an Institute class and I was always going to my YSA activities.  

And so goes 1975.

I POaST about my life ... FRIENDS ... 1973 - 1975

 Friends are angels that lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly...

Susan Draper
The summer before 10th grade Susan and I hung out at camp. She is a doll. 3 years older and 2 years ahead of me in school. She collected Frogs, kinda drove us all nuts!  She had the funniest giggle and full of life. We were together all the time that year - every where one went the other was sure to follow.  1976 we went to BYU together it was a blast.  We moved into a apartment complex as soon as we got there we found out it was girls only and we packed up and moved out just that fast!!! We went to Roman Gardens to live and so goes my college years.  But not hers, we hadn't been there a whole semester, I don't think and Lyle Harper showed up and enticed her back to Arizona they got married the next semester - March of 1977.  I was at BYU but Glenn drove me down and was able to stand with her as they took their vows! It was a great day.  I was and am so happy for both of them, both of them good friends of a life time.

Gaylun Smith and Danny Bang were best friends. I'm sure Hanging with Susan and Kristine had something to do with me also attempting to get to know these boys better!  I wrote him a note once told him "your in good hands" thinking he was going to like Susan and they (Danny and Susan and the like)  called him ALL STATE for awhile after that - I was so embarrassed!  Gaylun asked me to go to prom I was only 15, at first mom told me I could go and then she reconsidered and said I couldn't go.  When I told him at the last min he was pretty mad and that was the end of that!

Ricky Hamilton his grandmother ran the trailer park
 we all played together he was a fun kid.  We used to have rock bands together.  His grandma taught me how to write a check.  Mom would send me to pay the rent I didn't know how, Ruby Ratliff taught we.

Jackie Cook went school with us 9th and half of 10th grade
She was super fun and very nice,
She is Janes Cousin and we all got along very well.

I don't have a picture of Mark Carpenter but I had a talk with him that always and still sticks with me.  We talked about the gospel a few times.  We both "wanted" to be good, to go to church to "choose the right".  But doing that was a hard choice for both of us.  One day he said to me (from my journal I write); "It's like this Kel I'm young I'm in High School I am just going to choose to do what I want for now and be Jo Smith latter in life when it's time to go on a mission or something".  I myself KellySue I don't what to think of life like this, it seems willful and like you could get yourself into lots of trouble saying that right up front. At lest I don't want to be bad I just can't help myself. I need to just make better choices, make my mind up before the bad stuff happens. I'm going to try harder to keep myself out of trouble."

Jane Hatchcock went to church with me and school. I have mentioned her often.  I loved going to her house. Except the cats - she always had cats and new kittens!
She didn't get in my way and I didn't get in hers.
(I laugh at these journal entry comments describing my friends back then!)
We were very close and got along very well. On our senior trip to Disney Land we were together all the time, we had a blast!!!  I loved her ...especially in the 9th grade, her support and leadership skills were always an example to me, always.

Kristine Lewis she lived in my ward.  She and Susan were best friends, somehow I got to hang out with them upon entering High School.  I admired and wanted to be with that older group in my ward REAL bad. She worked at the Drive-Inn, we used to always go to see her - she was a great girl friend.  Her Dad, George Lewis worked with my mom! Her step mom was kinda - weird! Kristine got married Oct 24, 1975 I was happy to be one of her bridesmaids Susan was her maid of honor.

Bobby and I were always great friends. He and I were in the same ward for as long as I can remember.  He was always a good and honest friend to me. We went to grade school, Jr. High and High School together. He wasn't terribly active as far as church stuff goes though in our High School years he started coming to church. Which we all thought that was fantastic.  I don't know why, but we always understood each other.  We had some of the same kind of experiences in life that we shared with each other and we had some good talks about life.

Urlene next door neighbors for more than a life time.  We always told people we were sisters and when we were mad and denied it nobody believed us! We really were the best of friends. I always thought that something happened when she started dateing Ray and I started dating Terry that made her mad at me.  She went to Farmington and I moved away too.  When she met and married Mike I came home from California to be at her wedding, I can't say that I wasn't sad and disappointed to not stand up with her to be married, but I was really grateful to get off work and be there to see her get married.  She is beautiful people.

 

 the Saturday before Terry left we all went shooting out in the desert and of course Terry wore his only BLACK SHIRT!  When he left I went to the airport and saw him off I cried all the way home and "I layed in bed today and cried all day, Judyann and mom just shake their heads at me, but I'm hurting. What will I do without him here by my side?"  Little did I know or understand about attachment disorders or about being co-dependent.  I did really fall apart in my teenage world, it was the beginning of a long downward fall for me.

At church the next sunday I wrote in my journal "I just burst out into tears at church today the Sacrament hymn was "There is a GREEN hill FAR AWAY and I just started to fall apart."

OH MAN!  I had sent out a missionary and it was my intention to totally wait 2 years for him to come home to me.

 I became very close to Terry's family especially loved his sisters, I took Julie and Janeece took April and we went to the State Fair.  I also took Julie to school with me for a "home Ec class required I bring someone to cook for so today I took Julie I just love her so much she is a great kid she was so good today..."

From the MTC Terry wrote often

In 1974 I was called to be the Laurel class president. (I know you are wondering WHAT!?)  anyway... I wanted to do this right, I wanted to feel the spirit and make good choices.  I actually prayed about who to serve with me. One day at church I had been fasting to make a correct decision something just warm and lifting hit me all of a sudden to get up and move and lead me to Janeece. She was asked and accepted. She and I didn't know how to work with each other at first, but then quickly we became good friends and worked well together. We had some same issues with boys, she dated Lynn and I Ricky. In June when I went to Utah she went to California then we got back at the same time.  We had a great summer. We went to camp together and Lynn and Ricky came to camp and snuck us out (I had Kitchen duty the rest of the week!).    We went to Rocky Point and main street and did some crazy stuff.  We even had a couple of spiritual experiences together. Once when we went to Rocky Point, Sis took us to the Villa Granda and we danced and had a lot of fun ... they loved my skinny tan blonde friend!!!   First semester at college we took all the same classes except for Dance. We went to California a couple of times together with friends. When she got a job at Guggys that cut down our going out and stirring up trouble in town time. I worked in the day and now she worked at night. Her mother didn't like me, nor think I was good for her daughter. But any problems either of us had we had before we met and we only tried to help each other - I loved her as a friend and a sister.

Renee Natalie and Bev

 Renee is Terrys sister and I love her with all my heart. All of it, I do still to this day.  Back in the day We could have some REAL, and some serious, FUN, and good times and talks.  I tried to share my life experiences with her back then. She ended up being a better daughter to mom than me. Life is funny.