I "POaST" about my life ... 1971 - 1972 9th Grade

POWELL JUNIOR HIGH

At the beginning of the 9th grade I was the bomb! I thought being the top of the grade chain was the best.  I was in Swing Choir, I loved school, my teachers, and even the dreaded SEMINARY!  Since our school was brand new we didn't have a seminary building yet so we walked to the Alma School Rd. Church Building. But it was all good.  I loved going there, this was a way for our whole stake of youth to actually merge together find common ground.  And then it happened.  I got Mono.  I don't know how, when where or why.  All I know is we were sitting at the Whataburger and I mentioned that my throat hurt and my glands were swollen. Next thing I know I am in the doctors office and he is telling me I have mono and asking who I've been kissing lately!  I was horrified.  It was like Marcus Welby MD and any moment I was going to have to hand over a list of people I'd been kissing, (if indeed I had been kissing anyone)!!! The Doctor prescribed... Bed rest for 2 weeks and penicillin.  At the end of the week I tried to go back to school afterall I was at the top of my game - I needed to get back there.  The penicillin has made me break out in GIANT RED BLOTCHES all over my pasty white skin, I was so embarrassed, teased and laughed at as I went around to my classes getting homework assignments and to my locker to get my books, because of that I was horrified and retreated quickly back home to my roll away couch!  I got sicker instead of better.  I ended up with bad case of mono and too, a deep hard to breathe case of pleurisy! I was out of school for 3 months.  Urlene brought me home my assignments.  I laid on our roll out coach, home alone, weak, and puny for months.  I did school from home. In late nov when I returned we still had to walk to the church, I couldn't do it, I was still too weak.  My mom happened to work right up the street so she would come and drive me to the  church and everyone would jump on the car and tag along, it was the only thing that made this terribly depressing turn of events livable.  The fact that others thought it was fun to get a ride to seminary.

Nancee

me

Friends shift again Dale Childers, Sherman Davis, Charlie, Kevin, Jane, Debbie and Sheila of course no Sandy or Nancee they are back at Mesa Jr... This year Nancee and her family were in a car wreck and her little sister Lauree died it was really really hard on her.  She got a concussion and now has a metal plate in her head.  She could have died too. It was a hard dark time for her.  
Urlene is coming and going her mom ... it's all very hard on us. Our moms are sick alot!  
The teachers are very cool this year. The Drama teacher I really liked her, Mrs. Carlson. I really like drama the lights especially. I got to work the technical side of the plays this year.  I love Mrs. Garrett - Choir!  I note in my diary that Mr. Thompson (the shop teacher) is out-a-sight!  
I'm always busy with Mutual. But a bit rebellious. For instance it is a given that you don't wear pants, and at times I do!  Also For ward dances I like to do the music. If I play songs that are not appropriate when it's coming to that part I DJ with "SNOWBALL" and start the song again! I think I'm so much smarter than the adults about these things like I think I'm getting away with something.

9th grade

A high light of this year would be going to Teen-Elect! No one from Mesa Jr. attended? Weird because it's me stake.  It was so great. We learned manners at the table and how to dance proper! I enjoyed it so much and loved seeing everyone and dancing.  Of course you know me any time I can dance life is groovy throw in some boys and food - I'm happy as can be!!  I really love going to mutual, to church even. I pay my tithing from working at WIllis Linen and Babysitting and I participate in all the extra circulars. I love girls camp, Dance Festival, Speech Festivals, firesides, you name it I love how I feel when I am there.

speaking of seminary... Brother Randall was our 9th grade teacher. Poor Brother Randall. I'm sorry. I have to say first, WOW!   Debbie and I gave that man a run for his first year of teaching. I think maybe he even quit after the first year I'm sure we were to blame. Again I'm sorry.  

• One time he called Debbies mom - I'm sure to tell her that we were acting out. The next day Debbie shook hands with him and told him she was gonna tell her Dad that he was calling her mom and acting so alarmed that he would "come on" to her mother. HE was horrified, his face turned white I'll never forget the look on his face or the laugh of Debbie Harper.  WOW!  
• Another time we went into class - he always met us and shook hands with us.  I then went behind the door he called roll I said here. But the whole time I was behind the door.  I was eating an orange and throwing the peelings out into the class. I could hear the kids laughing but Brother Randall just kept on teaching. Afterward Deb told me he just kept looking around to see where I was and never did figure it out. I shook hands with him on the way out he looked so confused. (all of this of course is My perspective I wonder what he was really doing or thinking of me).
• When we got into our new building the building had the coolest sliding chalkboards. I went in before class and wrote bad words on the hidden part of the chalk board and when he slide it over to write on it ... BAM! the class roared.

From Moms Notes; It has been an eventful year-- with heartaches a plenty at Mothers Death and that of several very dear friends and the seperation of Timmy and his family.  Timmy finished a course in Motel Management and will begin doing so after the holidays. Until then he is working with Tim at the stable. Tom is making money shoing horses. He works nights at the butter factory and rodeos on the weekends. Judyann awarded a CPS certification -- we are proud of her. She is secretary for Comptroller of ASU she spends her weekends in Rocky Point. 

I'm sure that their are more stories but you get the drift, I was awful and must have needed attention, but I did like to make my friends laugh.

Grandma Gladys and Grandpa Lyman

Aunt Sarah Mom Aunt Audruff and Uncle Otis  they came to visit and to shop for Birds!

Judyann and I in our Maxi dresses!

Daddy bought a new horse trailer and moved his Riding Stable business

This year we bought another new Riding Stable, now we've gone from 48th street and McDowell in Phoenix to Hardy Dr between Broadway and University and now 618 W. 1st Street in Tempe.  I spend alot more time at the stables now I seem to be the cleaning help and the clean the stalls girl.  I really like being over there I just want to feel like I belong somewhere.  Sometimes Timmy is over helping Daddy, he lives in the little silver trailer now I don't know why? I'm kinda afraid of him yet at the same time he is hilarious and really fun to be around. A few times he took me to school and would let me drive down 8th ave! 

MEDIA:

THE WORLD:  these are The years of;  Go Ask Alice, Billy Jack, Godfather and Dirty Harry!

The Sonny and Cher Show was a regular I loved watching them.

I was raised on Jim Reeves, Merle Haggard, Marty Robbins people like that and then things started to change with the war. The Doors, Iron Butterfly, CCR, TheBand, Black Sabbath, and Edwin Starr actually singing WAR! My music world has turned upside down.

Three dog Night, Rolling Stones, Temptations, James Taylor, Carol King, Donnie and Marie

In 1972 Deep Purple, and Neil Young.

1971 New Years Eve Dance  (not very flattering but I thought I was Far Out I'm sure)!!

a poem from school about Girls camp summer before the 9th grade

Camp in the Summer of '71

Good ole camp LO-MIA! Enchantment arose when May ended and I could return to the many moods of this great place, including love, madness, learning and talk of THE boy!

WHAT A JOY!

Friday night brought excitement to our adie when beans were Served and sickness occurred. Debbie need aid - "Help, Help!" she cried! Sandy Turned to see and fell off the top bunk.

WHAT A THUNK!

Sunday is always a beautiful day at camp, with worship in the morning in our out side grove. The logs on which we sit are not always so comfy, but the spirit is jus great!

WHAT A TRAIT!

Fireside on Sunday Evening when we all gather together to share our love of the gospel and each other, is where comradeship is shown and we shed many a tear.

WHAT A YEAR!

We always go on hikes - this time we chose to go to the bathtubs. Taking the path up we followed the creek back getting wet and having fun.  Some don't like to get soaked -- Like our Jane!

WHAT A PAIN!

Coming home is so sad! We gather to sing and say goodbyes. As we board the bus for the long ride, I see friends both old and new and think "Oh, I'm glad I'm alive!"

WHAT A DRIVE!

Teacher comment; Good job! Cleaverly done thanks for sharing your experience   B+

I "POaST" about my Life --- 1963 ...

1st grade

Tom, Sis and ME 1963

Mom was sick alot this year.  As she would be as long as I can remember from here on.  She worked many, many hours and we saw Dad on the weekends.  I wonder why we lived like this?

Grandma Gladys and Grandpa Lyman
I always was amazed at her hair!
It touched her butt and she braided it on her head in a circle!

Grandma Gladys came to visit.  I really love her.  She is a good good woman.  I am grateful I have a good grandma. Too bad, we don't live closer, she is my only grandparent that I would know.  I am always confused about Grandpa Lyman, seems the older people call him Uncle Albert, but to me he is "Grandpa" and I know him no other way.  He is my Step GrandFather.  He was also married to Grandmas Sister before she died - Mary Ellen Perkins Lyman Sept 28 1882 -May 13 1939

Judyann graduated from Mesa High School, she just didn't really care - mad at "parents" for moving her away from Montrose her Senior year!
She writes home often though and loves her roommates; Janet Crandall, Linda Bang, Genay, Eve Evans.  She is at BYU.  She lives in Heritage Halls.  Her Major is Business Teacher Education and Minor in Accounting. She loves to IceSkate. In one of her letters she asked Mom to send her "a cup", she's at BYU so she "can't say 'coffee cup'"!!!  She writes that "10 of the varsity football players got kicked off the team for getting drunk in Washington DC! Now they'll never win"!!!  School is hard and she really studies hard and works hard at it and "gets B's and C's very very frustrating" for her. I remember she used to say that she would study and work hard for her grades while Timmy didn't study or work hard and he would get A's it was very frustrating to her.   She plays Tennis!???

this is the year kennedy was shot  

I was riding the bus home from school today and I heard them talking on the radio, they were saying that someone shot the President.  It just got silent on my bus, like we just knew it was an awful thing that had happened and they just told us on the radio.

Communication 101

"They" say you learn from your kids!  Well one of mine is writing papers for college that force her to ask questions that make me think  today I enter some of my answers to her...

My father wasnt home much. while my parents were not divorced they lived separately daddy's business (1 on McDowell and 24th st. in Phoenix, 2 on Hardy and Priest and 3 on 1st st in Tempe) was a horse riding stable where he rented out horses for hourly rates ... I did not know we were dysfunctional! I was told he had to protect the investment and so he stayed with the tack, feed and horses. He came home on sat. and Sunday nights to eat, get clean clothes and watch Archie bunker with me! Sometimes during the week he would come home and sometimes I would go stay there on Saturdays especially if mom had to work - anyway up until I was in jr high and had things to go do on Saturdays. His communication was direct stern or sarcastic this is where I learned what I thought was humor!!! His communication was - cussing and yelling, I did fear that more than being whipped from my daddy. It made me feel little, stupid = awful.
and thus we see: physical abuse beats/hurts your body, derogatory language, verbal abuse beats/hurts the soul i think its worse cuz your brain is involved and it tells your brain you are unworthy.

Daddy would create conversation with me around mom about things that bugged her and we would laugh together, she never cracking a smile and not thinking anything said was funny, which made us laugh together even more leaving Mom out!
And thus we see: Sarcasim hurtful and a type and shadow of being a bully. (In writing that down I can realize that that is what Amric and I do to Richard! Guess I better work to change that)

My mom and I had long talks and were best friends. We could talk (when we weren't in a teenage parent argument) about anything. Mom and dad liked to go for drives. When daddy went I was not allowed to talk. But when it was mom and I we would go on forever talking about any and everything.  I do remember though at age 12/13 really bugging her cuz I talked too much.  Urlene and I would get in the car and go on and on about our lives giggling uncontrollably!
And thus we see: moms are great and unselfish letting kids talk about only themselves on and on until all you do is giggle and thats annoying!

Our communication to get me out of bed in the mornings for school from the day I started school was to call me. The phone was all the way across the house and would ring loudly scarying me into awake mode and then I would run across the house to answer the phone to hear mom say "up and at 'em it's time for school"!       Really I knew that! I did not like it too much at all and grew to hate everything about the phone except for if boys called of course!! And note hear I was never ever allowed to call them!  (a lesson I tried to teach my girls but has now been lost because everyone has a phone in there hands!)
and thus we see: face to face communication is the best! and being woke up in the morning by someone in the house is the best and communication is a gift, a talent and is being lost in translation in a high tech world.