Congratulations to Mrs. Louis Stukenholtz, Mrs. Carl Dalton and Dottie Farris on winning the scrip in the final Christmas giveaway sponsored by Nebraska City businesses.
Dottie is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bob Farris. She is a graduate of NCHS and is now a student at the University. Judging by her smile, we think she has plenty of thoughts on what to do with her money.
We stopped in at Gangel's after the drawing and mentioned the scrip drawing to Mrs. Faith Eyman, who was a grand prize winner before.
When News-Press reporter Jerry Wilson told us that Mrs. Dalton was one of the winners, we both thought that was interesting . . . Mrs. Dalton was a former Gangel employe and is now at Gamboni Motors. About that time John Albrecht walked into the Gangel office . . . remember? . . . he won a couple of weeks ago? "Gotta work at Gangel's sooner or later to be a winner," we all agreed.
A boo-boo.
Doreen Straw, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Straw, is not a freshman at the University. She's going to Midland college. Sorry about that, Doreen. Brother, David, is a student at the University.
It was interesting to read in the N-P of the large number of NCHS students who will graduate at mid-term. Superintendent Jim Withee said there are 52 this year and the program appears to be working smoothly.
The 52 graduates may return in the spring to take part in the formal ceremony, but it isn't necessary; they've completed their requirements and for all practical purposes are through with high school.
Commencements at NCHS have improved in ceremony over the years. There are a number of speeches, but they are brief. The ceremony is held at Hayward park which is about as ideal a situation we could ask.
The back-up in case of weather is the high school gym. That's something else with 1,000 or more people packed in the bleachers and robed students on the floor. Usually when the ceremony is moved to the gym it means rainy weather and that means a muggy sticky evening in the gym.
Oh, well, no mind. When you're attending the ceremony for someone close to you, the room comfort doesn't make that much difference. It's the big event of the year and you wouldn't miss it for anything.
Dr. Rodney Koerber went up to three boys who were waiting in his office for shots.
The first boy was reading Popular Mechanics and when asked about his future, he said he wanted to be a mechanic, fix autos and fly airplanes.
The second boy was reading Field and Stream and answered that he wanted to live in the mountains, hunt and fish or be a guide for sportsmen.
The third youngster was reading Playboy and when asked what he wanted to do when he grows up, said: "I dunno . . . I just want to grow up."
Thanks to Jerry and Gen Livingston . . . I must be on the mailing list of The Twins, Inc. of Hialeah, Florida . . . I got another bikini Christmas card. This one is a Bicentennial Beauty Bikini.
Harold Anderson, a graduate of NCHS, former sailor and now a law enforcement officer, is considering a career as a paramedic. Harold is assistant chief of police at Randolph.
He completed the Emergency Medical Technician course during a hitch in the Navy and put it to use the other day in a fatal traffic accident. He gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a victim.
Harold completed a 20-hour EMT course recently and is signed up to start a 400 hour course to be a paramedic. He says if he passes the course and then continues his studies, he will probably move to California where "they need paramedics pretty badly."
Doesn't sound like we have much to worry about when people want to get into a field where their full-time job is taking care of the sick and injured.
Harold will make it if he wants to. We remember a number of years ago when he played as a lineman with the Pioneer football team in a game at Plattsmouth. Somehow Harold got the ball and scooted down a muddy field to score a touchdown for Nebraska City. You don't put down that kind of determination.
The candy recipe.
Did you like the cherry mash candy recipe? Was it ummmmmmm . . . good?
We had some fun with it too. Ray Tanking of Safeway and Norm Stehlik of Norman's IGA, had trouble keeping the cherry chip shelves full to accommodate shoppers.
No . . . I don't make candy . . . or cook . . . or bake . . . and I'm also a poor dish washer.
I just like to eat the goodies.
I don't care for turkey because it has so much white meat and the dark meat has so many "splinters" in it, eating a drumstick is almost like eating catfish.
No matter . . . wherever I go on a holiday dinner, they serve turkey. So I eat it anyway . . . there's always cranberries, you know.
I did make candy one time . . . fudge just to show the Other Half that I could do it. And, she had to admit, it was pretty darn good. That's been about three or four candy thermometers ago.
This year the heating element in the oven went on the blink about the middle of the morning on Christmas. Thanks to good neighbors, the bird was put in the Fred Baker oven and Mrs. B wore a path between homes checking on the roaster.
The New Year.
Our friend, Allan Holmes of Des Moines, one of the Company B guardsmen at Nebraska City who was called during WWI, considers the New Year another step into the great world of living. He says everyone should make a resolution for the New Year.
The advice from a "senior citizen" friend such as Mr. Holmes must be heeded, puns and all.
"What's that pretty looking drink your mixing?" the customer asked.
"It's a Rum Dandy, made with sugar, milk and rum. The sugar gives you pep and the milk give you energy."
"And the rum?" the customer asked.
"It gives you dandy ideas about what to do with all the pep and energy."
We resolve:
—To take the Queen Bee on a motorcycle trip on the BMW to Sioux City to see No. 2 daughter at Morningside college.
— To put together that craft item the family got for me last Christmas.
— To do the grocery shopping at least once during the year.
— To go horseback riding with Dan Hill in the Thurman hills.
—To develop a hobby . . . something besides watching football games on TV.
— To tell the truth at least once a year, in The Buck Ends Here.
The holiday had a double meaning at our house. Millie and I observed our 25th wedding anniversary. We had a quiet little family dinner. The younger kids surprised me. They celebrated, too . . . they ordered steaks instead of the usual hamburgers and french fries.
I was going to put on my "wedding suit" which at the time was a U.S. Navy clothing issue, but Ree Miyoshi borrowed the uniform for "South Pacific" at the high school, took one look at me and suggested I not try it. I think she was trying to tell me something. (Darn kids nowadays have a habit of spitting out the brutal truth).
Have a happy New Year holiday at your home.