Back to work
The vacation was great. The grandparents in Los Angeles are healthy and happy. There was too much food and too little sleep, but we enjoyed it.
The seven of us traveled in two vehicles. Son - in - law Bryan Mabie drove his Volkswagon van and since we were "equipped" with six drivers, I demonstrated as often as possible to the family that a nap in back of the van was THE way to travel across country.
And despite an occasional uproar by the other travelers, I proved again that among the things at which I am an expert, is reading a map of Los Angeles freeways and zippety-zip side streets.
The ag agent
Gary Garey, the Otoe county extension agent, said the other day that he hopes to spend a great deal of time visiting with farmers in the county to keep up to date on farming activities and offer the services of the Extension department.
Mr. Garey said he worked with the urban extension service out of Omaha and hopes that he can develop a lot of the newer programs and implement them in Otoe county.
News-Press readers may be interested in knowing that Mrs. Tom (Myrna) Powell has been doing news writing for the extension service in Omaha. Mrs. Powell worked at the News-Press while her husband Tom, served a hitch in the Marines in Vietnam.
If you read the interesting article the other day about the Suffering Lefties, it probably jogged your mind. It's a fact, lefthanded people face prejudices.
Or, you can twist that around a bit and say they are especially talented. Arthur Sweet solved a number of mechanical tasks for us with his lefthand offer of "here, let me try." It was always an easy way to get the boss to do the work.
Actually, lefthanded people are given special priorities. You don't believe that? Think about it. When you gather at the dinner table who gets first choice for the end of the table? Yeah yeah the lefthanded guy needs the elbow space.
Back home in Kansas, the mother of the house resolved a daily "lefthanded" battle between her two oldest sons by placing a checkered oil cloth over the kitchen table and assigning seats.
The boys counted off the squares, placed elbow - to - elbow and that was the "system" for each meal.
The Fenske report
Grandpa nodded sadly and said to his granddaughter.
"You know, Susan, girls just aren't the same as they were in my day. You never see a girl blush these days. In my time it was different."
Deciding she'd heard this story once too often, Susan replied, "Why, grandpa, what did you say to make them blush so?"
They tell me this came from a Rotary club, but pshaw, I didn't think they'd tell such stories. At least this is Rev. Sam's version of Rotary in Omaha.
The aging father was disappointed that his three sons and their wives had not produced sons. Daughters were fine, but sons were needed to continue the name.
"If you boys don't get on the ball pretty soon, Mom and I are coming out of retirement."
(Sam . . . thanks to your buddy, Steve).
Heart attack
A reader's experience of losing her husband with a heart attack was told in the Dr. Lawrence Lamb column in the News-Press the other day. He said it was possible that she could have helped her husband by applying artificial respiration and heart compression.
The doctor suggested a booklet and contacting the American Heart Association.
If you're interested in such a program, all you have to do here is call the rescue squad business phone 873-3444. The squad holds emergency care classes regularly and the volunteers are eager to start a new class most any time.
Your only cost is for the instruction book.
The Internal Revenue Office recently received a letter of acknowledgement of a tax form sent to Henry Schemmel, former mayor of Minersville and now a citified citizen:
"Dear Treasury: I received your application blank, but I already belong to the WWI Vets club, American Legion and VFW clubs and I subscribe to Playboy, so I do not care to join your income tax at this time."