Skip to main content

Posts

CAROL ANN COFFEE, YOU PLUCKED OUT MY HEART AND SQUISHED IT LIKE A GRAPE

      Two of my granddaughters are graduating from the second grade this month.   This realization produced a major flashback of my own graduation from second grade at Jefferson Elementary in Sherman, Texas, in May of 1958.      The last day of class we received our graduation certificates in a ceremony, followed by a picnic on the school grounds.   As we gathered our sack lunches, I saw a vacant seat at the table, adjacent to CAROL ANN COFFEE!   I had spent the entire school year worshipping Carol Ann Coffee from afar.   She was always pleasant, but didn’t really give me much thought.   I often sat on a bench during lunch watching her play or jump rope, daydreaming she would ask me to play with her.   Not unlike Charlie Brown from “Peanuts” who imagined the little red-hair girl paying attention to him, I was transfixed with Carol Ann Coffee.   She was taller than me, wore an abundance of petticoats and always ap...
Post a Comment
Read more
Recent posts

HOWDY SON, I’M YOUR CONGRESSMAN, RAY ROBERTS…WHAT IS ON YOUR FACE?

       I graduated from Sherman High School in 1968 and passed the test for my First Class F.C.C. license, which permitted me to work at a radio station by myself.   That summer I joined KTXO-AM radio in the top of the Grayson Bank Building.   This was a lot of fun, a county western format and only 250 watts…sunrise to sunset.   I enrolled at Grayson County College and worked about 3-4 hours per day at the station.      That fall, our congressman, Ray Roberts, came down from Washington, D.C., and was making a tour of Sherman-Denison.  I was given the task of joining the congressman’s entourage while he made his stops for the following two days.  The plan was to be present when he addressed different groups, record some of his remarks and weave them into a news story.       Congressman Roberts was a very nice fellow, would emerge from his car, extend his hand to me and say, “Howdy son, I’m your congre...
Post a Comment
Read more

MY CHILDHOOD HERO, DAVID PEDIGO OF SHERMAN, TEXAS

     The 1968 class of Sherman High School, Sherman, Texas, held our 50th graduation anniversary get together last month.   It was a well organized celebration and we enjoyed a good turnout.      Since Mizz Nancy and I live in California, I do not get to see my Texas friends as often as I would like.    One role model from my youth was fellow Sherman Bearcat, David Pedigo.  I got to briefly say hello to David and did the quick, “SO-WHAT-ARE-YOU-UP-TO-NOW?” rapid-fire conversation, because other people are waiting to speak to him or me and it just moves too fast.      I have always wanted to take a longer moment and tell David what an example of Christian kindness he has always been to me.  I met David when I was transferred in the 6th grade to Wakefield Elementary from Bryant Elementary in 1961.   I recall he seemed to wear black cowboy boots and white long sleeve shirts, every day.  I arrived, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

OUR CAT LEVELED THE PLAYING FIELD

      Part of growing up in the late ’50s-early ’60s in Sherman, Texas, was maintaining the responsibility for my two younger brothers.   Brother Bob was 2 1/2 years younger than me and was very independent.     He could not stand to have me lord over him and resisted in every possible way.   Brother Bill was more laid back, 5 years younger and worked to preserve peace wherever he could.      In the winter months the ponds in various neighbors’ yards would freeze over and Bob made a point of walking over them to terrorize Bill.  He danced and skated over them as Bill wept and begged him to get off, for fear of him crashing through the ice.  Bob tortured Bill by remaining on the ice and acting like he was about to go under at any second.  I happened to see what was going on, ran across the yard and jumped onto the ice to get Bob off.  The additional weight caused the ice to break and we both fell through.  F...
1 comment
Read more

BIRTHDAY ROLLER DERBY - CRASH-O-RAMA IN DOWNTOWN SHERMAN, TEXAS

         I will always be able to remember December 14, 1957, was on a Saturday.   This was the date of my 7th birthday and I was free for the day from my second grade class at Jefferson Elementary.   My parents invited around six of my friends over, including George Head and the youngest of our fellow, 808 N. Willow, duplex-neighbor-dwelling Aleman family, David Aleman.   A birthday party was thrown for me, complete with chocolate cake and presents.          My folks gave me a pair of white, high top roller- skate shoes.  Once I got them on, I immediately fell and it took all my friends to keep me balanced and on my feet.  They then guided me down the sidewalk, yet I continued to fall every few yards.  This was going to take a while to master.      After cake and presents, my mother announced we were to be dropped off at the Texas Theater in downtown Sherman.  As part of a f...
Post a Comment
Read more

THE CORNER GROCERS IN SHERMAN, TX

      Part of the landscape of Sherman, Texas, in the 50’s and 60’s was the Mom and Pop grocery stores scattered throughout the older neighborhoods.   These were located every couple of blocks and were an extension of everyone’s home kitchen.          If you needed a loaf of bread, a quart of milk  or some other staple, one could walk to the corner store at the last minute and made the purchase.  These local grocers often made wonderful barbecue, tamales, chili or hamburgers.           When we lived at 808 N. Willow Street, in half of a duplex shared with the 7 member Aleman family, we had a grocer across the street and another around the corner, arrived by way of our alley.  In my younger days, I would walk across the street to the store with dad and younger brother Bob, often scoring bubble gum at 3 pieces for a penny.      As I was older, mother sent me across the st...
Post a Comment
Read more

“ BUCKY, YOU CERTAINLY KNOW HOW TO SHOW A GIRL A GOOD TIME!”

      I am blessed with many outstanding feminine friends from my youth.  Some wonderful personalities, demonstrated strengths, and attitudes that stayed with them and served to make for great spouses, parents and citizens.          A friend to this day, is my buddy Kay Kimbrough McKinney.  Kay and I dated a bit during high school and I enjoy her dry wit and original sense of humor.    She would always express what was on her mind and I never had to wonder what she was thinking.  I was her date to a dance and donned a pair of new red, spangly, corduroy trousers.  My father remarked I looked like a cross between Santa and Tinker Bell.    I ignored him, drove to Kay’s home and could hear her voice inside, before she opened the front door.    “OH, NO…NO, NO, NO…she stepped outside, suggested we get in my car and return to my house.  She walked with me up the steps to our home and w...
Post a Comment
Read more