Unhurried Days

As I have written before, there are certain things that can trigger memories. One of those things for me is driving through the old neighborhood I grew up in. I did that a few days ago, and it brought forth a lot of memories. This time the memories came from an old brick house that stood on the corner of 5th and New York. I say stood, because it has been demolished and was just a pile of bricks wi

Sedalia seemed huge before everyone owned a car or had access to one. Most people took a bus or walked to town in the '40s and '50s. There were cars then too, of course, but not enough to cause traffic jams in Sedalia. There was not much need for personal transportation, when a bus ride was a nickel and a transfer would let you ride all over Sedalia for that one fare. My uncle Bill Wickliffe drove

The Roundhouse A lot of people think a railroad is just trains, depots and tracks, but the truth is they consist of many parts, and Sedalia had them all at one time. Some of those parts, unlike the depots and trains, have disappeared completely, and it made me wonder how many people remember those that are no longer here.

Tin Cans and the War Effort In 1944, I attended the first grade at Washington School in Sedalia, Mo. World War II was in full swing. Everywhere you looked there were signs exhorting all Americans to do their part to win the war. The signs warned us to not give away secrets, because "loose lips sink ships," and although I had no idea what secret I might have that would do that much harm, 

I am still hearing about this story that appeared in the Sedalia Democrat Feb. 29, 2000. It was even popular with those too young to remember when the park was still around.

Everyone has heard about "Rosie the Riveter.”  Well, my mother was a riveter too.  She didn't put planes or tanks together, but like Rosie, it was hard work done by hand, for not much pay, and it helped her win her own private war.

This Mid-Missouri Memory is about a special love in my life. Those smoke belching, steam spitting trains that ran through Sedalia while I grew up just two blocks away. Was anything more frightening, and at the same time more fascinating to small children? I don’t think so.

The poetry part of "The Old House" was published in Country Folks Magazine in July of 1999.

The bell bottom thirteen button gaberdine uniform I owned for a short time as a young sailor is still, in my mind, the coolest thing I have ever worn, in or out of the navy. Just re-reading this memory makes me long for the feel and look of them.

This Mid-Missouri Memory continues my "Texture Memories," similar to the "Hoppy Sweater" story I posted last week. Watch for my Navy Bell Bottoms Memory next week.