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The police had this drunk driving simulator set up to show you what it's like to drink/drive while under the influence and how you really can't do it safely. Both of my older 2 have tried the simulator while in Driver's Ed. The police come out and set up a course at the school. This one was set up in Blacksburg at the Steppin' Out Fest...See what Virginia Tech is doing to instill positive partying HERE
Now time for some Willy-Nilly's:
1) This morning while looking for a cookbook I ran across my first cookbook. It was this:
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The one I have is not the same one I had as a child but one I purchased off Ebay a few years back when I was feeling nostalgic. Our neighbor, Jane, gave it to me as a Christmas or Birthday gift. It has super simple recipes like pb&j, grilled cheese & scrambled eggs inside just to name a few.
2) So then, after thinking about the cookbook and our old neighbors, Jane and Weldon, I got to thinking about their son, Kenny, or Kenny boy as he was called. Kenny was older, I think about 20 and I was just really young, elementary school. Kenny was special and lived at The Home Of Guiding Hands during the week and would come home on the weekends. On those days I would go over and visit and play endless games of Concentration with him because he loved that game, and I remember he would beat me, a lot! Do you remember that game?
3) It also made me remember the very first time my mom let me stay home alone. My friend Patty was over and my mom had to go to the store or something. We begged her to let us stay home and she said we could. I was maybe in like 3rd or 4th grade...it couldn't have been much past that because we moved from the neighborhood when I was in 5th grade. Anyways, it was the middle of the day and we were so happy to get to stay home alone...Patty lived a house down and I remember her calling her mom to see if it was ok if she stayed too. Well, not too long after my mom left, the phone rang. It sounded like a guy and he said "Is your mom there?" I said "No"...he said "Is your dad there?" I said "No" then he said "Is your brother there?" I said "No" then he said "I'm coming over and I'm bringing a gun!" lol....I was terrified! I told Patty that he must know where I live because he knows I have a brother so we ran next door to Jane and Weldon's house and she said we could stay there. Well I looked out the window and noticed I left the front door open and I could see my little Poodle Mimi just standing there at the screen looking at me. I was fearing for her life then and bravely ran over and got her and brought her back to the neighbors with me. I can't remember when we found out that the "guy" who called was my other friend Lisa, Patty's sister. She knew of course that we were home alone because of when Patty called to ask if she could stay. I then got a lesson about phone safety and to NEVER EVER tell anyone I was home alone!
4) In the same neighborhood, a couple of houses up from me, was another good friend Noi (sounds like NEW-IE)...her mom was Vietnamese and her dad was in Vietnam during the war. I don't think Noi ever knew her mom but had a few pictures of her. I can't remember what had happened to her. She lived with a "Foster Mom" Grace though because her dad travelled so much for work. But Grace was really just like her real mom. Anyways, Noi and I loved anything scary and I remember we would have "Seances" in her closet. She would tell us to say things like "if anyone is there, pinch me" or "pull my hair" and guess what, I'd get pinched...turned out to be Noi all along lol...I was the youngest on the street and so I was "ordered" around a little bit by the older kids!
5) A couple of fun things going on this weekend: Homestead Creamery Farm Days and Alleghany Highlands Heritage Festival ...haven't decided which one to go to!
That's my 5 for the week and now it's your turn. Post 5 randoms, link back and visit other Willy-Nilly participants! Have fun and have a great weekend!
Now time for some Willy-Nilly's:
1) This morning while looking for a cookbook I ran across my first cookbook. It was this:
.jpg)
2) So then, after thinking about the cookbook and our old neighbors, Jane and Weldon, I got to thinking about their son, Kenny, or Kenny boy as he was called. Kenny was older, I think about 20 and I was just really young, elementary school. Kenny was special and lived at The Home Of Guiding Hands during the week and would come home on the weekends. On those days I would go over and visit and play endless games of Concentration with him because he loved that game, and I remember he would beat me, a lot! Do you remember that game?
3) It also made me remember the very first time my mom let me stay home alone. My friend Patty was over and my mom had to go to the store or something. We begged her to let us stay home and she said we could. I was maybe in like 3rd or 4th grade...it couldn't have been much past that because we moved from the neighborhood when I was in 5th grade. Anyways, it was the middle of the day and we were so happy to get to stay home alone...Patty lived a house down and I remember her calling her mom to see if it was ok if she stayed too. Well, not too long after my mom left, the phone rang. It sounded like a guy and he said "Is your mom there?" I said "No"...he said "Is your dad there?" I said "No" then he said "Is your brother there?" I said "No" then he said "I'm coming over and I'm bringing a gun!" lol....I was terrified! I told Patty that he must know where I live because he knows I have a brother so we ran next door to Jane and Weldon's house and she said we could stay there. Well I looked out the window and noticed I left the front door open and I could see my little Poodle Mimi just standing there at the screen looking at me. I was fearing for her life then and bravely ran over and got her and brought her back to the neighbors with me. I can't remember when we found out that the "guy" who called was my other friend Lisa, Patty's sister. She knew of course that we were home alone because of when Patty called to ask if she could stay. I then got a lesson about phone safety and to NEVER EVER tell anyone I was home alone!
4) In the same neighborhood, a couple of houses up from me, was another good friend Noi (sounds like NEW-IE)...her mom was Vietnamese and her dad was in Vietnam during the war. I don't think Noi ever knew her mom but had a few pictures of her. I can't remember what had happened to her. She lived with a "Foster Mom" Grace though because her dad travelled so much for work. But Grace was really just like her real mom. Anyways, Noi and I loved anything scary and I remember we would have "Seances" in her closet. She would tell us to say things like "if anyone is there, pinch me" or "pull my hair" and guess what, I'd get pinched...turned out to be Noi all along lol...I was the youngest on the street and so I was "ordered" around a little bit by the older kids!
5) A couple of fun things going on this weekend: Homestead Creamery Farm Days and Alleghany Highlands Heritage Festival ...haven't decided which one to go to!
That's my 5 for the week and now it's your turn. Post 5 randoms, link back and visit other Willy-Nilly participants! Have fun and have a great weekend!
I am so glad you brought up Concentration...I could not remember the name of that game.
ReplyDeleteMy youngest daughter used to beg to left home alone...when she was in kindergarten if I had to run to the store for milk. I live in a very small town, but still I would not do it if it was just her, every now and then I would run and leave her with her sister who was only a couple years older. I know not much better, but I could be to and from the store in about 5 minutes....they are never busy at 7:00 in the morn...I live in a small town. I never once left her home all by herself, but like I say, she would beg to be left alone.
Then she wrote in a little booklet they made in kindergarten that she was scared when left home alone!
...that one of you being home alone....wow...scary.
ReplyDeleteI love nostalgic stories. :) We stayed home alone after school starting in 5th grade. My mom always said if someone called and asked for her or my dad to say they were on the toilet. I don't remember how that worked out, but I'm sure some people were probably embarrassed. :)
ReplyDeleteoh, that looks like a fun recipe book, i would love to see more. i enjoyed that "Concentration" (i just reread you bit on that, & i realize that it is NOT the same game at all, i wonder do i have something confused, i guess i will have to look it up, google it.) game but never could win ... i guess my hand would shake too much. i would get excited to play & the darn thing would buzz like crazy. but the man with the crazy face was on front not that front?? have a great weekend. glad to link up with you this week. ( :
ReplyDeleteok, that was Operation - i am not sure what i was thinking? but i know this game but never realized it was called Concentration ... i guess we didn't have a name for it ... just played over & over for hours. i guess we had great Concentration about it. ha. ha!! ( :
Deletenice and funny pictures!
ReplyDeleteGood phone safety lesson! Loved playing concentration!
ReplyDeletecute neighborhood memories - and lessons. :) we played concentration with a deck of cards.
ReplyDeleteI love the Party Positive initiative from VTech!
ReplyDeleteI laughed SO hard at the fake phone call….oh my gosh; you were so naive!
I remember having seances with my brother and (young) Aunt. We also did the 'light as a feather'…that never worked but I do recall seeing George Washington durning a seance. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
YUM!!!! i would like to attend Creamery Farm Day - sounds EXACTLY like my kind of event.
ReplyDeleteWow, scary happenings for sure! That other girl should not have called you and said that, it was really stepping over the line. But she was just a kid. I'm guessing no one told? I have heard great things about the Creamery, wish I could go. I remember concentration! And I also had a first cookbook very similar to yours. But I am so old that I can't even remember it's name. If I could, I would buy it for old times sake.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great Friday Five! I loved all the reminiscences of your childhood! And you gave the people nearby some great places to go for weekend fun! I laughed so hard about your friend's sister calling and scaring you girls. I figured it might have been one of your parents seeing what you would do. I saw the CUTEST little Japanese child on TV yesterday. They would ask her "If a strange man says, let's go get ice cream, what do you say?" She would grin and go "Yes, yes!" Then they'd tell her to say "No. No" She would respond like that every time though no matter how they changed the question or how many times they asked her. She was ADORABLE! But they need to watch her like a hawk! :-) Sweet that you have a copy of your first cookbook. I wish I had some of my childhood things, but there's little left. I sometimes want to order my favorite doll off ebay! :-)
ReplyDeleteI have my first Betty Crocker cookbook that I got when I married (38 yrs ago). I still use it!
ReplyDeleteWow, that's an old game.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to try out the simulator! LOL
ReplyDeleteOH MY GOSH! I forgot all about that Concentration game. I had that when I was young and we would play it for hours on end.
ReplyDeleteYou've had some adventures haven't you.
ReplyDeleteLOVED that show CONCENTRATION. I got the game for Christmas. Wicked cool!
Excellent info on the drinking link Tanya, if only everyone would actually do it! Just been catching up on missed posts, I looove the pic of the boys with the with the strong man at the Highland Games, such a super cool bit of posing going on there :) You did have some fun escapades when you were young.. and I suspect maybe even still :)
ReplyDeleteAn incredible assortment, anyway my favorite would be the simulator!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've seen a simulator like that before.
ReplyDeleteNow that's an effective way of educating the public on the dangers of drunk driving. It pays to put oneself in those kinds of situations, albeit in a more controlled environment. At the very least, it's a deterrent. Furthermore, it stirs a bit of identification and empathy, so we'd understand what it's like to be behind the steering wheel.
ReplyDeleteLeticia Holt @ Law Offices of Kim E. Hunter