Back to School

We gave out pencils at the Department of Natural Resources fabulous display I worked at last week. It's a mobile education unit built to look like a house - with education about how people can save resources all over our homes like water and energy. And how to recycle and properly dispose of things like chemicals and batteries.

View out the door of the Mobile Education Trailer

We give out "mood pencils". They are heat activated so when kids put their hands on them (or it's really hot out), they turn a different color - like orange to yellow. Pretty cool compared to the #2s I used to get for back to school. Some of the kids I tried to give pencils to said "no way!" like they could get out of going back to school by refusing the pencils. Renegades, ha!

I must admit, I was one of those kids who was ready to go back to school by this time of year - through about age 40. It's true! It took me that long to get over feeling like it was time to go someplace in the fall - to return to a place of learning. All it took was a few cooler days after a long hot summer.

When I was a kid Mom got us ready for "Back to School" in two ways. We'd buzz over to Omaha to shop for clothes. First we went downtown, then Crossroads and lastly, Westroads - the big new mall at the time. It seemed huge! There was a store called Gadabout for preteens with a younger kids store next door that she liked for little sis Betsobean. Mom also liked Brandeis Department Store and we'd get lunch at Bishops Buffet. I loved their French Dip and Chocolate Pie! How nutritious!

Back home we'd get shoes at Family Shoe or Brown's Shoe Fit. Then we'd go to Ben Franklin or Woolworth's for paper products. And paste. Remember paste? Why did we get that? Those little wands always dried up. Later we switched to glue. And we'd shop at Gibson's or Pamida. I loved selecting the eraser pack - they were all clean and ready to go. No mistakes yet!

In our elementary school, Washington, there were two sections of each class - about 60 students total. It was the baby boom years. I don't remember when we found out which teacher we had for the year. If I was filled with angst by being separated from my homies, I must have coped! I'd like to say it made me a stronger person and I made good friends with others. Alas I don't recall.

I enjoyed working at the fair. When I was done, Paul joined me and we visited some of our favorite haunts - like the 4-H Building. We love seeing what the talented youth come up with - especially woodworking. Later, we walked up to see a free concert by the Grassroots. When I was in 7th grade I received a cassette player for Christmas plus one cassette - the Grassroots. Needless to say, I played it over and over! They had a fill in lead singer, but the others looked original. Good memories!

Paul decides what to eat