Weddings revisited - Stories for my grandchildren

I have been involved in a lot of weddings over the years, primarily because of a long tenure as the church "sound guy."  Here are a couple of links to some previous wedding stories:

How many weddings?
The most unusual wedding

I saw a joke on FaceBook the other day that went something like this -

At a wedding ceremony, the minister got to the point of asking if anyone present "had knowledge of any reason why this couple should not be joined in Holy Matrimony, etc., etc., ... or forever hold your peace."

At that point, a beautiful young woman carrying a tiny baby stood up in the back and approached the front. As she walked down the aisle, chaos broke out; the bride-to-be slapped the groom, the bride's mother fainted, the crowd gasped, and the groomsmen began nudging each other.

When the woman and the infant reached the front, the minister asked her to state why she had come forward.

Her reply -- "I can't hear in the back."

They don't ask that question anymore - at least not in ceremonies that I attend, but back in my college days a friend got married and asked me to come to the wedding and sit beside his mother. My job: when the minister asked the "any objections" question, make sure Mom did not stand up. I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to do this, but fortunately, the moment passed without a response from Mom and the wedding proceeded as planned.

Monday Meanderings - 9.26.2012

I mentioned the opening of the new In-N-Out burger place near us last week. It's very nice to have them nearby - but the Whataburger is even closer.

And that brings me to a news-feed article I saw last week that listed - at least from the author's perspective - the top 25 fast food eating places. There were a number of familiar establishments, such as Chick-Fil-A (which was #1, by the way) and Subway, and a few not so familiar to me, such as Qdoba and Pollo Campero, but the thing that caught my eye were the listings for burger places.

In addition to the rankings in this list, which I did not preserve, there were several additional measurement criteria, such as sales, store count and a couple of other categories that were not clearly defined in the article.

Whataburger - Headquarters: San Antonio, Texas
U.S. sales: $2 billion.
Number of U.S. locations: 791
Financial performance rank: 1
Customer satisfaction rank: 33
In 1950, Whataburger founder Harmon Dobson's goal was to create a burger so big that customers would have to use both hands to hold it. It would be so good that at first bite they would declare, “What a burger!” Whataburger can be found in 10 states only, but the chain has hardcore fans.

In-N-OUT - Headquarters: Irvine, California
U.S. sales: $615 million
Number of U.S. restaurants: 313
Financial performance rank: 40
Customer satisfaction rank: 5
California’s first drive-thru hamburger stand was opened in 1948.

Five Guys  - Headquarters: Lorton, Virginia
U.S. sales: $1.32 billion
Number of U.S. locations:1,215
Financial performance rank: 22
Customer satisfaction rank: 22
This cult favorite started in Washington, D.C., in 1986

Habit - Headquarters: Irvine, California
U.S. sales: $251 million
Number of U.S. restaurants: 142
Financial performance rank: 20
Customer satisfaction rank: 10
West Coast chain Habit Burger Grill saw a major surge in popularity last year, evidenced by a 43% growth in sales. The small regional chain was also named the best-tasting burger in America, according to a survey by Consumer Reports, beating out competitors like Shake Shack, In-N-Out and Five Guys.

I included Habit in this list -  though the nearest one to us in is Arizona - because it is a favorite when we visit in California.

It is interesting to note that Whataburger has 60% more outlets than In-N-Out and 70% more revenue, though they both were founded about the same time and both serve limited geographic regions. I can only assume that the difference is bacon, No bacon at In-N-Out. None. Strange then, that customers are happier at In-N-Out.

Interesting comparisons, but irrelevant when it comes to choosing what burger I'm hungry for.

Stories from the Tree - WWII and rationing

A few more items that originally belonged to my Aunt Ina have come my way. I blogged previously about her rather extraordinary keep-sake album here. My sister recently passed several more items on to me, in part because I have become the default keeper of things related to the family history, and in part because she's moving and cleaning house!

Among several rather fascinating items was a rationing book from WWII. I'm old, but not old enough to know about war-time rationing first hand. All I know - beyond some very sketchy memories - is from what I have read, so this is all new to me.

The front

The back

Rationing became necessary because virtually all of the Nations resources were being channeled into the war effort. Rationing was a way to avoid public anger with shortages and to provide price parity across all economic strata; without it only the wealthy could afford to purchase scarce commodities.

According to Wikipedia, the list of rationed items was extensive: tires, gasoline (and automobiles themselves); foodstuffs of all kind, such as sugar, and coffee, meat, lard, shortening, food oils, cheese, butter, margarine, processed foods (canned, bottled, and frozen), dried fruits, canned milk, jams, jellies, and fruit butter. 

Anything made of metal of any kind was soon added to the list, such as typewriters, bicycles, stoves, metal office furniture, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and sewing machines. Leather and certain fabrics were in short supply so products such as footwear and nylon hosiery were rationed.

There were different types of ration books, and different types of stamps within some books. For example, red stamps were used to ration meat and butter, and blue stamps were used to ration processed foods. The kind and amount of rationed commodities were not specified on most of the stamps, which were distinguished by drawings of military machines, and sometimes just letters and numbers. Aunt Ina's book was a "Book 3," with 48 numbered stamps of a diving airplane, 48 of a ship underway, 48 of a tank and 48 of a cannon.

 

The actual rationed items and required coupons were not specified on the coupons, but were later defined when local newspapers published information from the Office of Price Administration (OPA),  that set the dates, commodities and coupon requirements. For example, beginning on a specified date, one airplane stamp was required (in addition to cash) to buy one pair of shoes and one stamp number 30 from ration book four was required to buy 5 pounds of sugar. Here's another example:

The commodity amounts and coupons required changed from time to time, depending on availability, and just because it was on the list didn't mean it was actually available.

There's a lot more about rationing and examples of other types of books on the Internet on sites such as Wikipedia. The really interesting thing about this particular book, however, is the connection to the family story.

Monday Meanderings - 9.19.2016

I have mentioned that In-N-Out was building a new store very close to our house. It's open.

Barb and I were talking about where we were going to dine last Thursday when we got the afternoon Neighborhood messages summary and some one had posted that they were now open, so that made it an easy decision.

Here's just how close this location is to us.

And that's rush hour traffic!

When previous In-N-Outs have opened around here, the store traffic has been overwhelming, so we were a bit apprehensive when we got near - and saw about 20 employees standing in the parking area directing traffic. However, there were more employees than cars, so we parked near the door and were greeted by about 4 more employees holding the doors open for us.

The manager met us as we walked in, introduced himself and welcomed us as well. We got immediate counter service and while we waited for our order, no fewer than 6 workers asked if we needed anything while we waited!

After we ate, the manager checked on us again, and we chatted for a while. He said they scheduled about 60 people for today because they did not know what to expect; they had been overwhelmed at a couple of store openings here, so they erred on the side of caution.

The manager was a young guy - said he started with In-N-Out in San Diego as a part time job when he was 16. It paid well, and he continued to work for them through school and college. About two years ago they moved him to Texas on a management track and now he has his own store. Speaks well for the company.

And we are happy, happy, happy.

Sign the tablecloth, please - Stories for my grandchildren

Many families have the tradition of the signed tablecloth; when a guest dines with you in your home, they pencil their signature on the tablecloth, and later the hostess embroiders over the name for a permanent record.

My mother kept such a tablecloth, and it came to me recently - partly because I am the designated holder of much of the family history, and partly because my sister is moving and cleaning out her closets! (Click on the individual pictures to enlarge them.)

The central motif is a family tree, with my parent's name's providing the trunk of the tree, and branches for my sister's, brother's and my own families. This section also provides a time-frame for the approximate era this tablecloth was most in use.  Barb joined the family prior to this work, but not our children are not present, so this part was embroidered between 1962 and 1966. Also, none of my nieces and nephews were married at that time, consistent with the 1962-1966 time frame.

There are more than 80 names fixed to this tablecloth - for the most part, family and friends. Appropriately, Grandmother Anderson signed at the root of the tree.

I blogged recently about Atkins "Fat Boy" Wright. He and part of his family joined us at table.

And of course, many a preacher came home with us for Sunday dinner.

Horace W. Busby was a noted evangelist of the era; he held gospel meetings in my home congregation numerous times while I was growing up. It is likely that he signed the tablecloth on one of his last visits. He suffered a stroke in 1952 (while in the pulpit in Port Lavaca, Texas, where Barb and I got married) and after several years of recovery resumed preaching in a much-limited manner until his death in 1965.

J. W. Roberts was invited home (and no doubt was served Mom's lemon meringue pie). Later he was our landlord after Barb and I got married, and also became related by marriage to a family member.

And there are a few autographs that present a mystery. Either I don't remember the name (or never met them), or because I can't make out the signature - like this one.

Perhaps this guest was a medical doctor - I've seen names like this on the bottom of prescription forms. Whoever he was, he (and some 80 others) once sat at table with my parents.

Monday Meanderings - 9.12.2016

In North Texas, the opening of Dove Season is the Labor Day weekend. You know it is so, because if you happen to check into a motel in Graham, Texas that weekend, they will tell you that they are serving breakfast in the morning, "starting at 4am." Who eats breakfast at 4am? Hunters, who want to be in the field before the sun comes up at 7:11am. Best Western apparently understands that.


We pass through the little town of Lometa on the way to North Texas; for as long as we can remember, there has been a little church of Christ on Main street,  just as you drive into town. We even stopped for services at that church on one occasion. This time through, the sign out front said "Lometa Firearms Company." I'm hoping the church relocated elsewhere rather than changed their method of ministry.

A local traffic advisory sign was sending mixed messages the other day. It said, prominently, "Today's homework: keep your eyes on the road."

And here's an item that showed up in the news feed the other day.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A 70-year-old man accused of robbing a bank in Kansas told investigators he would rather be in jail than live with his wife.
 
Court documents say Lawrence John Ripple gave a note to a bank teller in Kansas City on Friday, demanding cash and warning he had a gun. Ripple took the money and went to sit in the lobby where he told a guard he was the "guy he was looking for."
 
Officers arrived quickly. An FBI agent wrote in the affidavit that Ripple had earlier been arguing with his wife. He told investigators he wrote the note in front of his wife, telling her he would "rather be in jail than at home."
 
Ripple was charged with bank robbery Tuesday.

Online court records don't list an attorney for Ripple.

My guess is that his wife is the one looking for an attorney.

Be careful when you shake the family tree - Stories from the tree

There is a distant relative in my family tree with an interesting, if dubious, set of associated facts. This relative:

• was mentioned by name in John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath
• had a ballad written about him by Woody Guthrie that has been recorded by Bob Dylan, The Byrds and Joan Baez, among others
• has been the subject of a number of books, including one co-written by Larry McMurtry
• has been portrayed in movies by John Erickson (1960), Robert Conrad (1965), Fabian (1970), Steve Kanalay (1973), Martin Sheen (1974), Bo Hopkins (1975) and Channing Tatum (2009)
• was named Public Enemy Number One by J. Edgar Hoover

Let me clear. Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd, though a fifth cousin of my mother, therefore my fifth cousin,  another generation removed, didn't come to many family reunions in his day. He was busy with other activities, namely robbing banks and running from the cops.

The genealogical record says Floyd was born on February 3, 1904 in Bartow County, Georgia. He grew up in Oklahoma after moving there with his family from Georgia in 1911, and spent considerable time in nearby Kansas, Arkansas and Missouri. The Wikipedia record has more: he was first arrested at age 18 after he stole $3.50 in coins from a local post office. Three years later he was arrested for a payroll robbery on September 16, 1925 in St. Louis, Missouri and was sentenced to five years in prison, of which he served three and a half.

Entering into partnerships with more established criminals in the Kansas City underworld, he committed a series of bank robberies over the next several years; it was during this period that he acquired the nickname "Pretty Boy," a name he hated. During the period from 1929 to 1933, he was involved in or accused of a number of robberies and shootings, including the "Kansas City Massacre," a gunfight in which four policemen perished.

This brought the focus of J Edger Hoover and the FBI on Floyd, though historians doubt that Floyd was actually involved in this event. Floyd himself denied it to his dying breath, and even sent a postcard to the Kansas City police which read: "Dear Sirs- I- Charles Floyd- want it made known that I did not participate in the massacre of officers at Kansas City. Charles Floyd"

Floyd's life of crime came to a predictable end in a corn field near East Liverpool, Ohio, while being pursued by local law officers and FBI agents led by Melvin Purvis, famous for his dogged pursuit of Baby Face Nelson and Charles Dillon. The genealogical record simply states that he died October 22, 1934 and was buried in in Akins, Oklahoma. It does not state that it was one of the most well-attended funerals ever in the state of Oklahoma.

So how does the son of share-croppers Walter Lee and Minnie (Echols) Floyd, raised in the Cookson Hills of Oklahoma, go from callus-fingered cotton picker to trigger-fingered desperado and something of a folk hero, remembered in legend and in song? I suggest that his story has been told well by others, and I refer you to:

• McMurtry, Larry and Ossana, Diana, "Pretty Boy Floyd," Simon & Schuster; (a fictionalized version)
• Michael Wallis, "Pretty Boy, the Life and Times of Charles Arthur Floyd" St. Martin's Press, New York, 1992
• Merle Clayton "Union Station Massacre" 1975 BM Bobbs Merrill

For an overly-sympathetic, somewhat sensationalized telling, try Joseph Geringer's story at http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/outlaws/floyd/1.html

By the way, attribution for the photo above reads: "This image or file is a work of a Federal Bureau of Investigation employee, taken or made during the course of an employee's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain." How's that for permission to re-post?

Monday Meanderings - 9.5.2016

Happy Labor Day to you, a holiday where we celebrate hard labor by not doing any. For my part, I plan on spending the day with my feet propped up while I consume tasty snacks and cool beverages.

I deserve the rest because Y'all, we are experiencing some real chaos in our lives! They are refurbishing the Walmart that we frequent - and when I say refurbish, I mean they have picked up everything in the store and moved it to some new location! By everything, I mean every row of shelves, every counter, every cooler and every check-out stand has been shifted from its original location - or soon will be - while they redo the whole, entire, many football fields sized floor.

It took me a good 20 minutes to find the coffee the other day. I asked an employee to help me look, but he got lost over by what used to chips and snacks, and I had to find it on my on. I mean really, if I wanted to hunt for things I would shop at Target or someplace else! Even the parking lot is being resurfaced. They keep closing random sections so you have to hunt for an unblocked entrance and hope that they don't close it while you are hunting for coffee and you won't be able to leave  because your car is now a lump of black tar.

There is a bit of goodness in the most recent TXDOT survey: I-35 in Austin is no longer the most congested road in Texas. We pass that honor gladly to Houston and I-610 - though it measures a mere .01 more (in million annual hours of delay) than our beloved I-35.

And as if we were not already embarrassed enough by thankfully-former Governor GoodHair, he has announced that he is going to appear on Dancing With The Stars. Just hope he sticks to the two-step; he has trouble remembering the third part.