School days

For our Sepia Saturday meme, this week we get to share school pictures.  Mmm, not those awful ones of year books, thank you very much!

Photo from: Flickr Commons collection of the State Archives of North Carolina

So come over HERE to see what other Sepians have been inspired to post (scroll to bottom of that page where names are listed for links to their posts).  You are welcome to post your own blog on- (or maybe off-) theme and list your link as well!  The girls in the photo were captured in 1917.  That's the year my mother was born.  My photos are a bit more recent!  Sharing some of the family photos of my youth again.

These were taken of the campus of Principia, in St. Louis, MO in about 1953.  My father was a bit proud of his Studebaker.  Top photo shows the girls dorm, with the gym over to the left side.  Next photo (on right) shows car with the Upper School in the background.  And the lower photo shows my sister and myself (the tall one in matching Easter Outfits) in front of the Administration Building.

I mentioned this campus a few weeks ago, HERE, and talked about my high school years a bit.  As you can see we were a bit younger than that when we started school there.  Actually my sister was about 4 I think, and I had just turned 8 when I entered 3rd grade.  I had no other school experience besides Principia until my sophomore year of college, when I attended William and Mary for summer school.  Then I quit college completely my spring quarter of my junior year of college.  That's when my adult life actually started.

Fences, snow and trains

A popular attraction in downtown Black Mountain, right next to the working tracks.  I would imagine the kids playing in the caboose sometimes get a thrill when a train blows it's whistle and passes right next to them.

Notice the fence?  I'm sending this post to Jan & Jer's Friday Fences. Come on over and see what other fences include!

And on another subject, here's a snow picture from my childhood.  I know the folks in New England have some snow coming tonight (Thurs, Feb 7).  This was in St. Louis in the 50s.

AND, here's another photo from my family pictures of a train at a museum in Missouri which I visited with my family and especially my father who loved those big engines.  This is my mom looking flirtatious.  I'm going to contribute it to Sepia Saturday.   Come over there to see what fun snow scenes (and other things) are being shared!

 How about that?  Two Memes in one blog.  Seems kind of over the top!

Christmas past

Posting thisfor the Sepia Saturday coverage...and to share some thoughts and pictures from my earlier life.  Can't post a picture of Christmas in the future anyway.  So lets enjoy the past.

In 1953 our tree was real (it may have been about the time artificial trees came out, but not for us)  I loved the colored lights (all different colors, big bulbs) and the tinsel which was strung carefully, one by one.
My gifts are on the right...and I don't know what the boxes contain, but there's definitely an orange in my stocking (lying next to my Betsy McCall doll).  I remember Betsy McCall paper dolls which I'd cut out of McCall's magazine.  The real doll was a disappointment, but I don't remember why, the capricious nature of a young girl of 11.  I did learn how to play a simple form of dominoes (right there in front).

This was taken a month before Christmas, our apartment is on the second floor, reached by the porch to the right.  I remember how snow was beautiful for about an hour in St. Louis in 1953, then the coal dust settled on it, making it all grey.  We had to be quick to enjoy playing in it.  Of course it was nice to have a coal furnace to keep us warm.  Our Texas blood (and probably clothes) made us cold easily.

The best place to sled was Art Museum Hill, though there was a lake at the bottom, and we always were scared we'd tumble into it at the end of the long hill.  My Dad was the pusher to get us going, I don't think he tried to ride down with us.  But he may have come and rescued us and pulled the sleigh back up the hill (probably).

This is my Sepia Saturday contribution for the next couple of weeks...they will be back next year!  Add your own link to the fun, if you wish, follow the instructions on their blog!  And enjoy looking at the interesting historical blogs that are linked there!