As a child, I thought all good stories began "once upon a time." Nostalgia maybe!

We can’t even put a brake on time, if we could I’m sure it would always be happy times.

I remember wishing time would pass, so I could wear high heels, lipstick, and Cameo pins, not to mention a feathered hat so elegant! I wanted most of all to wear a taffeta petticoat with a voile skirt that would swish with every turn.

The children of today want to know what we did for fun in the olden days, so dear so vulnerable so eager for answers.

We had square dancing. If there was music it was dancing. If a caller came without music it was a play party. He would say, "All hands up, circle to the left and promenade home."

We had ice cream socials, pie suppers, played games of croquet, rook checkers, and chess. In the winter we went tobogganing and ice-skating. We were happy with the simple things.

The school which I attended needed a new chalkboard, so we decided to give a pie supper, the proceeds going for a new one.

I can see one of my algebra problems on the board for correction.

The pie supper was a great success. The pies were auctioned off by one of the boys who volunteered, and what a good job he did. I wonder if he made that a career.

The girls covered boxes with bright paper, buttons and bows, lace and ribbons to carry their pies, each one trying to out do the others.

The boys got carried away when the bidding started. Remember, it had been a long time since they said, "Daddy, give me a nickel." You could hear them rattling change in their jeans, wondering if they had enough money to pay for the pie they bought. One boy who came out with a buttermilk pie was in for a lot of teasing. He had a sad face and a fear he had been cheated. Not so! They tell me it was a delicious pie and tasted like lemon.

In the early twenties the young men were buying Ford automobiles. They called them "Tin Lizzies" and the name stuck. They would gather their friends for a joy ride going down the highway past the apple orchards into the farmlands. There they would see the animals grazing. When the horses saw that headless monster bearing down on them, they would give a snort, and with eyes blazing, take off running and could out run the horses in Ben Hurr’s chariot race.

Suddenly, Mike pulled to the side of the road. "What’s the matter, out of gas?" "No! All the chatter on the back seat confuses me." He pulled out the instruction book and read for some time. Now, he was ready to go on. We in the back seat settled down and were quiet as church mice the rest of the way.

Every time I stepped into a car I breathed a little prayer, please don’t let it rain. The windows were open and when the showers came it was out with the curtains, they were not the pull type, you would snap them to the top of the window to keep the rain out.

The telephone rings and they tell me a picnic is in the planning and they knew just the right spot- under the spreading chestnut tree. Finally the day came and what a day it was, the sun was shinning a breeze blowing, birds singing, flowers blooming and a fragrance in the air.

They will probably remember the picnic and me as the kid who came down with poison ivy, necessitating a trip to the doctor. I was trying hard to polish up my smile before reaching the doctor. When the doctor saw me he said with real concern and compassion in this voice, "How are you today?" Someway or somehow I managed to say, "Fine."

Even to this day I shy away from a plant that closely resembles the one that caused me grief. Upon leaving the picnic someone asked what we would like to do the rest of the day, each taking their turn. I would like to ride a bike, swing on the garden gate, slide down the banister, hollow down the rain barrel, slide down the cellar door, nonsense! We would all like to feed the ducks. There they go across the field, marching single file down to the lake. If they hear a dog barking they would take off running hit the water and swim out from the shore. The leader, or scout, seems to be counting. Are they all in? The goslings are sunning on the shore, unmindful of any danger.

God has blessed me with a wonderful family. We share our love and happiness. I quote from Extra Income a business magazine, "The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for." The old times I have written about which memory has treasured, maybe to be relived in old age or maybe to tell our grandchildren.