Rambling

My son told me I should insert a map of Runnemede so people will know from wence I cometh. Easier said than done. But watch for it. One of these days I'll add a map, and pictures of my reminiscenses.

If you're really curious about the places I mentioned you can go to Mapquest and bring up Runnemede, New Jersey. That map is handy-dandy and since Runnemede isn't that big, you can see most of the town -- both sides of "The Pike" in one frame.

If you're looking for where I lived, I'm not sure of the legalities of pointing out my homestead since there are people living in the house who might not want a bunch of people gawking at the house. Just to say, that if I include a picture of the family home today, you would be able to find it. It has been changed some, not bad changes, either. When I lived in the house it was always all white, with a green roof. Now it's colorful.

Speaking of "all white houses."

When I was in first grade my teacher was Mrs. Marcantoinio (she married mid-year, and was Miss Bachelor before that). Anyway, we had an assignment. In our "Think and Do" workbook there was a picture to color. It was a picture of a house surrounded by a picket fence, with a few trees in the background. I did, what I thought was an exemplary job of coloring that picture.

I made one mistake, though. I colored the house with a white crayon, ditto on the picket fence. Mrs. M thought I didn't finish the assignment and gave me an "F". Well, for an all "A" student, that was a real bummer. So I pointed out to her that I had colored the entire picture and even used my finger nail to push some of the white crayon off the page (not bad for a first-grader, right?). Well, Mrs. M thought I was being sassy and sent me to the principal's office.

Those were the days when you didn't just go to the principal's office and get a talking to. Noooo! The principal called your father, and your father was forced to come to the school to collect you and find out first-hand that you had been naughty or not nice.

I don't recall being punished by my father, whom I feared more than the principal (Mrs. French), but I do recall my father agreeing that I had indeed colored the picture, and quite well, I might add.