Sugar Grove
By Paula Mitchell
Many readers will be able to “wrap” their mind around life in the fifties. This way of life sure is something to talk about, today
Imagine:
Pasta had not been invented. There was only macaroni or spaghetti.
Pizza? Sort of sounds like a Leaning Tower.
Christmas was the only time bananas and oranges appeared.
Cubed sugar was regarded as posh.
Surprisingly, muesli was readily available. It was called cattle feed.
Cooking outside was called camping.
Chickens didn’t have fingers.
Healthy food consisted of anything edible.
No one had ever heard of yogurt.
Prunes were medicinal.
Seaweed was not a recognized food.
Tea was made in a teapot using tea leaves and never green.
All chips were plain.
Oil was for lubricating; fat was for cooking.
Curry was a surname.
A take-away was a mathematical problem.
Sugar enjoyed a good press in those days, and was regarded as being white gold.
“Kebab” was not even a word, never mind a food.
Cell phones were never heard of. Just a party line was what was used to communicate.
Reflect how much life has changed since the fifties. Has it gotten better along the way? Perhaps.
Life’s little instructions include the following:
- Put shopping carts away.
- Take a walk in one’s neighborhood and collect and recycle trash.
- Be a good sport during games and activities.
- Visit a homebound person and take them some cookies.
- Give someone a high-five or thumbs up for a job well done.
The spring-like weather has folks out working and beautifying the yard. Most of the work consists of picking up sticks and limbs brought about from the ice storm. The “smiley face” along Route 21 continues to smile as the residents continue to keep the Sugar Grove community beautiful.
This week’s quotes are as follows:
“You have to accept failure to get better.” — Lebron James
“Don’t you ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can’t be exactly who you are.” — Lady Gaga
“Perseverance isn’t just a trait; it’s the key to greatness.” — Jerry West
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
“The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Definitely sit by the fireplace to hear the “Talk of the Grove.”
The school-aged youngsters in the Sugar Grove community sure put Sugar Grove on the map. Math Field Day was held this past Friday, with winners as follows: fourth grade — Thomas Connor, second; fifth grade — Harley Bowers, first, Macie Mitchell, second, and Corina Simmons, alternate; sixth grade — Landon Bowers, second; and middle school eighth grade — Lainey Bowers, first, and Ben Puffenbarger, third. Congratulations to these upcoming stars.
Community members are “all a buzz” with where Dover Paul, the emu, has gone on his/her spring vacation. Dover has been missed as he has become a landmark where heads always move to see the whereabouts. A home has been erected for his/her comfort, and food has been readily given to stave off hunger. Hopefully, the grass isn’t greener and soon the emu will return to its location.
Donna and Bill Arrington’s son, Evan, and his family came to visit. They reside in Morgantown.
Charles and “Pidge” visited last Monday with Willard Rader at VMRC in Harrisonburg, Virginia. They also visited Wanda Pitsenbarger.
Judy Costello spent the weekend with her mother, Evelyn Varner.
The writer received a cheery note from Arvella Pitsenbarger Blair. She enjoyed the Rev. Siki Kulman article for she was five years old when he first arrived to pastor the Thorn Creek parish. He even married Arvella and Charles in 1962. She mentioned that he had such a positive influence on the lives of many people.
Following his hip surgery, Phil Downs is spending recuperating time with his daughter, Tara Kelley of Springfield, Virginia.
Joel and Betsy Farrar of Lynchburg, Virginia, were visitors Saturday of Judy Rader. Judy Rader, Lorena Hoover and Benny and Linda Custer visited Sunday with Willard Rader at VMRC in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Clickety-clacks for the chin waggers are as follows:
- Alligators and sharks can live up to 100 years.
- If all the books in the New York Public Library were lined up, they would stretch eight miles.
- Venus and Uranus are the only planets that spin clockwise.
- Switzerland prohibits the ownership of just one guinea pig.
- The longest walkable route in the world is 14,000 miles.
March birthdays include Doug Reedy and Parker Chapman, first; Leslie Bowers, Tim L. Hoover, Ben Puffenbarger, Bradley Wilfong and Kenny Hoover, second; Myrtle Lester and Chris Lambert, third; Judy Grimm and Joy Bennett, fourth; Ruth Warner and Myrtle Mauzy, fifth; Teresa Hott, Tina Eye and Thelma Thompson, sixth; Myrtle Pitsenbarger and Linda Rexrode, seventh; Alvin Pratt, eighth; Marsha Nelson, ninth; Roger Shrewsberry, Pastor Paul Schafer, Willie Rader, Emily Kobetic, Ann Wimer and Pam Waggy, 10th; Diane Pennybacker, Rob Lambert, Ryan Sponaugle, Jason Rexrode and Eugene Varner, 11th; Jeff Bowers and Carolyn Thompson, 12th; Linda Mallow, Anthony Bowers and Letha Caplinger, 14th; Wanda Pitsenbarger, Holly Crider, April Simmons, Chloe Simmons and Krista Owens, 15th; and Julie Smith, 16th.
Concerns are for Bob Adamson, John Ashley, Roger Ashley, Mercedes Aumann, Dave Basagic, Allen Beachler, Liz and Mick Bodkin, “Bo” Boggs, Patty Chapman, Marie Cole, Stanley Dahmer, Phil Downs, the Carroll Reid Eckard family, Isaac Eye, Marie Eye, Mary Eye, Carl Gant, David Gillespie, Lola Graham, Patsy Green, JC Hammer, the Marvin Hartman family, Steve and Armanda Heavner, Donald Hedrick, Hannah Hedrick, Jack and Starr Hedrick, George Hevener, Jim Hiner, Evan Hise, Edsel and Mary Ann Hogan, Virgil Homan, Jr., Keith Hoover, Myrtle Hoover, Debbie and Enos Horst, the Alice Johnson family, Richard Judy, Marsha Keller, Tom and Kim Kline, Tracie Knight, Laura Kropp, Melissa Lambert, O’Dell Lambert, Robert Lambert, Rex Landis, Roger and Skip Mallow, Audree Marie, Ed May, Gene and Joan McConnell, Gary McDonald, Neil McLaughlin, Rose Miller, Bruce Minor, Barbara Moats, Gloria Moats, the Jon Morford family, Bill Mullenax, Helen Nash, Aaron Nelson, Angie Nelson, Ruth Nelson, Cheryl Paine, Terri Parker, Wilma Pitsenbarger Rexrode, Andy Pond, Janice Propst, Eldon “Butch” Puffenbarger, Alda Propst, Janis Propst, Marilyn Propst, Mike Propst, Sheldon Propst, Tom Rader, Willard Rader, Brandon Reel, Jason Rexrode, Jimmy Rexrode, Linda Fay Rexrode, Dennis Riggleman, Jenny Ruddle, Mary Sawyers, Brittany Shriver, Annie Simmons, Erin Simmons, Eva Simmons, Greg Simmons, Judy Simmons, Natalie Stephenson, Nelson Simmons, Tonya Simon, Robbie Sites, Mike Skiles, Ed and Carolyn Smith, Tina Stuben, Steve Stump, Gary, Carol, and Jon Swecker, Linda and Larry Vandevander, Sandra Vandevander, Amy Vaus, Estelle Wagner, Mary Louise Waldschlager, Rene White, Sherry Wilfong, Judy Williams and Ann and Ed Wimer.
Cutline:
Dr. Ona Franklin Mitchell (Jan. 16, 1903 – June 28, 1950) was the son of Jacob F Mitchell (Sept. 23, 1858 – March 17, 1947) and Florence Propst (Nov. 17, 1867 – June 12, 1919) who married on Dec. 28, 1893. Dr. Mitchell married Pauline Vivian Eye (June 9, 1916 – Oct. 9. 1976) and their children were Kay Mitchell Parsons and Judy Ann Mitchell Urquhart. He is buried at the Cedar Hill Cemetery in Franklin.