The Mystery Man - Part 2

Suzette didn't live very far from the Beckhold's. She arrived just as light was breaking, around 5:45am. She was sure to park her 1953 Plymouth Cranbrook a good distance from their home. Even though it wasn't very noticeable, being dark green and in average condition, she couldn't chance having her cover blown. She would have never guessed that having read all of those detective magazines would come in handy, but it sure was, now.

Suzette waited patiently, in dark sunglasses and scarf, for Mrs. Beckhold to exit the home. She knew Mr. Beckhold usually left fairly early for the store, but she wasn't very sure of Judith's schedule. Mr. Beckhold left around 7:15 and his wife followed, about 9:00am. The hunt was finally on.

As Suzette followed a few cars behind Judith, their first stop was to check in on Judith's mother, Louise. Louise was quite elderly and Mr. Beckhold would often joke that she may out live them all. Judith spent about 30 minutes inside Louise's home, as Suzette waited patiently, four doors down the street. The next stop was the post office, where Judith was mailing several letters. Suzette couldn't help but wonder if one of those letters might be going to the mystery man, but there was no way of knowing this. The third stop on Judith's list was in the neighboring town at a very inconspicuous, small, office building. Suzette wondered what sort of business Mrs. Beckhold could possibly have there. It was a much older, out of date building, and not much really went on there, anymore. Things were beginning to get interesting. Judith spent about 45 minutes, inside the building. She then got into her car and drove around to the back, and to Suzette's complete shock, the mystery man was waiting for her! He walked over to her window and Judith handed him an envelope, they spoke a few words, Judith drove away, and the mystery man got into a car which was parked behind the building, as well, and drove away in the opposite direction. Suzette was a bit stunned. Her mind racing through scenarios. Was Mrs. Beckhold in some sort of trouble, and paying this guy off for her involvement in some kind of sinister affair? Or even worse, was she planning a hit on Mr. Beckhold?! What reason could she possibly have for this? The Beckhold's seemed to be a perfect, successful, and happy couple.

Suzette continued her surveillance on Judith, but the unusual actions seemed to be over and done with, for now. Suzette decided to drive out to the creek, near her home. She always seemed to do her best thinking there.. and boy, did she have a lot of thinking to do!

She began to put the facts together. Mrs. Beckhold was first seen at the Jr. high football game, speaking with the mystery man, near the concession stand, in a dark corner. Next, Suzette saw the same man on the 11 o'clock news, speaking with President Eisenhower, and entering his limousine. And now Judith was seen speaking with and handing an envelope to the same man, at a very old and nearly obsolete, office building. Something sure smelled like rotten fish and Suzette was determined to get to the bottom of it. Mr. Beckhold's life could depend on it!

That night, as Suzette was lying in bed, her mind still spinning with "what if's", she came to the conclusion that this man must be some sort of international spy and Mrs. Beckhold must be entangled in some sort of sinister pursuit.. and seeming to be a willing participant, as well. Mr. Beckhold didn't seem to aware at all of what was going on, which was intriguing in and of itself. The two were so close, how could he not be aware of this? Suzette decided that the envelope given to the mystery man must have been payment for a hit job on Mr Beckhold. Judith must need him out of the picture in order to further her involvement in this international spy ring. And it had to look like an accident! Remember, this was a small town and neighbors talk.

Suzette knew that she must get word to the local police of what was going on. She spoke to the chief and he appeared skeptical, to say the least. Letting her know that he thought her overactive imagination was getting the best of her, but she insisted. She began to lay out all of the "evidence" and slowly but surely seemed to begin to get the Chief thinking.  The more Suzette talked, the more concerned he became. The Chief finally relented and told her that he would have his men get right on it, and thanked her for the tip. She felt a bit better, but knew she had to stay on top of this. Lives we hanging in the balance! The following day, she heard a news report on the radio, that the President of the United States was coming to town for meetings with local law enforcement. Suzette knew this could not be a coincidence and that the mystery man and Mrs. Beckhold must have known this in advance. Was the hit on the president? Was he actually the one who would be targeted and not Mr. Beckhold? Suzette didn't know quite what to think at this point, except that something terrible was about to happen to someone! That night, she noticed the Chiefs patrol car parked several houses down from the Beckhold's, and thought, finally, he's doing something about this! Her heart was racing because she felt like time was running out. She parked even further down and began to sneak toward the home, noticing that there were more vehicles than usual parked throughout the neighborhood. Suddenly, she was stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the mystery man sneaking into the backdoor of the Beckhold's darkened home! She frantically looked all over for the Chief and suddenly heard a very loud scream, from what sounded like multiple people. What is going on? she thought... she was now in a full blown panic. Something must have happened to someone! Was it the president? Was it Mr. Beckhold? As she peered through the window she saw the lights come on and huge crowd of people gathered in the home. It's an entire gang, she thought! Then she saw Mr. Beckhold, the Chief, the mystery man, and even the president! They were laughing and hugging, and carrying on. Her heart suddenly sank from embarrassment. She quickly realized that this was no sinister plot against anyone, but a very well planned and orchestrated surprise birthday party for Mr. Beckhold! Suzette was ready to turn her journalism hat in. She felt like a failure. The Chief noticed that she looked quite down as he put his arm around her and explained what had happened. The mystery man, whose name was actually Henry Wallous, Mr. Beckhold, and President Eisenhower, all played football together in high school. They were the rat pack of 1909. He explained that he knew all along of the plans for the party, but couldn't reveal that to Suzette when she came to him. He did however, tell her what terrific detective skills she showed and her persistence with the case was admirable. He thought she'd make a great investigative journalist someday. Needless to say, this put a huge smile on Suzette's face. She continued with reporting and eventually did land that big city reporting job, but gave it up some years ago to pursue a career as a private eye, which seemed to be her true calling.

The Mystery Man - Part One...

Suzette was a rouge, freelance, reporter for the Regal Times, in the bustling city of Hanover, New Hampshire. Well, maybe more like "Journalism student" and "small town", but Suzette aspired to be a big time reporter for a big city paper, someday. For now, however, she would settle for covering the high school's home coming parade, football games, and who won the garden of the month trophy.

It was was nearing new year's eve and the year was about to become 1959. It was hard to believe that the 50's would soon be coming to a close, but they were. Suzette had spent the past two years reporting for the Regal, as a journalism student and truly enjoyed it, but she was beginning to become bored with her small town, neighborhood articles. She wanted something big, a real scoop, as they say.  One night, as she was covering a Jr high football game, she noticed a man that she didn't recognize, lurking in a dark corner between the concession stand and the restrooms. Her imagination began to run wild. Who was he? Where did he come from? What was he doing there? Was he meeting someone? If so, who? All of these questions and more, began to race through her mind. As she was dreaming of a "big scoop", she noticed a woman, resembling Mrs. Judith Beckhold. Judith was a very nice, mild mannered  lady who was married to James Beckhold, a very successful, local business man. They owned the local J&J food market, in town. Everyone knew and loved them. They were very warm and welcoming people.They were in their mid 50 and a very attractive, active, and sociable couple. So, it seemed very odd to Suzette that Judith would meeting a strange man in a dark corner, at night.. and why at a football game, where they could be seen? Of course, maybe the whole thing was on the up and up, but maybe it wasn't. What if Judith was cheating on her husband? Scandalous! As the two talked for a moment, Suzette watched as closely as she could and suddenly they went around the corner and couldn't be seen any longer. Suzette became frustrated and decided to investigate further. She snuck around the rear of the concession stand, trying to keep herself from view. They stood close to each other and seemed to be whispering. But what about? There's was no way Suzette could get close enough to find out, and she didn't want to get caught, so she went back to the game, but all the while, debating in her mind how she could find out more.

Suzette went straight home after the game, the St. Steven's Eagles being the winner that night, and she turned on her Television. The 11 o'clock news had just begun, and being a reporter, she loved to watch, keeping herself up to date on the latest events around the world and around the corner. So, she kicked off her shoes and indulged in a bit of snowy black and white, for her rabbit ears seemed to be on the blink. As she was thinking about what a great anchor she would make, a story came on concerning President Eisenhower. Film, from the week before, was being shown of him getting into a big, black, limousine at the U.N., just after having had talks with some other world leaders, on the state of the cold war. Suzette didn't think much of it, until suddenly, she saw the president stop a strange man. Suzette was stunned; she couldn't believe her eyes!! It seemed to be the same man that she had seen at the football game, sneaking around with Mrs. Beckhold! The president and this mystery man spoke for just a moment and then the two entered the presidents limousine and drove off. Suzette's mind, again, began to race.Who was this man?? Was he some sort of double agent? An international spy? A secret operations agent? And what did he know? Did he have top secret information? Was he receiving top secret information from the leader of the free world? Was he involved somehow, in the cold war talks? Suzette's mind and curiosity were at top speed, but she didn't quite know what to do with it all. So, she went to bed, but didn't sleep.

The next morning, she got up at dawn, and drove to the Beckhold's home. She was putting on her Gumshoe hat. She decided that she would do little surveillance on Mrs. Beckhold.

To be continued...

Stay tuned.

The Sparkling Tiki... An Unforgettable Weekend

The year was 1961. She pulled up to the Sparkling Tiki Motor Inn, excited about some much needed rest and relaxation. She exited her 1957 Belair Sport Coupe and entered the motel office to see about a vacancy for a few days. She was in luck... she got a room.. room number 11. She drove to her door, parked, and brought herself and her luggage inside. The room was lovely. The Sparkling Tiki was a fairly new establishment. The room had it's own telephone and TV, complete with the latest in Rabbit Ears, and best of all, a brand new restaurant had recently opened, right next door! The Polynesian Room was of course, Polynesian themed, which she found very appealing.. She couldn't wait to have dinner there, it would be her first time enjoying Polynesian food, but for now, it was nearing lunch time. She was walking back across the parking lot to the office to inquire about a nice diner to get a bite to eat, noticed the pool area, and decided to take a detour. She loved the water and wanted to see what awaited her over the next couple of days. She made her way to the pool fence and there he was. She was stunned by his good looks and aloof demeanor. He was lying on a lounge chair, engrossed in what looked to be a captivating novel. He was tan, wearing white swim trunks with a navy blue stripe down each leg, and was the spitting image of Cary Grant. For a moment, he looked over the top of his book. They made split second eye contact and the butterflies, that had made themselves at home in her stomach, took flight. She immediately blushed, turned around, and headed back toward the office.

He was all she could think about. That evening at 5 o'clock there came a knock at her door. It was him. Her heart soared! She didn't think he noticed her, but boy, did he! He asked if she would like to accompany him for dinner at the Polynesian Room. Well, she certainly wasn't going to turn that offer down. She calmly said, "why, I'd love to, give me just a minute", but inside she was as giddy as a teenager, thinking, this is too good to be true. Was the Cary Grant look alike really asking her to dinner? Yes, he was! They moseyed next door and got a table at a window with a beautiful view of the highway and the gas station, across the street. It was a breathtaking sight as the sun began to sink down, behind the Esso sign.

The two enjoyed pleasant conversation, and a lovely dinner, but sadly, he informed her that he would be leaving the motel the next day. She was disappointed but would never let it show, though she felt they had made a powerful connection. She was hoping the feeling was mutual. She definitely felt a spark, well, more like fireworks, between them. After dinner, they strolled the parking lot a few times, laughing, talking,  and divulging more and more about themselves. He was a real estate broker on his way to a convention, though he expressed that he wished he didn't have to go so soon, but time was pressing. He had to be packed and on the road in the morning if he was going to make it to his destination on time. Despite the fact that he would be on his way in less than 12 hours, she was on a cloud just knowing that he wanted to stay. She wanted him to stay, too. She was smitten, and apparently, so was he.

As time continued to pass and it grew later and later, he knew it was time to walk her back to her room. As they stood at the door, making small talk, she kept thinking that she wished he would stop talking and just kiss her. She would certainly never make that move herself, and as she was just about to give up hope that he might, he did. He leaned in and very gently kissed her goodnight. It was a kiss that she would remember for the rest of her life. They said goodnight, she went inside and he, being on a cloud himself, but acting very calm, cool, and collected, strolled back to his room, as well. He thought to himself, "wow, what a girl!" The feeling was mutual and they both knew it.

As much as both of them didn't want the morning to arrive, it did. And as he packed his 1958 Fairlane, he kept wishing he didn't have to. "Maybe I can skip the convention", he thought. But his spot was already reserved and paid for and to boot, he was a guest speaker. He was stuck. So, as he was reluctantly ready to hit the road, they said their goodbyes. He told her he'd see her again, and as much as she wanted to believe him, she knew it wasn't true. Not that he was deliberately lying to her, because in his heart he believed it, but she knew life and distance would get in the way and though her heart was breaking, she was thankful for their meeting and time spent together. It was bittersweet as they kissed goodbye. He asked her for her telephone number and promised he would call her when he returned home from his convention. She wouldn't hold her breath. With a big smile and an aching heart, she wished him safe travels and happy motoring, which brought a chuckle from them both, and she watched his Fairlane drive off into the fast approaching sunrise. She was sad. He was sad. She would continue her life. A week later, she was home, and back into her daily routine, though her mind was still set on the weekend. prior. As the following weekend was coming to a close, her telephone rang. She picked it up, assuming it was one of her girl friends, looking to go a movie or something, and when she said hello, she heard a very familiar voice. It was him, and her heart soared...

The Backhand

Meanwhile, back in the 70's...
Carol and her best friend, Sue, are preparing for their next semifinals match of the 1976 Bicentennial Women's Tennis Tournament at their neighborhood, Sunview Swim and Tennis Club. They are up against two of the best players in the league, and also their good friends, Tammy and Marge. Carol is only slightly concerned. She has been working on her backhand, which has always been her nemesis, since she and Sue decided to enter the tournament, back in May. If only Carol's backhand were as perfected as her Key Lime Pie, they'd have this thing in the bag. It's now Thursday, July 22nd, and tomorrow morning is their final semifinals match. If they win this, they head to the finals. Their longtime doubles rivals, Betty and Joann, are also in the semifinals. Of all the doubles teams they could potentially be matched up with, should they proceed to the finals, they're hoping it's not those two. Betty is a very nice lady, but Joann is known to be a sore loser and the club prima donna. None of the ladies in the league can figure out how Betty can continue to be Joann's doubles partner, though it's common knowledge why the league heads have not asked Joann to leave. It's a club reality, and every knows it. You see, Joann has been causing trouble since she joined in 1973, shortly after becoming real estate mogul, Sherman Goldberg's trophy wife. This happened only months after losing the love of his life and wife of 40 years, Alison, to a very suspicious poisoning at Joann's annual Christmas Eve open house, of which none of the the other guests were affected, though they all enjoyed the shrimp cocktail, which was the main suspect. Though the investigation ruled it an "accident", many Sunview members find the coincidence unsettling, to say the least. Interesting, as well, is the widely known fact that Sherman is single handedly funding the construction of the brand new Sunview clubhouse, to be named in honor of Alison Goldberg. Alison also happened to be a very dear friend of Carol and Sue and also a well loved member of the women's tennis league.

 It's now 7 o'clock on a warm, sunny, Friday morning and Carol has the Caprice wagon loaded up, and is on her way to pick up Sue for the semifinals. Sue just got her brand new Wilson racket and is hoping it lends itself to a win, today, and Carol is wearing her favorite light blue pom pom tennis socks. She's noticed that she always does well with pom poms, though she is not at all superstitious, just maybe a bit of a "traditionalist", let's say. Whatever the reason, Carol's game day accessory choices, which include her adidas court shoes, give her the confidence she needs to bring home a win.

They arrive at the club and begin to unload their gear and prepare for the match. Carol and Sue do a bit of warming up on the court with some light rallying, while Tammy and Marge are on the opposite court, doing the same. They greet and heckle each other in a very fun and friendly manner and ask each other how their husbands and kids are doing, all of whom are in the stands cheering on their favorite players. Then, during a rally, Carol begins to notice that the strings on her Spalding seem a bit loose. She thinks to herself, "I really should have had this restrung, last week, darn it". She becomes concerned, but fortunately she brought along her trusty Dunlop backup. It may not be her favorite racket, but it'll do in a pinch, and the semifinals would definitely qualify as a pinch. She's hoping the use of the Dunlop doesn't throw her game off.. especially her backhand! Though she's been practicing for a couple of months, she's still not fully confident in her swing. However, today is a big day; she has to focus on all of her other abilities. Her forehand is fantastic, as is her serve, which is powerful and fast, and she is quick on her feet. And Sue always seems to be adequately well versed in all areas of her game. Together, they make a great team!

It's Friday evening and Carol just got off the phone with Sue, discussing their close win in the semi finals match, today. They both also mentioned, several times, what terrific sportswomen Tammy and Marge are.. they are so much fun to compete against! They also found out, this afternoon, that Betty and Joann have made it to the finals, and they will be competing against them tomorrow morning. They discussed how they might try to intimidate Joann on the court, but since they are Christian ladies, decided that they are good enough players to win this thing, fair and square. And besides, they are actually quite fond of Betty. Carol ran all of this by Bob, and he is in full agreement that they can win this. Bob has played many a doubles match with Carol, Sue, and Sue's husband, Doug, and knows that these two ladies are perfectly capable of taking Joann and Betty to the cleaners! Of course, it's just a friendly tournament.. or so they think.You see, Joann is a tennis tyrant and known within the Sunview league to be quite unethical. Even surrounding leagues have a similar opinion. But the match must go on and a champion will be crowned.

It's now Saturday morning, and Carol and Sue are on the court, warmed up and ready to go. Carol figures she did well with the Dunlop, yesterday, so she is confident in her racket, and is wearing her same accessories, including her socks, which she of course, washed last night. Today, however, she also added her yellow (her favorite color) Puma polo blouse. Both ladies slept well last night, and prayed together this morning, asking for wisdom and guidance in the match. They are ready to win!

It's 9am and the match is beginning. The racket has been spun and Joann will serve first. Joann has a powerful serve, but not powerful enough to phase Carol and Sue. Carol returns and the rally begins...

Joann and Betty have narrowly won the first set. The girls take a break. As Carol drinks some league provided Gatorade, Sue sips on a nice, refreshing, Fresca, her court beverage of choice. They can't believe Joann and Betty have taken the first set, and they realize that they must win the next two in order to win the match. Carol also knows that one of the main reason they lost was due to her unperfected backhand. It's a problem that she has been well aware of for a long time. They have to stay focused, however, which may be difficult to do because at this point, Joann has become quite obnoxious. She has succumb to calling the girls loser, hasbeens, and is boasting about knowing a great coach she can send them to for lessons. What Joann doesn't realize, is that all of her heckling is making Carol and Sue that much more determined.

The second set has just ended and Carol and Sue are declared the winners. Just one more set to go. They have to do this. The club championship is in their sights. They realize that if they lose to Joann, not only will they never hear the end of it, but the disappointment of this loss will be a dark cloud that hovers over the Sunview Swim and Tennis Club for generations to come. Victory is their only option.

It's been a hard fought battle throughout the morning. In each loss for Carol and Sue, it's come down to Carol's backhand being not only a disappointment, but the weak link in their pursuit of the club championship. It's down to the final set. The first game goes to Joann and Betty. Joann begins to amp up her heckling, though betty seems a bit embarrassed by the whole thing. As the second game commences, Betty smiles at her opponents, as sort of way to let them know that she is not in agreement with Joann's unsportsmanlike, behavior. They smile back. However, Betty is still giving her all on the court with her punishing, overhead kill shots from the net. However, despite Betty's aggressive game plan, the second game goes to Carol and Sue.

Both sides continue to win their serve, and so we sit. Joann and Betty 4, Carol and Sue, 5.

Service, Carol. 40-30. Carol bounces her Penn twice, throws it in the air, raises her racket, and serves the ball at lightening speed. Joann returns and the four rally for what seems like quite a long time. Then, suddenly, Joann hits a driving shot down the middle of the court, straight to Carol, knowing that her backhand could very well lose the match. As Carol see the ball coming straight for her, knowing it can only be a backhand shot, she thinks to herself, "no, not my backhand! I can't lose on my backhand!" As she races towards the ball, the moment becomes as in slow motion, and in that split second, she thinks of how she might avoid the backhand, but realizes she can't. There is no other option. She knows she must win this point. She cannot allow a tie to happen. She begins to have flashbacks of her old coach, club pro, Bill Thompson, telling her to set her feet and extend through the ball.. extend through the ball! With two hands, she sets her foot, extends through and hits the ball with a topspin that she has never experienced before!  While Joann is celebrating in her head, believing Carol will never return her line drive, the ball rockets towards Joann like a meteor, as Betty secretly cheers Carol on, and hits the unsuspecting egomaniac right, smack in the nose! Joann's racket goes flying through the air, as she stumbles backward, not able to maintain her balance, right into the court fencing, as Carol and Sue jump for joy on the court! We won, we won!! As Joann sits silently on the ground, blood dripping on her brand new pro shop tennis outfit, they jog to the net to congratulate Betty on a great match. And as they ask Joann if is she is ok, Joann's only response is a scowl on her face, as the entire club rushes the court, cheering for Carol and Sue! Joann, left alone, again, this time a loser and a permanent member of the hall of shame.


1 Thessalonians 5:18 ..in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

The USO, Hawaii, and Fate... A Love Story

The Year was 1952, on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It's where Barbara and Russ met, began their courtship, and subsequently, their life together. You see, Barbara worked with the USO on the Big Island, as a singer, and Russ was an unsuspecting American soldier looking for a little leisure time. On this particular February night, Barb, (that's what her friends called her), was performing some numbers for the G.I.'s, trying to improve moral, you might say. This was Russ' first time in the Oahu USO club, and he noticed Barb, right away. Well, I suppose you could say, all of the soldiers noticed Barb. She was beautiful, brunette, and had a figure that would make any young man want to join the service. She also had a captivating voice. It was around 9:00pm when Russ walked in and she was singing a rousing rendition of Mockingbird Hill. Russ thought to himself, "wow, what a looker!" He was immediately taken by her beauty, but didn't think for one minute that it could be mutual. He didn't give it a second thought. He was just happy to be there and enjoy the show.

Barb sang a few more numbers, then exited the stage and joined some of her co workers, as they took a break in between sets. Russ didn't pay too much attention, but as he made his way to the bar to order a ginger ale, (Russ wasn't a drinker), Barb noticed him. He appeared to be alone, and had a clean cut, "good boy", sort air about him. Barb was immediately intrigued because most of the G.I.'s in the hall were constantly coming on to her, which got very old, very quickly. Because she was a performer, the fellas tended to have a certain idea of the type of girl she must be, which wasn't true, at all. She actually grew up in the Midwest in a very conservative home, and has stayed true to her roots. It just so happened that Barb had a powerful set of pipes, as they say, and desired to make some type of contribution to her country. She was a very patriotic gal, as were her parents and two brothers, who were also in the service.

Barb and her co-workers took the stage once again for the last set of the evening. Russ was truly enjoying the show and was thinking that he might return the following weekend if possible. The set ended and Barb, being a bit of an out going type of girl, approached Russ, asking if he enjoyed the show. Russ assured her that he did and complimented her on her beautiful voice. Barb thanked him and sensed a sincerity in his kind words. They began a nice conversation and by the time Russ had to get back to base, he had gotten up the courage to ask Barb out on a date. She wasn't working the following Saturday, so they decided to meet then, and make a day of it.

Barb and Russ began seeing each other on a regular basis and made plans to head one weekend to the island of Hakalau. Hakalau boasted a bustling sugarcane town, but also had wonderful areas of serene beauty. They arrived in the morning and spent the day exploring the city. By twilight time, as they walked hand in hand, Barb felt that her heart had quite a few things to say, so, she turned to Russ and asked, "Russ, can I tell you something?" Russ replied, "of course, anything". And in a soft, coy voice, she said, "you're my boy, oh boy". Russ' heart and eyes lit up, as they continued their walk.

Now, it happened that two years later, the two were married. They had a small, simple ceremony and afterward returned to Barbs hometown to celebrate with her parents. Russ had no family to really speak of, but now had a big wonderful family to call his own. They all loved him. He fit right in.

In 1955, they returned to Hakalau, both just having ended their service to the country. They wanted to return to the place where they began their life together. This time they had rented a car and decided to take a drive along the coast and as the light from that big, magnificent moon led the way, they found themselves driving all night, both remarking on how nice it was to just be together, roaming the coast of their beautiful Hakalau. The two of them, being very sentimental people, relished the the moon, the night, the moment.

As time went by and they lived their day to day life, they decided in 1961, that it was time to return to their beloved Hakalau. Six years seemed far too long to stay away. They heard of a luau that was to take place on Saturday night and they decided it would be great fun. As much time as they had spent in Hawaii, they had never been to a luau. As the pig was roasted, and the food prepared, the men played drums, the fire raged, and the beautiful hula girls danced the night away. Barb commented on how gorgeous and flawless they looked. It was then that Russ turned to her and in a loving and sincere voice whispered, "may I kiss the most beautiful of all?". Well, Barb's heart melted and the night couldn't get any better. Though they had been married for several years now, they still adored each other and were surely, the best of friends. The following afternoon, as they sat on the beach, Barb holding Russ' arm and reminiscing on the night before, a storm began to roll through, but they didn't move. As the rain poured down, they laughed right through it, enjoying the wind, the waves, the rain, and most of all, each other's company. It seemed nothing could be more perfect. They were content with the the simple but most important things.

The next morning they headed back to Wisconsin and lived their lives for the next 9 years. It was then that they decided it was time for one more trip to Hakalau. The year was 1970 and when they arrived to Hakalau they found the bustling town to be no more. The sugar factories had moved and the townspeople went, as well. Russ and Barb were surprised and dismayed but soon felt as though they had the entire island to themselves. As they spent their last day on the beach of their first love, Hakalau, they walked hand in hand over that beautiful Polynesian sand. And as the big Hawaiian sun began to sink, Russ turned to Barb, gently kissed her on the cheek and said, "you're still my baby". Barb's heart melted, once again. A Hawaiian love story for the record books.


1 Thessalonians 5:18 ..in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Thank you, Florence

November 25, 2016 marks a sad day for those of us over the age of 40. It's the day that we heard the heartbreaking news that Florence Henderson had passed away at the age of 82. Florence was an actor and singer whose career spanned 6 decades. She was known best, for two roles. The first and most significant was her portrayal of Carol Bady, on one America's all time favorite TV shows, The Brady Bunch, which ran from 1969-1974. However, she was also the spokeswoman for Wesson Oil from 1976-1996. I suppose we all remember her as the face of Wesson Oil.

Florence was born February 14, 1934, in Indiana, to two hard working, catholic parents. Her mother began teaching her to sing at the age of 2 and by age 12, she was singing locally at grocery stores. After graduating high school in 1951, from St Francis Academy, Florence headed to New York to study at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. The rest, as they say, is history.

Over her career, Florence performed in many stage productions, television shows, and various TV appearances. She was one of those Hollywood personalities that you just never really heard anything negative about. She was a class act and meant so much to those of us who grew up during the Brady Bunch era. While teaching her television children right from wrong and guiding them through their lives, she did the same for us. She taught us to never play ball in the house, that we can accomplish whatever we put our mind to, to always be truthful, and to never try to imitate someone else but always be ourselves. She was funny, witty, serious, and classy.  One of the lines I remember the best was during the episode when Peter's voice was changing. The other kids had voted on whether to keep him in their singing group, The Brady 6, or not. They were afraid he'd ruin the record that they had planned to re-cord. They asked Carol what they should do, and she said (my paraphrase), "sometimes, there are more important things than money and fame, like people." And of course the kids did the right thing and had Peter record with them, regardless of the turn out. Her advice was always solid. And from all appearances, her TV family loved her as much in real life as they seemed to on the televison screen. That says a lot about Florence, the person.

Ahhh, Florence, thank you for the laughs, the guidance, the morals, and the memories. We love you and will miss you, Mrs. Brady. Know that you left a mark on millions.


1 Thessalonians 5:18 ..in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

The Good, The Bad, The Babysitters

As kids in the 1970's, there were plenty of times when my brother and I needed a babysitter. Our parents belonged to the Bar None Square Dance Club and every Friday night they would hit the dance floor and dosey doe, till the cows came home. They even wore that classic 70's Square Dance attire of boots, cowboy hats, petticoat and skirt, and the standard Roy Rogers/Dale Evans cowboy/girl shirt and blouse. When they came out all dressed up and ready to allemande left and promenade, this always meant two things for my brother and me. First, it meant we got to have Chef Boyardee for dinner, and second, a babysitter. This always meant a fun time was ahead. Well, usually, anyway.

We had two babysitters that we loved. One was our Aunt Debbie and the other was Sister Mary Imelda, from our grammar school. Let's start first with our aunt. She was only 8 years older than me and 6 years older than my brother, so we got along great! Debbie would arrive via a ride from my dad, and as soon as our parents left we would begin planning our "pig out" time, as we called it. My mom always kept great snacks in the house, such as, Suzy Q's, King Dons, Charles Chips cookies, and Danish Go-Rounds. So with mom and dad gone, we would make the most of our unsupervised snacking time. Once, when our parents were out dancing, Debbie, my brother, and I decided it would be a great idea to make popcorn to go along with our TV watching, which would start with the ever popular Planet of the Apes. Seems easy enough, right? Well, we got the popcorn maker out and placed it on the stove. We added the oil and the popcorn kernels and Debbie proceeded to turn the burner on underneath it. We then waited with great anticipation for our freshly popped corn! It didn't take long, however, for us to wonder where the "burning" smell was coming from. We soon realized that the popcorn popper was melting! As it turns out, it was electric and should have been plugged into the outlet. Oops! Boy, did we get in trouble for that one! But actually, I imagine my parents probably secretly laughed about it, later. We had such wonderful times back then with our aunt. She was always ready to watch TV or play games with us. We would play charades, board games, or cards. It was innocent and wholesome fun. It was like having our friend over and not the "babysitter".

The other beloved babysitter was Sister Mary Imelda. She was a nun and the librarian at our grammar school. She was very soft spoken and one of the nicest ladies you could ever wish to meet. I will never forget the first time she came to the house. Our mom explained that she would be babysitting us this particular night and we were very excited. We just knew that we had to be the only kids to have a nun from school babysit them. I remember telling my friends who lived across the street and also two houses down, that she'd be our babysitter that night. They didn't believe me. So, late that night there was a knock at the door. It was Billy, Clem, and Eddie, with football in hand. When Sister Imelda opened the door, the look on their faces was almost that of terror! I remember standing in the door with her and saying to them, "told ya". This lady had such a sweet and lovely spirit. She did whatever we asked her to do. She would watch TV with us and she also played games with us, such as Monopoly, Sorry, and Risk. Who remembers Risk? That had to be one of the most complicated and difficult games to understand, and to boot, it was a game that lasted forever once you started to play it. Even longer than Monopoly! I remember my brother wanted to play but we couldn't figure it out. So she went over the directions until the three of us understood it and we played for what seemed like hours. Finally, we got  too tired and had to go to bed. Sister would tuck us in and kiss us goodnight. She was a gem. We were fortunate to have her stay with us on several occasions.

Now, we only had one babysitter who we didn't like. She was a cousin of ours. An older teenager who we didn't know very well to begin with. The few times she sat with us, all she did was fuss at us and never wanted to do anything. I can remember my brother and I getting fed up, even as kids, and just going to our rooms and staying there all night. I had one of those giant sized Batman comic books that I read and plenty of Olivia Newton-John records to keep me occupied.  My brother was a bookworm, so he could read about the Crusades and WW2 all night and be happy. The morning after this particular night, when we woke up our mom told us that after we had gone to sleep, our cousin heard a noise and was sure that someone was outside. She was terrified, being all alone. They came home to her crying. I remember thinking, hmmm, maybe she should have been nice to us. I don't wish that on anyone, being afraid like that, but she really didn't need to be so grouchy. It's a good thing the movie, When a Stranger Calls, hadn't come out yet!

We really had a wonderful time with our babysitters. But that was a time when we had only 5 TV channels, all the programming was really good stuff, and we used our minds and imaginations to have fun. When the most exciting part of the night was "pig out" time, you know you were living in a wonderful era. 1970's, you are missed.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ..in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.