The Senior Observer

 A flood of memories is coming back to me after listening to a tape I made when Grandson Loren was just learning to talk.  What age is that ?  Di and Loren had come down from Anchorage and we had invited Kay's folks over for dinner.  We had the four generations there and of course made sure we took  a picture.  Di had it taken as I heard it on the tape.  Also there was a pump organ  we got somewhere that I had completely forgotten about.   I remembered that Kay took lessons as a kid and knew she played although she never really played any more.  We gave all our kids lessons on some instrument. I also remember that we had the really old piano from the Brown's wasn't it?  I am sure it was not the Hemry's piano.  I am also sure we should have a picture of it somewhere as we took pictures of  everything. Eventually in Lake Forest Park where the incident above happened we gave the piano to someone to keep while we were to later get it back if we wanted it.  In moving it from the house the kids let it bounce down the steps and something broke.  I was not very happy about this and they were not all that happy to have to move it either.  I recorded Kay playing the pump organ that we got somewhere I forget now.  She was not an E Power Biggs playing it but considering she hadn't really played a piano or organ for years she did very well.    Dianne should have that picture of us as I heard her directing everyone to their place before it was taken.  Dianne if you read this and have the picture which I am sure you do as you are so organized.  I can put it in the video I am making of the incident.  Frank also told about being whipped with a rubber hose. You probably thought that rubber hoses were only used by sadistic prison guards in old movies.  Not so, it was common in public schools.  Not in private but right up there in front of the whole class to see.  Not only that but the Nazi salute was also common until Hitler came into power. Washington Grade school in Seattle where I went they would bring everyone out into the big hall and we would pledge allegiance to the flag. I made many tapes of what people remembered of the "old days."  Where they are now I don't know. The tapes of course.  I have this one and a family one I did in 1952 and 1957. I have one made originally on wire before tape came into general use.