Category Archives: fun

Halloween from the olden days

October 31, 2020creativity, fun, Memoriessusanmanzke

This newspaper clipping was taken at Ann Rutledge elementary school in Lincoln Estates in the 1960s.

I’m in the big hat in front and to the left of the nun. To the left of me is my friend, Marilyn. John was Little Bo Peep next to the gorilla, far left. Cousin Chris is a scarecrow on the floor to the right.

I believe we dunked for apples, which meant if you weren’t first, a lot of makeup was floating on the water by the time it was your turn.

My sister remembers winning a whistling contest. You had to eat a cracker and then see who could whistle first. Karen Won!

As entertainment, they had a talent show that night. My sister and her friend Janie made up a skit involving what they thought was a pineapple and ended up being a wasp nest.

Since I had on a long dress, for the talent show, I sang Daisy (A Bicycle Built for Two). I did it but was so scared and quiet, no one heard me. I remember hearing people say, “Louder.”

Now, to scare you for Halloween what follows is my current rendition of Daisy which I remember word for word–odd how something sticks in your mind.

Don’t blame me if you can’t sleep tonight after hearing this.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

A Halloween memory

October 30, 2020Family, funsusanmanzke

Things never changed for me. The kids wanted a fancy costume for Halloween but they had a mother who insisted on raiding the closets for old clothes to use.

In the end, the kids figured out how to make costumes from everything from a garbage bag to Dad’s old work clothes, which after Halloween, would go back into Bob’s to-be-worn clothes.

Halloween costume suggestions

October 29, 2020Columns, Family, funsusanmanzke

I’ve never bought a Halloween costume. Only homemade for me, which was a problem when I didn’t have time to sew, or even cared to sew.

This column from 1981, has children asking for the impossible.

Good thing they settled for easy homemade, slap-together costumes.

No matter what they were, they ended up with too much candy.

Underwear?

October 24, 2020Family, funsusanmanzke

I hope you get a kick out of this archival column. It is timeless.

Poor Rachel. I don’t think she ever really understood what was happening.

Such a simple misunderstanding brought a lot of laughter to our house, except for Rachel.

Laughter is good medicine for anything that ails you. It picks up a person’s spirits even if not ailing.

Actress for a day

October 22, 2020Family, fun, Odds and endssusanmanzke

Well, I wasn’t exactly an actress. I was an extra. I found out that the biggest part of a movie extra’s life is sitting and waiting, and waiting, and waiting some more.

That was the first of two days. The second, I took my children out of school so they could be in the movie Meet the Applegates, too.

Take them out of school?! Yes, I believe there are times that students learn more from rare experiences than working in school.

Here’s my account of being an extra.

If you watch Meet the Applegates and look for us, we are barely visible when the stars enter the back of the auditorium. At least I think one or two of my brood are visible. I’m seated, holding a sleeping Rachel, so not visible. It was a very long day.

I’m still glad my late friend, Colleen Sutherland suggested this experience all those years ago. Colleen was always one for a new adventure.

Susan Manzke

Writer, Speaker, All-Around Good Person