Ernie's Journeys

I Don't Like Cold Weather

2011-12-26T07:52:00.001-08:00

One way to keep our memories alive, according to Humorist Will Rogers, is to talk about the weather. I find it hard to understand how we can have CLEAR SKY, bright SUNSHINE B-U-T it is cold! I mean BELOW FREEZING. It did not quite make the forecast of 3 below last night but +2 is still cold for me. I NEVER did like cold weather.
When I was age 11, we were poor. School was a mile across a pasture. My younger brother, age 9, was in the hospital dying. Mom sat with him. Dad had to feed the cattle for the folks he worked for.

In our family were twins Leonard and LaVerna, age 3. We lived in the hired hand 4 room house. It was COLD and had snowed that night, and I set out to walk to school. I got about half way and my ears, feet and hands were getting numb. I was crying and found myself a snow drift that had one of those curved tops, probably six feet high. I snuggled up out of the wind for a few minutes, then I finished walking to school. I got there late, stumbled into the one room country schoolroom - half out of it. The whole class was disrupted from my entrance. The male teacher tended to me and revived me. I remember that day crystal clear.
After school a family came to pick up their kids and they took me home. That was the coldest I had or ever have been. This was in about 1932 or 1933.

My brother did die from pneumonia. It was an era when the Depression had just started. We had been share croppers in Trego County, Kansas (rural WaKeeney). We had hail, 11 inch rains, etc.

Dad had to take Bankruptcy. We moved to Mom's brother Fred Koleber's, who lived near Eaton, Colorado. After my brother Alfred died in 1933, we moved back to Barton County, Kansas. Fred Michaelis financed us to get re-established. His wife, Eva (Margheim) was my dad's oldest sister.

Shortly after that, 1935 the Dust storms rolled in. But we survived.

Getting Ready for Christmas

2011-12-17T08:16:00.000-08:00

Last May I spent several weeks in the hospital and in rehab in a nursing home to recover from the effects of deydration. Then in August I accidentally took an overdose of insulin, which landed me in the hospital again, as I fell during that experience and cracked my ribs in 14 places. Somehow I've made a complete recovery, tho I still have issues to deal with, but am feeling better than I have in several months.

Since I have daily visits from the super volunteers at Meals on Wheels, who bring my lunch Monday through Saturday, I am able to enjoy short visits with people. I live alone and don't drive, and that can get to be a lonely experience. My daughter Becky comes to my house to visit and help me with "chores" several times a week. And her husband Jamie stops by to do occasional repairs. This week Becky took me out on Tuesday morning to an appointment with my foot doctor. Then we went to the eye doctor where I got my glasses straightened, repaired and cleaned. After that she took me to get a (she said a badly-needed) haircut. Well, you hate to get all dressed up with nowhere to go! So after all those appointments, we went to lunch! It was a lot of fun...being out and about and visiting. We even saw Christmas lights in the daytime.

I'll be getting out next weekend as I go to Becky's house to celebrate Christmas eve with our family. I'll ask her to take pictures and share them here, for all my friends to see.

As I always say in my emails "Thanks for listenin'"!

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-07T16:21:00.001-08:00

Dear friends and family,

Merry Christmas Everyone! Yes, 2011 has nearly expired to make room for another year. Looking back over past decades with nostalgia, I'm flooded with memories (I'm 90 years old—celebrated August 8^th) of past experiences. I lived through the Dust Storms of the 1930's, the grasshopper plagues, and jackrabbit drives. That brings us up to WW2. In my Army years we crossed the Atlantic on the original Queen Elizabeth ship to England in preparation for the June 1944 Normandy France Invasion via Utah Beach. Our unit joined General George S Patton's third army across France. December 1944 Battle of the Bulge from Belgium, Luxembourg, across the Rhine River into Germany. I served as an interpreter for our unit, since I spoke German from childhood. May and June found us near the Czechoslovakia border. We returned to camp Lucky Strike—France to board a Kaiser Liberty Boat (ship) for bumpy ride across the Atlantic, with ocean waves brushing over the front deck next to our escort of Porpoise with their rhythm. We rode on the deck by the rail, feeling so sick! Then back to my job for 54 years at Thies Packing Co., highlighted in November 1947 with the birth of my twins—Becky and Dennis. The Lord has blessed me with great family and friends. Becky is employed as the Parish Administrator of a church and Dennis retired from the Army, now full time organist at Western Hills Methodist Church, El Paso, Texas. His wife Marie serves as a Major in the US Army at Fort Bliss.

I am doing fine. I made a couple trips to the hospital this year, but with good medical care and lots of hard work, I've recovered from a bout of dehydration and 14 cracked ribs. My meals are delivered by Meals on Wheels, so I have daily company in my house! My daughter Becky and her husband Larry Jamison look after me. I lean on them quite a bit.

This is a summary of life in Canon City, Colorado. Happy to be healthy and wishing each of you a joyous Christmas and prosperous New Year. Stay in touch. Oh by the way, if you have a computer, visit my blog "Ernie's Journeys" at http://erniemargheim.blogspot.com. I'd be very happy to hear from you (email me at erniemargheim@gmail.com). MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Cooking, Sewing and doing Laundry in the Dust Bowl Days

2011-08-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

Note from Ernie's daughter, Becky Jamison: In 2007 Harold J. Rutherford published his book "Dust, Wind and Tears: Life on the Great Plains in the 1920's, 30's, and 40's". It's a collection of personal accounts from the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Ernie contributed his story to the book. It was published by Ten Mile Publishing, 9740 Peacock St., Federal Heights, CO 80260-5749. This post is an excerpt from Ernie's story.

Commodities

I remember those oblong baskets that we bought concord grapes in. Every year Mom made jelly from several baskets of grapes. We had to buy Sur-Jel to make the grapes gel. We kids had to wash our feet and then we put the grapes in large 8 gallon crocks and stomped the grapes 'til they were all mashed up. When we got out of the crock, our feet were purple for quite a long time.

There were several mulberry bushes and trees by the windmill. We used to climb in them and pick an eat the berries. We picked wild plums that grew along the riverbank ann mixed them with mulberries and made wild plum jam. We made sauerkraut out of cabbage in 8 gallon crocks.

We bought Karo syrup in 1 gallon and 1/2 gallon buckets and used some of them for lunch buckets. They really worked great!

When we went to the store to buy commodities that we couldn't raise ourselves, we took our own jars and buckets to put the food in...foods like dried peas, corn, and various kinds of dried beans. Much of the food at stores was sold in bulk' most of the fruits and vegetables were dried. Mom, however, canned fruit, vegetables, pickles, and watermelon rinds in glass jars. She also canned tomatoes in half gallon Karo syrup buckets and sealed the lids on with a hard canning wax that melted with heat and dried hard when it was cold. When we opened the buckets, Mom took the hammer and broke the wax to get the lid off. After it was opened, we couldn't store food in the buckets until it was resealed again, as it would quickly become poisonous. We bought peanut butter in large jars and by the time we got to the bottom of the jar it was sometimes not too good!

Mom made her dresses and shirts for us kids. She also made our underwear on the sewing machine that was operated by a foot treadle. Mending was an ongoing thing. Many times Mom spent the evening sitting by a kerosene lamp mending out clothes or darning our socks. We kids wore bib overalls and Mom kept the old ones to make patches to mend our newer pants.

We had a small building called a washhouse where we did all our laundry. There was a small cast iron stove that would hold a big black iron kettle where we heated the water to do the washing. A little pile of corncobs and some coal were kept in the washhouse to heat the water. We ran our washing machine with a gas engine. Mom also used a washboard and scrubbed the extra dirty clothes. She then rinsed them in a tub of cold water, used a hand-turned wringer to get the water out of the clothes, and hung them on a line outside to dry.

The black kettle was used to make soap when we butchered a hog. We made the soap by cooking pork fat down to cracklings and mixed them with powdered lye.

Pork was a staple at many farm homes. Sausage patties were fried down and put in 8 gallon crocks and covered with lard. It kept very well then covered with lard. We ate a lot of pork. I especially liked spare ribs. Years later when my mother's brother died in Longmont, Colorado, his son said he died from eating too much pork!

Entertaining Ourselves on the Farm

2011-08-30T13:20:00.000-07:00

Entertainment

We didn't have electricity or radios at our house. Television didn't exist then. We had to entertain ourselves by pitching horseshoes, horseback riding, playing marbles, playing hide and seek, and flying kites when I was small. In the summertime baseball was quite an entertainment, not only for the players, but also for everyone who had gathered to watch the games. Most of the time games were played on Saturday or Sunday afternoons.

My dad and his brother loved to "noodle" for fish. They would wear shoes and bib overalls to swim and go under the water along the banks of these streams. In many places the streams had eroded away some of the bank and some tree roots extended out into the water. Sometimes the holes would go back into the bank among the tree roots and some large fish would go into the holes head first. The fellas quietly slipped up along those banks and, with their hands and arms, reached in to see if they could feel a fish. They tried to grab for the mouth and gills and pull them out. They were quite successful doing this, and would often come up with some huge flatheads (like a big catfish) or even channel catfish.

I was along one Sunday afternoon when they were all noodling on the Smoky Hill Rover. My Uncle Emil Koleber reached into one of those holes beneath the riverbank, and a snapping turtle grabbed and bit into one of his fingers. Snapping turtles have a reputation of being able to bite hard. Uncle Emil came right out of the water and they had to cut the turtle's head off to free his finger. The first joint of Uncle Emil's finger was disfigured for the rest of his life.

Life on the Farm in Dust Bowl Days

2011-08-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

Life on the Farm

Mom pulled fine feathers called "down" off the breasts of our live geese and made pillows and filled them with the down. They were much softer than our mattress ticks that were filled with corn shucks. Every year we dumped out the old shucks and filled the tick up again with fresh corn shucks.

In the 1930's it was very hot in the summer during the wheat harvest. We used a header pulled with horses and also used a threshing machine part of the time. We pitched wheat by hand onto the conveyor belts to the thresher that was powered by a steam engine and huge, heavy canvas belts with a figure eight configuration. I was always fascinated by how it worked. Sometimes I got a ride on the water wagon that hauled water to the threshing machine. We usually had several watermelons floating in the tank to cool.

Dad used horses and mules to pull all our farm equipment. When the threshing crew went from farm to farm, they traveled as a crow flies. When they came to a fence, they pulled the staples that held the wire fences in place and stapled the wires on the post next to the ground. When they had moved all of the machinery through the fence, they put the fence back where it had been. Sometimes this saved many hours and many miles, moving the equipment directly through the fence rather than on the roads. Every year the same farm hands came to work in the fields. Even their sons and daughters that were married came back for the harvest. It became like a family reunion. We kids had to set out the laundry washtubs with clean water so the farmhands could wash up before the meals. We looked forward to those meals because they had goodies that we usually didn't have.

Photo cou rtesy of http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/02/10/695431/-Welcome-to-Hooverville

We didn't have sheds to put our farm machinery in to get it out of the weather, so we parked them alongside the closest field. During the sand and dirt storms, our farm machinery would be completely covered up. The seat and handles usually showed, but sometimes the only way to find them was digging into a mound of sand.

Special Collections, University of Washington. Courtesy, Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, KS

Where the Russian thistles blew up against the barbed wire fences, the sand would drift up 'til only the top wire of the fence showed. Sometimes the top of a fence post was all that showed. We could walk right over the top of the fences where the sand had settled as berms along the fencerows.

I don't know how many years the dust storms lasted, but some days it would be nice and sunny in the morning, but pretty soon a red cloud would drift in. It didn't blow, it just drifted or rolled in and sometimes black clouds came in from the northwest and it would become dark out by noon. Mom tore old white bed sheets in strips to push in the cracks around the doors and windows. It still got hazy from the dust that permeated the air in the house.

Most of the time a wind would blow from one direction, then in another direction and the sand and dust covered our cow pasture 'til there wasn't anything left for a cow to eat. The pasture finally dried up and we had to sell some of our cattle to buy feed to keep the rest. Sometimes the sand would cover our Spring crop 'til it was ruined. There were times the soil around our corn would just blow away and leave the roots exposed.

Many cattle died from the dust. Some people developed dust pneumonia and eventually died as well.

Life in the 1920's and 1930's: Our Food Supply

2011-08-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

Our Food Supply

On our farm we raised corn, wheat, milo, cane and cattle. We milked eight cows by hand and that was a chore! We bucketed calves and separated the milk by hand. We made butter out of the cream for our own use and sold the rest of the cream in town and fed the skimmed milk, mixed with bran, to the calves. We made cottage cheese out of some of the soured milk and fed the curd to the chickens and hogs. Each spring we raised 200 baby chicks for fryers and kept 20-30 laying hens for the eggs. As we went to town each week to sell the cream, we also sold a lot of eggs. Our geese and turkeys helped keep the grasshoppers down. Every Fall we sold all the turkeys in town, but we raised the hogs for our own needs.

Fred Michaelis, one of my uncles, farmed north of Susank, Kansas. He had a smokehouse that was about the size of a one-car garage. It really impressed me as a small kid to see hams and other kinds of meat hanging in the smokehouse.

South of the livestock water tank and windmill was our garden. The overflow from the water tank and windmill. The overflow ran down towards the garden along a fence where rhubarb was growing. We grew radishes, lettuce and peas in the early spring before it became too hot. We also raised turnips, sugar beets, carrots, parsnips, red beets, cabbage and tomatoes. Along the ditch that ran alongside the garden, we raised watermelons, pumpkins, cantaloupe, cucumbers and squash. Close to the garden we planted sweet corn for our own use.

Mom canned about everything, including apricots, corn, meat, pickled watermelon rinds and tomatoes. We pickled lots of the cucumbers and canned them in jars. Some vegetables were pulled and stored in the cellar. The cellar was half in and half out of the ground with dirt on top for the roof. It never froze in the cellar and never got very warm. Most of the winter we could go out to the garden and move the straw covering the carrots, parsnips, red beets, and turnips and have fresh vegetables.

We stored watermelons in the wheat, milo, or maize in the granary. They'd stay good 'til Christmas! We always had a large pile of potatoes heaped up in one corner of the cellar. They lasted all winter, even with our family of 5. Mom made fine cut noodles and we always had lots of fruit jars filled with cream. Mom used cream in everything she cooked!

My Days as "The Sunflower Wrangler"

2011-07-31T15:47:00.000-07:00

It's been nearly a year since I've posted anything on my blog. For 2 months this Spring I was "out of commission" as I was suffering from some physical ailments. But I'm feeling better and enjoying my summer days back at home.

As I approach my 90th birthday on August 8th, I find myself reminiscing about some of the memorable times in my life. Some of the most memorable are those days I spent singing on the radio and on stage as "The Sunflower Wrangler". You can read more about this "Sunflower Wrangler" at Hillbilly-Music.com.

I Had a Really Great Birthday This Year

2010-08-09T15:43:00.001-07:00

This afternoon I had a real treat as I was able to sit in a local church and listen to my son Dennis play the pipe organ. My daughter Becky took this picture of me and it looks like I was bored. But I was just focused on the beautiful music filling the church…hymns, preludes and other songs I remember hearing Dennis play when he was the organist at our home church in Great Bend, Kansas when he was just eleven and twelve years old…clear up until he was out of high school. Where has the time gone? Dennis has such a special talent and plays with great confidence and power. I often think this is what heaven’s like, as I’m listening to him play the beautiful compositions of J. S. Bach, or the special arrangements by Paul Manz that he’s learned.

I had such a terrific celebration for my 89th birthday yesterday at my daughter’s house. She prepared a delicious ham dinner and I was able to spend the day with both my twins, Becky and Dennis, my son-in-law Larry, my daughter-in-law Marie and my grandson Matt, his wife Lucja and their three daughters Kindall, Taylor and Alyssa. I feel very blessed that I was able to spend time with my family! It was really a highlight of my year.

Dennis learned to be a magician probably 30 years ago as he was serving in the US Army as a Recruiter. He’s entertained us on so many occasions with magical illusions. Yesterday even his wife Marie surprised me with a special birthday wish that appeared on a scarf she pulled from a magical bag!

Nobody knows me better than my kids! Dennis proved that when he gave me this sign for my birthday:

He knows that when I was out of high school back in 1940 I wanted to establish a career as a Western Singing “Star”. I sang on the radio as “The Sunflower Wrangler”, but never made it to the “Big Time” because I had children to support as a single parent when my first marriage ended. I still tell my family and friends that actually I was a “WannaBe” Western Star. So that makes this plaque that Dennis gave me quite fitting, don’t you think?

I still have a couple days to enjoy Dennis and Marie’s company. It’s just great to have them in my house---to hear him sit down and play the piano or do some planning for my future. We’re all having a good time.

I Just Wanted to Check the Spelling

2010-07-31T08:47:00.001-07:00

I got an email from a friend that made men I wanted to look it up on the internet to learn more about it, but I wasn’t sure of the correct spelling. I did find it on the internet, and WOW, the Internet has a lot of articles on it. Most are LONG, as it was built in 1631 and thru the years, rulers wanted to tear it down to sell the marble, which is the main structure material.

I learned that it gets over 200,000 visitors a year and has extensive gardens patterned after other nation cultures. If I remember right, it is included with the "7 Wonders Of The World". I enjoyed reading about it. It is close to a river, so it was elevated with a lot of dirt for the foundation, and when they brought in the blocks of marble to built it, they had a NINE (yes, 9 ) mile approach. Apparently it has several wings etc. I thought it was a place of worship, nope, some guy built it to bury his wife. (Crazy??) I think it said he had 14 kids. It took 16 years to build and had a bunch of architects hired for the job. Some from different countries to get mixed opinions. Elaborate undertaking. The architects had to sign a contract that they promised NOT to use their combined ideas for any other structure in the world. It sits on a lot of acres and the various gardens are part of what visitors come to see.

Well, all this is irrelevant, but I found it exciting. All because I wanted to know how to SPELL it.

Bringing You Up-to-Date

2010-07-16T18:50:00.001-07:00

My daughter Becky Jamison got an email today from a distant cousin of ours who was inquiring about me since I hadn’t written him for awhile. In the past, besides writing email letters, I’ve had a habit of frequently forwarding emails to many friends, but I found that they were not always welcomed. Hahaha. So I’ve quit doing that. I decided to post my reply to him here on my blog in case other friends and relatives were wondering why I’ve been rather “quiet” lately:

“Yep, Ernie is still here. Becky got me a new laptop, but anymore I hardly do any forwarding as most folks find it boring. Most jokes have been around several times. I mostly gab with my connections back in Kansas. And I explore topics on the internet: Einstein, Albert Schweitzer, you name it. My curiosity is varied. So many
topics are covered extensively. I get a good physiology & nutrition education with my medical interests.

I was never hospitalized in my lifetime UNTIL my July 2008 broken leg not healing with my diabetes. Then followed by months of diabetic-pressure-ulcers healing with triple by-pass surgery relocating upper thigh blood vessels to lower right leg to partially restore circulation and avoid leg amputation--it was an arduous 17 months with institutionalized (Hospitals & Rest Home Care Centers) rehab therapy etal. My mobility is still limited. It is slow healing and getting my strength back. My right hip and knee are still weak. My daughter Becky is my faithful caretaker who enables me to live at home and she provides transportation.

My recent excitement has been to establish a 24 feet by 4 feet flower bed set up with 35 perennial plants. (The photo above is NOT my flower bed. I’ll post pictures when my plants are blooming like that, tho!) Fun, fun, fun! I always have enjoyed getting dirt under my fingernails with horticulture interests. In Kansas we always had Roses, Dahlias, Peonies & Iris, but this is my first undertaking in PERENNIALS.

In recent times HYBRIDIZE has taken over in many fields. Flowers were no exception. B_U_T have you noticed all the fuss with CROPS?? "Genetically Modified Organism" or (GMOs). Monsanto Co. and others are trying to set the rules and regulations & TELLING the FDA and other Government Regulatory Agencies how to. Thus some of these so called ORGANIC FOODS interests challenge FDA etc findings and already REVERSING some regulars. It is a Pandora’s box. Monsanto naturally maintains patents and their main objective naturally REMAINS PROFIT!! Several European nations already have BANNED any GMO grains from entering their nation. You look up GMO on the internet, and ha ha, depends on which side of the argument their interest are, you get conflicting explanations. The prominent view is FEEDING WORLD POPULATION REQUIRES GMO. Otherwise people will starve. Others quote birth defects and allergy to GMOs. It all strikes home with me since I worked two years at Mull Cattle Feed Yards, Pawnee Rock, KS after I completed my 54 year career as Comptroller of a meat packing plant. Naturally -- Bovine Growth Hormones (rbGH or rbST) have been in use since 1996 but some store chains are boycotting their beef AND the MILK ALSO. OHIO is a leading State facing that controversy right now.

Well, to sum it up comes to mind the expression THE BEAT GOES ON !!”

I Got My Garden Planted

2010-07-16T13:07:00.001-07:00

I’m so happy that I was able to finish planting the perennials I got for my garden this summer. As you can see in the pictures here that my daughter took, I still have to “find a home” for one cactus. I think I’m going to plant it at the far end by the gate where it will get plenty of sun. We’ve had terribly hot weather this week, so I got up at 5:30 this morning and finished my day’s gardening before it got too hot.

Back to my Passion of Gardening

2010-07-09T14:06:00.001-07:00

For almost 70 years, my passion has been flower gardening. Due to the health problems I’ve endured the last couple of years, I haven’t been able to do any gardening and I’ve really missed it. A few weeks ago I was surfing online, checking out the offerings of many of the flower nurseries I follow. I noticed that daylilies were offered at a really good price at Gurney’s Seed and Nursery Co. I gave in to temptation and ordered some.

To the surprise of my daughter and son-in-law, who’ve been helping me with my mobility for the last 2 years, I was able to get outside and DIG a flower bed in preparation for the arrival of my daylily bulbs. I recall an expression my wife Phyllis often said: “You can do anything you put your mind to!” Well, I proved that last week as I dug by hand a garden area that was 20 feet long and 4 feet wide. Since I’m not very steady on my feet and my knees are weak, I sat on the seat of my walker and drove my “sharp-shooter” into the ground. But I was able to stand long enough to spread the freshly cultivated earth with my rake and smooth out my garden area.

Oh, how I love the smell of fresh soil! I’ve been so happy that I’ve been able to get back outside to work in the dirt.

Shortly after I’d prepared my garden area, I received this email from Gurney’s: “Thank you for your recent order of LILY GRAB BAG. Unfortunately, we have had to cancel your order for this grab bag. We apologize for the inconvenience, but the product we received from suppliers did not meet our quality standards and therefore we could not ship it. You will not be charged for your grab bag order.”

This was my reply to them: “Thank you so much for being honest about your quality standards. It reassures my opinion of GURNEYS. I have held you folks in esteem clear back from when you were the sponsor for Lawrence Welk playing on the radio. In fact years ago I visited his museum in California which had a mock up of the original GURNEY Radio Studio on WNAX, in Yankton, South Dakota. I also have fond memories when George B. German broadcast from Yankton radio. I still treasure my memory of him singing the song "Little Old Rag Doll". I am now age 88, which gives you an idea of the time frame.”

My daughter Becky knew I was disappointed that I wouldn’t be getting the daylilies I’d ordered, so she offered to take me to Brady’s, our local nursery, to shop for some flowers to plant in my big flower bed.

I’ve started my planting, and oh! what a chore. But I’m really enjoying it. We had a good rain last night so I’m taking today off while the ground dries out a little. But I’ll be back outside in my garden tomorrow!

I’m proud that I’m still able, as I approach my 89th birthday in another month, to get outside and enjoy my favorite activity…getting my hands in that soil! I’ll show you pictures of my garden when it’s finally in full bloom!

My Homemade Noodle Soup

2010-06-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

My daughter Becky does my grocery shopping for me each week. Last week I had noodles on the list and she surprised me with a different "kluski" noodles because she said they looked like the noodles my mom used to make and share with her. My mom made noodles with farm fresh eggs, flour and water and kneaded the dough with her strong arms and hands. She rolled the dough into large circles, so thin we could read the newspaper through them! She cut very narrow strips and then cut the noodles into shape and allowed them to dry before storing them in empty coffee cans.

Today I made some GOOD noodle soup with those kluski noodles. Becky brought me a freshly baked rotisserie chicken at noon. I cut it up and added it to two cans of chicken broth. I even added all the skin and boney pieces, including the drumstick bones,wing ends, etc. I added two and a half cups of dry KLUSKI noodles and an extra can of water. I seasoned this with salt and pepper plus Mrs. Dash seasoning, a few peppercorns, a little thyme, and half an onion. I cooked it 15 minutes. I found that I had to add another can of water as the noodles really expanded. But it was so delicious. This pot of soup will give me two more meals after my big dinner today.

The skin gave the soup a little darker color, but did not affect the taste. Those narrow KLUSKI enriched egg noodles were just perfect for this soup. They tasted better than those wider noodles. That little chicken is nearly all used up already, as I also put some white breast meat in with the soup. I'm glad I made my own soup today....it sure tasted good!

The View from the Top of Pikes Peak

2010-06-05T10:12:00.000-07:00

Looking at Colorado Springs, CO from the top of Pikes Peak

The view from the top of the Rocky Mountains

Descending from the top of Pikes Peak on the Cog Railway, May 30, 2010

I was happy to get company from my hometown of Great Bend, Kansas over Memorial Day weekend. My wife's grand-nephew Steve Dyer, his daughter Justine and his granddaughter Leah visited me for two days. While they were here, we rode the Cog Railway to the top of Pikes Peak.

It was quite an adventure. At the mountaintop elevation of more than 10,000 ft, I suffered from insufficient oxygen and collapsed while standing in the Visitor Center at the summit. Due to quick action by the staff and Medics on duty, I revived sufficiently for the return descending trip down the mountain. We enjoyed a Sunday evening dinner at "Noodles" in Colorado Springs and overall, called our sightseeing trip a success!

It took me two days to rest up and get over the soreness from my fall, but I'm grateful to have not fractured anything. And I was happy to have the company of some of my family members.

Merry Christmas to my Friends and Family

2009-12-18T14:27:00.000-08:00

Another year...how rapidly they come and go. I hope this finds you and your family in good health and/or recovering from any afflictions that seem to catch up with us as we get older.

I term the past year and a half as being "The Year That Was"! Ever since July, 2008 I've experienced a lifestyle that was new to me. But with all your prayers and the Grace of God, the prayers were answered. I'm on the road to recovery. Yep, I've shed the casts, the wheel chair and am about ready to shed the walker also. I've healed from the broken bones in my left leg, healed from the triple bypass surgery in my right leg, healed from the Diabetic Pressure Ulcers (3 of them), avoided the amputation of my right leg, and with the Lord's healing and guidance, I am LIBERATED from the two hospitals and three rehab therapy centers. Yes, I am HOME to stay. I'm able to attend meals at the Senior Center (Golden Age Center) on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It's good to be out and visit with people and socialize!

I am a FREE MAN. Thus, my friends, again I thank you for your prayers and wish you all a Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year!

I'm a "Wanna-Be Has-Been"

2009-12-07T10:27:00.001-08:00

I was recently asked for details regarding the days in my youth when I was an entertainer, singing western songs and playing the guitar on the radio as "The Sunflower Wrangler". I'm posting my response for my friends to read too.

You know when entertaining gets into your blood, you grasp every opportunity to perform. Rubbing shoulders with professionals at my young age was quite a nice feeling. For a time, wherever I went, my guitar was with me. It was my badge, so to say. Now, regarding your questions:

1)How did I get involved with Medicine shows?

Answer: Frankly I did not travel with them. Whenever they came to town, they welcomed local talent. Such was my involvement. I never tried the CURE ALL TONIC we peddled for a dollar a bottle. I was still a student at Hoisington KS High School. Some would offer that I travel with them, but my family thought I should finish my education. In 1940 after I finished high school, I enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps, for a year until 1941, and I worked at radio station KVGB (Great Bend, Kansas) with Harry Wright and I was an accountant at Thies Packing Co (my 54 year career in the full line meat packing plant) until July 1942 when I was drafted into the Army.

Question 2) Was Medicine sold? YOU BET, it was promoted like an auctioneer, promising to CURE ALL ailments. With members of the entertainment group and the Promoter going through the crowd, bottles held high, giving their spiel--"Get it while it is available--You will never regret that you tried it." They rattled of all the ailments it would CURE. And people BOUGHT IT.

Question 3) Did I use it? Of course NOT. It was bottled in Wichita, Ks, by the promoter, and probably a concoction that was part alcohol. I never knew what was in it. I am sure it would be illegal with today's standards. Or maybe all medicine shows had their own label put on a professionally manufactured and bottled health & Vitamin TONIC, as they called them in those days. They came around to all the small western Kansas towns regularly, pitched their tent on an empty lot, and bally-whooed up and down Main Street with loud speakers on the car top, telling of performances.

Question 4: How did it feel to travel? Well, as much as I WANTED TO, I did not travel with them. But they knew me, and regularly every summer, we looked forward to my joining their entertainment group. Me with my National Duolin (Steel body) Guitar, among their Martin and Gibson's, felt pretty good. I sang and yodeled (Wilf Carter style, my idol and hero) aka "Montana Slim" along with the Jimmie Rodgers repertoire. Border Radio, remember, was going strong in those years, Ted Johnson was Nolan Rinehart MC, XEPN, XERF, etc, you name it. Surely you remember how they boomed their broadcast from Mexico to Canada, Artists were The Carter Family, Monroe Brothers, Jesse Rogers, Nolan Rinehart "Cowboy Slim", Dallas Turner, "Nevada Slim", the High Flyers, Major Kord, and numerous Religious programs. Border Radio got into trouble with the Mexican government over these Religious elements for some reason. The Mexican government ended up trying to shut them down I think.

Dallas Turner was one of the last of the Border Radio entertainers and PITCH MEN, (high powered commercials) when the stations met their demise with Gun Play. I think Dr. J.R. Brinkley (Goat Gland Prostate Doctor) started the Border Radio era. Dr Brinkley started with a radio station in Milford, Kansas, and once ran for Governor of Kansas. They ran him out of the state I heard.

Dr. Brinkley went to Del Rio TX. Roy Faulkner--"The Lonesome Cowboy", stayed with Dr Brinkley many years. From Milford, Kansas to Del Rio, Texas. Roy knew many songs by memory, including the umpteen verses of "Abdul-The Bul-Bul-Lameer." Roy ended up with the Dinner Bell Roundup gang at WIBW, Topeka,KS.

Max Martin went from border radio to KGNO Dodge City for a while I remember. I think I heard Max is buried up near Council Bluff, Iowa. And Border Radio "Lone Star Yodeler" Harry Wright, came to Great Bend,KS with a traveling medicine show and stayed at KVGB, in Great Bend, KS. That was who I worked with. Harry played a mahogany Martin and his theme song was "The Old Oaken Bucket" Everybody had a "handle" and theme song in those days. Seems Medicine Shows sort of faded out in about 1940.

Last I heard from Dallas Turner, he lived in Elko, NV and still was part of Cowboy Poetry, and western songs regimen. In fact I have not been in touch with him for years, I do not know if he is even still living. Also have not had any recent communications with Country yodeling Artist Kenny Roberts, I valued my writing and hearing from Tex Owens, Al Clauser, and minor radio artists.

Ernie is mostly retired with MEMORIES. I see Jim and Jeanne Martin -- whenever they are in town they give me a call. In fact I have not had my D-18 Martin or my ES-150 Gibson, and F-5 Ibanez Mandolin, and my trusty fiddle out of their cases for a couple of years. Also have not touched my Hohner Marine Band Harmonicas in years. As all rural farm boys, I carried a harmonica in my pocket along with my red handkerchief as far back as I can remember. Before I could afford the Marine Band, I had what they called STAND BY (35 cents) was the cheaper Hohner.

I used to think MUSIC was my middle name. During High School Band and Orchestra days, I had our Band Director help me with HARMONY books I checked out of the library. I did not want to be just a 3-chord country picker. So my Mom did laundry & ironings for our music teachers to pay for us kids to take piano, voice, guitar, etc lessons. My Sister became a Piano Teacher, My son is church Organist at a large Methodist church in El Paso -and teaches public school music to elementary grade kids. But ole Grandpa is bringing up the rear with a few cowboy songs.

A wanna-be has-been, Ernie

My Visit to a Concentration Camp

2009-11-13T07:58:00.001-08:00

While touring the newly liberated Ohrdruf camp, General Dwight Eisenhower and other high ranking U.S. Army officers view the bodies of prisoners who were killed during the evacuation of Ohrdruf. Ohrdruf, Germany, April 12, 1945.
— National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Md.

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/media_ph.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10006184&MediaId=3934

On Veteran's Day, at our Golden Age Center where I eat lunch, my friends and I were invited to relate some of our military experiences. I had the idea of relating my experience of visiting Camp Ohrdruf, a concentration camp in Germany. Another fellow took too much time at the microphone, so I wasn't able to share this story. But while it was on my mind, I decided to post about it here so my blog readers could also read of my experience.

The date was April 1945. General Dwight "Ike" Eisenhower visited this concentration camp at Ohdruf, Germany the day before I was there. His visit with General Bradley was photographed and the picture was published in the US News and World Report magazine, probably sometime in the 1960s. I had that page from the magazine once. It was said that Gen. Eisenhower issued all military units in within driving distance at the time. His orders were for the individual unit commanders to SEND all of the personnel down to Ohrdruf, Germany over a week's time. Our company, (3463rd Ordnance Medium Maintenance Co, THIRD ARMY) took probably three truck loads of people each day. Some of our guys were there the day before when Gen. Ike was there in person.

It was said that the civilian population near the camp acted like they did not know what was going on out at the Nazi Camp, when a lot of town civilians were EMPLOYED there. When I was there the second day, they had probably 20 town civilians out there digging individual graves on a rocky ground hill, on the west side of the camp. The Camp was sort of hidden by a tree line on the south side along the road that went by there. The camp was probably a half mile away from the road. It was tree lined also.

They had a steam house where they cooked the flesh of some dead people and the human bones were stacked probably 15 feet high in a pile 30 or more feet across. Also they had dug a pit with bull dozers probably a half block long, and probably 15 feet deep and about 20 or 30 feet wide. The bottom, as we saw it, was ALL COVERED, end to end, with dead bodies. You could see their rib bones, they had been so starved. The bodies were all covered with white powdered lime to expedite decomposition. How they got them to cover the whole bottom in the center of that pit, we could not figure out. Some said they would line them at the edge of the pit and machine gun them down to fall into the pit. Somehow they had to spread that white powdered lime also. ????

I talked to one prisoner at the camp. It later became the talk of our company area, as he was Polish and his skin was all white and his rib bones stuck out like he was starved. He was in a top bunk bed. He told me he was age early 20s as I recall. My conversation was brief as he was too weak to talk much. He told me he was from Poland.

The Camp had a formation every morning and picked SOMEONE to be hanged in front of the gathering. It was just a few feet north of the office back door. The frame with rope was still there. Their toilet was like our dairy barns: cement floor with a concrete ditch for people to squat over and relieve themselves. It stunk. There was still poop in part of it when we were there. It seemed they hosed it down every so often into a reservoir or such at the end of the building.

We got to go inside of the gas chamber where they gassed to death a bunch at a time. It was the same building that had that steam unit to cook the people at the north end.

As we unloaded from our trucks, probably right after 12 noon, about 15 feet from the office back door, lay a dead man who had been stabbed multiple times and blood not yet dried. He was dressed in dark clothes with a suit size coat. The story was that the military officers told them to leave him lay there the rest of the afternoon so all the incoming soldiers would see him where he fell. It was told that he was one of the townspeople that came out to tour the camp, as Gen Eisenhower directed the military to BRING ALL OF THE CIVILIANS of the town of Ohrdruf out there to tour the camp. This was the second day of liberation, so there were many being escorted through the camp. Well the story was that this fell and was one of the GUARDS on duty there at the camp. He might have been a Nazi soldier or civilian that worked there as a guard. Anyway, some of the prisoners still there recognized him, hit him over the head with a three legged stool, to knock him down, and the one of our soldiers gave them a knife and they took turns to stab him like a pin cushion. It had happened just a few hours before we got there.

I don't know how long this touring of the camp went on, but Ike said probably someday the world would saythat the Holocaust was a myth, so he wanted as many GIs as possible to see it in person. It was pretty gruesome, enough that I had to take a little time-out interruption here while writing this, as it HIT ME, to cry out loud. It is still all so real. To realize that these were real live people and that another human being could be that heartless.

You know we read later on that they had doctors there that used prisoners as guinea pigs for medical experiments-testing medicines or surgery procedures. It was all very inhumane.

This Ordruff Camp was even much smaller than Buchanwald and others we read about today.

You know the Nazi's build their Autobahn super highway with slave labor, so I don't know how these prisoners were used. I did not get to talk too much with that guy in bed, as he seemed to be a corpse with a voice. The guys in our company knew that I could talk German, so when someone found a live person, they came and got me to see if I could talk to him. The building was a one level barracks with bunk beds. He happened to be the only guy in there at the time. Probably the Army transported them to hospitals, etc, as they could. Perhaps the Army had already evacuated the ones who could still walk, etc, and would get this one later with a stretcher, if he lived that long. I don't know who fed him, etc. There were a lot of people there that day walking around to see it all. The civilians from town were using pickaxes to dig those graves as the ground was very rocky. A bunch of us GIs stood around watching them. They worked up a sweat. Apparently some of our Army people had set out where to dig the graves as they were in rows.

After I wrote this story, I found a wealth of information about this Liberation of Camp Ohrdruf at ushmm.org, the web site of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

The Dust Bowl Days

2009-11-08T16:59:00.000-08:00

A friend emailed me some photos that were reminiscent of the 1930s. These thoughts came to me as I looked at those old photos she sent. In 1935 I was in the eighth grade and it was not uncommon to see dust drifts five foot high, barbed wire fence rows with a few thistles against them. The dust would pack in so that you could walk OVER the top of the fence. Horse drawn farm machinery would catch the dust and they were buried in the dust. Mom would sew girls dresses from FLOUR SACKS that came with patterned material. She also would sew the boys chambre (blue) shirts. Farm kids did not wear shoes during the summer for everyday, we all went barefoot. A daily routine was kids HAD TO wash their feet each evening before they went to bed. During the winter we had three pairs of shoes: one for chores, one for school and one for church on Sunday. The Sunday shoes never wore out, we OUTGREW them. Or they were passed down to younger family members.

Jobs were few, and during 1931 to 1933, there were times when our family was HOMELESS. We got permission to live in some friends's old hayloft of their barn. Improvised pot bellied stove with a flue thru the roof and old carpets or blankets stretched on two wires enclosed a corner with a kerosene two-burner cook stove. There were no beds -- we all slept on the floor. Dad and Mom, two boys ages 10 gnd 8 --I was the 10 yr old, and we also had twins, a boy and Girl born in 1929, so they were three years old. There were no stairs in the barn to the hayloft, it was just straight vertical step boards nailed to the side. Our toilet was just the night bucket with a lid.

The farmer let Dad work farming chores and they brought us groceries for wages. At age 8, I helped hand milk cows and we got our milk for that. Potatoes were a staple, as the farmer raised potatoes commercially. In those days people would eat the culls, as the spuds were sorted when sold. Culls were held back and used for hog feed. Instead of a granary for storage, potatoes were stored in a earthen cave. You had to watch for salamanders (similar to a lizard), snakes, rats and mice in those potato piles. B-u-t we survived.

This condition was a two year period when the bank foreclosed and repossessed our Trego County Kansas Farm and we became migrant workers in Colorado. Also during that two year period 1931/1933, my brother Alfred then age 9, died of an enlarged heart, St Vitas Dance, and pneumonia. Since we were poor with limited medical attention, the County performed the funeral and burial.

The period 1929 through 1934 was considered the DEPRESSION that followed with the DUST STORMS. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the USA President. He declared a two day National Bank Holiday when NO BANKS were open. The Government declared NRA (National Recovery Act), which included the government coming to your farm to kill a lot of your live hogs, as there was a national oversupply and no profit in raising hogs. The killed off some of the hog population to stabilize the hog market. It was common for communities to have collection points where people donated used clothing and shoes so us poor people could go obtain them at no cost. Welfare would bring us free groceries. The government made jobs for people called WPA (Works Progress Administration). The football stadium at Hoisington Kansas High School was of native stone built by the WPA. Also WPA cleared dead wood etc, along the banks of Wet Walnut Creek in Barton County Kansas. One time my Dad acquired a bad case of Poison Ivy and Poison Oak, working along the creek bank for the WPA. In Colorado WPA Labor created irrigation ditches for the farmers. In 1938 to 1942 the Government started the Civilian Conservation Corps for young boys. I served in such a Soil Conservation Service Camp in Nemaha County KS. We were civilian but the camps were run by the Army with Army Officers, Barracks, Kitchens etc. and the Dept of Agriculture provided the jobs known as SCS Service with area farmers to develop terraces, sodded waterways, water spring spillways.. This provided $18. 00 a month for kids ages 16 to 21. Like the Army, our workers had rank, such as pfc, corporal, Sgt, except we were called Assistant Leaders and got paid $36 monthly and Leaders got paid $45 month. The money was mailed to your parents as welfare income and the boys got a stipend for misc expenditures. The boys also learned a trade. Some became Stone Masons, Brick Layers, Caterpillar (Heavy Equipment) operators, land surveyors. I became a bookkeeper and gained the rank of Leader as Office Manager @ $45 a month during June 1940 to June 1942. Our camp had teachers come to our camp from Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS) to teach classes. That is how I became an Accountant. CCC Camps were all over the United States. Kansas had several, some planted Shelter Belt trees. Others that I knew were Forest Fire Fighters in Idaho who learned the Forest Ranger trade.

As World War 2 started at that time, CCC was faded out. Working in the SCS office, I had conversations with the office of the President in Washington DC. My contact was Steven Earle, who worked under President Roosevelt. The nature of our calls was the process of downsizing CCC Camps. Camp #1797 County of Nemaha, city of Seneca, Kansas was slated for closure. I handled calls to and from Washington in processing the closing of #1797. I was age 20 and 21. I think I got my rank as I was a high school graduate and many were not. We even had kids from Kansas State Industrial Reformatory (KSIR) in Hutchinson, Kansas, to rehabilitate them.

My View on My Accounting Career

2009-10-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

I sent this article to a friend today in response to an email I got from her regarding her college accounting class. I typically copy my "reminiscing" emails to my daughter Becky so she can post them here on my blog for me. I tend to ramble as I write, so she "cleans them up for me" before publishing them for you to read. (Thanks, Becky!)

I was a bookkeeper all my life. Of course nowadays they call it accounting, but I still prefer the old terminology. You mentioned General Journals, which prompts me to review what you probably already know. Before all this computer bookkeeping, I learned from what they called "double entry bookkeeping". Basically we had a DISBURSEMENT JOURNAL , where you post all accounts payable stuff. Then we had A CASH RECEIPTS JOURNAL where we entered all cash received, then we had a GENERAL JOURNAL, where you make adjustments, as well as worksheets or spreadsheets of accruals, cost of goods sold schedule, and all sorts of period entries. Then of course all three or four sources were posted to the GENERAL LEDGER from which you transcribe the Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss Statement (P&L). It got to be fun when you went on a 13 four-week accounting period for the year and you had oodles of amortizations. Of course you have side schedules like machinery, property -- cars trucks, etc, and their depreciation schedules, etc, with CONTRA accounts and all the window dressing and fun stufff.

That Cost of Goods sold was always my headache . HAD SOME, GOT MORE, HAVE SOME LEFT, the rest THAT DISAPPEARED WAS COST OF GOODS SOLD. Since we were in manufacturing (meat packing) we had Materials & Supplies, Raw Material, Work In Progress, Finished Goods, and that was broken down, so we had Livestock, Beef, Pork, Smoked Meats, Sausage & Luncheon Meats, Lard, Inedible By-products, bone meal, and each of those had all those Work in Progress, Finished Goods etc. Then we added Cost Accounting. Whew, that was some fun too, with allocation of overhead, fixed expense, variable expense. We had to take into consideration the cost of Labor, Power, Refrigeration, etc etc, for each item.

You can imagine how much learning I had to do, for I did not take any schooling in accounting--only high school bookkeeping. I first had to learn the concept of DEBIT AND CREDIT, like Assets are something we own, good stuff, but then Liabilities were the stuff you OWED SOMEBODY ELSE. I wondered why OWNER EQUITY AND SURPLUS were liabilities. When the boss owned, why was it a LIABILITY?? Well, it all goes back to this: the set of books are like a slave and the balance sheet is a mirror or slate of what that slave owes back to the owner. The Balance Sheet is just a score sheet of what that slave owes back to the owner. I really enjoyed how it all fell into place. Especially when we got into that 13 four-week accounting periods per year, and all the accruals, and contra accounts, by department!

They used to say, Meat Packing or Manufacturing was like OIL--you start with a raw product and zooomm, it splits into all sorts of new products. You start with a cow or pig, then you have all sorts of things: inedible by products, finished goods, hams, bacon, lard, etc etc. I got a good education in accounting through the help from our auditors who taught me all this puzzle. I tell you, the fun part was ALLOCATION OF FIXED EXPENSE. Some you get by square feet of processing space, some you get by cubic feet of refrigeration, some you get by number of employee man hours. All more fun fun fun. I found it to be really all quite simple and it all makes common sense.

After I retired, I was bored. Actually I did not retire, (after 54 years in the same job). It was called "downsizing", meaning my job was turned over to a telephone line from a computer from our plant in "Great Bend Kansas to the corporate office in Cincinnati, Ohio. They told me I was eligble for "retraining" so the government sent me back to school to study accounting. Ha Ha! What a joke! But as I wrote in a previous post, at age 76 I went to college and made a 3.4 grade average on about five subjects that I took. I had not gone to college in my younger days. After WW 2 I enrolled in college on the GI Bill for service men to study agronomy (to study soils). But it was Oct 1945 so the school told me to come back in January, 1946 to enroll for the September, 1946 term. So I went back to working as a meat packing plant office clerk and stayed 54 years. No college! I went from file clerk to Controller and Corporate Secretary. I let the computers print our Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss Satements. I still audited them! You know computers: "garbage in, garbage out"!

That is another story. Ha ha. I enjoyed accounting. I found it to be nothing more than common sense. You own some, you get more, you pass some out (sell or use up) and you have some left (profit). To me it was that simple.

My College Days at Age 76

2009-09-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

College can be a bit stressful and it takes some dedication to keep up. Learning can be a task that requires setting goals and achievement. I have always thought Learning was quite a science. In my Army days (1942/1945) I served as S-3 Sgt for a time and that required preparing lesson plans and teaching recruits, so I learned to RESPECT the LEARNING PROCESS. It included the Utarie (sic) Window. The definition being in the learning process, involved Factor A: What I already know, and Factor B: the information being taught to me. Imagine two concentric circles, A and B. The amount of input information I hear being taught, that I can RELATE to something I already know, is the most absorbed by my learning process. Thus, it requires REPETITION. In other words, imagine the two circles OVER-LAPPING with increased knowledge.

My career job was as an accountant for 54 years for a meat packing company. It was a "hands-on" learning process with our auditors being my tutors. I worked my way up from file clerk to Corporate Controller. Product Cost Accounting was really fascinating. With Fixed and Variable Costs. Talk about something being METHODICAL, it was a prime example. After 54 years working at the same plant, under three different merging owners, my retirement came as a result of downsizing by our Corporate office. In 1989 our Government passed a law that afforded RE-TRAINING benefits for DOWNSIZED Job terminations. Since I had never atttended College, the Government paid me $110 a week and paid my costs (books included) to attend college for re-training. The stipulation was that I must work at least 90 days in a job after my schooling. Which I did when I became an accountant with a cattle feed yard company.

Among the subjects I took in college were English, vocabulary and reading improvement, which included Computer Lab with exercises in comprehension, observation, retention, etal., to show you how scientific LEARNING has become with the use of computers. With those LAB exercises, we were scored, and we did them over and over until our score was 85% or better before we went on to the next exercise. Classroom schedules were Forenoon, and we had all afternoon to work on our LAB exercises. Thus, Ernie put in some HOURS, attaining my 85% or better scores. We also had three to five hours of home work, and a lot of reading. I was age 76 at the time (I'm now 88) and I'm proud of myself for going to college!

Reminiscing About the Radio Days

2009-09-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

A pen-pal of mine, Janet McBride, suggested that I might throw a lasso of memories your way concerning the heyday of Hillbilly Music. I am 88 years old and was a "wanna be" part of that era in the 1930s and 1940s. I was raised in central Kansas so I was in the heart of some of the action.

Iowa was ruled by Jerry Smith of radio stations KMA and KFNF in Shenandoah and later WHO in Des Moines. It was Jerry who sold me my first mail order guitar for $8.75. Then of course, the power house was BORDER RADIO. I was determined to leave a mark in that realm of music by taking the handle of "THE SUNFLOWER WRANGLER". My idols were Wilf Carter (Montana Slim), Nolan Rinehart (Cowboy Slim), Dallas Turner (Nevada Slim), and of course Al Clauser (Oklahoma Outlaws), Tex Owens of The Texas Rangers of KMBC in Kansas City, Missouri, Texas Ruby, Curly Fox, Hank Thompson in Waco, Texas (when he was just home from the Navy), the WIBW Dinner Bell gang, Red Foley, Ozark Jubilee; the list goes on.

My short contribution was on our Great Bend, Kansas station KVGB, with Harry Wright of the Texas Border days. Our exposure came through Medicine Shows, Grand Opening appearances and I was a brief member of Cal and Alta Lee Shrum's band, as they toured with their B-Western Movies presenting an 'IN PERSON stage show' following the movie.

In Iowa radio they had Robert Taylor and Ronald Reagan at the time. Did you ever hear Ron Reagan give the chatter of a baseball game? When they had "technical problems", as they called them when transmission was interrupted, Ronald filled the space with a continuation of his rapid sports announcer/auctioneer chatter, with his explanation of the happenings on the baseball field. His commentary was stuff he just made up.

Yes sir, that was an era that shaped Country Music: LIVE Radio. My part was the early 6:30 AM Farm Hour with wired-in Commodity and Livestock Market updates out of Kansas City.

Much of live radio suffered when Mutual Broadcasting and network affiliations started to rule the roost. Also an exciting experience at the time was when ASCAP enforced their license fee, and BMI came on the scene without a license fee. Radio Stations were flooded with COMP BMI music. I am thrilled that I have this blog where I can commemorate and renew memories of that era. My thanks to Janet McBride for reminding me to write this so we can also share it with her friend Dave Sichak.

A Surprise Visit From My Niece

2009-08-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

I was quite surprised last Saturday evening when my doorbell rang and in walked Stephanie, my niece from Kansas. Stephanie's grandmother was the half-sister of my wife Phyllis, so even thought she's technically a "grand-niece" I still think of Stephanie as my niece. It's been maybe 20 years since I've seen her and had not met her husband or son. They were visiting Canon City to go river rafting and when their day of fun ended, they stopped in for a visit.

It was so good to see them and get caught up on all the family news. Thank you, Stephanie and Todd for taking time to say "HI" to Uncle Ernie!

Enjoying My Birthday Dinner With My Grandson

2009-08-14T17:42:00.000-07:00

I had such a good time Thursday evening when I went to dinner with my daughter Becky and her husband Jamie because my grandson Matt and his beautiful wife Lucja were able to join us. This was a small family gathering to celebrate the birthday I had last Saturday when I turned 88 years old. I was really happy to be able to STAND for this picture outside DiRito's Restaurant in Canon City, CO. I've been walking with the help of a walker for several weeks now. In fact, Becky packed the wheelchair away for storage today. She also cleaned off my treadmill and cleaned up my office so I can start using my treadmill as my physical therapist has recommended.

I celebrated my 87th birthday last year in a hospital bed with my leg in a cast and diabetic ulcers on my foot. I'm healed and healthy now and can tell already that my 88th year is going to be a much better year. It was wonderful to start it off with an Italian dinner with my super family. I feel so lucky that my only grandson and his wife live so close to me that we can get together for special times like this!

Wordless Wednesday: John and Ernest on the Farm

2009-08-12T16:26:00.000-07:00

Maleah's Visit Was This Year's Highlight

2009-08-06T20:52:00.000-07:00

On a very happy Saturday in July, my "niece" came to visit me in my home. Here you can see what a beautiful young woman Maleah Dyer has become. She's already out of college...it seems like yesterday when my wife Phyllis and I had those fun Sundays playing with Maleah and her sister Justine in our home in Great Bend, Kansas. I was so happy that Maleah took time to visit with me...she must've been at my house for several hours. We got a lot of "catching up" done. That was the highlight of my year so far!

Today my daughter Becky took me to the doctor who told me I'm doing real good. He's the doctor who did the arterial bypass in my leg last February. I told Becky when I moved to Canon City in 1998 that I thought I was good for at least 2 more decades. After my visit with Dr. Bowman today, I think I'm still good for another decade. On Saturday I'll be celebrating my 88th birthday (on 08/08!)..the first year in my next Decade!

I'm so grateful for all the prayers my friends and family members said on my behalf through this last year of my injuries and illnesses. My improved health just goes to show that God isn't done with me yet!

I Felt Right at Home

2009-06-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

Today was a memorable day, as my daughter Becky and I, Ernie, were able to return to Canon Lodge to have supper with our dear friends, Gene Crawford (far right), Ken Wilson (far left) and Jess Price (not pictured). Not surprising, I felt right at home meeting the folks that looked after me during my Rehab weeks. A very wonderful group of Nurses, CNA, therapists, PCC Nursing Trainees and administrators. Their housekeeping, as usual, was spotless.

Becky took this picture of me last Monday before I left Canon Lodge. You'll notice I was sitting in a wheelchair. Today I WALKED everywhere with the aid of my walker. Becky didn't bring her camera today because she was walking by my side every step, watching so I wouldn't fall. I'm getting stronger every day. On Sunday I'm going to leave my wheelchair at home and I'll go to church with my daughter Becky and my son-in-law Jamie. And I'll be WALKING! Then we'll have a nice dinner out to celebrate our Father's Day.

Last year Jamie was working on Father's Day so Becky came to my house for the afternoon so we could discuss our family history. She works a lot on our family's genealogy. I told her quite a lot of stories and went through 2 or 3 photo albums identifying folks from years ago. It was sure fun to reminisce. I was surprised I was able to remember so many names with faces. Becky said she wasn't surprised at all!

I'm Starting a New Day at Home

2009-06-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

It is Tuesday morning and I've had the Home Care Nurse stop by and dress my ankle ulcer and had my breakfast. It's almost my nap time, hm-m. I was up at 5:15 AM, to get my Diabetes chores out of the way, (glucose was 148 this morning and have given myself the 8 units of insulin shot). Upon my departure yesterday from Canon Lodge after our noon lunch, I was thrilled to have Allen Stecklein stop in. He goes by "The Whistlin' Cowboy". He recently was invited to appear with 'America Has Talent' or such a TV program. He is good!

It is good to be home. It did not take long for me to feel NORMAL again. What a Blessing. Still a little slow getting around, slow but sure, one step at a time. Not able to do a JIG yet, but I feel great and am happy. The people at Canon Lodge were wonderful. One on One care and encouragement kept my spirits high. I am in better health today than I was before I encounterd the broken leg. I learn a lot about the human body and physiology. When you get my age (87) it pays to learn the workings of your body. It requires proper maintenance just as any working machine. Again, thanks to all of you for your greeting cards, letters, and prayers. I could not have recovered without your help. Stay in Touch. Talk to you later, bye!

LOVE TO ALL. Ernie

Home Sweet Home!

2009-06-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

I left home Feb. 16 to go to the hospital in Pueblo, CO for arterial bypass surgery on my right leg. I thought I'd heal and return home by the end of February. But my return home didn't happen until TODAY! I was in the hospital for 2 weeks, but then recuperated in a nursing home in Pueblo, Co until April 1st, then I moved to Canon Lodge so I'd be back in my hometown of Canon City, CO, nearer to my daughter.

I've been in a wheelchair since I broke my left leg in two places last July 29, 2008. Today I WALKED out of the nursing home and I WALKED into my house! I've had such good care at Canon Lodge and I've worked very hard daily to rebuild my strength, my balance, my stamina and endurance. I have diabetes, and I've been taking better care of myself since I learned the technique of "carb counting" from the Diabetic Care Center while I was hospitalized in Pueblo in March.

Here's a picture my daughter Becky took as I was walking into my house at noon today. She was sure proud of me.

As soon as I got inside and was able to sit down I called my brother in Derby, Kansas. I haven't been able to (nor have I wanted to) use a phone since the end of March, so we had a lot of catching up to do.

My daughter Becky took some pictures as I was going to lunch today, before we left the nursing home. This is a picture of me with my two dining buddies, Ken Wilson and Gene Crawford. Becky's going to take me back over there next Friday so we can visit and eat together again. They don't get any other visitors.

I was happy to get a visit before I left from Allen Stecklein, at left, who performs around the area as "The Whistling Cowboy". He offers a very spiritual musical program and is such a great entertainer.
I had such good visits with my friend Ruby, in the picture here with me. She's the Activity Director at Canon Lodge, and also serves as the driver when needed. She took me to a doctor's appointment and a concert, but mostly what I enjoyed was her personal visits and encouragement. She's a treasure and I'm going to miss her, as well as many other wonderful friends I made while I lived there.

A nurse is coming to my house twice a day to change the dressing on the wound on my right ankle. And my daughter's going to visit me daily, so I'm happy at my house and I'm sure I'll get along okay in the days ahead. I'll post another update by the end of the week to let you all, my dear friends, know how I'm doing.

I want to close by saying thank you very much to you, my dear friends, for your prayers, good wishes, thoughts, cards and letters. It's a miracle that I've been able to come back home. Last Feb. the doctor told me he didn't think I'd survive a surgery because of my weak heart and coronary artery disease. Then he thought if I survived, he'd have to amputate my toes or my lower leg. I haven't had anything amputated and I'm out of that wheelchair and I'm walking! I know it was PRAYER that made the difference. Prayer and the love and support of my family and friends. Thank you all!

Puckerbrush Blog Award of Excellence

2009-06-05T16:07:00.000-07:00

This award has already had quite a journey as far as I can tell. From Randy Seaver to Kathryn Doyle to Thomas MacEntee, to my daughter Becky Jamison to Judith Richards Shubert, to me!

Thank you, Judy! When I'm living back in my home, and can spend more time on my computer again, I'll decide who I want to pass this on to and get back to my blogging. I've missed it and sure have a lot of stories to relate to my friends about my experiences of the last 4 months! Stay tuned.

Remembering Phyllis On Memorial Day

2009-05-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

For many years Memorial Day was known as "Decoration Day". And in that spirit Ernie flooded family gravesites with flowers from his own gardens. There was never a family member or extended family member whose grave went unadorned if they were within driving distance of Great Bend, Kansas!

Pictured above is the grave of Ernie's wife Phyllis Margheim at Christmas, 1997.

"Your family is thinking of you, Mom, on this Memorial Day 2009. We love you and miss you."
Posted by Becky Margheim Jamison

"Elvis" and Ernie at Canon Lodge

2009-05-21T07:54:00.001-07:00

As referenced in the previous post, Dennis Thornbery, an Elvis impersonator, entertained the residents at Canon Lodge Care Center during National Nursing Home Week. Elvis was kind enough to be photographed with Ernie Margheim, above.

Update today: Dad and I will be accompanying the Occupational Therapist for Dad's Home Evaluation this morning! This means plans are underway for his discharge from Canon Lodge and his return to living in his own home once again. I expect this to happen by the end of May, but I'll keep you posted on the actual day. As Dad says, "Things are looking up!".

Posted by Ernie's daughter Becky.

IN PERSON: Ernie is Still Alive

2009-05-16T21:17:00.000-07:00

Ta-Da—IN PERSON-Yep, Ernie is still alive. It has been awhile...through three surgeries and I quit counting the number of IVs. My arms look like military camouflage with bruises, etc.

However, through your prayers, I am making tremendous progress. I saw my Pueblo doctor last Friday, and he thought on my next visit in four weeks that he will X-ray my left leg and maybe even remove the boot cast .. LIBERATION!! I’ve had the fiberglass casts from August 1, 2008 until February 27,2009 when I was fitted with a boot cast. The diabetes pressure ulcer on my right leg ankle miraculously progressed in the healing mode to everyone’s surprise. Again thanks to all of you for your prayers.

My rehab therapies in my third and final rehab center (Canon Lodge Care Center) have also progressed surprisingly well. Things are looking up!

Ten months of hospital and rehab stays, I assure you, takes a toll on a person’s patience and temperament. I was convinced that my therapists were intentionally inflicting aches and pains on me, but in reality now I’m convinced that IT HAS WORKED and I am on the verge of going to MY OWN HOME.

Once again I survived! Living in rest homes with all the these patients in their 80s & 90s gives a person a new perspective on life. Observing my surroundings, I realize how blessed I am at age 87 to be able to dress myself, converse rationally, and live like a normal human being. Many of the residents have to be spoon fed, lifted in and out of bed, etc. I certainly remember now to THANK & PRAISE GOD for my own trivial limitations.

OVERALL, my stay is like living in a Hilton Hotel. The food is superb. Lifestyle is like being on vacation. As for entertainment, last week we had Jerry Miller, a retired professional Banjo player (Eddie Peabody caliber) that toured with Frankie Yankovich Polka Band. For another recent program we had a professional Las Vegas caliber ELVIS impersonator. Yesterday, all of the combined nursing and care homes of Canon City had an all-day senior fishing derby at a large lake & park on the banks of the Arkansas River with picnic lunch and cold watermelon.

So, frankly I am enjoying my REHAB. I’m amazed at how far I’ve come in just the past month. My daughter Becky visits me faithfully every day for about two hours. She really brightens up the dinner hour for me and my two dinner-table friends, Gene Crawford, age 93, and Ken Wilson, who’s 83. I may be here a few more weeks. I’ll try to write again real soon and let you all know how I’m doing. Thank you again for your prayers and all the good wishes you’ve sent to me through my daughter Becky!

Here's a picture of my "living quarters". I guess its not exactly the Hilton, but after all, it's only temporary.

Until next time....Thanks for listenin'.

Ernie's On His Feet!

2009-04-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight we took a couple pictures while visiting Dad and I wanted to share them with you. The significance is that he's STANDING UP. Without support! He only walks with a walker, but it's quite an accomplishment that he can stand like this now. He rolls himself to the dining room in a wheelchair and sits in it if he's out of bed. He's feeling pretty good and is in good spirits most of the time (when not aggravated by excessive therapy or staff waking him at 6:30 am for therapy before he's had breakfast). His feet and legs hurt--his right ankle and foot hurt ALL the time. I'll go with him next Monday back to his orthopedic doctor in Pueblo so he can advise us on the condition of the wound on his right ankle. It's infected and not healing. Dad's on a strong antibiotic--perhaps that's why he's feeling so much better in this past week. He eats well, but weighs 27 pounds less than he did in January. That's a good thing.

His left leg was X-rayed this week. That's the one he broke so badly last summer. It's partially healed (after 8-1/2 months) but he still has to wear the "boot" for support.

He's at this address:

Ernest Margheim

Canon Lodge Care Center

Room 105B

905 Harding

Canon City, CO 81212

Dad watches a bit of TV in the evening, but has no phone--hasn't wanted his cell phone yet. My son visits him weekly and I visit him daily---my husband is able to stop in 2-3 times a week after work too. But Dad has no other visitors. If you're inclined to send him a card, be assured he'd be very grateful and happy to hear from you.

I'll let you know what we hear from his doctor visit next Monday.

Posted by Ernie's daughter, Becky Jamison

Dominoes for Therapy

2009-04-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

This was a pivotal day--Dad experienced a therapy session that pleased him to the point that he asked for more! He wants so very badly to return to his home and live independently and has worked hard to that end. But until now, his therapy has been extremely stressful, painful, frustrating, and exhaustive. When he experienced the episode of Angina last week, his doctor gave him permission to take charge of his therapy and set the limits that he could endure. He's tried for a week to do that. Finally, today Dad found therapy to be a pleasant experience. There's been a shift from strenuous endurance to practical application. He's able to now work on his balance, standing alone for longer periods of time (we're still talking only a minute or two), moving on his own from a sitting position on his bed, to standing with the aid of a walker, to sitting into a wheelchair. But that's tremendous progress from the last few weeks. On Monday he was so tired and weak and exhausted from the tedious activities he was instructed to perform with pegs, boards, balloons, etc that he pushed himself away from the table, said "I'm outta here" and rolled his wheelchair back to his room for a nap! Today he enjoyed the inflated ball throwing exchange so much that he asked for extended therapy before returning to his room. So out came the Dominoes and he enjoyed a game of dominoes! Yea, Ernie!

The wound vac was removed from his ankle this week. He's been attached to that for nearly 8 weeks. His ankle had become infected again so he's taking antibiotics and the wound appears to be healing better. An appointment to the orthopedic doctor in Pueblo April 20 will tell us how that's coming along.

I was hoping to bring Dad to my house for dinner with us on Easter Sunday, but he told me he just isn't strong enough for that yet. The process of eating a meal wears him out. He knows his limits. But the limits are expanding bit by bit. Today was a better day!

Becky Jamison

My "Mock" Heart Attack Today---Not April Fools

2009-04-01T16:34:00.001-07:00

Note: Ernie's daughter is posting this update from today, but I'm writing it as Dad talked his way through it.

My day started with breakfast at 7:00 a.m. I ate well--a strip of bacon, a boiled egg, and a bowl of cheerios. That was followed by a trip to the "spa", as I call it. Actually it was a shower, but I got the works. Baby oil, hair conditioner, lotion, a jetted tub....the works! By the time I was finished with that I was exhausted and hoping to go to my room for a rest. No deal! Physical Therapy had a different idea and I was taken to the "Gym". The therapist asked me turn a kind of peddling machine with my hands, with tight tension, at a brisk speed, for 15 minutes. Well, I made it for TEN! Then my arms and shoulders gave out, I felt pain in my chest and behind my ears, was short of breath and got very weak. I stopped the workout! I was taken by ambulance to the Emergency Room at the hospital, but by then was free from pain. As the nurses invaded my ER room, I was feeling so much better that I told them it was just a "mock" heart attack, and I put it on to give them a practice run. I was hooked up to all the usual equipment I've grown so accustomed to in these last 2 months. Blood was drawn, X-rays were taken, and I was interviewed by a very nice young doctor.

While the tests were being evaluated, I had a nice visit from my daughter Becky and son-in-law Jamie and my grandson Matt and his wife Lucja. While we visited I ate a good lunch of hamburger, french fries, jello and juice.

He determined that rather than a heart attack, I was suffering from Stable Angina. That's another new term to me! I was delivered back to my room at the "rest home" with new orders for NO MORE THERAPY TODAY!! Hallelujah! The best outcome for me was an order from the doctor for Physical Therapy to reduce the length and intensity of my physical therapy to HALF of what they were doing. I tried to tell them! Now maybe they'll listen.

I Moved Again and Not Home Yet

2009-03-30T17:02:00.001-07:00

Note: Ernie's daughter is posting this update so Ernie's friends will know where he is now and how he's doing.

Ernie was transferred out of the Skilled Nursing Unit at Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo, CO at noon today and brought to a nursing home in Canon City. His address now is:
Ernest Margheim
Canon Lodge Care Center
Room 105
905 Harding
Canon City, CO 81212

He's sharing the room with another gentleman, so will have company and someone to visit with. That can be good or bad. He's lived alone for 12 years and during all of his hospitalizations, he's had a private room. Lucky Ernie! He's hoping to only be a resident at Canon Lodge for 2 or 3 weeks. So please keep him in your prayers. Prayers are so powerful and have brought him through these last very difficult 6 weeks! He survived a risky surgery and beat the odds, the arterial bypass was successful (against all odds), his broken leg has healed and is out of the cast it was in for 7 months and his diabetic ulcers are healing--another miracle. He was told this morning that the huge wound (tennis ball size) on the inside of his right ankle is healing clear to the bone. We were so relieved to hear that.

But Dad is very weak, very tired and is weary tonight. Today was a hard day. This facility he's in now is quite a change from the Skilled Nursing Unit he's been in for a month. His meals were brought to his room, whereas now he's wheeled down to a dining room. He had a hospital bed, now has a small twin bed. He had privacy and now has a roommate. He has no TV and no phone. He asked me not to bring him a TV from his house (he will be able, however, to watch his roommate's TV), nor did he want his cell phone. He may change his mind in the next few days. We'll see how he feels when he gets into a routine and gets better acquainted with the staff. He has a lot of adjustments to make and that won't be easy.

He's so proud of his blog, tho. He has "business" cards available on his night stand and had already given one to his nurse this evening so she can read his blog. She asked how to set up a blog, so I briefly told her. She was thrilled and said she's going to do her own. Before we know it, he'll have the staff as his Facebook friends too.

If Dad gets strong enough and has the desire, I'll take my laptop to him so he can start writing again. So far, he just hasn't had the energy to concentrate that much. He's watched very little TV. The therapy wears him out so that he wants to rest whenever possible.

He loves hearing from his friends. I print out all comments here on his blog and on his Facebook page so he can know how much he's thought of by his friends and family. Thank you all for your love, prayers and good wishes.

Becky Jamison

Is it PAIN or a SENSATION?

2009-03-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

My daughter Becky Jamison is posting this update for me since I'm still not able to get to a computer, nor do I have the strength or stamina to write a story for you.

I'm starting my 5th week of residency in the Skilled Nursing facility at Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo, CO. When I checked into Parkview on Feb 16th I thought I'd be returning to my home 2 weeks later. While I've been disappointed that I wasn't able to do that, I'm happy with the wonderful care I'm receiving here as I recover from the 3 arterial bypasses that were done on my right leg. Because of diabetes, I developed a very large sore area on my right ankle and I've been getting daily care and treatment on that since my bypass operation Feb. 20th. The doctor installed a "Wound Vac" on that wound to enable faster healing. I'm thinking the word "faster" is not the right word. If I can just experience ANY HEALING, I'll be happy. There's nothing "fast" about any of my recovery this time around. But if the doctor sees any progress at all, I'm satisfied. This wound vac has had its share of problems, like most mechanical devices! Either it doesn't pump, or it gets clogged. The nursing staff cleans the wound daily---a very painful ordeal for me. But they're generous with the pain pills.

Pain pills---friend or enemy? While I'm happy to have help in dealing with pain, I sure don't like the side effects. I can't imagine people taking them to feel "better (?)". I want to stay in touch with REALITY! After I had anesthesia for that bypass surgery I had what I call an "out of body experience". It was horrible!! And these pain pills make me feel woozy, drowsy, and askew. I dream crazy things that seems entirely REAL! That's not for me!

But I'm happy that I'm able to think clearly, I can read the daily newspaper, watch just a bit of TV, and visit with the nurses, CNAs and therapists that take care of me daily. And I'm hoping that in a few days I can go back to Canon City and get into a nursing home for a few more weeks of therapy and good nursing care on the diabetic ulcer on my ankle. It's a huge wound--about the size of a tennis ball and exhibits LOTS of varying colors!

This weekend I've experienced excruciating pain on that right foot as I've walked with the Physical Therapists. I call it PAIN. They call it "SENSATION"! The nurse explained that the "SENSATION" may be a good sign, indicating growth of nerve endings in tissue that previously had no feeling. Growth of the new nerve endings which increases FEELING is good, no feeling is bad! But I sure wish the nerve endings sent the "sensation" of pleasure to my brain instead of the "sensation" of pain!

We'll see what tomorrow brings.