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2C
♦ SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2006
Technology of the
Jetsons now lives
The new washer and
dryer set that arrived
to take up residence
in my laundry room looks
like it was sent over from
George and Jane Jetson’s
home in the outer galaxy.
As a kid growing up, the
Jetsons were my favorite
cartoon family. I was mes
merized by flat screen tele
visions that hung from the
ceiling, phone calls where
George and Mr. Spacely
could talk to each other
via video and vacuums that
robotically worked without
human guidance.
And now all of that has
come to pass. Some of that
outer space technology even
resides in my house.
The fact that I even have
a new washer and dryer,
I blame on my brother-in
law, Rodney. “No one,” he
reported authoritatively,
“moves their washer and
dryer to a new house. Buy
new ones.”
So, I set out to buy a
new set and found every
one offering advice along
the way. No one had both
ered to interject an opin
ion on stoves, dishwashers
or refrigerators but not so
with washers and dryers.
“Oh, you have to get those
new front-loading washing
machines,” Debbie opined.
“Do you know how much
those things cost?” I asked,
still incredulous at the price
tags I had seen.
“But they’re worth it.”
“They cost two or three
times what a normal wash
er and dryer cost,” I contin
ued, unwilling to get past
the price and see any real
value.
“Yeah, but they’re won
Cardboard Christmas houses back in style
One of my favorite
memories of being a
child at Christmas
was simply looking at the lit
tle cardboard houses on my
grandmother’s Christmas
tree. I imagined what it
would be like to live in one
of those tiny glittery cot
tages that looked like paper
gingerbread houses. I have
come to find out that these
cheaply made but totally
adorable little decorations
have become quite collect
ible and have been around
since the 19205.
I remember reading an
article in a Martha Stewart
magazine last year that
brought back those memo
ries that I hadn’t thought of
in years. As I went on eßay,
I found out that these little
houses can bring upwards
of S3O to SSO. These houses
cost about 19-25 cents back
in the 20s and 30s at the
local Woolworth five and
dime! There really isn’t
much to them, they are
cheap cardboard painted
and adorned with shred
News and notes from Houston Springs
Houston Springs is
all about the com
munity family, and
that family feeling extends
through good times and sad
times.
Recently, we lost Ben
Marshall and Dale Roebuck.
What a loss to our communi
ty. Both men were hospital
ized for a short while prior
to passing away. As soon as
the news got out, the neigh
borhood immediately leapt
to action. Company for the
family; hospital visits to the
patients; food for the fami
lies. And, unending caring
and support for the surviv
ing families.
This network of support is
incredible, especially when
you consider that Houston
Springs is a new communi
ty and the residents haven’t
known each other a long
time. But they all have
so much in common, and
the compassion and con
cern is channeled into real
and practical assistance in
times of need or sorrow.
Whenever a resident is ill or
derful,” Debbie replied
dreamily, using the same
kind of voice that most
women use when talking
about new clothes. Debbie,
however, is fan of technol
ogy. “As soon as I can find
a reason to get rid of ours,
we’re going to buy a set.”
Repeatedly, others encour
aged me to do the same. It
came from folks who own
front-load washers and
those
who
merely
dream of
such an
acquisi
tion. It
wasn’t
public
opin
ion that
swayed
me. It
was my
i IP **
Ronda Rich
Columnist
love for the Jetsons. I want
ed one that looked like Jane
Jetson would own it.
“Could I just pull a chair
in here and watch it work?”
asked Patti. She’d rather
have household technol
ogy than a pretty pair of
shoes, which is something
I’ll never understand.
It’s a far cry from the old
wringer washing machine
that my grandmother had,
the one that set out on her
back porch in that old, sim
ple farmhouse up in the
mountains. At six years
old, I was fascinated as I
watched her pull clothes
from the tub then piece by
piece feed them through the
rollers to squeeze the water
out.
“At home, we’ve got a
washer that wrings the
clothes out by itself,” I
ded cellophane and glitter.
Many contained a hole with
a cover
If you remember my
article last year about the
introduction of electrical
lighting to Christmas trees
in the 19205, you will recall
that that time period was
when
people
really
began
to get
carried
away
with
decorat
ing their
homes
for the
holiday.
■'' .
Jillimla Falen
Antiques
I had to search quite a bit
to find a website that spe
cialized in the history of the
little cardboard houses. But
I finally found one at “Papa
Ted’s Place”.
This family has spent
many an hour researching
the history of these dime
store collectibles and with
out much documentation to
needs help of any kind, you
see this community caring
in action.
This family feeling is also
evident in the celebrations.
Residents came together for
a Thanksgiving celebration
Nov. 17, a wonderful it-down
affair at one of our com
munity clubhouses. They
gathered
early for
a social
hour
and
then a
wonder
ful meal
with a
tradi
tional
menu
catered
by Miss
Melanie Lewis
Columnist
Houston Springs
Judy of Judy’s Sandwich
Shop and The Oil Lamp
Restaurant. The residents
really eryoy and appreciate
each other, and newcomers
were made to feel welcome
in a round of introductions.
After dinner, they cleared
the clubhouse floor and
informed her.
She nodded. “That's
good.” She smoothed her
straggled hair back toward
the severe bun she always
wore and dried her work
hardened hands on the
faded flowered apron that
she had sewn from an old
flour sack. “I ain’t com
plainin’ one iota. It’s a
whole sight better than that
ol’ scrub board I used down
at the creek when my kids
were young’ins.”
I was quite fascinated by
that odd-looking washing
machine so as soon as Maw
maw’s back was turned, I
grabbed a towel and pro
ceeded to feed it through
the wringers.
All was going fine until
those over eager wringers
grabbed my little hand and
pulled my arm in, all the
way up to the elbow.
“Curiosity kills a cat,”
she commented dryly as she
unplugged the washer then
set about freeing my arm
from the contraption.
It’s that same curiosity
that eventually convinced
me to buy a duplicate of the
Jetsons’ washer and dryer.
It’s a long way advanced
from that wringer washer,
not to mention the manu
al scrub board and creek
water.
And, while it may be able
to wash clothes with 21st
Century technology, thank
goodness it doesn’t wash
away those childhood mem
ories.
Ronda Rich is the best
selling author of What
Southern Women Know
(That Every Woman Should)
and The Town That Came
A-Courtin ’.
work with.
Most came from Japan in
the 1920 s and 30s and could
be found in the Sears and
Roebuck or Ward’s catalog.
During WWII, the Japanese
were our sworn enemies and
anything made in Japan
was certainly out of favor.
After the war, the Dolly
Toy Company in Ohio and
Colmar began producing
the little cardboard church
es, houses and complete vil
lages. Several cereal compa
nies offered cheap cutouts
on the boxes or in the prod
uct but they weren’t as nice
as the originals.
During the turbulent
social culture of the 1960 s
the old-fashioned little
houses fell out of favor.
When Martha Stewart
covered them in her maga
zine, people remembered
them and begin to collect
again, thus the higher pric
es. Christmas artists like
Christopher Radko are now
reproducing these candy
like cottages for the
See FALEN, page j C
had a dance, enlivened by
the sounds of the Houston
Springs Music Club.
Herb and June Potts
recently celebrated their
60th wedding anniversary.
Sixty years of wedded bliss,
what a milestone! They
hosted an event at the club
house and invited family,
friends, and neighbors to
share in their joy.
The clubhouse is really
the hub of the community
family. People find others
with like interests at one
of the many club meetings.
You can make new friends
while exercising together in
the fitness room. Friends
often gather for informal
parties, watching a movie
or football game, or clear
ing the floor and dancing;
and newcomers are always
made to feel welcome.
Residents also use the club
house for their private cel
ebrations. Downsizing is
easy when residents have
large, open clubhouses that
can be booked for their fam
ily reunion or special party.
LIFESTYLE
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Contributed
Keep Centerville Beautiful presented the Yard of the Month Award for August to Greg
and Lynne yawn. From left are Greg yawn, Lynne Yawn, Jonathan Yawn and Walker
Fowler of KCB.
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Contributed
Keep Centerville Beautiful presented the Yard of the Month Award for October to
Ronnie and Lynette Martin. From left are Lynnette Martin and Wanda Fowler of KCB.
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Contributed
Keep Centerville Beautiful presented the Fall Festival Yard of the Month for November
to Jason and Wendy Wood. From left is Wanda Fowler of KCB, Jason, Cotey, Wendy
and Bailey Wood.
Happy First Birthday
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Logan Matthew
Bowling
Logan Matthew Bowling,
son of Daryl and Janet
Bowling of Perry, celebrates
his first birthday Wednesday.
He is the younger brother
of Austin, 6, and the grand
son of Roger and Theresa
Schmidt of Anna, Ohio,
Charles and Shirley Bowling
of Tipp City, Ohio.
SMh today!
Cal 987-1823
Looking good
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Leigh Cabasares & Dave Wolk
October 28
Jessica Wood & Dan Perdue
December 2
Molly Tripp & Craig Graybeal
December 2
Rachel Moore & Mason Florence
December 30
Lauren Mason & Thomas Moore
January 6
Ashlee McCord & Bradford Wood
January 27
Tina Hawk & David Conner
February 17
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