Articles by Ray Adler

Stories of dolls

Here’s more of my mother’s wit and wisdom. One of my friends never had a doll. Those who are too young to remember the depression cannot understand that. Children now…

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Another dress

If pictures don’t lie, my mother’s aunt was a very beautiful young woman. Also very neat. Very clean. Hard-working. She had one daughter. She had all of her mother’s good…


Growing old … and older

My mother had this story. Daughter is twisting my arm. “Write your memoirs,” she says. That sounds too final, too complete. Besides, what interesting memoirs do I have to write?…


Raising chickens

My great-grandmother Howard passed down instructions on raising chickens. Here are her instructions: All livestock requires seven-day-per-week, 365- or 366-day-a-year care. Owner is tied to home base or has substitute…


A dog story

Here’s Mom’s story about our dogs. Many years ago before there were any children to keep me company, Dad bought me a pup. I forgot where we went – seems…


Linda the scapegoat

My older sister had a playmate named Ponteen when she was very small. Ponteen lived in the corner of the kitchen along with a broom and mop. I always had…


Can’t make it up

We often say in the office you can’t make these stories up. One time a friend, who was to provide cooking services at the Strawtown Auction Mart, was unable to…


Living with a saint

My own mother wrote about growing older: Soon I will have my 85th birthday. It has been nearly two years since this thought occurred to me: I spent several years…


Polka dots & happiness

My grandmother wore navy blue for dress, but for everyday her favorite color was red. One year she had a red dress with white polka dots. Granddaughter was a preschooler….


Letting my mom tell her history

My mother wrote about her personal history. She told the following story. Sterling, a small village in Fountain County, Indiana, was my birthplace. Sterling lies next to Veedersburg, which being…