Drug awareness

One of my sisters is now a PTA member at the elementary school all three of us attended as children.  Her sons, my nephews, go to school there.  Sometime last year, the association cleaned out a storage cache dating back to the school's days under its original name, Sunnyside.  There were photos, letters, programs, and scrapbooks from as early as the 1950's ... and nobody wanted them.  Some of the items eventually made their way to the school district's headquarters, but my sister rescued things that otherwise would have been thrown out.

The page above came from a scrapbook from the late 70's or early 80's.  Look, pictures from a drug awareness program! I remember attending those at school.  See, there are some teachers speaking, probably about the evils of drug abuse.  There's a police officer, perhaps explaining the legal ramifications, or what to do if a bad man should ever offer you drugs.  And ...

Wait wait wait wait wait.

There's an interactive table of pipes and bongs?  And Mrs. Zieth is explaining their uses? I so don't remember this from the drug awareness programs when I was in elementary school.  Look at the little kids, eyes alight with interest, exploring the fascinating items on the table.  How come we never got a pipe and bong demonstration?

I think my favorite part is that this photo was actually taken, selected for the scrapbook, pasted down, and carefully captioned.

Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories: an introduction

At a recent estate sale, I found myself perusing a box of old books down a dusty basement.  The books in question were all cookbooks, and they were artfully displayed - as recommended by Elle Decor - on a sagging bed near the washing machine.  


One slim volume caught my eye.  Perhaps better described as a pamphlet than a book, I noticed it because it didn't seem to contain any recipes.  The cover read Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories (Sixth Series).  A quick glance at the first pages and translation of Roman numerals told me it had been published in 1930.  Though it would become clear that the stories originated in England, this edition was printed in the U.S.A. by The Review and Herald Publishing Association in Takoma Park, Washington, D.C.  The inside cover boasted a promisingly splendid and rather inexplicable illustration, "Jesus in the Carpenter's Shop at Nazareth."  At ten cents, clearly I had to buy it for more detailed perusal...