I enjoy reading the blogs here in Bloggersville. Like any family (which we sorta are) you wish you could help when health fails or doctors are needed. Our friend Paula is a beautiful person, she is older than me, but doesn’t look it. We met her and John once just below San Antonia where John raises cattle and she pets them.
She talks to the turtles, ducks and rabbits out at the ranch. She is troubled by ailments but you would never know it. This week she is taking more treatments, and as always worrying about John or someone else.
Anyway, if you pray, remember her. If you don’t, think some good thoughts, and send them in her direction. As you blog you find you have things in common with folk. I mentioned once one of my extra-curricular jobs in the USAF was duty at the OLD ‘number please’ telephone switchboard on base. The one where the light lit up and you plugged the back wire into it and said, ‘Number Please?” When you got the number you took the front wire (of the pair) and plugged it into the number being called and then rang it with the switch associated with the call.
Paula said their town switchboard was in a ladies home and as a teen ager she got paid to be an operator and do the number please thing. She said she would have did it without pay, it was fun. I had to agree, it was a fun side-job. Yep, you could push the toggle switch forward and listen in, just like the old party lines. But it did not click so the talking parties did not know. LOL. Of course at times you had to check if they were still talking. :-O
I was thinking of the lady who loves country roads tonight. It is fun talking to someone who remembers the same antiques you do!
Nite Shipslog .
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8 comments:
Will say a prayer for Paula. I wanted to be a switchboard operator when I was younger and took a tour at the local phone company. Alas, by the time I was ready for employment, they were not as prevalent and automation was already starting to come in. Funny, nowadays I don't even like talking on the phone :)
betty
Paula is in my prayers tonight too. Like you she tells wonderful stories. Phones sure have come a long way, now we carry them everywhere. Imagine that?
Sending positive vibes for Paula. I was an operator for Pacific Telephone in Oceanside CA and handled a gillion million collect calls for our Marines lined up at the payphones. It WAS fun, but a sad time for those guys. Love the pics
Will say prayers for your friend. May the good Lord bless her with healing and good health. We all wish that for our friends and those we love. Good health is a blessing for sure. One of my jobs was on a switch board in a bank. I don't think it had an option to listen in, never tried, but I did enjoy it. Now everything is electronically recorded and we press numbers for the department we want. I miss the personal touch.
Prayers going up! Love hearing how she pets the cattle and talks to the animals. That's a gal after my own heart!!!
Like Betty, my scout troop toured the phone company and got to watch the switchboard operators at work. Awestruck! That's pretty funny about operators getting to eavesdrop on others' conversations.
You're so right about bloggers feeling like family. :)
Love from rainy, dreary Phoenix,
Myra
I never met Paula in person, but have felt for years that I've met her.. you, too-through your blogs. Paula is a gentle, interesting, funny, kind, unpretentious, gem of a woman.
Sending loving thoughts and prayers to Paula.
R
Of course my prayers are flying down south for sweet Paula. Back when I still blogged, she visited often. My most sincere prayers for you Paula, as you rest and heal. Bless Your Heart sweet girl. I know Jack doesn't mind my messaging to you through his blog. Say Hi to your bread=loving turtles for me. THANKS Jack.
As for the switchboard, I never had the pleasure of seeing one but do remember Mom being on a party line at the farm....there were 4 families on that line and I did sneak a listen once. Got busted!
Hugs to the two of you and Paula and John also from up north. Another pleasant day in our lil piece of heaven.
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