CROSSWORD for a muddled mind

Yesterday I awoke with images of bridges, glasses, and classrooms in my head. This morning? This morning? I found myself mentally repeating over and over again "48 water clubs." Huh? I have no visual memory of the dream, but it took me awhile to stop repeating "48 water clubs." I shook the cobwebs out and decided it was probably best to not ponder this phrase for too long. I'd have preferred a terrifying school dream instead of wondering what 48 water clubs look like and what nefarious plan I had hatched to use them.

Which brings me to another page in the Think-And-Do Book. This little book belonged to Ruth Gray. As you can see she once again got an "A" on this page. I have, however, removed her answers so that you can put your thinking cap on and try to get the "A" that she deserved.

Ready? Pencils in hand? You have 10 minutes. Start...NOW!

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I HAD A DREAM last night...

...I was just about to walk onto a bridge when suddenly it started to move. The deck began to go up, up, up and I was sliding down, down, down. I know where this came from. I was looking at a photo of a bridge yesterday that was in this position. But then, in the dream, I suddenly realized I was wearing the wrong glasses. I was wearing my cheap computer glasses, not my prescription lenses. AND I was on my way to school? Huh? School? Geez, I thought I was through with those type of dreams. You know, the ones where you can't remember your locker combination or you've somehow managed to NOT go to the class for an entire year and suddenly it's time for the final? Seriously, I sort of thought those dreams went the way of other things in life once I passed through menopause. Alas, no. This one had me freaking out because I had to get to class because indeed, there was a test. Of course there was. So screwy bridge, wrong glasses, test to take. Middle of the night angst!

I have this feeling on my death bed instead of seeing the light I'll simply see a row of lockers and be left thinking, "Oh #!*% I can't remember my combination!" Fade to black.

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I bought a couple of old elementary school workbooks a few years ago. Nothing great, but when I look at them I can almost step back in time and get glimpses of moments when I sat with my thick pencil clutched in my tiny hand, nose close to the page, drawing circles and arrows around answers. I wish I could see one of those books again. I sort of like getting a whiff of an old moment. Looking at this page I think I might just be back in school tonight in my dreams.

This page is from a book called Think-And-Do Book to Accompany Streets and Roads published by Scott, Foresman and Company in 1946.

AND WHAT DID YOU DO at the beach?

These illustrations are from the 1946 Scott, Foresman and Company Before We Read. And yes, this is the same Dick and Jane family, but in a little workbook. The whole gang is here except for Puff. Puff didn't get to go to the beach. Obviously Dick and Jane's folks weren't fools. Who would take a cat to the beach? I'm sure there is someone out there who has one leash trained that does very nicely on the beach, thank you very much. I had a cat that was leash trained. I don't care how odd it looked. It worked for me...except for when we took walks for him to go to the bathroom and all he did was dig a golf course. Then I'll admit, it looked really really stupid.

This book is virtually nothing but pictures. The only words appear at the end and they are...drum roll please..."Dick" and "Jane" repeated several times. Someday I'll scan those. Until then I thought we needed something a little summertime, a little bit of Dick and Jane at the beach. Can you say "See Jane play. See Jane play with Spot. Run Spot run." I'm sure you can. 

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