Mug Memories

 

Oh the memories. As old artifacts are uncovered in the Westra home, often a picture is taken and exchanged over email ... most of the Westra kids remembered these mugs. No one was so sentimentally attached that they wanted to keep them forever, but they are deserving of a blog post before they find a new home ... via a thrift shop, or maybe there are some selling on Ebay and other auction sites (although these aren't in the most pristine condition having been used and loved over the years). 

Doing a reverse image search, several of these mugs popped up on the internet ... selling on auction sites, and with a few informational posts. Seriously, check out these articles for more images, videos and background. 

• Goofy Grape and Friends
• Funny Face Drinks Are More Fun
• Maybe These Pillsbury Drink Mix Mascots are Best Left in 1965
• Funny Face Evolutions

A quick recap ... the mugs were introduced along with a sugar-free drink mix, Pillsbury's attempt to compete with Kool-Aid. The crazy, animated faces were meant to appeal to kids, and they each had their fun names.  There was even a little book written about the characters; Freckle Face Strawberry, Jolly Ollie Orange, Loud Mouth Punch, With It Watermelon, Goofy Grape, Lefty Lemon, Choo Choo Cherry, Rudy Tutti Frutti, and Rah Rah Root Beer. Two of the original iterations Injun Orange and Chinese Cherry were deemed not politically correct and were updated/replaced. 

I don't know that we ever had the pitcher, but I do remember more of the mugs than the three that surfaced during the move in 2022. 

Check out the Timeless Toys post for more memories of other plastic Westra Classics ;) 

Priesthood Preview ~Scott and Chris

 This will  be backdated to 1977

Over the years, there were many presentations and awards. Often, the programs would be slipped somewhere (baby book, journals, filing cabinet) to preserve them to look back on in future years. The program above was found in Scott's baby book. For an enlarged copy, look in Dropbox in the 1977 year.

The Priesthood Preview, 1977. Chris Westra was noted as one of the "boys to be honored" along with several others from the Cottonwood 11th ward. Scott is listed as one of the "Deacon Quorum Presidencies and Advisors" (again, for the 11th ward). 

Harry Peckham was at the piano  (his wife taught piano lessons to Wendy and Jen). One of the speakers, Dee Hadley, lived across the street from the Westra home. It is hard to read (small print) but Mom is also mentioned with several others "Appreciation is extended to ..." (although the spelling here is Marj Westra) as part of the Stake Primary Board.

The three songs with lyrics listed ... not any I am familiar with from later years in the church (serving in primary, having boys of my own). Not much information online about them either, although two of them were included in LDS songbooks.

I Want to be a Deacon (B-88) in "Sing with Me" 1969 edition.

Don't Envy the Boy (L-80) 1979 edition (as this is AFTER this presentation, the song must have also been available in some earlier publication).

This picture in Dropbox doesn't indicate this was the night of the Priesthood Preview, but it does showcase the two Westra boys pointed out in the program, and they are dressed up in their Sunday best (although November 12 was actually a Saturday).

After the post went live, Mom had these memories ...

Out of all the Stake Priesthood Previews I went to as a mom and several I helped put on as a Counselor in the Stake Primary, two things that have stayed with me:

• The ones I helped put on:  A Leadership lesson I learned from the Stake Primary President (and previous ones):  The stake Primary President kept a loose-leaf binder with all the details from that year's Priesthood Preview------amounts of food, supplies needed, samples of programs, costs, invitation samples, etc.  Then the binder was passed on to future Presidents to continue to benefit planning for future Priesthood Previews.  I thought that was a great idea.

• One thing during one of the programs, by one of the stake presidency, and I have remembered ever since is this:  He called up one of the boys in the stake and told him, "I have heard that you are a very good and accomplished young man.  Therefore, I am going to make you King of England.  Then he put a fancy King's robe about the boy and crowned him "King of England."  Then he went on to teach that he had no authority to make that boy King of England----just as other religions have no authority to do things like that.  And told how our priesthood authority comes from God and we must have that authority in order to have prophets, etc.      It was a good way to teach that point.

School Certificates in the 70s

The Westra siblings excelled in school, so of course there were certificates and awards sent home throughout the years. Some of them got saved ... and then scanned, and now preserved and posted on the blog and into Dropbox.

1974 ... Chris got an award for reading "at least 12 books" during the summer vacation.  I wish we had a recorded record of the books he read (as we do in Shane's Booklist, Age 11). Mrs. Bullock was his teacher, which would have put him in Third Grade. Mrs. Bullock was remembered for reading aloud to the class, favorites such as "Baby Island" and "Sonny Elephant" were introduced in 3rd grade. 

Wendy's box had a "Vacation Reader's Diploma" for 1974 and 1975.

That would have been 1st and 2nd grade for her.

 

For Scott, 1975 started 6th grade, his final year at elementary school. In his box, there were three certificates saved from that year. "Good Citizen" of the month (no date on the award though, so we don't know which month!) He got an award for serving on the "Safety Patrol" and another for special services in the office. What a helpful guy!

... another reading award for Chris, in 1977 (5th grade)

Historical Certificates from the Seventies ... Scanned and Saved forever!

Chris's Clark Start

 This will be backdated to 1972

Mom shared some memories of when the family first moved to Utah in 1972 ...

Chris was just turned 6 and in Mrs. Clark's 1st grade. Her husband had Meniere's Disease really bad and couldn't work, so she started teaching school.

I considered having Chris repeat Kindergarten, since he was small and young for his grade.  Also, they hadn't taught reading in kindergarten in Richland.  But still having 3 little ones at home most of the time would be hard, so I went ahead and sent him.  Having lunch at school was scary for him at first, so Mrs. Clark let him eat with her in the classroom.  He started out very behind in reading, but was so smart, he ended up being the best reader in his class and the principal awarded him a big yellow book about cars, trains, airplanes, etc.  Mrs. Clark would reward the kids with a small paperback book every time they read 20 books.  Chris is very competitive and that really motivated him in reading.  That is where I got the idea of the reading charts and reward after 20 kid books or 10 chapter books I have made for some of your kids.

Looking through the saved stuff, there were quite a few reading certificates and awards for Chris for the years to come. Looks like Mrs. Clark's jumpstart had lasting effects! Thanks Mrs. Clark!

Wish we had a written booklist like we do for Shane at age 11. 

Chris did comment that "A Wrinkle in Time" and its sequels were favorites.