{"id":742,"date":"2015-03-12T15:31:32","date_gmt":"2015-03-12T15:31:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/?p=742"},"modified":"2016-06-16T13:04:55","modified_gmt":"2016-06-16T16:04:55","slug":"i-was-a-fifth-grade-gypsy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/?p=742","title":{"rendered":"I Was a Fifth Grade GYPSY"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"My<\/a>

My classroom was on the top floor overlooking the playground<\/p><\/div>\n

Almost. I really, really, r-e-a-l-l-y wanted\u00a0<\/em>to be a gypsy. They have a small camp near my school, Main Street Elementary, in Whitehall, Ohio. The kids keep to themselves in school. I give them wide berth, they are fascinating but odd. It is when the girls \u00a0come to school with mecuricome stained threads looped through their freshly pierced ears that they get my full attention. I want pierced ears too. With red colored loops keeping the holes open until they heal enough for the real deal. But it never happens. Mom is aghast that I even aspire to such low depths.<\/p>\n

\"baker\"<\/a>

Sandy Baker (Finn). Note stockings top. Pantyhose yet in the future.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"wallpaper\"<\/a>

Better shot of the wallpaper. It was a love\/hate relationship.<\/p><\/div>\n

And then in college I decide it’s time for action. But I don’t know any gypsies. And nobody but nobody has pierced ears, except gypsies. “I know someone who will pierce your ears,” good friend day student Sandy Baker (Finn) tells me. \u00a0She says to buy some gold post earrings and meet her at Thalhimers where she works part time in Hosiery. Imagine. A entire<\/em> department for stockings. You have to buy your choices by size, color, type of fabric. No such thing as stretch. Or cheap. Much of my money goes into keeping a supply of matching hose with no runs. Sandy recently told me that she worked in Lingerie but Hosiery fits my story line better, so I’m leaving it. After all bras are still bras although girdles, a must in our world, have thankfully turned to Spanx.<\/p>\n

I do as Sandy says. She introduces me to her friend who tells me to follow her into the empty ladies room. She is on her fifteen minute break. Her directives are simple. She doesn’t have much time. “Sit.” There is a small vanity table, mirror and chair. “Hold this ice cube on your ear lob.\u00a0Be still.” And then. Oh my god. The unexpected pain.<\/p>\n

“Don’t move. Or the holes will be uneven. Give me your earrings.” She stalls. “These have screw backs.” That I didn’t know anything about buying pierced earrings became very clear.<\/p>\n

“Here use mine. Sandy will trade off after your ears have healed.” I pay her the dollar an ear she charges. She has ten minutes of her break left.<\/p>\n

Friends are impressed. They want their ears pierced, too. I have started a trend and a little business. One dollar a lobe. They line up. All through college I rake in some easy beer money.<\/p>\n

Finally a gypsy! At least that’s what mom calls me when I tell her what I’ve done. But hey, I live in a room with hand painted French wallpaper. Hand painted. French. Look at it. Huge red, white & blue decorative plumes. On all four walls. Picture a night of bingeing surrounded by this as you swirl to sleep.<\/p>\n

The gypsy life has come to me.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Almost. I really, really, r-e-a-l-l-y wanted\u00a0to be a gypsy. They have a small camp near my school, Main Street Elementary, in Whitehall, Ohio. The kids keep to themselves in school. I give them wide berth, they are fascinating but odd. … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[94,69],"tags":[100,147,145,146,143,144,142,148],"class_list":["post-742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-college","category-school","tag-909-west-franklin","tag-bocock-house","tag-gypsy-life","tag-hand-painted-wall-paper","tag-main-street-elementary","tag-pierced-ears","tag-sandy-baker-finn","tag-whitehall-ohio"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5CT4u-bY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2268,"url":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/?p=2268","url_meta":{"origin":742,"position":0},"title":"Rally!","author":"sandy jett ball","date":"September 18, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I went to my first political rally when I was 16. The year was 1960. I was living in Whitehall, Ohio an independent city that grew out of a farm and repeatedly refused to be annexed by Columbus, the state capital, which literally grew around it until it was completely\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "politics"","block_context":{"text":"politics","link":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/?cat=361"},"img":{"alt_text":"Statehouse","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sandybeachgirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Statehouse-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7842,"url":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/?p=7842","url_meta":{"origin":742,"position":1},"title":"Surprise AWARDs are the BEST","author":"sandy jett ball","date":"February 26, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Middle school grandson Benjamin receives a surprise academic excellence award prompting me to recall two surprise school award events of my own. The first comes about when I am in the 8th grade at the then brand new Whitehall-Yearling High School in Whitehall Ohio (enclave of Columbus). 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It just confuses me.\" Oh Inspector Jack Anderson & Lady Detective Phyrne Fisher we do love you. Son Andrew recently posts a photo of ingredients for a mixed drink that takes him four stops to acquire. He asks for guesses as to what he is concocting, offering\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "college"","block_context":{"text":"college","link":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/?cat=94"},"img":{"alt_text":"200","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sandybeachgirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/200.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2884,"url":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/?p=2884","url_meta":{"origin":742,"position":3},"title":"Christmas MAGIC","author":"sandy jett ball","date":"December 24, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Shhhh...listen. Hear that? It's the reindeer on the roof!\" We believe, my cousins and I. Never mind that we are teens, the closer it gets to Christmas Day the firmer our shaky faith becomes. Between middle school and college years my family makes the long pre-interstate trek from Whitehall, Ohio\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Christmas"","block_context":{"text":"Christmas","link":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/?cat=26"},"img":{"alt_text":"6416 three chopt","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sandybeachgirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/6416-three-chopt-300x211.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sandybeachgirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/6416-three-chopt-300x211.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sandybeachgirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/6416-three-chopt-300x211.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sandybeachgirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/6416-three-chopt-300x211.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2294,"url":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/?p=2294","url_meta":{"origin":742,"position":4},"title":"Let Us Talk About LETTUCE","author":"sandy jett ball","date":"November 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I am in Harris Teeter shopping when a strangely familiar sight greets my eye in the produce section. Empty, or practically so, shelves where lettuce and other fresh greens should be succulently waiting for me, and others, to bag them up and take them home. No famine has not struck,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "family"","block_context":{"text":"family","link":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/?cat=70"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sandybeachgirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/giphy.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4488,"url":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/?p=4488","url_meta":{"origin":742,"position":5},"title":"Virginia & Slim NO Not THAT Kind (Part 2)","author":"sandy jett ball","date":"October 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I get a random email recently that goes in part like this, \"Pete Mistr here. How are you and your family? Scott, Spud's oldest son, found your article \"Virginia & Slim NO Not THAT Kind (Part 1). What a great article. I loved it. Is there a Part 2 and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Slim Mistr"","block_context":{"text":"Slim Mistr","link":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/?cat=631"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sandybeachgirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/IMG_4815-225x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/742","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=742"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/742\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3262,"href":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/742\/revisions\/3262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandybeachgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}