Dear Group, Because Barb mentioned in her memories that she had been a tomboy when she was a kid, I wanted to let her know that I also was a tomboy when I was a kid. But this evening, it made me wonder if that expression is even used anymore. More than that, it made me wonder if some of you young whippersnappers know what we're even talking about! Well, according to my dictionary, a "tomboy" is a girl who behaves like a boisterous boy; a hoyden (a bold, boisterous girl). And I sure WAS one! Hey, I may have eventually learned how to dance and curtsy in "proper society," but I sure was full of life before it was finally hammered home that proper girls didn't act that way. What way? Well, I could climb a tree just as well as any boy and I did my share of carving my initials on it at the very top! Just ask Marilyn about the pear tree behind her house. She was right up there with me and we both had our Girl Scout knives up there with us! Football? Well, of course that was totally off limits to us girls. Nonetheless, the neighborhood kids would get together at the tiny patch of a park on the corner of Macklem and Seymour Avenues in Niagara Falls and when a football game seemed to be in order, I always joined in. And do you know what? Just last month at our historical society meeting, good old Hugh from my old neighborhood showed up and he admitted that I had embarrassed him when I reminded him that I had actually tackled him in one of our football games there. But he smiled at the remembrance. But I'll tell you about another boy that I had tackled in another football game a few years later. His name was Jerry. By that time I was in my very early teens and frankly I was becoming a bit confused. I wanted to be one of the boys, but there wasn't anyone on this earth who was as handsome as Jerry Rushton! Oh hubba hubba! What a dream boat! And for those of you who might be interested, I later recorded in my old diary (of course it had a fold-over lock and key to it) under "Special Events of 1945," "April 9, My first kiss from Jerry Rushton." I guess my tomboy days were over. (Sigh!) vee