MPT - Fifth Grade (and Gratitude Day #18)

This is the seventh in a series of blogs I'm writing for Mommy's Piggy Tales . Janna has provided a forum for members to write and share stories from their youth. It's a great adventure! Feel free to join in here. Today I am thankful that I know how to sew. My "main" gift for Christmas the year I was in fifth grade was a six week sewing course at the local Sears. I remember starting by using paper in the machine to sew straight and curved lines. I learned how to put in a zipper and set sleeves properly. I can't remember exactly what I sewed in the class, but look at the pictures in next week's post; I remember sewing that red dress (in the sewing on the bed picture), the green dress (in the picture with my grandfather), and the yellow jumper and poofy white blouse (in the picture with my friends). Sewing still comes in handy and I'm grateful for that skill.

For fifth grade my teacher was Mr. Ceccarelli, my first male teacher. That year our school was on double session so we had to learn in less time. I remember one day I received a “D” on a math paper, and the next one I failed. It was tremendously embarrassing, but it was kind of nice to let the other kids know that I was human and made mistakes, as is still the case.
In summer school the year before or after fifth grade, I had a science class and we made miniature telegraphs. We took a piece of wood, wires, batteries, and metal strips and put them all together. Then we learned the Morse Code and would relay messages to each other. Another one of my summer school classes was typing. That turned out to be a valuable skill to learn.

As mentioned before I started piano lessons in second grade, and I was still practicing and progressing all through fifth grade. In fact, I had developed enough skill that I was ready for my very first church calling when I was ten years old - that of Junior Sunday School Pianist. I still remember the very first song I learned from the Sing With Me book - "A Happy Song" (which starts "ducks in the pond quack a happy song"). They've improved the content of Primary songs and made them more spiritually-based. However, I picked that one because it didn't have any flats or sharps! Anyway, for almost forty years I've spent a good portion of my time at church behind the piano, and I suspect that won't end any time soon.

seven kids = seven Jack-o-lanterns