2. Gus Stories (Submitted by Debi) - Poor little Gus was a sweet dachshund that your grandma trained to go into the closet whenever someone would come to the door. This way the guest could enter and not be "attacked" by little Gus. AC and I would play for HOURS by pretending there were people at the door, and putting Gus in the closet where he would be barking his head off while we giggled outside pretending to greet guests. We'd then "pretend" the guest left and then let Gus out. The poor thing would run around sniffing for the guest scent (and of course there wasn't any!).
Actual picture of Gus coming!
Back to the top of this page
3. Gus Stories #2 (Submitted by Debi) - Of course there was the "dress up Gus" playtime too. Our favorite was to put hats on him - pose him and take pictures. (what a sport). I know in her massive photo collection there are shots of him dressed up. I distinctly remember a yellow floppy hat that we put him in a lot.
Back to the top of this page
4. Gus Stories #3 (Submitted by Debi) - Another favorite was to squeeze Gus around the stomach and he would grunt. Gee, you can imagine what fun this was - especially with sing-a-long songs..... I'm sure you can fill in the gaps with what the poor thing went through. "Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O, and on this farm he had a pig, E-I-E-I-O with a (squeeze Gus) here and a (squeeze Gus) there, here a (squeeze Gus), there a (squeeze Gus) everywhere a (squeeze Gus twice). Old MacDonald had a farm......"
Back to the top of this page
5. AC's "new" car (Submitted by Clintonious) - At this time, AC lived in Columbus and my family lived in Worthington (aka Worthing-Clinton) Ohio for the first few years of my life. I can't quite remember why, but AC had gotten in a few car accidents around this time. Also my sister, Karen, and I were somewhat fascinated by BIG trucks and vans. Well, AC came to pick us up for a trip somewhere. It was either Karen or myself who informed AC, "...AC, next time you wreck your car could you get a van?"
Back to the top of this page
6. TOYS (By Peeps) - We all know how Dups (Carol) liked toys. However, she had ability to turn everyday items into toys. An example was on New Years Eve 1985(?). Dups, my husband Tom, Wendy Beatty, from Philly, Carol Bowers from New Orleans at the time, and myself were getting ready to go see Huey Lewis in concert. We were talking about someone having to wear braces. Dups walked out of the room and returned with aluminum foil on her teeth like braces. We found her quite fetching, and soon she had all of us fashioning aluminum foil necklaces, earrings, head pieces, wrist and ankle bracelets for ourselves. Somehow, Dups talked us into walking out of the house in our foil costumes. We wore them to the concert, to Denny's afterwards (where we caused quite a stir), and then to the San Francisco airport where we took Carol (Bowers) to catch a very early plane. Dups had the ability to get you to do or wear funny things with her in public.
(Thanks to Peeps!)
Back to the top of this page
7. TOYS II (By Peeps Linvill) - After college, Dups (Carol) and I discovered that our college buddy Wendy Beatty (Beattonious) had been a champion baton twirler in high school! We had her teach us and Carol Bowers some of her moves and routines. Dups was so adept at dancing, that she picked it up right away. Bowers and I really tried, but looked best in the final pose. So we ended up purchasing our own "batons" (said with a french accent). We started a collection of sparkling batons, ones with tassles, and even ones that made halloween noises. (Dups' parents, Meg and Bo-Bo have those now, but that's another story!) Any time we were together, we would get the batons out and do a routine. Yes, we would take these to any restaurant, bar, party, street, sidewalk, and even airports (we did a great routine for Carol Bowers when she arrived at the San Jose airport). Yes, people would stare, roll there eyes, and laugh at us but it did not matter.
(Thanks again to Peeps)
Back to the top of this page
8. Cupid (by Laura Whitley) - I also wanted to verify something your mother said. Jennette said that Carol considered herself instrumental in getting Rogiere and I together. It sounds funny, but until this year I never really thought about it. I took Carols place at a job and she invited me to a couple of happy hours (she was really happy when she left that job!) and she invited Roger too. (Roger and I played softball on the same team, so we knew each other.) I think the combination of the "happy hour" and chemistry worked! We have been married 12 years now.Rogiere and I will always hold a bit of Carol in our hearts.
Back to the top of this page
9. The Carol Burnett Story (by Peeps) - Remember the "Carol Burnett Comedy Hour" of the late 1960's and early 1970's. Remember the face that Carol Burnett would make when she thought someone was doing something risque. She would suck in both cheeks, lift her eyebrows, and move her eyelids up and down slowly. Dups loved that facial expression and we started using it in college. If some guy was talking to her whom she had a crush on, she would do the Carol Burnett face. If someone was doing something they shouldn't, she would flash that smile. Soon she had everyone doing the Carol Burnett face and we all still do it.
(Thanks again to Peeps)
Back to the top of this page
10. Gumby and Pokey (by Peeps) - We all know that Dups loved her toys. One of her most favorite toys were Gumby and Pokey. She became most endeared to Gumby when she lived in an apartment in downtown Los Gatos, California during the early 1980's. A neighbor in the building, named Valerie (Valerenski, as Dups called her) owned Pokey and Dups owned Gumby. They would write notes back and forth to each other. If Val or Dups went away for the weekend, Gumby and Pokey would go with them and write letters to the other, send postcards, and take pictures of their escapades. Gumby had a companion, Bullwinkle, who often went on adventures with him. Val kept a very detailed account of their adventures, complete with drawings. It was not until Val moved away in the mid 1980's that Dups had Pokey move in with her, Gumby, and Bullwinkle.
(Thanks again to Peeps)
Back to the top of this page
11. Pre-Dude Ranch (by Peeps) - In the early 1980's, before you all went to the dude ranch and before Dups started her western dancing, she did go through a western stage. Dups, Lindy Minch, and Maria Mathews started to go out to western dance spots and the rodeo. They added a Western touch to their names. Lindy became Lindy Lu, Maria became Maria Mae, and of course Dups was Carol Jean. Those are names they called each other for the next 18 years.
(Thanks again to Peeps)
Back to the top of this page
More to come...