Spanky's Clubhouse

How many people know about Hoopeston, Illinois the home of the Cornjerkers. It is located in central Illinois close to the Indiana border. The Cornjerkers always make the list for most unusual sports team nicknames. The way they got the name was the boys were always late for the bus to go to the basketball games and the coach said, "Oh, they are just out jerking corn. Just a bunch of cornjerkers." The name stuck and so it goes. Now we have a former Hoopeston Cornjerker who is doing quite well for himself, Thad Matta, is now the head basketball coach at Ohio State University. Now there is even a sign as you go into the town, saying that this is his home. I understand there was some information on him in a recent Sports Illustrated. I think his team has only lost 1 game this year. There has also been some sadness near Hoopeston. One of my life long friends from home, Velma Gudeman Bird, lost her dad this past week and it is quite sad to me to as I was almost a part of her family growing up togther. He was 85 years old and still helped with the harvest this past fall. He always called me "Shorty" every time I saw him. We were down there this past weekend and were able to see many of my older friends. One lady is 101 years old and still doing quite well-she can still get around and keeps up on what is going on at the assisted living place where she lives because of poor eye sight. Also, saw one of my old teachers and his wife and they have had some health problems this past year. Time doesn't stop for anyone including myself-time goes so quickly and you don't hardly realize that you are aging until you look in the mirror and see some gray hair and wrinkles. But then some things don't change like some of the brick streets that are still in Hoopeston, the water tower that proclaims that they are the Sweet Corn Capital of the World, and of course the Lorraine Theatre is still there.

The white stuff called snow is back again. I was sure we wouldn't make it through the month without some precipitation. As the time nears to my sister's birthday we always get some kind of a storm. I hope this isn't a doozy like back in 1967-does anyone remember that when they forcast only an inch or two and Chicago had 27 inches. Where I lived near Hoopeston we had one of the worst ice storms I ever remember. We were without electricity for 5 days and we couldn't go anywhere. I played Scrabble with my Grandma and we had to play by candlelight. There is still a drip of candle wax on the Scrabble board to this day. This looks like a good night to stay inside and play games or read. There are some good things that come out of a snowy night-it makes us all slow down a bit and take things a little slower. John said it took an hour to get home from Stockton this afternoon as there were some wrecks. Everyone forgets how to drive safely on these snowy roads.