2. What was your fondest (or one of your fondest) memory of High School?

In the Spring of my first year of high school tryouts were held for the different cheer squads. We had Yell leaders, Song Leaders and Flag Twirlers. Historically Juniors were Flag Twirlers and Seniors were Song Leaders or Yell Leaders. I wasn’t great at twirling a flag so I made the bold move to try out for Song Leader. We had grueling tryout sessions where we learned the routines that we’d have to perform in front of a panel of teachers who would narrow down the field to perform in front of the whole school and then put the vote to the student body for the final team and alternates. I remember how hard it was to walk up stairs after those training sessions. After the first tryout I made the cut and then the decision went to the student body. When the votes were counted they put up a sheet of paper with the results in the main hallway at school. I was thrilled to see my name on the list as one of the six! There were also 2 alternates. My future sister-in-law was one of the alternates. The other Song Leaders weren’t as thrilled as I was that I made the team. Oops. Lest you think I was sooo popular with the student body let me explain that I had a brother a year ahead of me and a sister 2 years ahead of me who were popular and our family name was well known in school so I’ll give lots of credit to that fact in my success in getting the popular vote! 🙂

My Junior year with the other Song leaders who were Seniors.

In this photo my future sister-in-law is behind me. This was our Homecoming rally and she is wearing a homecoming corsage that my brother gave her.

You had to try out every year so in my Junior year I tried out and made the cut again for Song Leader in my Senior year. This photo above is in my Senior year with my good friends who moved from being Flag Twirlers (as Juniors) to Song Leaders (as Seniors).

We’d probably lose 3-5 pounds every Friday night from all the aerobics.

3. What did you do the summer after High School? 

I worked and got ready to go off to college at the University of Redlands.

4. June 14th is National Strawberry Shortcake Day…are you a fan, and if so will you celebrate? How do you make yours? Have you been strawberry picking? If so what do you do with all those berries? 

We enjoy Strawberry Shortcake with sugared strawberries that have made a little of their own juice and we’ll have them with different bases like angel food cake, pound cake, or our Russian Easter Bread, with whipped cream or at Easter with Seernaya Paska (a sweetened cheese).  I have been strawberry picking but didn’t pick more than we could enjoy within a couple days. In California when we lived in Camarillo we had Strawberry fields close by and what a treat it was to go and buy baskets of fresh strawberries to enjoy. So good and sweet unlike some of the grocery store variety.

5. What’s something you always splurge on? 

Besides our kids and grandkids? We’ll always splurge on Birthday and Anniversary meals and/or nights away during those events.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Our master shower project is underway.

Happy Flag Day everyone! Our flag is waving!