My Travels

[W. Gray]

Roma Jean,

As I seem to recall from several years ago, the Battlefield Mall is either on or adjacent to the place where the first civil war battle took place in Missouri.

[W. Gray]

Eve Arden was an English teach in Our Miss Brooks.

[W. Gray]

I just went upstairs to get something but by the time I got up there, I forgot what it was I needed. However, at the same time it suddenly dawned on me.

Eve Arden was the principal in the GREASE movies of the late seventies. Sid Caesar was the athletic coach.

[Diane Amberg]

There was a "Mr.Bascom" in some school administrator role. Mr. Peepers finally married his girlfriend Nancy. That was a big deal in those days.

[Roma Jean Turner]

  I'm not sure of the actual history of the land that the Mall is on.  The actual Wilson Creek Battlefield park is several miles west and some south of Battlefield St.  Then there is an acutal Battlefield, Mo which is very close by.    When I moved here the first time in 1969 the mall was just being built.  We couldn't understand at the time why they would build a mall ,(first one any of us had ever seen), clear out side of town in the middle of pasture land.  Lots of changes.

[W. Gray]

I purchased a quite expensive (for the time) bedroom set from Dillards at the Battlefiield Mall in 1974.

I wanted one that would last forever.

Today, it is in our guest room looking as good as the day I bought it. I also purchased a lamp to go along with the furniture and it is on the night stand.

Before I came to Springfield, I had never heard of Dillards. They were out of Little Rock, maybe.

Now we have Dillards at all the major malls in the Denver area but those out here do not sell furniture.

Also, I saw Gone With the Wind for the first time in that Mall. I came away wondering what all the hubbub was about.

[Rudy Taylor]

Now let me see if I've got this straight: Tobina is looking for Gurney Mall in Springfield where a teacher by the name of Dillard
sells furniture with his sidekick, Mr. Peepers?

[W. Gray]

This is sort of like the old time party game where several people get in a line.

The first person whispers a message to the second person, that person is supposed to repeat and whispers to the next, etc.

What the last person hears, has a totally different meaning than what started out.

[Diane Amberg]

Nothing like a little "Whisper Down The Lane" to get things confused. It's still fun to do with kids. 

[Tobina+1]

Alright, swerve back from the tangent...
Well, I left this morning in a sleet storm.  My car was just starting to ice over, and I told myself that I'd turn around if it was icy when I hit the blacktop at Moline.  Nope, just wet.  Temp was starting to rise, too, so I continued on.  Got up to 35 degrees at Chetopa, and then started sliding back down when I got into Joplin.  Spent the day at the Joplin Stockyards sale, and still only got rain.  Headed to Springfield early so to avoid dropping temps and icy roads.  From my 8th floor room at the University Plaza Hotel, I can't tell if the roads are slick, but the cars driving slow on the street below might be an indication.  Will hopefully find a restaurant close to take my customers tonight so we don't have to drive far (or at all).  Not brave enough yet to get out and about to any shopping center, mall, OR battlefield.  I used to be one of those crazy city drivers, so I know how we can get on icy roads.  I'm a little more chicken now (and drive a nicer car).  One more reason to love a gravel road!!!