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| Joe - August 1940 |
I (Joe) moved from Irvington (Indianapolis) IN to Grosse Pointe, MI in August of 1940. I started the 1st grade. Shortly thereafter, in Dec of 1941 the 2nd World War started. Along with the war came rationing of food and other things such as gasoline. Gas rationing started in 1942. An "A" sticker on a car was the lowest priority of gasoline rationing and entitled the car owner to 3 to 4 gallons of gasoline per week. B stickers were issued to workers in the military industry, entitling their holder up to 8 gallons of gasoline per week. C stickers were granted to persons deemed very essential to the war effort, such as doctors. T rations were made available for truckers. My father had a B sticker and then a C sticker for work as he was making training films for the military through The Detroit Service Engraving Company. - - -so in any case on an occasional Sunday afternoon we could take a cruise out Jefferson Ave. on to Lakeshore Drive into the “ritzy” parts of Grosse Pointe.
Sometime during 1942-43, we took such a Sunday afternoon excursion in our Oldsmobile. It was an experimental version that my Dad had through one of his advertising accounts with Oldsmobile. It has a partial hydramatic transmission, the first of its kind as far as I know. - - I was sitting in the back seat idly staring out the window at the spacious lawns and large mansions when I noticed this shiny ball atop about a three foot pedestal – and I exclaimed in an excited loud voice, “Oh Mommie, we got to get one of those pretty sun balls for our yard!! Where can we get one?” - - - My Mother looked out the window and quickly twisted around in her front seat with a very very stern look on her face and said very deliberately “We don’t ever want one – they are tacky” and turned around. There was silence – then I said, “But they are really neat – I want one!” Mother twisted around again and said, “They are tacky”. - - I don’t remember if I kept on whining or not – but that was the end of the conversation.
Sometime during 1942-43, we took such a Sunday afternoon excursion in our Oldsmobile. It was an experimental version that my Dad had through one of his advertising accounts with Oldsmobile. It has a partial hydramatic transmission, the first of its kind as far as I know. - - I was sitting in the back seat idly staring out the window at the spacious lawns and large mansions when I noticed this shiny ball atop about a three foot pedestal – and I exclaimed in an excited loud voice, “Oh Mommie, we got to get one of those pretty sun balls for our yard!! Where can we get one?” - - - My Mother looked out the window and quickly twisted around in her front seat with a very very stern look on her face and said very deliberately “We don’t ever want one – they are tacky” and turned around. There was silence – then I said, “But they are really neat – I want one!” Mother twisted around again and said, “They are tacky”. - - I don’t remember if I kept on whining or not – but that was the end of the conversation.
During my first marriage and first house we never got one – I guess some other people thought gazing balls were “tacky”. – However, when I became wedded to Julie things changed. I made a comment about sun balls/gazing balls one afternoon when her parents Bill and Mary Holton were over – And, guess what - - for Christmas I received a gazing ball! But, - soon someone stole it – it was gone. Someone else thought it was neat or someone wanted to keep the neighborhood tidy. I was broken up. The Holtons took care of it and gave me another one for my birthday in April.
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Christmas 1982
a happy boy!
Mom & I carefully "planted" the gazing ball in the bed of ivy
in front of our house on North Street
In a few days the ball disappeared. This is the ONLY thing that was ever taken from our property in the 34 years we lived on North Street. We told Joe it was the work of OWCAT - "Olde Worthington Committee Against Tackiness" that removed the gazing ball.
Joe was very sad.
family journal entry about the gazing ball
Part 2
In April 1982 Mary Holton wrote to her children about "Joe's great gift."
At our house when Joe unwrapped his "great gift"
Family journal entry May 2, 1983
May 1 - Julia's letter to family
Part 3 and more
The gazing ball stood on its pedestal for years in our backyard at North Street. Young grandchildren sometimes called it a magic ball and enjoyed looking at their reflection in the green globe. Every once in a while we'd see a bird looking in the ball with curiosity. Each winter the ball was moved to the garage for a bit of protection.
In this photo the gazing ball has been joined by
other whirly things that delight Joe (and many others)
other whirly things that delight Joe (and many others)
When we moved to the west coast, my sister kindly offered to take the gazing ball. Here it is in their yard on Olentangy Boulevard. Fittingly, it is flanked by Mom's and Dad's chimes and a red bud sapling. When my sister moved, the gazing ball went to the yard of another family member.
I hope when people see the gazing ball they will be told that it represents a little boy's dream, a mother-in-law's desire to please and delight, and a family's love and support for each other - and a shared sense of humor.
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