I have been really busy this week editing and helping to print out the second edition of the Red Hill Reporter and it is 2 pages bigger than the first one. The story Grandpa told me about him singing with Marlena Dietrich was in the paper along with the picture of him with his guitar "old yeller". The paper is all printed and it is delivered around school tomorrow. We are working on making the paper into something that can be read on the internet, but it may be awhile before the school gets its website going, Mr. Grady said. Hopefully by the time we return from winter break, which will be after the new year, anyone in the world can read the Red Hill Reporter. We only have one more edition before winter break so I am excited about that.
Gretchen wrote about her Great Aunt Romona that never lost at a card game called Michigan Rummy (even though she lived in Iowa) and would play men for money in every bar in town and take all their money. Gretchen even wrote about a how her aunt played for a Buick (some sort of big car) and won it on the last hand of the game from a famous Michigan rummy player named "Johnny Cats". She won so often that she was always accused of cheating, but no one ever caught her and some even threatened to kill her. She had to eventually stop playing in Iowa because the police were after her for illegal gambling and she moved out west in the 1970's and continued playing in places like Colorado and Arizona. She eventually died in Arizona while trying to make it to Mexico. Gretchen's grandma never could retrieve her sister's remains and only rumors remain about how she actually died, but Mr. Grady wouldn't let us print what those rumors were because they were very violent stories and as Mr. Grady says, "Rumors are not facts". So I want to know what the dictionary says about that. A "rumor" is "a currently circulating story or report of uncertain or doubtful truth; gossip" and an example of its use "rumor has it that he will take a year off". I wonder what makes a report become more truthful and less "uncertain"? I guess I will have to ask Mr. Grady about that. I also would like to know if anyone reading this knows the answer to that question. He did mention to me the other day that maybe I should ask more questions directed to the people reading my blog in hopes that they'll respond and make my blog more "interactive". I guess I'll wait till next time to look that word up. So, I guess I hope more people write comments, but I understand if you don't have time. Either way I'll just keep writing ...
Jem