Reviews from

Chasing the Elusive Dream

Viewing comments for Chapter 4 "Learning Curves"
A southern couple's journey in the 60's,70's & 80'

31 total reviews 
Comment from Ulla
Excellent
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I absolutely love it. Those first years of real life can be quite a revelation.Are any of us really prepared for leaving our homes? I love this, Beth, and you tell it so endearingly so. It must have been a difficult time though. All best. Ulla xx

 Comment Written 13-Oct-2021


reply by the author on 13-Oct-2021
    Thank you Ulla. I was having a ball most of the time. To me even with all the problems, I enjoyed being away from home. Fortunately my husband didn't seem to mind the fact I was ill prepared for marriage. He'd been in service two years, but he was almost as green as me.
    Beth
Comment from Mary Shifman
Excellent
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I enjoyed this episode of your biography. One of the things I like about these posts is that I don't have to read them sequentially since they all tell a story on their own and I can pick it up anywhere and still understand it. Well done.

 Comment Written 13-Oct-2021


reply by the author on 13-Oct-2021
    Thank you Mary. It is true that you can read them as a story. They don't really carry over so you have to read in sequesnce. I do appreciate your review and comments.
    Beth
Comment from lyenochka
Excellent
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Oh my! What a beginning but isn't it great to remember those starving days and see how God provided in the past? I'm glad that Evan agreed to let you finish your degree. And what a great thing you didn't have to move while he started work (for Chevron? Gulf?) .

 Comment Written 12-Oct-2021


reply by the author on 13-Oct-2021
    Thank you so much for the review and comments. Yes, it seems things we needed were always provided. We were happy and didn't do a lot of worrying. (At least I didn't) Life was an adventure of me and I enjoyed it. He went to work for the California Company, an oil company subsidiary of Standard Oil that later became Chevron.
    Beth
Comment from Begin Again
Excellent
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It reminds me of our one-room apartment, portable baby bed squeezed into a corner of the bathroom, and noodles night after night so we could afford formula for the baby. In ways, I am glad there are people to assist the young and struggling now, but on the other hand, they never really learn what "scraping by" means. Awesome story!

Hugs, Carol

 Comment Written 12-Oct-2021


reply by the author on 12-Oct-2021
    Thank you Carol. I'm glad I had the experience of scraping by beccause it led me to determine to get out of debt and stay our. I hated not wanting to answer the phone,because it could be a creditor trying to collect their money.
Comment from Sankey
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

What a great and funny chapter. A good read as you always bring us. Keep them coming. Is the story of you talking to Evan still going? No spags at all in here.

 Comment Written 12-Oct-2021


reply by the author on 12-Oct-2021
    Thank you so much for the review and the six stars. Yes the other one is still going. I put a new on Saturday. If you read it now it is still paying, I think. It his Another Birdie Back in the Nest.
Comment from Ben Colder
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

I can see this. It is so real. Wow, it brings many memories. The free food thing is so real. I remember those moments. Glad you guys got a job close not having to move.

 Comment Written 11-Oct-2021


reply by the author on 12-Oct-2021
    Thank you Chuck, I really appreciate the six stars. I wish I'd known you and Mary back then.
    Beth
reply by Ben Colder on 12-Oct-2021
    It would have been nice.
Comment from Elizabeth Emerald
Excellent
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Wonderful story--this series is delightful--the pie snafu is priceless! Your wry self-deprecation as to your nil cooking skill is hilarious. Very amusing (from the reader's perspective) is the remark about double his salary.

 Comment Written 11-Oct-2021


reply by the author on 12-Oct-2021
    Thank youj Liz, I glad you like. I made enough snafus in those days to fill several books.
    Beth
Comment from Judy Lawless
Excellent
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You too had a lot more fun on your small incomes than we did, but t least we managed to stay mostly out of debt. This is another fun chapter. You in-laws must have wondered what kind of woman he'd married! Great read, Beth.

 Comment Written 11-Oct-2021


reply by the author on 11-Oct-2021
    We were in debt for sure, but when we finally got out we made sure we never went in debt again. We didn't want to live that way. We had fun but the debt part was not fun.
    Beth
Comment from Ric Myworld
Excellent
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I think most all of us can think back to those early days when life was hard and when we first started making a little more money and having nicer things. Thanks for sharing.

 Comment Written 11-Oct-2021


reply by the author on 11-Oct-2021
    Thank you Ric. I appreciate the review and comments. We learned that it wasn't fun to be in debt and when we finally got out we started doing without unless we had the cash to pay for it.
    Beth
Comment from Mary Kay Bonfante
Excellent
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This was an enjoyable and lighthearted look at the second month of your marriage. You really had to struggle through it! The roller coaster incident was quite funny ... wet pants, oh no! So was the moldy pie, in the oven. Yes, I can only imagine your in-laws' impressions.

My list of suggestions:

Continuation of the adventures of newly weds in late 50's
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Continuation of the adventures of newlyweds in late '50s

Learning Cruves
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Learning Curves

Trips to my parent's home ...
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Trips to my parents' home

My most embarrassing moment occurred two weeks later
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My most embarrassing moment occurred two weeks later,

The cars slowly escalated to top of the steep incline.
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The cars slowly escalated to the top of the steep incline.

He's proved over the years this isn't the case,
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He's proven over the years that this isn't the case,

but I've never let him live that episode down.
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but I never let him live that episode down.

At least, we least we didn't have to join a line at a food kitchen.
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At least, we didn't have to join a line at a food kitchen.

***

So you two got free hot dogs and soda at a supermarket grand opening, without buying food -- very creative! You did what you had to do. And your husband got a better job, just in the nick of time.

 Comment Written 11-Oct-2021


reply by the author on 11-Oct-2021
    Thank you so much for the review and comment and wonderful help.
    I should have read over it better. You weren't around when it was originally posted and no one caught the errors.
    Beth