Caryn’s Thoughts
In American schools, and maybe in schools all over the world, children are used to the occasional fire drill, because it is a practice is designed to allow people to escape a fire, instead of losing their lives in a panic. Of course, this practice is fairly new, and came about after a number of fire disasters. One such disaster was the September 5, 1887, Exeter Theatre Royal fire in Exeter, England.
The fire broke out in the backstage area of the theatre during the production of “The Romany Rye” by George Robert Sims and produced by Wilson Barrett. When the fire was known, a panic ensued throughout the theatre. Whenever there is panic, someone is going to get hurt, or worse. In this case, 186 people died from a combination of the direct effects of smoke and flame, crushing and trampling, and trauma injuries from falling or jumping from the roof and balconies. It is such a sad situation, because if they had not panicked, it is likely that all or most of those would have survived. Of course, panic was not the only reason for the deaths, so we will never truly know if this could have been prevented. The Exeter Theatre Royal death toll makes it the worst theatre disaster, the worst single-building fire, and the third worst fire-related disaster in the history of the United Kingdom. Most of those who lost their lives were in the gallery of the theatre, which had only a single exit with several design flaws. The exit quickly became clogged with people trying to escape.
This was not the first time the Theatre Royal had been destroyed. The first Exeter Theatre Royal had been gutted by fire in 1885, and the new theatre was opened, on a new site, in 1886 to the design of well-known theatre architect CJ Phipps. The new theatre was leased exclusively to Sidney Herberte-Basing. The new 
building was constructed from stone and red brick on the outside, but the inside was largely constructed of wood. Following the 1885 fire, the licensing authority of Exeter City Council ordered that the new theatre be constructed “in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Metropolitan Board of Works,” which was a statutory requirement in London under The Metropolitan Building Act 1855 (with theatre particulars added in the 1878 amendment), but not required in the regions. In his letter accompanying the plans to the Corporation Surveyor of Exeter City Council, Phipps directly states that the building met all the rules and requirements laid out, ans added that he had extensive experience in these types of construction. The letter stated, “…the theatre is designed in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Board of Works under the Act of 1878 and of the Lord Chamberlain – and having constructed some 40 theatres, I bring a somewhat large experience to bear on this subject.” – C.J. Phipps, Letter of 11 July 1885 from Phipps to the Corporation Surveyor of the City of Exeter.
Nevertheless, during the licensing inspection, several deficiencies were noted and ordered to be corrected, including “installing an additional exit for the audience from the boxes, stalls, and pit, widening the exits to at 
least 6 feet, changing some single leaf exit doors to double doors, and supplying 80 feet of hose for each hydrant (of which there were only two – one in the foyer and one in the “prompts” in front of the stage), rather than 40 feet which had been provided.” Unfortunately, there was no inspection of the stage, the mezzanine floor, or the fly galleries above the stage. There was only one exit with four right angled turns in it, from this area, and while two exits were called for, the idea was passed over because Phipps asserted “that a second exit was provided by climbing the railing at the front of the gallery and dropping to the second circle below.” That was, of course a crazy notion, that cost lives in the end. Apparently, this plan was accepted without further argument. In addition, there was to be an iron safety curtain, which was not fitted at the time of the fire, and a fire hydrant in the stage wings was on the plans of the theatre but never installed, despite Phipps being advised that the two hydrants installed were insufficient. In the end, the panic, along with the mishandled inspections and the improper plan design cost 186 people their lives.
My grandniece, Elliott Stevns is such a sweet little girl. Blonde and curly-haired, she rather reminds me a bit of Shirley Temple or Little Orphan Annie, two of my favorite child stars. And Elliott has the personality to match either of them. She is a very smiley, giggly girl, who absolutely loved being a big sister. She is so gentle and sweet with her little sister, Maya Stevens, with whom Elliott is absolutely obsessed. Elliott has taken it upon herself to teach Mya all to coolest rope a girl can know, and now that Maya is starting to walk, the fun is just beginning. Elliott has a way of lighting up a room just by being in it, and when she gets together with her sister, it is all about the giggles. In fact, with Elliott, it is always “all about the giggles” in her world. 
Elliott just finished two years of preschool, and not that she is five, she is getting ready to start Kindergarten. Her parents have enrolled her at Wildflower School. Her dad, Garrett Stevens was telling me about this school, and it sounds very interesting. The school focuses on “interest based” learning, meaning that the students have some say in what they will be studying. The school is for the gifted and advanced student, which is an area that Elliott qualifies for, and so it will be a perfect fit for her. Elliott is very smart, and has done quite well in her preschool years, so the new school year should be an exciting and challenging one for her, which is very much what is needed for an advanced student. You never want them to be bored.
This past May, the family took a trip to Denver, and Elliott had a great time. The family went to the aquarium and the children’s museum, and Elliott was fascinated by both. She is a very curious little girl, who loves to explore new ideas. Elliott also loves to swim and is getting more confident every time the family goes swimming. She has been in gymnastics as well, but she is taking a break from gymnastics for the summer. 
Nevertheless, she is really into gymnastics, and is quite good at it. Still, kids need a break for some of the school-year activities, so they can simply enjoy being a kid in the summertime.
I love Elliott’s expressions. when she smiles, her eyes light up and her whole face smiles. That is the mark if a thoroughly happy child, and that is the essence of Elliott. Everything is a delight to her, and she loves teaching Maya just how exciting the world around this can be. Maya things he big sister “hung the moon” and loves her dearly. Of course, Elliott thinks the same thing about her sister. I guess it is a “mutual appreciation society.” Today is Elliott’s 5th birthday. Happy birthday Elliott!! Have a great Day!! We love you!!
My brother-in-law, LJ Cook is a classic “funny guy.” He has always loved joking around and making people laugh. He has been like that for as long as I’ve known him, which is over fifty years. I first met LJ when I was about 18 years old, and many was the time he left everyone in the room laughing about one funny comment or another. LJ is a tall man, standing 6’6″ tall, and that has good and bad thing for him over the years. I will never forget when my youngest daughter, Amy Royce was just about two years old, she was out in my father-in-law, her grandpa, Walt Schulenberg’s garage, as was LJ. He said something to her. LJ is the tallest one in the family, and because Amy is the shortest person in the family at a whopping 4’10” in adulthood, you can imagine how short she was at two. She was trying to look up at her Uncle LJ, and started backing up to see him, when she fell into a pan of oil that had been drained out of a car. Whether he was trying to be funny or not, that moment was one of the funniest in LJ history. We were all just shocked. Here was Amy in a white dress with little red hearts on it, sitting in a pan filled with black motor oil. Of course, it was totally unintentional, and LJ really felt bad, no one could stop laughing about it. Amy wasn’t hurt. She never had far to fall, so it wasn’t a hard landing. She was just as shocked as we were.
LJ was always pulling so prank. For a number of years, he was a Deputy Sheriff in Casper, Wyoming, and since his future brother-in-law, my husband, Bob Schulenberg was often out “driving the strip” which was the local pastime in those days and could often be seen going “just slightly” over the speed limit, the police in town had a tendency to keep an eye out for him. One deputy sheriff, LJ Cook, had one other reason to keep an eye out, in that he was dating Bob’s sister, who would later become LJ’s wife, Debbie Cook at the time. Debbie was probably what could be considered Bob’s “polar opposite” and really didn’t speed, so LJ couldn’t pick on her as easily…for speeding anyway. So, when he would see Bob out driving the strip, and miraculously not speeding, he would pull him over…full lights and sirens, of course…and always in the most public place possible. The whole thing was designed to bring the most embarrassment possible, and LJ usually hit his mark quite well. While getting pulled over by the police was not an unusual event for many teenagers, Bob included, it was nevertheless embarrassing when all your friends are driving by laughing about the fact that you were about to get a ticket. Little did they know that Deputy LJ simply wanted to tell his future brother-in-law hello. Hahahahaha!!
Those years are behind LJ now, because he is retired, and mostly likes to spend his time at home or camping in 
the Big Horn Mountains. He is a girl-dad with two daughters, Machelle Moore and Susan Griffith, as well as Grandpa to four grandkids, Weston Moore, Jala Satterwhite, Easton Moore, and Kaytlyn Griffith. LJ and Debbie are still going strong, and just celebrated their 49th anniversary. LJ has had w few health issues, and needed back surgery recently, but he is feeling pretty darned good for a man of 74 years. Today is LJ’s birthday. Happy birthday LJ!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
Some people like sharing their birthday with other people, and some people don’t like that so much. I don’t know how my grandmother, Anna Spencer felt about sharing her birthday with her first child, Laura Frederick, but I suspect that she thought it was pretty cool. Of course, on the birthday that she spent laboring to give birth, I don’t suppose it was so much fun. Nevertheless, on the subsequent birthdays, it was very likely reason for celebration. I expect my Aunt Laura felt pretty much the same way. Having a “birthday buddy” or “birthday twin” as some call it, is usually considered a blessing by most people who are blessed to be such.
Aunt Laura was an only child for the first ten years of her life, and no one has been able to tell me for sure, why 
that was. I suppose Grandma just had trouble conceiving that second time. I know it happens, but ten years later, when she had my Uncle Bill Spencer, she also quickly had my dad, Al Spencer, and my aunt, Ruth Wolfe, so trouble conceiving doesn’t seem to be the likely culprit. Nevertheless, Aunt Laura had Grandma’s undivided attention for those first ten years, and the two of them were very close.
That said, I’m sure that Aunt Laura’s marriage and subsequent move to Minneapolis, Minnesota from Holyoke, Minnesota was probably a sad blow to Grandma’s heart. It’s not that the two places were so far apart in miles, but in those days, it wasn’t always easy to just jump in the car and go for a visit. It must have felt like losing 
your best friend, and since Aunt Laura was just 19 years old at the time, that also meant that Grandma was left with three children under the age of ten. Of course, Aunt Laura and Uncle Fritz came for visits when they could, and she knew how much her mother loved and missed her, but her life was in Minneapolis now, and that was all there was to it. Those visit back home must have been bittersweet for both of them, but I’m sure they cherished each one. Today is the 111th anniversary of Aunt Laura’s birth. Happy birthday in Heaven, Aunt Laura. We love and miss you very much.
I don’t remember my grandmother, Anna Spencer, because she died when I was just over 2 months old. I have seen movies of her holding me, but my real memories of her ended there. Nevertheless, in my Uncle Bill Spencer’s family history, I learned most of what I know of my grandmother. She was a strong woman, who raised four children, mostly alone, because my grandfather, Allen Spencer was often away working on the railroad, or in the lumber industry. Grandma kept things together on the home front. She made life good for her children. They might not have had much money, but they were rich in love.
Grandma was a capable woman. She ran the farm, stacked hay, grew vegetables, canned vegetables, and so much more, but she was also a beautiful woman with soft expressive eyes, that told you she loved you. She loved her family so very much, and her children were her whole world. She worked so hard to make a home for her children, and she was so proud of them…her two beautiful daughters and her two handsome sons. She raised capable kids who grew into responsible adults and made their mother proud. All of them grew to have families, and gave her and grandpa 13 grandchildren, and the numbers of people stemming from grandma and grandpa’s union is still growing.
Grandma struggled with rheumatoid arthritis in her later years, and was often confined to a wheelchair, but her sweet spirit, and loving nature never changed. Her children did their best to care for her until the day that she went to Heaven, and their love for her never ceased. I wish I had been able to know this incredible woman, 
because I know in my heart that I would have loved her very much. I think that I and many of her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and beyond, carry that same tenacity and stubborn drive to succeed against all odds. Some things are passed down through the genes, while others are passed down through teaching…and some are a combination of the two. Grandma used both to help her family become the wonderful people they are. Today is the 136th anniversary of Grandma’s birth. Happy birthday in Heaven, Grandma. We love and miss you very much.
My nephew, Sean Mortensen is a dynamic character. He is always on the go. Summer finds Sean and his family at Seminole Lake as much as possible, while winter and fall finds them in the mountains. Sean excels at just about every kind of extreme sports. I love seeing all the pictures he posts about his escapades. Sean is fearless, no matter what sport he is doing at the time. I must say that I think some of my favorite pictures are of the disappearance of the machine into the snowbank. That is strange, considering the fact that I don’t really like snow. Nevertheless, Sean and his friends do make it look fun. Sean also loves to do other sporty things, like fishing, and he has been blessed with some great catches. He and Amanda also love to hang out with a great group of friends on the weekend for some fun…and really goofy times. 
This year has been a different kind of year for Sean and his partner, Amanda Reed, as their daughter Jadyn went off to college, and will be gone for four years or more. They are a closeknit family, and when one member moves away, even if it’s just for college, you really feel the void in the family unit. Plus, you never know if your child will move back home, or if their career choice will take them somewhere else. Nevertheless, Sean and Amanda want Jadyn to be happy in her career choice, and they want her to have a great time at college. Sean and Jadyn have always had a close bond, because she was an early birthday present for him back in 2004, when she was born the day before her dad’s birthday.
Sean loves his “playtime,” but he isn’t all about playing. A couple of years ago, Sean bought Triangle Heating and Air, LLC, and while he might never have thought he would be a business owner, that dream has come true 
for him. He loves being his own boss. As the name states, Sean’s company repairs and installs heating and air conditioning units. The company has been in business since August 18, 2006, and Sean purchased it on October 18, 2021. Owning a business really makes a person feel like they have accomplished something, and Sean has worked hard to get to this point in his life. We are all so happy for him. Today is Sean’s birthday. Happy birthday Sean!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grandniece, Jadyn Mortensen has just completed her first year of college at the University of Wyoming, where she is studying mechanical engineering. Jadyn was given a full scholarship as part of the University of Wyoming Barrel Racing Team, and she has really been enjoying college. She missed her family, of course. Jadyn is very close to her parents, Amanda Reed and Sean Mortensen, and the family does just about everything together whenever they can, but this year at college, while hard work due to a heavy load, was also an amazing learning and personal growth experience for Jadyn.
With the school year behind her, Jadyn came home to Rawlins for the summer, and found a seasonal job with KC Harvey. She and 
her team partner were tasked with the job of spraying properties in the area. On their first day, Jadyn and her partner had a little bit of trouble in the form of a flat tire. They were not in the best place for that to happen, but Jadyn told her partner that she could change the tire, if they had a spare tire. As it turned out, they did, and before long Jadyn had the tire changed and they were back to work. At the end of the workday, their boss asked them how many properties they had finished. The girls told him they only finished ten properties. The boss said, “Let me get this straight. You sprayed only ten properties.” The girls cringed thinking their boss was upset with them. Then he said that most teams finished only 5 properties, and here the girls had finished ten properties and they had also changed their own flat tire. He told them, “That’s amazing!! I’m very pleased with you both!!” These girls got the bosses praise on their very first day!! Most people have no idea what to do on their first day…much less get it right!!!!
Jaydn has about four years of college left, but I’m quite certain that her summer jobs will be secure for as long as she wants to work at . Not bad for a young lady of just 19 years, but then Jadyn was raised by parents who taught her to be independent, and a dad who taught her to know her way around a vehicle. Jadyn is a tough young lady, even though she is very much a lady. She is as at home on a horse, snowmobile, motorcycle, jet ski, as she is in a pickup. And when she dresses up, she always looks simply stunning. She’s quite a lady. Today is Jadyn’s birthday. Happy birthday Jadyn!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grandniece, Zoey Iverson is a very special girl. From her birth, as her mother, Cassie Franklin’s second child, Zoey was the “oldest” child, because her brother, Lucas Iverson had Down Syndrome and would need a lot of help. Zoey was just the girl for the job. She is a very loving and caring little girl…and mature for her age. It’s just in her nature. She is a true mother’s helper.
Zoey has changed so much since she was six and seven. Eight has been a landmark year for her, as she has really grown up a lot. Some kids make that transition as they turn ten, or even eleven or twelve in some kids, but every so often, you find one, usually a girl, but not always, who matures at eight. It’s usually because they are the big sister, and often because their siblings need some extra help, such as special 
needs kids. For Zoey, it’s not just her brother. Zoey has a new little sister named Alicen, and Zoey is absolutely thrilled about that. She loves to help her parents with the baby, and Alicen really loves her big sister. They are best friends, and Alicen wants to be with Zoey all the time.
Zoey’s family loves to forage in the woods near their home for things like mushrooms, apples, herbs, and flowers. Zoey’s mom, Cassie Franklin makes and sells candle and soaps, as well as resin dishes, jars, and some jewelry. The things they collect during their forage trips are used in cooking and in Cassie’s products. It’s fun for the whole 
family, and they give everyone lots of outdoor time. While Zoey is really enjoying the summer, she also really loves school, and she is at the top of her class. She loves being “class leader,” which allows her to go around the room and help the other students when they don’t understand the work. Who knows, maybe she will grow up to be a schoolteacher. From what I have seen of this little girl, she would make an excellent teacher. While Zoey is easy going in many ways, she can also be stubborn. Having a “stubborn” child, who is also such a sweet and helpful child is really a blessing, and not a hardship at all.
I have had the great pleasure of watching this little girl grow up from the day she was born, and while some might call me biased, because I am, after all, her great aunt. She is a wonderful young lady, and I know she will grow into a wonderful adult someday. Today is Zoey’s 8th birthday. Happy birthday Zoey!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
John F Kennedy, who at the time was still our future president, had to “fight” his way into war. His father believed it would make his son more “marketable” for a political run that would eventually land him in the White House. Joseph Kennedy wanted one of his sons to eventually be president, and I’m not sure he was particular about which one it was. He just knew that to have a chance, the “candidate” would have to have a military background. The reasons for his entrance into World War II really don’t matter now, because while he was in the service, he did his country proud, and even saved the lives of his PT-109 crew after a Japanese destroyer rammed them on August 2, 1943.
Future President Kennedy could have avoided the war completely, because he had back issues which were likely caused from a football injury. In addition, the fact that he was from a wealthy family could have been a big help in any effort he might have used to stay out of the war. He didn’t use the family’s money or influence to stay out, however. Before entering World War II, Kennedy graduated with honors from Harvard, and then still chose to serve. After being drafted to by the Navy, the physical toll on his back increased, including the physically demanding couple of days when the ship he commanded sank and he literally helped his crew survive.
Later, while he was serving as a young senator, Kennedy’s doctor prescribed a rocking chair to be used during his service in the senate. No matter where the pain initially started or what exacerbated the issue, by the time 
John F Kennedy was in the office of president, he was in constant pain. When he began using the rocking chair in 1955, Kennedy finally found a way for his muscles to relax by constantly being forced to expand and contract while sitting. The rocking chair he chose was made by P and P Chair Company, and Kennedy grew to love it. He finally found some relief, and he actually insisted that the chair be brought aboard Air Force One when he traveled. Later he just purchased many different chairs for his various residences. So impressed was Kennedy with this chair, that he also gifted dozens of the same chair to friends and colleagues. You might say that the rocking chairs from P and P Chair Company were unofficially known as the presidential rocking chairs.
Dustie Masterson, my grandniece, Raelynn Masterson’s mom, says of her daughter that she is “sometimes an enigma wrapped in a mystery.” Now, that is saying something, since enigma means a mystery. So, Raelynn, is a mystery in a mystery. I find that a very interesting thought, and really, one that is true of Raelynn. She is often quiet, keeping to herself, and listening to her own thoughts. Raelynn, can often be a deep thinker, searching a matter out in her own mind before she makes up her mind on it. Dustie tells me that she is “the sweetest and easiest to get along with until…she has made up her mind.” Raelynn never strikes me as a stubborn girl, but then she doesn’t strike me as a pushover either. She simply has a quiet strength and determination about what she likes and where she is going.
It’s strange that her mom says Raelynn is a lot like her in that way…not that she is like Dustie, which I would agree with, but rather that Dustie, like Raelynn, doesn’t seem to have a huge stubborn streak in her either. They both seem to be easy going and soft hearted, not at all stubborn, but I suppose that is a side of them that they keep to themselves mush of the time, and it would be their close family that would see that side of them, and not their aunt.
Raelynn is very comfortable “in her own skin” so to speak. She doesn’t worry about being “cool” but rather just does what she likes, whether others see it as “cool” or not. Her stubborn streak mostly presents itself, when she has made up her mind <strong>not</strong> to do something. Nothing is going to change her mind, and no amount of pressuring will change the situation…especially if she doesn’t think it’s moral. That is a trait her mother truly admires about her.
Once, when she was in 5th grade, as she was leaving school, she fell and chipped her front tooth. Dustie took her to the dentist, who said she could fix it as soon as the swelling and pain went down. Raelynn decided that she didn’t want to do that. It wasn’t a fear of the shot or the procedure, but rather that she felt like it was a “badge of honor” of sorts. She didn’t want it fixed. She liked the look of it. There was no pain or shots involved with getting it fixed, she just chose to wait a good 5 years or so before just deciding to do it.
Raelynn, and her younger siblings Matt and Taylor too, really should never have been born. She and her siblings are miracle children. Her dad, Rob Masterson, didn’t think he was going to want other children after his 
oldest daughter Christina was born, and the marriage to her mom failed, so he had surgery to prevent any future children. In addition, Dustie, although they didn’t know it at the time, had some health issues that should have prevented her from having children. Nevertheless, God had other plans, and they were blessed with three children together. Dustie says she can’t believe that it has been 20 years already. Raelynn is no longer a teenager. Time goes by so fast, especially when you are living out the greatest blessings God has to give. Raelynn isn’t certain what she wants to do in life, but once she has it in mind, Dustie has no doubt that she will accomplish it. I agree. Determination and perseverance will always win in the end. Today is Raelynn’s 20th birthday. Happy birthday Raelynn!! Have a great day!! We love you so much!!
