Tona's remembrances of Emma

SOME  MEMORIES  WITH  SWEET  EMMA   Many years ago, Emma and I shared a calling that neither one of us felt that the Bishop was inspired to give us.  It was a calling of desperation.  Ted was the Bishop and Bill was one of his counselors. We each had other "real" callings, but on Sunday mornings we two were in charge of a class of three-year old hellions who were not allowed to go to the Sunbeam class until January.   Their favorite activity was to run on top of the table and leap onto the chairs and yell as they ran in circles hopping from chair to chair to table.  We played reverent music, we read interesting, dramatized stories, played games, and all the wonderful stuff that experienced, loving teachers/moms do.  Nothing worked well.  Each week was a challenge to our patience and we lamented together that "OUR kids were never allowed to do such things and OUR kids knew how to behave properly.  Thank goodness WE knew how to be good parents."   One Sunday we decided to take these energetic children for a walk.  We were meeting at Mormon Center and had a wonderful patio and lawn area to explore.  We had the children hang onto a rope as Emma led the way and I held the tail end of the rope.  We managed to keep them together for about three whole minutes before they all took off in different directions.   Some were gathering pine cones, others wanted to pick flowers, some were just running, and we were trying desperately to corral them into one area and calm them down.  We herded most of them back to the classroom and were only missing two, so we said "Six out of eight isn't bad."  But I knew I had to go back out and find the little devils before they went into the swimming pool area, which was being repaired.   Emma and I have not talked about that experience in many years and I guess we both just want to forget it.  Some callings are definitely more enjoyable than others.   Tona Wood     A  FUN  TIME  WITH  EMMA  &  TED   One February a few years ago, our ward put on a really cute skit at the Stake Sweetheart Ball.  At that time, we were the Fair Oaks Stake and the Ball was at Mormon Center.  The audience really loved our act.   Ted and Emma were sweethearts from the 1920's and dressed the part.  Glen Sharp sang "In My Merry Oldsmobile" while Elaine Sharp played the piano.  Ted and Emma strolled onto the stage and he gallantly seated her in the passenger seat of the "car."    The car was made up of four tires (bumps under black cloths) played by Kathy Crowther, Bernece  and Ken Alexander, and one other that I can't remember right now but will later.  The motor (also covered by a black cloth) was Bill Wood.    Ted had to go to the front of the car and give it several cranks before it finally started to rattle along quite nicely (Bill shook a can of bolts for the motor noise) and Ted and Emma bounced along on their seats as the car took off.  Before long they had a blow out (I popped a balloon into the microphone) and the "tire" collapsed.   Ted had to get out and pump it up.  (This was all pantomime, you know, as the song continued to be sung.)  He had to crank up the motor again and away they went.  It wasn't long, however, before all four tires blew out.   Ted and Emma looked so cute.  I can't imagine any other couple playing their roles.  I don't know if we took pictures, but will look.   Sidenote:  Kathy taught Ted how to Line Dance.  He looked pretty smooth!!   Tona Wood