How Letty Found Magic by Murphy Doodle

 Letty knows how much i love to play, every>>night, , , , , , before we sleep,

but lately she says NO..........that is a word i no and i do not like it,

Some>>times she would walk around the yard with me and then sit down and take a nap

She said her head felt cluttered and needed naps so it could work better

all winter she sat in her play room making words, like J E F F E R S O N out of letters on her computer,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,She could not help me write my stories

I stayed with her and watched for squirrels + cats at the window or slept on my bed,,,,,,still we played inside games at night before sleep

One day she told me to stop whining and go play with>>out her then she showed me her frown face

I whined for her to play and she growled at me 

I laid down in the corner behind her 

It began to rain 1 day then 2 days 

I took naps 2 because the house was quiet

At last the sun came out and there were flowers blooming

Letty went outside with me and played frisbee,,,,I ran as fast as I could

I heard her tell Jack that the wind might blow the clutter out of her head

The wind blew day after day but the clutter did not fly away and she kept her frown

I licked Letty's face and ears

She smiled :)   :)    :) 

If Letty would chase me around the house her brain might work better ??????

I wagged my tail and gave her my paw

She smiled (:   (:    (: 

Finally, , , , ,she whispered in my ear and it tickled--I liked it--then she whispered again with a smile

"Murphy," she said my name while she rubbed by chin and ears "Where is your toy ? ? ? ?"

I jumped for joy and fun and found my toy then I dug out another toy and she threw my toys all over the house

She laughed and laughed and I jumped over the furniture and raced around the house

The next night we played toys and she laughed again........It felt like magic in the air

After she laughed her frown went away!

I wish people were more like dogs

Dogs do not frown

But people make magic when they laugh

{}[]\\||?/?/?/{   } letty let me hit funny keys on the black writer 

 

Bushwacking in the Muntz Jet--There Is A God

Growing up in small towns after World War II gave millions of us, the Baby Boomers by labels, opportunities to run free in our neighborhoods, streets, and alleys. We were warned what kind of people we must look out for. In Miami, Oklahoma, we called him the “man on the bicycle.”  Parents and rumors spread that he might ask girls especially to ride on the bike with him. We were told to run away and tell the nearest adult. That was the Biggest Fear we carried with us as we explored creeks, rivers, the other side of town, and friendly neighborhoods where we knew to be home by dark or else. 

After all of these years, I finally found a picture of our Metallic Mustard colored Muntz Jet, parked in our driveway in Miami, Oklahoma in 1957. 

One Saturday night my parents gave me the keys to the Muntz. My plan was to take Judy Scruggs and go “BUSHWACKING” at Riverview Park. My father, Johnie Stapp, had a Highway Patrol headlight on both sides of the Muntz, so the driver or the passenger could reach out and maneuver the bright light. He also had a loud horn that sounded like a “moo cow” in pain, that frightened people.

The Muntz Jet was originally a metallic Mustard color until dad painted it white, then black, then baby blue. 

Our plan that night was to drive through the park looking for lovers parked in the dark.  We would then flash the bright light on them and hit the horn in hopes of scaring the life out of them. I knew we could outrun any car in town. But some plans don’t produce the outcome expected.

Turning off the highway and down into the dark of Riverview Park on the west side where lovers could often be found necking, we drove slowly with the dimmers on. I noticed the closer we drove to the water’s edge of the Neosho River, the muddier it became until I felt a sinking sensation.

The Muntz, already low to the ground with two steel beams on either side for support, stopped in the mud and refused to move. …. How could I have forgotten that the park often flooded with spring rains?

Instead of looking for lovers we used the search lights to look for help. Then out of nowhere a tow truck from B&M Motors appeared. The men, the Meyers brothers,  knew exactly who I was and also knew that Dad would ground me for life if he ever learned of this episode.

Being small town trustworthy and caring men, they hooked up the Muntz, pulled it out of the mud, and towed us to their business on South Main, Route 66, where they washed down the car and sent me on my way. Never a word was spoken to dad about that night.

I’m not sure of the exact lesson I learned other than people are there for you, to assist and help in many ways; or perhaps it was God and a band of angels who laughed out loud at our misery and sent the Good Samaritans that night.

I believe this experience must have been the spring of 1964 or 1965. 

Last year, Tom Pat Wilson sent me a link to the story behind the story of the making of the Muntz and why it never made money for Mad Man Muntz.  I thought it was a rather sad story because the Muntz held nothing but good memories for me.  Click on this link for the story of Mad Man Muntz and his failed endeavor to build the best race car ever—

https://www.google.com/search?q=the+failure+of+the+muntz+jet&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS1150US1179&oq=the+failure+of+the+muntz+jet&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRirAjIHCAUQIRifBTIHCAYQIRifBTIHCAcQIRifBTIHCAgQIRifBTIHCAkQIRiPAtIBCTczMDdqMGoxNagCCLACAfEFVQI1AWMbdiw&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:353d3b84,vid:su7hp1or2rM,st:0 If this link doesn’t work please google The Failure of the Muntz.

For another true story of the Muntz click on this link:  Turnpike Race of 1957