Third Grade Memories

Back at St. Joseph's in 1970 everyone was friends, by third grade we had all been in the same class together for three years. We were too young for cliques. The only thing we agreed on was that nun we had in the beginning of our first grade year was about the strictest teacher we'd ever had and that our third grade teacher, Mrs. Carey, was the nicest teacher in the world.

Mrs. Carey used to let us listen to records during lunch. We didn't have anything like a cafeteria at St. Joe's, so teachers and kids ate together in the classroom. Mary Jane Welch brought in her 45s and we all listened to Cher sing "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves."

One day Mrs. Carey brought in kittens. I watched as they ran around the classroom and knew I needed to have one. Getting my parent's approval was much easier than I imagined. Morris came home with me a few days later.