The notification of the death of Aline Bernhardt brought back memories when my children were young. Aline stayed with us through the school year. Back then, girls who lived in the country stayed with a town family. They helped with the children to pay for their board and room. Aline was special, just like a member of the family. The children liked her and she was so good with them. And what a help it was for me! She would go home for the weekends.

Aline remained a good friend all through her lifetime, so it is sad for us to tell her goodbye.

So Marion is having an open house this Friday night. Just like we used to back in the ’30s and ’40s. We would drive the car downtown and park it on Main Street and if we got tired we could sit in it and watch our fellow citizens walk around. Of course, we always got a treat, like an ice cream cone. A good way for people to get acquainted.

It is going to be exciting on TV. Obama is supposed to choose his running mate. Will he choose a man or woman, a person with experience or a young person wanting change? Of course, nothing can be settled until November.

I have been through a lot of elections. The first was Woodrow Wilson. I think I was a second or third grader when a girl and I got into a hair-pulling fight. Her folks were strong Republicans and mine were Democrats. We didn’t know what we were doing but we knew who our parents were for. I wonder where that girl is now?

— NORMA HANNAFORD