Truth Be Told

Last week I shared four truths and one lie and invited my visitors to try to pick out the fib in the midst of the truth. I forgot that awhile back I posted about something that a few of you remembered and thereby guessed the big whopper among the truths.

So, here is a recap of what's true and what is not:

* Growing up, one of my best friends—whose last name was Graves—lived in a haunted mansion. True: Stella Graves was a friend and classmate at Holy Name Grade School and St. Alphonsus (Rock) High School in St. Louis. She and her family lived in the historic Bissell Mansion, a reportedly haunted house that overlooks the Mississippi River. Sleepovers at Stella's were always fun -- and never dull.

* While working at an unemployment office in Massachusetts, my long hair got stuck in a check-printing machine and the boss had to cut my hair to get my head out. Embarrassing but true. I literally almost got scalped, had I not had the presence of mind to push the stop button on the machine.

* Two boys I dated were killed in Vietnam—the classmate who took me to my eighth grade dance and my date for Senior Prom, who was buried for a time in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Incredibly sad and true. James Donnelly, a classmate at Holy Name, gave me my first corsage and took me on the eighth grade dance on the Admiral. Mike Blassie, my date for senior prom, attended the Air Force academy after graduation. He became a pilot and his plane was shot down in hostile fire. He was declared MIA then KIA. For a time his remains rested in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier until they were identified through DNA testing. His remains were returned to St. Louis and buried in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in 1998.

* While working for the Dept of the Army I received an outstanding-intern-of-the-year award. My husband, my boss, two co-workers, and I were flown on our agency’s Commanding General’s jet to Arlington, VA, where the award was presented to me by an Assistant Secretary of the Army. True. I received the General Mark Clark Award for outstanding manpower and force management intern from General Clark's son, who at the time was an assistant secretary of the Army.

* One of my favorite snacks is a peanut butter sandwich and a cup of coffee. False. I've never eaten a peanut butter sandwich and only tried coffee once when I was 18. We grew up eating jelly sandwiches--guess we couldn't afford peanut butter with so many kids. And it's not that I don't like peanuts, which can be proven by waving a Reese's peanut butter cup in front of me.

There you have it. Thanks again to Sioux for giving me the award that got all this truth telling started.