Essays from the Heart of Indiana

              by  J. H. Johnson


HOOSIER    JOURNAL

​​​​​Hold the phone for IDlewood 4245........page 3


Magic of the Captain Midnight Secret Decoder Ring.......page 4


You're in the Army now!........page 5


Dogs are for real, and really good for us.......page 6


Abe Martin:  A Hoosier Original......page 7


Notes to New Teachers:  Let it be a challenge........page 8


Hoosier Radio Days...............page 9


The Hoosier Poet:  James Whitcomb Riley.......page 10


Hoosier Schoolmaster of Yesterday.......page 11


Mystery & Intrigue in the Indiana State Flower.....page 12


Movie House Memories.........page 13


A Kid's Life as a Paperboy.......page 14


That Powerless Feeling (when lights go out)...page 15


Norman Rockwell: Pictures Worth 1000 Words.....page 16


ALL ABOARD!  Fun and romance of train travel....page 17


Why be a teacher, anyway?...............page 18


Milan, the true story of HOOSIERS......page 19


Ernie Pyle:  GI Joe reporter from Indiana.......page 20


Indiana:  Home To Vice Presidents.......page 21


Election 1888:  Nice Guys Both Finished First.....page 22


Indy TV Memories.......page 23


Hoagy Carmichael:  Stardust between the keys....page 24


How Come You're Called the "Hoosier" State?...page 25


Grandpa's Model T Changed the world.....page 26


Everybody's Talking.......page 27


Students saw RED....and that was good.....page 28


A Wonderland of Ice and Snow......page 29


Hit "Pause" before you hit "Send"......page 30


Goodbye to the Classroom.....page 31


All the World's A School....page 32


Typewriter Types and One-Font Days....page 33


The Future May Be a Bit Familiar........page 34


We 50s Kids Knew Our Cars!...... page 35


Crayons Add Color to Kids' Lives.....page 36


The Night Martians Invaded Indianapolis......page 37


The World is Too Much With Us......page 38


Shine Hoosier Glow Worm.......page 39


Showboat's A-Comin'!!!.....page 40


Try To Remember, the Value of Memorization......page 41


Don't Smile Till Christmas......page 42


Teaching....Hollywood Style.....page 43


Yesterday When We Were Young.....page 44


To Urr is Humane.....page 45


The Hoosier President......page 46


School Bus Drivers Carry Precious Cargo.....page 47


Fun With Dick and Jane......page 48


Don't Know Mulch About Yardwork......page 49


Hope the Shoe Fits.......page 50


Who Teaches Teachers How to Teach?.....page 51


Indiana Artist T. C. Steele.........page 52


So what do YOU stand for?.......page 53


It's About Time.....page 54


Back to School Night might be fun....page 55


Only a dog, they say....page 56


Mike Pence:  Nice Guy Governor....page 57


Archie Pug....the best little dog...page 58


Who could forget?  Report Card Time...page 59


Music, the Soundtrack of our Lives....page 60


The Magic of an Empty Box......page 61


Pixies of Spring, Hummingbirds......page 62


Words Gone Bye Bye......page 63


Carl Fisher: The man who made Florida cool....page 64


Memories Cast in Chrome: Cars of the 50s...page 65


Riding Those Happy Trails, with Roy Rogers....page 66


Tomorrow and tomorrow, it's Shakespeare!...page 67


Kids Are What Schools Are About.......page 68


Facts about FAX.......page 69


Christmas Eve Quiet......page 70


English is Mischievious......page 71


First Time at the Computer Store......page 72


A Spell of Trouble......page 73


So, What Else Is On?........page 74


Classic Classified Ads Add Laughs.....page 75


Sneak at Peek at the SAT..........page 76


Please Don't Call it Turkey Day.....page 77


Flash!  This Just In:  News Voices from the Past.... page 78


Kids are Right: The 50s Were Happy Days.....page 79


I Don't Want a Fair Shake......page 80


Lawn Mowing 101.....page 81


Harvey Jacobs, Newspaperman.....page 82


Now. What Do You Say?  .......page 83


There's Nothing Like the First Day of School...page 84


In Praise of Substitute Teachers.......page 85


The Iceman Cometh, and none too soon.....page 86


The Future Found in Grains of Sand.....page 87


50s Kids Got A Glimpse of the Future......page 88


Teacher Wish Lists........page 89


And who can ever forget Driver's Ed Class?.......page 90


School Bells Don't Ring Anymore......page 91


19th Century Superstar:  Riley......page 92


Eating Elsewhere......page 93


Think As You Write......page 94


Friends in Our Magic Neighborhood.....page 95


​Last Writes.......page 96


​Orthography Can "Bee" Fun......page 97


School Newspapers:  Who holds the bag?.....page 98


A Glimpse of Greatness: Reagan in Indiana....page 99


Magic Happens at School.....page 100


Spring Forward, Fall Back.....page 101


Tarzan Grew Up in Indiana......page 102


Facts in back of The Cat in the Hat.....page 103


Forever Found at the Post Office in 2007........page 104


Home Owner's Inside Info........ page 105


Presenting the Ad Century!........page 106


Strict Teachers.......page 107


Money Memories......page 108


Old Ebenezer Wasn't Such a Scrooge After All.......page 109


Sleeping in Class May Be the Assignment....page 110


And We All Had a Dream in 1963.......page 111


Prayers for the Road ......page 112


Everything For Which It Stands.....page 113


Geek of the 50s.........page 114


Happy Birthday, Radio!......page 115


When Teachers Write Referrals......page 116


Riley Days and Orphant Annie.....page 117


Lincoln's 52nd Birthday.......page 118


Indy Cars of Old.......page 119


Dillinger and Movie Make-Believe......page 120


School Supplies Plus..........page 121


Three Hoosiers Meet on the Road to Destiny....page 122


Tips for New Teachers....... page 123


Going to College Without Leaving Home....page 124


Cursive Writing - Where Did It Go?........page 125


Where Were You on 9/11?.............page 126


​Browsing the College Bookstore........page 127


Marguerite Graves - Chasing the Dream......page 128



Table of Contents