365 DAYS PROJECT

2003   DECEMBER 24   #358

Edna F. Pauli (San Fernando Valley, California, Mineral & Gem Society) - The Night Before Christmas

Growing up, I lived across the street from a couple of rock hounds with the last name, "Nice", and boy were they ever! Their yard and garage was a garden of strange and unusual rock from all over the world, and with every visit to their house, I left with a new addition to my rock collection. I'd come home with fossils, geodes, wonder stone, obsidian, quartz, and all kinds of stuff I'd never heard of! Often they would let me scavenge their yard or driveway for other discarded stone treasures. Once I found a piece of petrified dinosaur bone! Not only were the Nices rock collectors, they were artists! I spent many a summer afternoon at their backyard picnic table learning how to paint, and by no surprise, our art was all done on rocks :)

This "Voice Record" from December 1958, was found over a year ago at the Deseret Industries Thrift Store, here in Ogden, Utah. It's not only a more interesting twist on a famous Christmas poem, but it brings back fond memories of my (rock collecting) childhood.

The record has the name Trudy Martin written down as the recorder, but, I don't know if that means that she is the one speaking, or the one who placed the cutting needle. Whoever it is, I hope you all enjoy this little audio "gem", and wish you all a fun, memorable and Merry Christmas! :)

- Blair Sterrett

TT-2:55 / 4MB / 192kbps 44.1khz
Recorder: Trudy Martin (December, 1958)