Updated Comments 08/27/2010
WOW lots of comments! All are interesting to read and so are the posts that have been commented on. Thanks everybody. Oh yes Kansas has cooled off! As always, Gail

Three new writers in July!
We had 3 new writers in July. Mandy Tan, Shantelle Archer, and Lynn Ray. Look them up, read and do comment. It will make their day! I think all three of their names could be used in a fiction story don't you? As always, Gail

20 posts from July was added to Hall of Fame August 24/2010
Check out the Hall of Fame, one of your posts might be there. We had 93 posts in July. As you read down through the Hall of Fame recipients do check their other posts, you'll notice some writer's are listed several times. That is because they post more than others. I did three of Monte Manka's this time as they were continued. If any of you can do a better job of choosing you are welcome to try. Send me your choices for August posts and let's see if we can come up with some different views. Ever post deserves to be saved in the archives as special but ourecho allow only 20 per month. As always, Gail

Editor's Choices updated August 20, 2010
Hope you like my choices. Sorry if I didn't pick yours. I hunted back through the years and found some neat school day's posts also. Gail

Our Echo's Writing Site Wins High Honors
Thanks to everybody! Each of you have helped make ourechoes as one of the 101 best websites for writers in the May/June issue of Writer's Digest. Our site is listed under "Challenges/Creativity" as number four!!! Veroncia Hogle alerted me to this high honor. Gail Thanks Veroncia.

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Monte Leon Manka

My name is Monte Manka I was born on November 25, Thanksgiving Day in 1926.

Went to a country school for all eight years at Chelsea Kansas, Chelsea Dist No. 10. One room school house.

Lost my Mother and Brother when I was 14 years of age.

Select "more" to read Monte's entire piece...

OurEcho Classics

Easing into the 21st Century by Carol J Garriott

I like to tell people that with my new cell phone, I'm easing into the 21st Century. T-Mobile had notified me that they were upgrading their service, and my old phone would no longer work, so they were sending me a new phone. I was apprehensive, as I'd had that one for several years, knew how to work it, and it was big enough I could hold it and punch numbers at the same time! Oh well, progress marches on.

The new phone arrived, and sure enough, it was of a size one could lose forever in the depths of a medium-size purse. Not to be deterred, I plugged it in overnight to charge the battery, and launched into the activation phase. With limited time to devote to phone conversations with English-impaired Middle-Easterners, it took three days to get that accomplished. I won't go into the excruciating details of holding the land-line phone with one hand and trying to hold the new (tiny) phone and punch in, with the other hand, codes they are giving me. We were even successful at transferring remaining minutes and old phone number to the new one. select "more" to read the entire peice.

• Quo Vadis,U.S.A.?
• Uncle Fossill goes Bear Hunting
• The Heart of a Child
• Flagpole
• I wish I am a tree
• You Can't Hide
• NEED BETTER BENEFITS? JOIN A UNION
• Can One Recover...?
• French Fries, French Ties
• MY FATHER'S HANDS

• You Can't Hide
  I'm afraid there are a lot of people today who can relate to this story, Michael. It must be a very difficult thing to go through. My heart goes out to those who do. Nancy
  
  
• Birds of a Feather Flock Together
  I have two bird feather pictures that look quite old but I don't know very much about them. The are mounted, and on one of the mountings is stamped GAPIROTE and on the other GUAMIRRO. The birds are sitting on a water painted branch of a tree and are the main feature. The measure approx 16cm long and are beautiful. Does anyone know anything about them?
  
  
• Kids need a Picnic
  It's amazing, Monte, how you can take a photo and turn it into a poem so we can all visualize the story too. I'm assuming this is not one of your family photos, or is it?
  
  
• THE BIG FISH
  Fred, that was a cute and neat story. You did it this time for sure, loved it. Barbara
  
  
• Flagpole
  Truly enjoyed that bit of nostalgia. No offense to Eric,but I do not remember seeing his family jewels! This group of friends was truly a great bunch of kids & I'm very proud of the writer..good job!