Here's a change of pace.
I am now going to use my blog to write my novel.
I am writing this as I go along, making entries from time to time. This is a rough draft and may get changed as we go along. may change as we go along.
Hang on to your seats.

Chapter One
Listening to the whirring of the many machines and the clicking of the keys, denoting the difference in the weaving and designing of the garment, I turned to try to locate where it came from and was instantly surprised to note that it was from the many machines that were running at that point of time.
It was in the summer of 1927 and I was 16 amd entering a brand new world. I walked over to the machines to see what could see and was both terrified and amazed at what was happening. Ast he various threads were fed into the machine, new material came through the rollers and spilled neatly into a corner.
This was my first day at Fashion Knit. I was hired as an all around factory hand. They could ask me to do anything.
I was staring in wonder at the knitting machine, watching the cloth come out. I didn't knoiw what was going on but I was intrigued by the intricacies of the machinery which was turning around rapidly and producing knitting cloth..

I felt aa rude hand on my shoulder. It was the boss, Mr. Friedberg.
He shoved a brpoom into my hand and said, "Sanders, stop dreaming and start earning your pay."
My career had begun.
I was committed to sweeping the flooor and, as the days passed, an increasing amount of duties were pushed upon me. Each was preceded by a few minutes explanation and then I was left on my own. These included steaming the cloth before it goes to the cutter.
Then they decided I was to work under the head mechanic on the machines. (Actually they had only one mechanic.)
With each new set of instructions he gave me, I was then to do the work on my own. Fortunately he didn't abandon his post. He kept an eye on me and made pertinent intermittent observations \. He reminded me sternly to call him immediately if there were anything I didn't understand. His main order was that I watch the emerging cloth carefully.

Torben Visits Gramps

Today I wouldl like to tell you of a visit that brought me great joy. I was permitted a wonderful thing, onef which many people are not able to attain. I was able to see my great grandson, Torben-- a lovely husky bounding infsnt; and to watch him rolling around and laughing . Being able to hold him in my arms brought me great joy, of which I cannot imagine anything could equal.

I was compoletelly enthralled with what I saw, a great display of intelligence and awareness of his surroundings.

I am grateful that Maya and Jason brought him to the home. And I look forward to seeing Torben and his parents. again.

The Sphere In which I live

Here I am living in a new world with all my neighbors being the same advanced age I am and going over the many incidents that brought me here. However upon reflection my life is gong on in a different sphere. With different things taking up my life -- eating at a special time, going to bed at a special time,. Going along not knowing what the next day will bring.But more or less traveling along, handllng thngs as they come.

This I reflect to the eventual end from which there is no return and more or less hope that my life has been agood one Leaving behijnd me the memory of two wonderful women (my wives) and my children. now grown men in their own respective worlds, my grandchild and my great grandchild (Having a great grandchild gives me a feeling of august splendor unrivaled by any other feeling) and whose love I cherish and will forever close my book with whatever shall come.

On Being 96

The other day I took a look in the mirror and I found myself looking back at a 96-year-old-guy and noticing that he could use a shave. I started looking at different things about him -- how his mustache is trimmed and how he's always looking askance at what is going on around him.


The thoughts were coming rapidly into my mind-- one question tumbling right after the other. I decided to look at what I found.
I guess you don'''t feel any special way about being 96 except you know when you were born. You wonder what you've accomplished that will live after you to your credit .

Now I am beginning to wonder what the future holds and what the future really is and what my perspectives should be if this happens or that happens.

I keep telling myself in a couple ofyears I'll be able to tell people what the first 100 years are like andI decided to stop thinking after that. I decided to leave it for another day. Upon reflection,I thought, let things happen as they will.

Around 1946 I left the knitting industry. I went into the field of selling. At that time I was living on Empire Boulevard in Brooklyn. I was selling household cleaning products.Pine oil insecticide, polish, soap, etc. I sold this to homes and businesses. That''s the hard part of it. Sometimes it was easier to sell to businesses. There are more products to sell to businesses. I was able to sell these products to almost any kind of business. I entered the field and found that there were certain areas of thefield that were more productive than others. For awhile I only sold insecticides to restaurants by the gallon.

Other businesses fell intol ine as the productss variesd. Productss changesas the linesvaried. I osld metal polish toguys whoi owned buildings. I couldn't sell them insecticide because they had exterminators.

More About Knitting

Here is more information about the knitting mill.

The ability to produce perfect cloth depends on your abiliuty to be adept. Maybe more than one cone is running out at the same time and you have to replace all of the empties. You work the new cones into the machine by hand and then turn on the motor to continue knkitting the cloth

Entering the Knitting Industry

Having had no experience before, these are the few things I learned. There were different kinds of knitting machines. Brinton, Scafford & Holt, Jacquard, Dubied, Eppler Necktie Machine.

When I went into a knitting mill for the first time, I was struck by the whirring and clicking of machines and was momentarily terrified. I soon got over that. After awhile the noise became second nature to me as I went about my daily tasks.



Each day, my daily work was to operate the machines and keep checking them constantly for breaks in the material and making sure I was turning out perfect cloth.

In most modern plants, the cloth was rolled up as it came out of the machines. After enough had been made I would cut off the material and the next roll would be started. This was to be continued throughout the day.



As one spool ran out, it had to be replaced by a fresh one.

The roll was a cone of thread weighing approximately three to four pounds.

Intro

I am preparing this blog and my son Norman is typing it.

Let me tell you a few things about myself.

I am 96 years old. (I was born in 1911.) In another couple of years I will be able to say the first 100 years are the hardest.

Right now I live in the Jewish Home and Hospital in New York, NY.

I speak to my wife Florence almost every day.And I love her very much. Florence and I were both married before.

I have two sons, Alan and Norman. Alan is the older.

In this blog, I hope to tell a couple of stories and share a couple of observations.
I joined theNational Guard in the latter part of the 1920s. I went to different Army installations every year for the two weeks training. I joined because I was interested in wearing the uniform. And to learn about Army life. I was in the National Guard for three years. I l earned how to use a rifle and how to fire a 16" gun. I did not rejoin because I went to work in industry.