My dad made his first squawk. I wish I could tell you how old he is but even after all these years I can't say for sure.
It all started way back in the 1930's. Times were hard and everyone was trying to make a few dollars to feed the family.
Grandma was taking in washing and in the evenings she sat by the kerosene lamp, making lace to send off to Chicago dress shoppes.
Grandpa worked on the farm and if times got real bad he would help his father make moon shine. Then he would run it over to speak easy's in Terra Haute for the college kids.
Dad was a young man, just a little to young to get a job around town. Because, as we all know, in little towns, everyone knows everything about you. He decided to head to the big city, join his sister,a couple of cousins and buddies to seek his fortune.
Dad and Aunt R. were very good looking and that would work in their favor many times over those years.
Aunt R. was a sectary downtown and her boss was taking interest in her. He invited her to one of theses parties were anybody who was anybody would be. She met a man, who,was in charge of a magazine called the Sunday Travels. He was always on the look out for new faces. Aunt R talked to him about the magazine and eventually got around to telling him about dad and the other friends. An appoint was made and everyone meet. To their unbelief Aunt R, dad and a cousin were picked to be in the fall edition. The day came A.R, dad and cousin went to Chicago to meet up with the photographer. The boss, said, he had left and they were to meet him in a small town, just across the state line, up in Wisconsin. Would they please take along some photo supplies to him? The car was loaded and off they went. Just out of the city, cousin stopped the car, he and dad went to check the photo supplies, only to find it full of moon shine. Knowing the law, the moon shine was dumped. What they didn't know was that photographer had friends in Capone places.
That was the start and end of their careers. They just faded into the ebb and flow of the working class people.
Aunt R.'s boyfriend got dad a job in the steel mills. All he needed was his birth certificate. The court house had burned down. Grandpa went in to get a new one and added 2 years to dad's age.
Aunt R took her own sweet time about it and finally married boyfriend. He treated her like a queen the rest of his life.
Cousin went back home and married had lots of kids.
Dad, well he went back home long enough to find mom. Then back to the steel mill for almost 30 odd years.
But even when he tells us how old he is I can't seem to remember if we add or subtract to the number.
Only once in a while will he tell a story of the south side of Chicago.
Happy day DAD.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
He and I will get along....except
I had meet Pa's parents one time before we were engaged. Because of that I was more then a little nervous when I was around them.
After I left their house my chin would chatter for 10 to 20 min. on the way out of town.
Summer had come and we were back living with our parents. Pa would come up to my folks house just about every other weekend until the wedding.
I only went to his folks house 2 or 3 times. One, because I'm pretty sure my dad did not think it was proper and second because I didn't have my own car.
The very first weekend I stayed must have been Memorial Day or Labor Day weekend because I didn't go home on Sunday afternoon to be at work on Monday morning.
Pa was a youth minister at that time. His church had different hours then his parents church. We would be back at the house about a half hour before they got back.
Yes.... some kissing did take place, but a pillow fight was the main event. Even then I had the feeling that Grandma M&M wouldn't have liked us pillow fighting , but I was winning and Pa knew the house rules. Their car came in the drive and Pa and I returned to civilized adults.
Popcorn and cokes were fixed and a wonderful show about snakes was National Geo.
Pa and I were laying on the floor in front of the TV. Mom and Dad are sitting in the love seat just back of us. All was calm.... expect when little brother crept up behind me a yelled SNAKE.
And I went to get up, to go do something, and the next thing I know I'm flat on my face in front of dad and mom.
I wanted to die and kill Pa all at the same time. He had grabbed my ankle just as I started to get up. I fell like a tree in the forest.
There were hours in those moments and I wanted to be anywhere but there. When, I did look up, my further father-in-law was just looking at me with this kind of it will be OK kid grin on his face and right then I knew he and I would get along.
And we have except for.......
the one time he raised his voice at me.
We were at the dinner table, discussing problem in which I felt my way was the right way.
His index finger got pointed at me and a "young lady you listen to me" or "young lady I'm telling you"came out of his mouth and that was the end of my rebellion.
And, as in most cases, his age and wisdom knew the right way to deal with the problem causing no undue harm. My way would have.
From that day on I have never wanted my father -in-law to raise his voice to me.
He hasn't, even though, I'm pretty sure I have given him a good number of opportunities.
Thanks Grandpa
After I left their house my chin would chatter for 10 to 20 min. on the way out of town.
Summer had come and we were back living with our parents. Pa would come up to my folks house just about every other weekend until the wedding.
I only went to his folks house 2 or 3 times. One, because I'm pretty sure my dad did not think it was proper and second because I didn't have my own car.
The very first weekend I stayed must have been Memorial Day or Labor Day weekend because I didn't go home on Sunday afternoon to be at work on Monday morning.
Pa was a youth minister at that time. His church had different hours then his parents church. We would be back at the house about a half hour before they got back.
Yes.... some kissing did take place, but a pillow fight was the main event. Even then I had the feeling that Grandma M&M wouldn't have liked us pillow fighting , but I was winning and Pa knew the house rules. Their car came in the drive and Pa and I returned to civilized adults.
Popcorn and cokes were fixed and a wonderful show about snakes was National Geo.
Pa and I were laying on the floor in front of the TV. Mom and Dad are sitting in the love seat just back of us. All was calm.... expect when little brother crept up behind me a yelled SNAKE.
And I went to get up, to go do something, and the next thing I know I'm flat on my face in front of dad and mom.
I wanted to die and kill Pa all at the same time. He had grabbed my ankle just as I started to get up. I fell like a tree in the forest.
There were hours in those moments and I wanted to be anywhere but there. When, I did look up, my further father-in-law was just looking at me with this kind of it will be OK kid grin on his face and right then I knew he and I would get along.
And we have except for.......
the one time he raised his voice at me.
We were at the dinner table, discussing problem in which I felt my way was the right way.
His index finger got pointed at me and a "young lady you listen to me" or "young lady I'm telling you"came out of his mouth and that was the end of my rebellion.
And, as in most cases, his age and wisdom knew the right way to deal with the problem causing no undue harm. My way would have.
From that day on I have never wanted my father -in-law to raise his voice to me.
He hasn't, even though, I'm pretty sure I have given him a good number of opportunities.
Thanks Grandpa
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Things I know about my in-laws
1. June 1 they will be married 60 years.
2. they have been have been in love for over 60 years.
3. went to same high school and still have high school reunions.
4.he was in the navy in WWII.
5. she quoted grain futures on the radio.
6. they took a vacation every year.
7.she is 80 and has only a few gray hairs. her hair is dark brown. so cool!
8. he does wood working.
9. they worked together and built cradles for each of their first grandchildren.
10.she is wicked at euchre (card game)
11. he loves crosswords.
12. she bakes pies, he bakes cookies
13. they like golf
14. she sews (as in one of the best seamstress's)
15. their eyes glow when they look at each other
16. they were youth leaders, at church, over 30 years ago and their kids still keep in touch with them.
17. they are funny.
18. they put up corn every year in a assembly line kind of way.
19. he hates turkey
20. they understand what the other is trying to say. (because of stroke they have a little trouble with language)
21. I'm glad they became a part of my life.
22. she is a great house keeper.
23. she loves tomatoes.
24. he is a gentlemen
25. she is a lady.
26. i have come to love them very much.
27. they have been married 59 years ......wow
2. they have been have been in love for over 60 years.
3. went to same high school and still have high school reunions.
4.he was in the navy in WWII.
5. she quoted grain futures on the radio.
6. they took a vacation every year.
7.she is 80 and has only a few gray hairs. her hair is dark brown. so cool!
8. he does wood working.
9. they worked together and built cradles for each of their first grandchildren.
10.she is wicked at euchre (card game)
11. he loves crosswords.
12. she bakes pies, he bakes cookies
13. they like golf
14. she sews (as in one of the best seamstress's)
15. their eyes glow when they look at each other
16. they were youth leaders, at church, over 30 years ago and their kids still keep in touch with them.
17. they are funny.
18. they put up corn every year in a assembly line kind of way.
19. he hates turkey
20. they understand what the other is trying to say. (because of stroke they have a little trouble with language)
21. I'm glad they became a part of my life.
22. she is a great house keeper.
23. she loves tomatoes.
24. he is a gentlemen
25. she is a lady.
26. i have come to love them very much.
27. they have been married 59 years ......wow
Thursday, May 24, 2007
8 Random Facts
1. If I could pick any car it would be a Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith 1955.
2. My sibling's and I had one of the first sidewalk skateboards back in 1965 or so. I loved it and wish I still had it and could ride it down the sidewalk next to our old house.
3 I love being on my uncle's farm.
4. I rode a tram over and walked back across the Royal Gorge Bridge, in Colorado, with my mom. Then went down the incline railroad to the bottom were the river was at, with mom, my little brother and his wife.
Big deal as I don't like that kind of stuff at all.
5. I want to go to England to see the crown jewels and the lake country.
6. I hate snakes but love to watch nature shows about them.
7. I love to boss my brothers around.
8 I often think, heaven will feel just like it feels in the morning when I first wake up.
2. My sibling's and I had one of the first sidewalk skateboards back in 1965 or so. I loved it and wish I still had it and could ride it down the sidewalk next to our old house.
3 I love being on my uncle's farm.
4. I rode a tram over and walked back across the Royal Gorge Bridge, in Colorado, with my mom. Then went down the incline railroad to the bottom were the river was at, with mom, my little brother and his wife.
Big deal as I don't like that kind of stuff at all.
5. I want to go to England to see the crown jewels and the lake country.
6. I hate snakes but love to watch nature shows about them.
7. I love to boss my brothers around.
8 I often think, heaven will feel just like it feels in the morning when I first wake up.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Mothers who helped and help me
Pa has read Farm Wife's blog to me. Thank you darlin, it was one of the many things that made my day wonderful.
There are women who have the gift of mothering and women who need help. I needed help and these are some of my teachers.
Shirley was one of my best friends in college. Shirley was the oldest of what ended up being a10 children family. Her mom was wonderfully wise. With out knowing it I learned a lot from her by just watching her and listing to Shirley talk about her mom. Shirley has 6 of her own and I'm sure she is as good a mom as her mom was and is.
Pa and I went back to college. We lived in married student housing, that's were I meet Brenda. She became another one of my best friends. She made mothering look so easy, because she was so easy going. If you watched close you would see her determination.
She got me through my first pregnancy, every time I would say I don't know how to take care of a baby, Brenda would say don't worry, it will come naturally. I found out that rocking, walking, feeding, changing diapers and loving that little person did come naturally.
Farm Wife has a strong mothering gene. She started mothering at a very early age.She mothered her babies and stuff animals. She mothered Pa and me.
She got that gene from my mom who got it from her Mother-in-law.
My mom said she was a great mother and she taught her how to be a mother. Not by setting her down and telling her what to do, but by just showing her and encouraging her. Mom tells the story of Grandma Y being sick and mom went down to help her out. Mom said that she couldn't have been much help since she had the twins and they were a year or so old. She just added to grandma's work but grandma was happy to have her there.
Grandma taught mom well because she is a good mother. You couldn't write a book about her mothering or make a movie about it. She is a great mother in the way that most mothers are great. She wants what is good for us.
Looking at her life and the things she has done you can see that.
She played with us, she laughed at us. She endured us and believe me that took a lot of work. She even let us watch Elvis's return in 68, when dad had grounded us from TV. THAT WAS A BIG DEAL
She watched my brothers go to war and watched the news hoping to see a picture of them.
She did her best to embrace her new daughter's and son's- in -law.
She was broken hearted when her first grandchild was stillborn and delighted with each following grandchild.
She like grandma gathered people in under her wing. She has shown us that blood isn't the only thing that makes a family . Because of that, sometimes, it is hard to explain who these extra kids are.
She has a lot of common sense, she will give you advise and if you want it, take it, if you don't, well don't take it.
She could fix just about anything and will try before giving up and paying someone to fix it.
She is... just a mom.
Farm Wife has been a mom twice now. The first time she was all of 13, 14 and mothered her brother and sister. I was sick in bed most of the time back then. This kid took on the job as best she could and I don't know what would have happened if she hadn't. There are times when I think back and my heart hurts because of what I missed and what she and the other 2 had to go through. She did it, they lived through it, have war stories about it and are strongly bonded because of it.
Now she has her own and she glows in her motherhood. She is mooney eyed about her husband and children. It is fun to read and listen to her talk about all of them and their antics. It makes me happy to watch her walk in her destiny.
Princess is my baby and I wasn't so sure she was going to have the good mom gene from her grandmothers.
She is a bit scattered brained like her mom. SHE GOT THE GENE. Watching her with HT is joy. She gets those same mooney eyes when she looks at her husband and little one.
AO got the gene too. Maybe not from me but someone passed it on to her. She is amazing because she is doing what she has to do, not what she wants to do. Three children, school, job and alone. Yet not alone she tells me quite often that God is getting her through this.
These mothers have been a help to me and because of them I'm happy to be a mom.
There are women who have the gift of mothering and women who need help. I needed help and these are some of my teachers.
Shirley was one of my best friends in college. Shirley was the oldest of what ended up being a10 children family. Her mom was wonderfully wise. With out knowing it I learned a lot from her by just watching her and listing to Shirley talk about her mom. Shirley has 6 of her own and I'm sure she is as good a mom as her mom was and is.
Pa and I went back to college. We lived in married student housing, that's were I meet Brenda. She became another one of my best friends. She made mothering look so easy, because she was so easy going. If you watched close you would see her determination.
She got me through my first pregnancy, every time I would say I don't know how to take care of a baby, Brenda would say don't worry, it will come naturally. I found out that rocking, walking, feeding, changing diapers and loving that little person did come naturally.
Farm Wife has a strong mothering gene. She started mothering at a very early age.She mothered her babies and stuff animals. She mothered Pa and me.
She got that gene from my mom who got it from her Mother-in-law.
My mom said she was a great mother and she taught her how to be a mother. Not by setting her down and telling her what to do, but by just showing her and encouraging her. Mom tells the story of Grandma Y being sick and mom went down to help her out. Mom said that she couldn't have been much help since she had the twins and they were a year or so old. She just added to grandma's work but grandma was happy to have her there.
Grandma taught mom well because she is a good mother. You couldn't write a book about her mothering or make a movie about it. She is a great mother in the way that most mothers are great. She wants what is good for us.
Looking at her life and the things she has done you can see that.
She played with us, she laughed at us. She endured us and believe me that took a lot of work. She even let us watch Elvis's return in 68, when dad had grounded us from TV. THAT WAS A BIG DEAL
She watched my brothers go to war and watched the news hoping to see a picture of them.
She did her best to embrace her new daughter's and son's- in -law.
She was broken hearted when her first grandchild was stillborn and delighted with each following grandchild.
She like grandma gathered people in under her wing. She has shown us that blood isn't the only thing that makes a family . Because of that, sometimes, it is hard to explain who these extra kids are.
She has a lot of common sense, she will give you advise and if you want it, take it, if you don't, well don't take it.
She could fix just about anything and will try before giving up and paying someone to fix it.
She is... just a mom.
Farm Wife has been a mom twice now. The first time she was all of 13, 14 and mothered her brother and sister. I was sick in bed most of the time back then. This kid took on the job as best she could and I don't know what would have happened if she hadn't. There are times when I think back and my heart hurts because of what I missed and what she and the other 2 had to go through. She did it, they lived through it, have war stories about it and are strongly bonded because of it.
Now she has her own and she glows in her motherhood. She is mooney eyed about her husband and children. It is fun to read and listen to her talk about all of them and their antics. It makes me happy to watch her walk in her destiny.
Princess is my baby and I wasn't so sure she was going to have the good mom gene from her grandmothers.
She is a bit scattered brained like her mom. SHE GOT THE GENE. Watching her with HT is joy. She gets those same mooney eyes when she looks at her husband and little one.
AO got the gene too. Maybe not from me but someone passed it on to her. She is amazing because she is doing what she has to do, not what she wants to do. Three children, school, job and alone. Yet not alone she tells me quite often that God is getting her through this.
These mothers have been a help to me and because of them I'm happy to be a mom.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Grammy save's the world
I didn't know.
Last night I was picking up a wrist bandage I had dropped and right there at the end of the daybed peeking out from under the bed skirt was Buzz Lightyear.
Finding him has saved the world and made me a hero.
Now to get Buzz home. Maybe NASA could loan him a plane. No that would have to be the Air Force. Oh maybe one of those black ones that goes real fast and no ones sees.
Maybe just the US postal service after all Buzz isn't Speaker of the House.
Last night I was picking up a wrist bandage I had dropped and right there at the end of the daybed peeking out from under the bed skirt was Buzz Lightyear.
Finding him has saved the world and made me a hero.
Now to get Buzz home. Maybe NASA could loan him a plane. No that would have to be the Air Force. Oh maybe one of those black ones that goes real fast and no ones sees.
Maybe just the US postal service after all Buzz isn't Speaker of the House.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
New
I have a new car?
Van?
Truck?
I'm not sure what they call it but last night I got a new Chevy HHR. From the first time I saw a picture of one I like it, a lot, and thought it would be fun to have one.
That's as far as it went, just thought.
I loved my station wagon and since we tend to drive cars until there is no driving left in them, I figured it was going to be another 5 years before we got a different car.
My station wagon began to act strange this past winter. At first I thought it was just me because Pa didn't feel the funny things I felt when he drove it. As time passed those funny things got more noticeable.
In March I was with Farm Wife when she took her van to have it's spring cleaning. They had a purple HHR on the lot and I jokingly told Pa I found my car.
We took a trip in April, were that funny stuff started up once again in the station wagon. One night we actually went to the car dealer and found one just like what I wanted. There was also a real nice black one with all the extras on it.
After some prayer that night the next day Pa called and said no, now wasn't the time.
Tuesday we were headed into town and the wagon started again and Pa said it was time. So yesterday he called about the purple HHR and I was thinking that I might not like looking at purple for 6 to 12 years.
The purple one was gone.
But they had 2 black ones. One we had looked with all the extras and one that they had just brought in from Alabama. It left off 2 of the expensive extras that we would not have used anyway. We bought it.
On the way home we talked about how once again God had provided just the right car at just the right time.
Van?
Truck?
I'm not sure what they call it but last night I got a new Chevy HHR. From the first time I saw a picture of one I like it, a lot, and thought it would be fun to have one.
That's as far as it went, just thought.
I loved my station wagon and since we tend to drive cars until there is no driving left in them, I figured it was going to be another 5 years before we got a different car.
My station wagon began to act strange this past winter. At first I thought it was just me because Pa didn't feel the funny things I felt when he drove it. As time passed those funny things got more noticeable.
In March I was with Farm Wife when she took her van to have it's spring cleaning. They had a purple HHR on the lot and I jokingly told Pa I found my car.
We took a trip in April, were that funny stuff started up once again in the station wagon. One night we actually went to the car dealer and found one just like what I wanted. There was also a real nice black one with all the extras on it.
After some prayer that night the next day Pa called and said no, now wasn't the time.
Tuesday we were headed into town and the wagon started again and Pa said it was time. So yesterday he called about the purple HHR and I was thinking that I might not like looking at purple for 6 to 12 years.
The purple one was gone.
But they had 2 black ones. One we had looked with all the extras and one that they had just brought in from Alabama. It left off 2 of the expensive extras that we would not have used anyway. We bought it.
On the way home we talked about how once again God had provided just the right car at just the right time.
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