Scenic Pictures - Sentimental Sunday story

I have a rule that when I with family on a trip that the scenic pictures always has a family member(s) in them. That way the scene means something later when viewed by later generations (needs name and place on back still. 😉).

However, there are times that a picture maybe taken of an object or thing without a person and to you it will mean great memories. To others without a story, it may get tossed to the wayside and why did they take that picture. I have two such pictures and will proceed to write the stories behind them for future generations to enjoy.

The first picture involves my dad and my Hero, Ned. 

When we first moved to the "farm" (6.7 acres) we had a small barn, chicken pens, and a pig pen, and rabbit hutches. We were as my father-in-law put it, gentlemen farmers; meaning the Hero worked in Houston then he and my dad built stuff on the weekends. After clearing much of the brush and small trees in the back, my dad was worried of losing trees.  As he was sitting next to the barn watching his chickens, he as he liked to do, he noticed a small pine seedling sprouting in the barnyard. 

Not the actual seedling, but exactly like it.

He decided it would be a fine addition there to give shade to his critters. Picking up a stick he fashioned a stake and stuck it in the ground to protect it from foot damage so we would know it was there. The Hero thought that was a great idea too. So as the pine grew, so did the stake, thus everyone would know it was a choice tree. 

40 years later both of my men are gone, but I imagine occasionally they might look down and say that is a fine tree.  It turned out it is a Loblolly Pine and is beautiful. Every time I pull in at home and park, I face it.  I remember the years of protecting it and the care the two men did to make sure it survived to be the tree it is now. 

Actual tree 2019, 40 years later.

The other landscape picture is of a road going to our home. We used to call it the tunnel. Everyone knew that when we arrive at the “tunnel” that home was just a short way down the road. We loved the oaks and pines that covered the road and that you could see light at the end of the tunnel.

As the children would say..."Almost home"...

There were many stories about that area of the road. The the road was an iron ore road that had to be graded by a road grader. 

For my grands: a 1960s grader (like the one on our road) 

The grader would not smooth the road out after his first pass and it would leave the surface like a washboard. 

For my grands: a washboard women used to wash their clothes...remind me to tell you a story about that.

You would drive down it and feel like your teeth were chattering. The worse time was when I was expecting my 4^th child and every time we drove over it I would exclaim “slow down!” The Hero would smile or even (added injury) giggle and say won’t help. My body parts did not agree, but it was what it was…miserable. Everyone was excited when they finally decided to blacktop the road (wish I had written the date down).

The tunnel is gone now due to development. New owners decided they needed a clear view of the road, but the random picture I took one day to remind my children of home, still survives. I am so glad I took it. When they see it, they still think home. That is why there is a picture of a tree tunnel in my picture box.

Write the stories. Grandchildren will love them and they can pass them down to theirs.

The End of an Era

By the title you might think I mean, a death occurred. Not so. But it is the end of shared moments and fun times for these three lovely ladies that have had a long life of memories together. My mom, her twin, and their niece are the last of their generation living.  My cousin who lives in Virginia has moved her mom, my mom's twin, to be near her. Neither of the twins are able at 89 to make the trip back and forth now, and the niece may or may not fly to see one or the other, she is just a year younger.

Niece is on the left. The twins are on the right.

When they were young they were always together. The niece's mother was 23 years older than her sisters. When her mother died she was raised by her grandmother with her aunts, who were just a year older.

Can you imagine being a mother, grandmother to this group. 

Happy graduation day!

When they were raising their children, because they lived in different states and different towns and they all worked, there were few times they all got together at the same times.

My mom on the left, another sister, the niece, a friend, a niece of a younger generation, and mom's twin.

Then my father and the niece's husband died. That began the times of the three going on summer time adventures until they all retired, then they found time to go on cruises and long trips.
The last 10 years my mom has been in assisted living for a combination of dementia and depression. Her medication has helped her greatly. The result was we would have to get together on the birthday of the twins. My daughter hosted some meetings. Some get-togethers were at my aunts.
I have to admit that I cried the last time we all met, and so did my mom, who realized in spite of her dementia, that this was their last meeting while living. My cousins and I went to great lengths and distances to make sure they had a time to say good bye.

Sentimental Sunday ~ Memory of A Great Trip

One fall, the Hero and I were driving our daughter to Utah for her fall college semester.  We decided to go through Taos, New Mexico area because none of us had ever been in that area before and the scenery promised by brochures was going to be great.

We stopped at an out of the way group of bungalows before we got there.  It was an awesome place. There weren't any electronics, or phones, no outside world at all.  Our son was with us too. He was so excited no one could interrupt with a phone call.  We and a wonderful time visiting; they had games too and the kids went for a short hike. (nope no pictures...silly me, but no smartphones back then either.) Short digression here, I asked my daughter if she remembered and I am giggling over her answer:  "Yes, I remember him going on and on about how quiet it was... he wouldn't be quiet.... it was lovely and I remember the cold creek out behind it."...

When we left to continue our journey, we were relaxed and filled with happiness.  The trees were breathtaking and the air was so clear as we drove in the mountains. The Hero gave way to our request to stop at the first scenic pull over in spite of a tight schedule. It was so beautiful looking down through the trees.

We saw these. This is from a brochure.

picture from the area on Wikipedia

 Away from the world and all its cares, my daughter turned on the Enya "Watermark" album for her and myself to dance our best joyful uninhibited interpretation of the music.  We were having so much fun. Our son and the Hero, just leaned back on the rocks and smiled.  They knew we were silly.  

Our reverie was interrupted by a car pulling in behind us and an older Native American gentleman got out.  We quickly turned down our music, when he approached us.  I guess we were expecting a scolding for so much noise.  Instead, we were surprised when he said  "I have not stopped here for many years and enjoyed the scenery.  When I saw you dancing with so much joy, I had to stop. I remind myself now, that I should take the time to enjoy what is here. Thank you for reminding me."  

We never know how we are going to affect someone else. This man was uplifted by our joyous dancing and he reminded us that one should not ignore the beauty around us as we become busy in life.  

The rest of our trip was filled with a feeling of happiness.  We deposited our daughter at BYU and then drove back home on I70 through Colorado. The choice to drive up the scenic way was one of the best we ever made.  

I am glad I am writing this because my daughter had forgotten our dancing in the woods..,

Don't forget to stop and smell the roses... one of my favorite sayings.  J

Halloween Memories...

My mom loved Halloween.  She was one of the first teachers at her school in Oklahoma to start dressing in period costumes for the festivities.  Of course it was a different era, the kids dressed up, parents brought cupcakes, there were parades, and there was in general a lot of games.  As I was growing up, she always had popcorn balls (in a variety of ways), candy, etc.  I had to dress up to had out candy to those coming by.
When she moved to Texas, she was living in a rural community.  There wasn't the going from house to house for trick or treat but there were a lot of little kids that wanted to do what they saw city kids doing. As a school they still did costumes and a class party, but the whole community turned out at the precinct barn where a special group had put together a variety of activities and treats.  Mom loved this and was disappointed when the activities started coming to a close at school, then in the community at large.  Now they do a haunted house, which I have to say, I am glad all my kids are gone, because I have never been a fan of haunted house activities.  Here is the only picture I have of my mom's Halloween activity.

She is the "scarecrow" in the center, surrounded by my children.

My mother-in-law always decorated for Halloween time.  She would have fun handing out candy for the kids in the neighborhood. Her foster daughter loved the dressing up and handing out candy too.
When Mildred moved into an assisted living home, they had activities every year.  We would go down and participate with her. She would dress up and so would we.  Such a fun memory.
These are a few of her dressed up as well as my sister in law and brother in law.

One year she decorated her door then dressed up and handed out candy when kids came by.

My wonderful sister-in-law who was game for anything, and looked great too. (she is in the middle)

A close up of my sister-in-law

Mildred and her son,,. My grandson thought his mask was cool. 

Mildred and I, in another year.  She decorated her tee shirt.

Fun memories and ones I hold dear.

Tombstone Tuesday ~ The Care Taker Becomes the One Cared For

In 2010, we took Mildred to clean and care for her husband's grave and she took the time to talk with her granddaughter and great grand children.

In 2012, a picture my brother in law took of her on Memorial Day when they went and cleaned the tombstone.

2014, My sister in law on Memorial Day after she and her brother cleaned the tombstone for Mildred and Ed her husband.
How time passes.

The Hero Made a Difficult Decision: Sentimental Sunday

I am combining two memes today. One is Sentimental Sunday which I have done for years and the other is Blue Raspberry Sunday by Aine at Blue Raspberry Sky.

This is a sentimental look at a hard decision that the Hero made which affected our lives and fits both memes that have kept me blogging when it would have been easy to quit.


When the Hero and I first married, we lived in Houston. This was the Hero's birth city and where he fully expected to live out his days in.  I on the other hand was not a city girl and desired to go to the country.  My mom and dad lived in Oklahoma and we wanted them to move to Texas so we kept an eye out for them a small acreage of land.
Meanwhile, the Hero compromised with me and we moved to a rent house that belonged to his
dad's company in the outer suburbs (at that time) which qualified, for him, to be in the country.

The house was most people's dream. It had 5 bedrooms, 2 car garage, 2 1/2  baths,  fireplace, an office, and a swimming pool.

 I admit, it was not my dream. It was in the middle of a subdivision, although this is where I earned the title of snake killer.
About a year later, we discovered some property 6 acres with a house partially started for sale just 30 miles north of us in a small town.  They had their own school district, so it was perfect for my parents and would be close enough for us to visit frequently and the children to have a taste of country.  When my dad saw it he was excited, there was a shack on it that was called a cabin which he could live in while getting the house finished and then my mom could move on down.

He thought was a great idea.  It took us about 6 months to get all the paper work done and my dad moved down.  My baby was 18 mos old, and my oldest was just ready to finish 2nd grade. She adored our big home, her friends, and the status she had at school.
My dad of course began to populate the "farm" first before finishing the house. :D  I was not surprised.

The second weekend we went up to help him work on the house, the well had stopped, and he decided to pull the well casing and clean it with the help of some friends he had already made in the area.  The Hero was all excited about learning to fix things on his own and not having to pay a serviceman.  They worked hard, pulled the casing, and by the end of the day they were all exhausted.  That night, my dad got up in the middle of the night, and started belching and complaining of heart burn.  He was pale, but asked for coffee.  We got him some. He threw up, then commenced to collapse in the Hero's arms.  The Hero picked him up and put him in the car.  I got in the backseat and held my dad's head while the Hero drove 100 miles an hour down a two lane road to cover 20 miles in 15 minutes.  We never saw a policeman either. We got to the hospital and in the ER they said he had suffered a major heart attack (Myocardial Infarction).  My Hero gave him a blessing as there weren't any other Elders in the area to help. My dad made it through.
We knew we had a challenge on our hands.  My mother had already quit her job, and my dad was not going to be able to finish their house.  After much thought and prayer, the Hero decided (it had to be his decision)  we would move up to the "cabin" and live there to finish the house for my parents. That way I could help them during the week as my mom wouldn't be able to take care of my dad and the farm too.  This was a decision that changed our lives totally and affected all our children forever.  It was a shock to move from a 5 bedroom house with all amenities to a shack that sometimes would not have running water or a working bathroom.

 The Hero was a brave man to take on the responsibility.  He felt a sense of responsibility since he had paved the way for them to move from their home.  It took us another 2 years before we started a house of our own.  I know many times he wished maybe he had not done that and had decided to stay in the city.  He didn't though, and stuck it out to the very end.  There were blessings and I have to admit, some very hard times that shaped each life as a result. I was thankful for his strong character and devotion to family.

It all worked together for our good in some way. I hope the children feel the same way. 

52 Ancestor Weeks. Week 11 Mildred's First Sight of Ed

The Hero and I asked Mom E how she met Dad Ellsworth.

This was a tale, which I hope I get correct… Don’t want finger shaking to happen from the other side.

If anyone has a different version or corrections, let me know, I don’t pretend to be all knowing, just sharing as I remember being told.

Mom E had her secret little smile as she began her tale. 

Mom and Dad Ellsworth were very close

“I didn’t know Ed, my girlfriend did at her work and I was over at her house one night when she dared me to call him.     

We have a picture of Mom E on the phone.

It was a trick calling thing we did, guess we were up to no good.  (a sheepish grin here)   He answered the phone with a quiet voice. ‘ I said, you don’t know me, but my friend knows you.  What are you doing?’   He said," I am watching my grandfather sleep. "  I didn’t know if he was serious or kidding me.  He went on to tell me that his grandfather Sackley was very ill and he was watching him. He thought his grandfather probably would not live much longer, that he loved him very much. It was very sad.  I felt bad then, but he wanted to talk, so we spent an hour or so, on the phone.  At the end of the conversation, he asked if we could meet.  I said yes; I would come by when he got off work at J C Penny’s.  It was agreed upon, and we hung up.  The next day, I knew where he worked because my friend gave me the information.  I went upstairs where  I could see him, before he could see me [she had a sneaky side. J  ] He was good looking.  I came down the stairs and our romance began. “

My minds eye version of the first sight. 

Dad E never added or chimed in. He just smiled and puffed on his pipe with a twinkle in his eyes.

The memory of being told the story is as precious as the memory told.

Now you know how they met.

Sentimental Sunday 'A Moment in Time'... A Hero memory

As we began the drive into town, my son popped a cd in to the cd player.  Little did he know that with first strain of music, I was transported back to 2002.



The road faded away, and I saw the Hero's office. There was the deep green carpet, the sun streaming through the open room with the Hero sitting at his desk. He turned around when he heard the door opening and a smile spread from his eyes to his lips when he saw it was me.
"Hi, honey.  I'll be done in a minute and we can go to lunch."
I grinned for I knew that meant another 30 minutes.
Not to be deterred from what I had been planning, I walked over behind him an said "I heard a song today that reminded me of  us.  Give me a second and ..." With that I reached past him, and popped my CD into his CD drive on his laptop.
As the music pulsed into the room, I couldn't help myself (I love to dance); I began to tap my foot and then to sway back and forth. He laughed, got up, took me in his arms and we danced around the room.
The music stopped on my car player, but the intense feelings of love and happiness continued, letting me know I needed to write this story.
How nice to have lovely moments in time be triggered in our minds.
The music was a song by Celine Dion.  "I'm Alive"

Wishing You a Blessed Christmas

About this time of year in the past, the Hero and I would be doing last minute shopping.  There wasn't a lot of money and so we would take the time to stop by the card aisle and choose a card we thought was just what we wanted to say to the other... We would then offer it to the other to read, then put back.  Then sentiments were held in our hearts.  I think of that as I walk down the aisles at the stores during holidays.
Christmas is not what you spend, rather what memories you make.
The late hours of sewing, assembling a toy, sitting and hold a little one and singing carols.  Hugs.
Making the most of each moment is so very important for a life time of memories.

Wishing you a Blessed Christmas from the Hero and me.

Sharing a Slice of Life 'Fireworks'

I posted my Slice of Life story on my personal blog because it was more my memory than a genealogical story.  If you would like to read Click  here.
If you would like to join click the button on the side bar for the URL.
Hope you all had lots of fun over the weekend.

Memorable Halloween Stories

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun suggested posting our most memorable Halloween.  That took me off into another area of memory that my dad told us of his teenage Halloween antics.  They were not quite what we think of in our day and age. 

Looking at this innocent face you just would not think that in 6 years from this time he would be a naughty mischievous teenager.  

His most memorable Halloween was when he and about 6 other teenage boys got together and decided to trick on of their "grumpy" neighbors.  Now neighbors were not next door like what you think of today.  More like miles apart.  Back to the story.  

These boys began by thinking up mischievous things to do weeks ahead of Halloween. 

They waited until dark, and how they did these things I don't know, but the first farmer was awakened then next morning to his mules on top of his shed.  (They were really naughty, they didn't tell they did it or go by and offer to get the mules down).  Shame.  

The second farmer didn't have to wait for morning because his son went out in the night and fell in the hole where the outhouse had been.  They had moved the outhouse just behind the hole. Yuck!

Apparently, these farmers had not developed a good relationship with these teenagers.  My dad said no one ever owned up to the deeds and he was telling me when he was 60 years old and explaining the difference between Halloween then and now.  He still thought that the face of the farmer would have been funny to see when he saw his mules on top of the barn.

Grandpa and Me

This is a photo of my Grandpa, who died when I was 16, and I at age one in the year 1972. He took care of me when I had pneumonia as a baby. He made me a Winnie-the-Pooh house when I was two. And eventually, he and my Grandma moved in next door to be near us. He took me fishing, taught me to sit and listen to the wind, we raised rabbits and chickens together, I rode his tractor, and he loved me. Yeah, I gave him grief when I hit those teen yrs., but he always loved me. I never had any doubt of that.

Yellowed and pale
Perhaps faded;
Memory may fail
but you
are not gone.
My finger
finds longing
as it passes
over your face.
The place
is past -
time spent
doesn't last.
Proving,
love smiled
captured by
a photograph
doesn't die.

My Head is Swimming

Picture owner Frances Ellsworth from Hummingbird blog

My grandmother used to say "my head is swimming" every time she would stand. I did not understand what was happening to her until I became a nurse many years later and then I felt bad that I had not understood low blood pressure.
This is not really what I was going to write about, but the phrase took me back in memories.

What I meant to say was, my head is swimming from all the information and stimulus of the wonderful blogs you all have developed, and, oh my goodness, the mind boggling links to the suggested blogs on your sites. Mercy me, I did not know all this out was available in internet land. I definitely don't feel like a lone ranger any longer.

When I developed my blog, http://hummingbirdgarden.blogspot.com , I was recording the history of my husband as he dealt with cancer, and the cancer treatments. It was to give our children a understanding and record events that I knew I would forget later. Some of the pictures I caught of him, was because I was blogging, and they are now among my favorite memories. While it was a purposeful endeavor, it was lonesome; because, as I recorded, I felt pretty much by myself.

I guess, what I am trying to say is 'I am glad you all are here and I am like a child in a candy shoppe, not sure where to start. Thanks so much for all your heart that I can see that you put into your blogs. It is inspiring to me, and will be to my children too.'

Thank you again.