More of the Older Children

As you will note, Dwight looks studious and scholarly and dignified, while Louise looks demure.  Oh lordy do I remember that checkered jumper and my plaid tie after all these years.  But the reason I posted this picture is because of the youngest of the older, more mature, children.  What do you see in common with this pose and the pose on the haystack?  Just wondered.  One of the blessings of being a boy is that I didn't have to wear those absolutely horrendous long brown socks.  Enlarge to get the full effect.  And what's with the mini-skirt?  Just wondered.

More Ralston, Kids, & Kat

Now the scene has changed, and we have the three on the haystack, with Judy in front - My pose is very rude, but I suppose I thought it was "cool". I'm surprised Mother didn't make me straighten up. Notice that Louise now has the cat, Dwight looks serious, and Judy - no longer checking out the real estate.

Lilacs

I know this blog is community property but I took it upon myself to think we had been in Sunday School long enough, and that we probably we were not going to get much more repentant than we already are, and that it was time to remember lilacs.

Lilacs

Hooray! Let's all run over to Emmy's and pick some!

The Older Children

Steve and the Delights of the Barnyard Cats

Brig was probably almost two when this picture was taken. The cat (name, please?) had kittens, and Steve helped Brig locate them. There is a series of these pictures, and you can't tell it in this one, but Brig is wearing Steve's old red sweater. Steve reminded me of these pictures - taken during a stay at Penrose. (Don't you love how handsome Steve is in these - and his cowboy hat to boot.)

Feeding the cats - Ralston, circa 1943

So Mother did feed cats! - Once upon a time before we children took over and did the auxiliary feeding. Actually, cats were supposed to earn their keep by keeping down the mouse population, and they never ever came in the house - except - I remember popcorn nights in the little brown house when a cat might be invited in to pick up any extra popcorn that fell on the floor. Love this picture of Judy with her socks not quite meeting the bottom of the coat - remember the ugly brown socks that wanted to sag, the garter belts that kept breaking, etc., etc., etc. The helmet caps were all the thing. And Mother might have Judy all buttoned up, but she is not wearing any jackets or sweaters.

Sweet Innocence (and the Cat)

This is a special picture. It must have been taken on a Sunday, with Mother all dressed up + the obligatory apron, and baby Ann posing in front of the old tub that served both as a Saturday night bath tub in front of the coal stove, and a washday rinse tub. Love the curious cat checking out the newest member of the family. I remember vividly the day that Ann was born (December 1st). Snow was lightly falling, so Louise and I wiped our shoes on the light brown brushy mat at the door, and Louise announced that she knew that there must be a new baby in the house. (Where were you, Dwight?) (There must have been a strange car in the yard, but I don't remember that.) The house smelled different, and there was our new baby. Dad told me that she came in the doctor's black bag. And I believed him for a long time. Anyway, it isn't Ann's birthday today, but we still appreciate her wonderful "Can Do" attitude which has conquered all sorts of adversity in her life. And she did continue to look very innocent, although she has a very witty way about her today.

Steve, Ann, Black Cat, Basketball

They Look So Innocent

Judy, Ann, and Steve

Seriously, this one is a treasure (the picture, not the kids)

Did the Cats ever Stop?

Judy and the black cat. What was his name????? Surely not Midnight?

This picture was not a good picture, but the cat is apparent, and it is Ann who is holding him. I just made it into a piece of art.

Steve sitting on his sled with a cat, waiting for the snow to fall

   

TTt

The top picture is another picture from my very first roll of film.  And the second one is priceless beyond any measure.  Louise and I figured out this dress is the same one Louise wore in her famous first-day-of school photo.  The posing by the poor lilac bush was intentional and I remember it clearly, but what else was there?  And the first year or two Dad grew sugar beets right up to the back porch in an attempt to earn whatever extra pennies could be earned by doing so.  We never knew how hard our parents struggled.  But then we had cats.

Another Cat

In discussions with the other two "senior" siblings, we have determined that the younger siblings got by with murder, whereas we older siblings generally did not engage in such nefarious and illegal activities.  We are appalled at the amount of bad stuff that went on after we left home, much of it having to do with cats.

Louise and kitties

Louise got pretty classy when she worked for the REA in Powell, but she was usually home on the weekends. This picture must have been taken about 1950-1?

First Photo: Steve

I remember so well, this photo of Steve is the very first picture I ever took with my new Baby Brownie.

More Cats

Double click for detail in background, important only to Blood siblings

We're Out of Cats So Here are my FFA Pigs. Enjoy.

Penrose Cats Chronicle Continued

Seriously, we're almost out of cats.  I remember laying down on the ground to take pictures of them, like the first one.  And we can't omit the black cat.  Did he have a name?  The last of the five pictures is instructive because of the condition of the front yard.  The first year or two we were in Penrose no one had any energy left to do anything with the yard.  Maybe one or two of these are repeats.

While we're on the subject of cats

The Lion King and Holstein