Four of Six Siblings

Pictures are still waiting to be sorted into their proper places, but that job has been put on the back burner while I do other things, like harvest zucchini logs.  These pictures represent a time in the fall of 2000 when Dwight, Velna, Ann, and Louise all came to Preston together.  One of the things that we did was to get out Mother's old photograph album and Dwight scanned those pictures and others as fast as he could make his scanner go.  We did take time to pose on the front porch.  The top picture is a winner, but Ann has the most winning smile in the bottom picture - Louise was looking at something else, and I was dreaming or something.  Anyway, I remember this as a very nice time - just missing Judy and Steve.

A PS to Elizabeth's Post

There is one photo missing in Elizabeth's post about our visit to Preston, and here it is.  The Ott Light is still adding some dimension to the photo, but the smiles are indicative of a very good day.  

Memories of My LIfe

What I have learned since I have received and begun reading my sister, Elizabeth’s, beautifully printed book.

1.        To record one’s life is essential to tie the dots together.

2.       To write with a hand of kindness will never be a mistake.

3.       In the tapestry of her cloth, there is, no matter what, one thread that is bright in color and unbreakable:  her faith.

4.       The choice to reclaim blessings is not only possible, but essential.

5.       Love heals.  There is no room for bitterness.

 

  

Perhaps I should have finished reading the book, before making these comments.  As of this morning, I have her arriving in Germany to spend 2 years teaching.  Maybe I will think of more to say, or maybe someone else will have comments as they read.

 

I, for one, am very appreciative for Elizabeth’s hard work.  And I am very thankful that she is our sister.

 

A GOOD DAY INDEED!

Happy Birthday to Elizabeth May 28 2013

Happy Birthday to Elizabeth (Liz), my childhood pal, my beet hoeing partner, and my lifelong friend.  The memories of your handle on the pitchfork, to which you were not entitled, Mrs. Tumsey, nose-in-the-book syndrome (which got you out of an awful lot of work), the baby buggy that I stole from you to haul the white cat around in--all of these come to mind today.  Since Louise taught me how to read, I figured it would be no big deal to teach you how.  But I just wasn't the teacher Louise was.  You never could understand what "ditto, dummy, ditto" meant and so I gave up.  Somehow you made up for my lack of tutorial ability as you read your way through the Powell library.  I keep trying to insult you and make you angry just to stir things up but all you do is cheerfully reply, "I know it."  We know you have been through the depths of trials this past year and we are all so thankful for your recovery and cheerful disposition.  We all value your advice, wisdom, guidance, and lovely disposition.  You are so important to all of us as each of us continues to confront challenges.  But the most important thing is, we all stick together.  There is no animosity.  Only love.

Another letter from 1943

Dad gave this letter to me when Ron and I lived on Tumwater hill.  I wish I could find the original - it's here in my papers somewhere.  However, I made a very bad copy of it, and with enlarging the letter, it is readable.  As you can tell, my second grade excursion with cursive writing wasn't as successful as it might.  The writing just wouldn't slant in the right direction.  Please remember that there are four years between neat Louise, and myself.  Dad was tickled at the salutation - a little cheeky?  And now we know what we had to do between going to school.  Dumping the ashes was my eternal chore for years. I hated the hot, dry ashy smell as they were added to the ash pile.  Louise, did I help you that much?

Elizabeth and Ron Came to Olympia!

We had so much fun.  Not many somber moments, not even for the camera.

Giving each other advice.......the hands, you've got to watch the hands!

While the ladies watched the new Jane Eyre movie, the men escaped to the shade in the yard to get a little reading (and sleeping) done.

What an event to have the Gages traveling to Washington again! 

Liz and the White Cat: There's More Here Than Meets the Eye

I ran this photo through several filters to try and figure out what was in the background through the screen door.  I deduced that this back step was for the original two room house where the kitchen was where Dad later had his shop.  Thus, the image through the door must be the stove.  Study the picture carefully and tell all the stories.

Go, Elizabeth, Go

Dwight had titled this photo file, "Liz climbing".  It seems appropriate on this, her 76th birthday, to note her non-stop attitude.  And may it always be so.  I hope this was a good day for you and may the adventures ahead be taken in hand just as climbing to the top was a few years back.  We love you!  Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Liz in Case Tomorrow is Your Birthday

The Dress - Almost Twins?

During the 1970's, as my little brood traveled to Washington during the summer Judy and I had a chance to plan some projects together. We would discover that we often had purchased the same patterns - fabric, etc. (Later, Ann would join the mix - I still have a piece of fabric that we bought separately; she sewed hers first, and since we were in the same Ward, I didn't want to be a copycat, and still have the fabric in my cedar chest.). Anyway, we must have been together when we chose the pattern and fabric for this dress. (You will notice that mine was a little fancier - lace on the sleeves.) I loved this dress so much that I still have it tucked away, and Judy just confessed that hers is intact, too. Maybe it will go into a quilt some day. By the way, this dress was worn during the days of fashion of the mini skirt, so the choice was either a long dress or slacks - or jeans. That was the rule in my house, and it worked very well.
This picture is one that is part of an album - the kind with the magnetic leaves, so the background of the pages is turning brown from the acid in the paper. Unfortunately, I waited too long to remove the pictures, so scanning is the only way to preserve. Our first graders learned ITA (The Initial Teaching Alphabet), where each sound in the English language had a character. We took pictures of our first-grade class in various activities, and then had the children write stories about each picture. I'm sure you can read this one.

Eliz Near Future Lilac Bush: Another Early Brownie Photo

Isn't this picture worth the $1.98 the Brownie cost me?

Can you see the canvas clothespin bag?

Liz by Potential Lilac Bush

Probably not the first roll of film.  I'm guessing the Baby Brownie came in either 1946 or 1947.  I don't know why I bought it or where I got it, but I remember that I always wanted a camera and I was aware of the fact that no pictures were being taken of us precious children.

First Day of School, September 1945

In the days when girls were required to wear dresses to school, Louise and I were prepared for the first day of school. Louise wore her store-bought (hand-me-down?) brown and white dress and her brown and white dress shoes with anklets, and I wore a made-over green plaid dress with my favorite penny loafers. Notice that the main road through downtown Penrose was full of ruts - dried for now, but susceptible to exciting times when the rains fell or the snow melted. The first day of school was still very exciting to us. Who knew what adventures were around the corner?

Summer time - Get out Your Hoes!

How the memories last of significant times in our lives. The character building aspect of thinning (finger thinning with short-handled hoes), and hoeing impossibly long rows of sugar beets and beans remains in my memory forever. In retrospect, there is a fondness for those times when Dwight and I forged long-lasting relationship as brother and sister, and all animosity and differences were forgotten in our common labors. as we drank out of the common jug of water at the end of the row. They really are good memories, if one can forget the heat, the sweat, the mosquitoes, the gnats, the horseflies and deerflies.

Liz and the Chickens: Happy Birthday

We've all seen this picture a million times, but the question remains, "How did Liz attract all of those chickens?"  Happy Birthday.

A Look at the Past

I don't want to mess up Dwight's getting us to round up memories about what early mornings in Penrose were like, but I am cleaning out a major catch-all, and came across a small orange spiral notebook of Mother's, which has some interesting things in it. However, this one won't wait - sorry I didn't find it in December when we were talking about Dwight and Velna's wedding. These are the statistics from the trip from Penrose to Laramie, to Salt Lake, Provo, and back home again, as written down in the little notebook in both my handwriting and Mother's:
Mileage at home was 34,895.2
Thermopolis 35,019.7 - 6 gal. $1.82
Douglas 35,212.0 - 9 gal. $2.70
Wheatland 35,228 - 3 gal. .95
Laramie $1.50
Rawlins $2.00 (D)
Rock Springs $2.20
Evanston $2.10 (D)
Salt Lake City 35,808.3 $16.27

Provo 35,890 - $3.20
Evanston 7.7 g $2.25
Rock Springs 5.9 $1.80
Thermopolis 10.8 $3.29
Lovell 5.7 $1.70
30.1 $12.24

And, for expenses: (Obviously, we had packed food for the trip to Laramie and to Salt Lake.)
.53 - apples & ice cream
4.00 - Motel (S.L.)
1.15 - Temple
4.00 - groc. in SLC
4.50 - 1-1/2 bu apples
4.04 - 2 hats
1.10 - Nonsense

Why did we buy two hats? I can't remember - and I love the last item - So typical of Mother.

Oh Christmas Tree, and Save the Tinsel! Plus Liz on Bike

Oh boy how I remember hauling the Christmas tree out to the front porch so we could preserve the image through immortality.  Plus I never got a fancy truck in my life. We've all seen these but recycling doesn't hurt anything.

I always regret not taking more pictures inside the house and more pictures of everyone. But film and developing were precious.  We see so many details of our life in photos like this one.

Who says Liz can't ride a bike? This one needs flipped, but who cares?

Who Knew She Couldn't Ride it?

Liz was always obedient

Ron and Elizabeth

Kemp brought back valued photos of his aunts and uncles from his trip to Utah. I was so very happy to see them all. This one of the Gages, was especially thrilling, since Ron looks like his old self. Elizabeth is in the proper pose for a good chuckle and Ron has the twinkle in his eye. Whatever challenges have come their way this last year, they have endured and landed on top of the pile. We are grateful.