Ann seems to be reacting to a tall story - possibly one that Dwight toldl????
Love this picture - it's so wonderful to still be able to laugh - even if it's at ourselves!
Louise looking very thoughtful and states'woman' like. After all, this meeting was at her house.
Another good round laugh. We've read that a good laugh every day is good medicine. If so, the four of us will feel well after this get-together for a long time. Louise's house did prove to be a sort of central place for us.
A rose by Louise's front door
I cheerfully went to the Utah Guild Quilt Show with my sisters in Layton, which was a better proposition from Ann than a 4 sq. ft. garden, for which Liz was the only one who "bit", but I did draw the line when the words "fabric store" were uttered. Quilts were amazing. Most of them are on Facebook, so you need to go there to see them. If you're not on Facebook, let Ann, Louise, Judy, or me know, and you will be invited to be a "friend." Sorry I did not get photos of Liz's quilts. Just far, far, far easier to post 58 photos on Facebook than piddle around all day waiting for Blogspot photos to dither and then finally post.
Was this chair once red? Mother must have liked blue, because she painted this chair and it's larger companion blue - and who has the larger chair? Note the little rubber feet, placed there to save the hardwood floor at Penrose. Lots of children have enjoyed this chair - Who sat in this chair to read? It is a real treasure, but I don't know the complete history of it. I hope for some help in the matter.
Mid-May of 2007 was the last time we stopped in Riverton at Dwight and Velna's house. We had been in Orem, for Ron to attend the Woodturner's Seminars at BYU, and Louise had come down to Ann and Paul's to spend some time with us. This was a precursor to our year from purgatory - both of us having our individual challenges. And we haven't been back to Riverton or Orem since them. Have to reform! In the meantime, these pictures were in the internal memory of my camera, not on a memory stick. To my frustration, I couldn't figure out how to retrieve them without reconnection the USB camera port....Finally, after almost memorizing the inscrutable instructions that go with the Sony camera, I was able to move the pictures to a memory stick. In fact, I did it so well, that I managed to put each picture on that stick 8 times each - overkill, for sure. Anyway, I was glad to retrieve these three special pictures to add to my family album. 
This is all we have left after our give-away yesterday. Yes, we still can find people who don't have any. But, if they get to the possible behemoth size, you can do one of two things with them: (1) decorate them and enter them into the contest at the Franklin County Fair, and/or (2) chop them up and add them to the compost pile.
This little beaded purse used to live in Mother's cedar chest with the other treasures of the past, including Mother's flapper dresses and the elegant green dress with the hobtnail-type trim. Judy remembers it as being our grandmother Louise (Mach-Krajicek)'s - Perhaps Louise will remember its' origin? Somehow I associate it with Aunt Rose (Kray) Allgeier, but my memory about these things may be faulty, too. Anyone who knows and remembers, please let us know.
On Tues, August 18, Ross reports to Everett, WA and thus begins his one year recall assignment. Afghanistan will be his home where he will be directing a medical team. As the Petersen clan gathered to bid Ross a safe return, he reminded us that he is a very good shot. 
A more somber moment with his much loved beagle.
Our families have indeed gone north, south, east and west.........they leave one shore with the sure knowledge that another shore awaits them.
Sewing clothes for children, darning socks, and mending everyone's clothes was an ongoing occupation in our house as we were growing up. By the time we were in Junior High School, Mother was teaching me how to sew with the treadle sewing machine - admittedly I was very proud of my handiwork. We ordered fabric, thread, etc. from Montgomery Wards, or Sears Roebuck. I have several old "Monkey Ward" spools of thread in my stash. The old green metal box, with paint almost gone from it, was used to hold the straight pins - thin pins with a tiny head poked in the red tomato pincushion that were so easily to lose. After a day of sewing, we had to scour the floor for any strays, both because they were needed, and because Mother didn't want anyone to step on them. I remember once when we were older and had our own families, Judy called me from her home in Washington to me that she felt liberated because she had just swept the floor and hadn't bothered to sort out the straight pins. There is a moral there somewhere, but I'm not up to speed today, so you'll just have to bear with the anecdote. The blob of old beeswax in front dates way back. When you darned socks or did any other hand mending, you pulled your thread through the beeswax to make it stronger and less apt to tangle. I didn't know how to darn the holes in toes and heels until I came home from my first quarter of college. There were some holey socks, and Mother "made" me sit down and taught me how to darn them. Sad to say, I don't do that any more, but I do have the beeswax. Someday, when I'm gone, my kids will look at that blob and wonder (1) what is it? and (2) why did I bother to save it.
I went back to live in the white house with blue trim and roof from the summer of 1971 to the summer of 1973. During that time, all of the old glass doorknobs began to fail from wear, so Burchell replaced them with new ones - not so pretty, for sure. I asked for the old knobs, and gave each one to my siblings - do you all still have yours? Just wondering.
I do believe that Louise is correct in the fact that the little blue salt and pepper shakers were considered too small. I remember Dad at one meal shaking the blue one and saying forcefully that he couldn't get anything out of it and he wanted a "real" salt shaker.
Ron and I stopped in Thermopolis on a side street under a shady tree to make a sandwich and eat a bite before going on our way to Burlington. I happened to look over to the new grade school, and saw this name on the side. Check your first grade report cards, Louise and Dwight, and you'll see that Ralph Witter signed his name as our principal (before the days of Helen Hays). I forgot that he had gone to Thermopolis and stayed there for years. Just interesting.
This salt and pepper set was given to our parents for a wedding present. (I do not know who the giver was. ) While they were small and required frequent refilling, the pretty blue glass earned a place of honor in the white cupboard above the refrigerator. They were used on special occasions and whenever we could talk Mother into letting us use them for a tea party.
Because Louise was born in July, and the days tend to be very warm, I thought it would be appropriate to post a winter picture of her. Love this photo - I suspect we all know right where she was standing (approximately) when this was taken on South Church Street in Penrose.
I remember reading a book from a long time ago, called "Our Hearts Were Young and Gay", and this picture reflects Louise's youth and perhaps not quite "carefree" days, but I love this posed picture taken with the Baby Brownie that Dwight gave me. (Didn't we love kitties?)
This is the latest picture of my beloved older sister, taken when she came to Preston with Cheryl when Cheryl taught the mystery quilt at our quilt guild in June. Louise was still recovering from her knee surgery, but she enjoyed sitting and chatting with others, while working on some applique blocks, and it was great to have her here. She was always trying to guide my footsteps - sometimes in ways that I didn't appreciate. (Why did I have to keep my things in the cabinet from infringing on hers?) She kept a scrapbook, so I kept a scrapbook. She collected pictures from The Saturday Evening Post, and other magazines for a teaching file, so I did the same. We cut out paper dolls and played with them. We learned to cook together, and did the dishes together - Louise washing and me rinsing and drying. We told each other stories, and when I wasn't old enough to see some of the movies that she went to, she told me about them blow by blow. She taught me how to count to 15 in Spanish when she took it in high school. And on and on. It's wonderful to have sisters, and share interests, hopes and fears and faith with. So, Happy Birthday, Louise - and, as we like to sing the addendum - "And many more". May your day be very good. 
Be sure to click on the obituary so that you can read it.
This is one of the quilts that Mother made during her last year. That would be 28 years ago. Since then it has been on my bed. It has kept me warm on cold nights, during storms with no electricity, and flung all the way back on warm summer nights. But most of all it has brought sweet comfort when the nights got too long. 
