The Silk Scarf

This is an item from the past. If my memory is correct, the story about this scarf goes like this. It was given to Dad by a "dudene" who had come to the dude ranch in Sunlight in the late 1920's. He was pretty smitten with her, but it turned out to be a summer romance. When Dad met Mother, he gave her the scarf. She used to wear it tied around her head with her hair in a knot at the back of her head.. Later, when I was in high school, and it was the fashion to wear a small scarf knotted at the neck of your blouse or sweater, I inherited the scarf, and wore it for many years. As you can see, it is shredded at the edge, and now is only good for a memento of the past.

Dear Little House

This little saying hung in Mother and Dad's home in Tumwater. I had such dreams of cross stitching it, however, as you can tell, that hasn't happened, yet. However, I remember the tender feelings I had when I first saw this hanging on the east wall by the kitchen cabinet in the Tumwater house. I always felt it spoke volumes of what meant the most to our parents.

Beware the 'Digital Dark Age' | Mormon Times

This article was forwarded to me by a friend. I think it is important information and makes me even more determined to get things into paper copies. Just click on the link for the article.

Beware the 'Digital Dark Age' | Mormon Times

Grandma Wasden

This posting is courtesy of our cousin, Newell Sorensen. We have been corresponding back and forth regarding transcribing Grandpa Wasden's missionary journal, and in his search for the journal he came across this little gem, in Grandma's handwriting, along with Newell's transcription. I thought you might enjoy a piece of our history.

Pioneering in Penrose

In 1904 we decided to seek a new home so after Bro Wasden’s work was finished in the Yellowstone Par, he came to the Big horn Basin looking for land. He decided there was oppertunities for a home so after selling our town lot in Gunnison Utah loaded our household belongings, also a cow and chickens on a railroad car started out for Byron Wyo. I was to follow in a few days bringing the 3 children. My route took me through Utah, Colo, Wyo, Nebraska, Montana &back to Wyo. Where we landed at Garland at 6.P.M. Dec.6, 1904.
The first winter we lived at Byron and JBW worked on the canal, having secured the relinquishment of two parties each having 80 acres of land un the Elk Canal. Then in April he got logs from the mountains and put up a log house on the S.West corner of the townsite which had been surveyed and named Penrose.
Building the house was slow work having to go the 7 mi. each morning & back at night by May 1^st the walls were up, chinked but not daubed the boards lain on the roof, it being a fine day
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loaded all on the wagon except bedding and enough food to last till next morning and took to our home. But May 2^nd was a different story, the cold North West wind was blowing, but we loaded up and went on, by the time we got to the pace it started raining, along with the wind.
I had two large home made carpets which we nailed up on the walls and tarp and canvas ofer the beds, then after getting something to eat, put up the umbrella and rocked the baby to sleep.{x can’t make out note} It rained for a geed part of 3 days & nights, but got dirt on the roof and daubing in the cracks, we were comfortable. Our first visitors was the Shumway family, their farm joined the townsite on the West Bro & Sister Shumway & 7 daughters came in a small buggy the girls sitting the back hanging their feet out over the side. They did not come in the house as it was so muddy after the rain, did not want to get out.
James had promised to go back to the Park to work, did not expect to go till the 1^st of June. On My 15, received a telegram to come immediately his ticket was at the depot.

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He got a man to plow the lot for garden, he to use the team to plow his own garden and then was to take the team to the Park.
Two days before he was to leave, he came and said his wife would not let him go to the Park. That left the horses for me to take care of. We had no stable or shelter just some logs tied together around the hay which had been hauled from Burlington.
That afternoon a storm came up and in order to protect the horses I started fo put blankets on them, had to climb on the fence to reach, I’d get the blankets, on, start to buckle the straps when Wosh the wind would take them off, after about an hours work finally got the blankets fastened.
By that time was wet through It kept raining and at 2 A.M. heard water running the cellar which had been dug under par of the house, I dressed, lit a lantern, got a shovel and made a dam to turn the water, then as soon as it was daylight, was out shoveling a dam to turn the stream of water from coming in the door yard. Still raining.
While I was trying to blanket the horses a man came by watched me, but did not offer to help, next morning another man came by while I was making the dam but did not offer and help. I gegan to wonder if that was the attitude of all men in the Big Horn Basin.
Later had some very good neighbors who prove

Suzy Q

I threatened to post this shared photo before Christmas, but that would have spoiled the surprise.  The wonderful doll was made by Ann for one of her Granddaughters.  I think the doll looks like Kristin.  What a great doll to love and a grandma to go with it.  Great job, Ann.

Elder James B. Wasden

(Begin at lower left corner and count from the left side each time)

1. Ellis, Logan; 2. M. N. Fisher, East Mill Creek; 3. James M. Smith, Logan; 4 Thurber, Richfield; 5. L. R. Anderson, Manti; 6. David H. Elton, Salt Lake City

7. Brown, Office; 8. Naylor, Office; 9. Pres. Elias S. Kimball; 10. Woodmansee, Office; 11. N. L. Nelson, Office; 12. J. A. Wixom, Brigham City

13. Parsons, Koosharem; 14. Wilkison, Richfield; 15. James B. Wasden, Gunnison; 16. Price, Mill Creek; 17. Thos. G. Fraser, Gunnison; 18. Larson, Coville; 19. Osborn, Rexburg, Idaho

This photograph has been in the safe keeping of our cousin, David Wasden (Uncle Brooks son, for those who are not familiar with that piece of genealogy). David and I made a trade. I sent him CD copies of Uncle Brooks and Aunt Lorraine visiting with Mother and Dad back in the late 1970's. In return, David had his son, Steven, make a copy of this photo, which I received in an email today. What a fun addition to our Penrose Mornings record. David had a difficult time transcribing the names of the people in the photo. Many of the names were incomplete, or were terribly faded, but there is one person in that photo who cannot be mistaken for anyone else but our Grandfather. I think he was a very handsome young man. No wonder Grandma was willing to marry him and then work so hard to survive while he was gone!

Messing Up the Blog

I have been messing up the blog in stages.  Feel free to change back.  Now must fix the transparent background and text color but am exasperated enough for the moment.  I hate, hate Blogger.  But I decided we need flowers.  So rather than comment just fix it back how you want it.  H & K.

Another Christmas Memory

"THE" CHRISTMAS TREE

The picture of this tree is not to make everyone go "ohh, ahh" but is an illustration that goes with a Christmas reminder story.
On a nice cold snowy afternoon we got into the truck and went to our favorite "cut your own tree" farm.  Much to our chagrin the farm was closed.  The owner was walking in his driveway so we stopped to talk with him.  Seems that he had a operation in the summer and didn't get into fields to trim his trees so he was going to take the year off. 
Disappointed we went back to the shop and started our search for a new place to cut a tree.  We found several, made phone calls and checked on prices.  Mary Lynn found one that was close by and any size tree was $30.00.  Mary Lynn likes a bargain.  So the next morning we piled into the truck and off we went. 
We found the place to be a small unassuming little place with a row of cut trees leaning on a cable stretched across the yard.  I immediately expressed my skepticism but Mary Lynn said we could at least look.  The trees by the road were short and scraggly and I was unimpressed, but by this time Mary Lynn had rang the door bell and a little old lady, probably in her 80s met us.  We were told that we could go in the back lot and pick and cut our own if we'd like and she handed me a saw.  Off we went, trudging through the deep snow. 
The trees were not well kept but Mary Lynn was thrilled and had already picked out several that she said would be satisfactory.  While we were looking Mary Lynn told me what she had gleaned from her conversation with the proprietor.  One, she was probably a widow, two the person that cut the trees was her son which meant that he was at least my age.
And the thing that I gleaned from our conversation was that Mary Lynn was going to buy  a Christmas tree from this sweet little old lady regardless.  And so we did.  I drug the tree to the truck while Mary Lynn went to pay the lady, (she gave us an oven mitt for cutting our own tree).  Still mumbling about the quality of the tree I was stretching a bungee cord to hold the pickup bed cover down when I let it slip, it hit me in the mouth causing great pain and a very swollen lip.  Mary Lynn while sympathetic later suggest that if I had remembered what the tree was really about I might not have needed such a severe reminder.
It is without a doubt one of the most beautiful Christmas trees ever.
(this story has been abbreviated believe it or not)
MERRY CHRISTMAS WITH LOVE

NATIVITY NIGHT LIGHT

This silhouette shadow scene was designed by Mary Lynn, "It will only take you a couple of minutes to cut it out."  Guess it was worth it even though it took 3 or 4 minutes instead.

Joy!

Asleep, the Lord of all.....

Away in a Manager was a childhood favorite.

Holly and Ivy

Felt like singing this one this morning.

Once in David's Royal City........

How much the halos influenced my own Christmas art work during grade school days.

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

Over Penrose or Bethlehem

I Heard......

O Come.........

Inside cover with the little Christmas village.  Blessed are those who live here.

                                            Does that copyright say 1938?  Reading Roman Numerals is a lost skill.

The Blood Family Connects For Christmas

I have thought long and hard as to what I could possibly share with you that would allow those sweet feelings that only the combination of Christmas and love of home and family can bring.  Then I reached into the piano bench and retrieved the old Christmas Carol music book.  The edges of each page are well worn from years of use, just as our edges are a little worn.  But the pictures and the music remain inspirational and we are transported to a place that we all love and feel safe.

I plan to post many other pages between now and Christmas.  I hope I can keep my word.  Let each day have a message of hope.

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

In response to the Christmas tree on the porch, this brings back wonderful memories.  I spent a lot of time trying to stuff the cat into the truck to take it for a ride.  I don't recall which cat but I do know that is was not on board with the program.

The Gift of Family

On Penrose Mornings, over the past few years, it has become an undeclared tradition to acknowledge a brother's or a sister's birthday with fun comments, sharing of memories, and expressions of love, all with a little humor tucked here and there. This has become one of my favorite things on my birthday, never knowing what might be written but anticipating that only the good things will be remembered. The writing has been a source of encouragement to keep trying, as well as a comfort when there are challenges or unexpected twists and turns to be dealt with.

Because there appears to be challenges ahead, some unknown, some known, I decided there was something I wanted to do this year. This post isn't really an attempt to change our undeclared tradition, but, perhaps, to add a new dimension to that tradition. On the eve of my 68th birthday, I wanted to tell each of you how much I love you, and how thankful I am for your goodness, for your example to me, for the laughter shared, for the complete acceptance of me and mine regardless of faults and flaws, and for being willing to share your lives with me. I am thankful to be part of an eternal family.

When I look at this photo I can hear Dad's laugh, Mother's encouragement to get with it, Dwight's teasing, yodeling, "intellectual speak" and concern for each of us, Louise's gentle strength and smile, Elizabeth's enthusiasm for a new project, Judy's perfection of Mother's skill of answering a question with a question, and Steve's love of creating beautiful "things". Then there are those who are not in the photo, spouses, children, grandchildren and now, for some, great grandchildren. What a wonderful life we have been blessed with, and that I get to be a little piece of this family is incredible. I am truly blessed, even though I am not excited about the increase in my age.

If I could have a birthday wish this year (it is impossible to cover the important things with just one wish) for our Penrose clan and all those who help make our family complete, it would be that we will find something good in each new day, that we will continue to have faith in eternal principles, that we will give a hug to someone we love daily, and that we will look for one thing to laugh about each day, even if no one else sees the humor.

May we always be there for each other in the good times, as well as when the times are most difficult, and may we always remember that whatever this next year brings, we will not go through it alone. I love you all. Ann

When Ann was Taller Than Steve!

What Year?????

Two Russells Visiting Fort Collins Cemetery Where Dad's Father Roscoe is Buried 1981

Penrose River Bridge in Winter

Pole Chair Again

This is not a great photo, but it does show the pole chair and the recovering job Mother had done on the cushions. This was the last time I was in the Tumwater house. I had taken the train to Olympia to see Dad before we left for Ohio. The stacks of books must be something that is a genetic trait, just ask Velna about Dwight's stacks.

The New and Improved Penrose Blood Family Blog

Liz called me this morning to titter, teehee, giggle and make fun of me when she could see I was struggling to fine tune the blog a bit.  Reminded me of when Dad was trying to milk Old Red, the meanest cow I remember.  I got rid of the books for Ann, and I didn't like them either.  I adjusted the column widths so stuff doesn't slop over in the two main columns.  Now we have a poppy or is it a pansy, it has whiskers.  I do not want any comments, complaints, bloviations, or other verbiage, thoughts, or expressions for at least six weeks.  I hate blogger.  Too many limitations on what you can do.  I've thought about moving the blog over either to Typepad or Wordpress, but we seem to have adjusted to blogger so I'd better let well enough alone.

We do have some work to do.  I would suggest we focus a bit on telling short stories and anecdotes and reproducing documents and such in addition to just commenting on the blog posts, though the latter comments are important.  We need to encourage family members who are members of the extended Blood family to feel at home on this blog.  I also encourage readers who visit our blog who are not members of our family to share their experiences in developing family blogs and the benefits their families have received from their blogs.  Finally, we need a major streamlining of the categories to make it easier to archive similar material.  I hope that in the next year or two, heaven willing, that we can compile one or a series of family printed books from archived material.  I hereby resign from fiddling with the blog.  If I could learn HTML I could likely post our own photo on the side backgrounds and maybe in the next life I will be shown by some kindly young person how to do that.

Thank you all for your patience with me and for your continued interest and participation in this blog.  I think we have all found a home here and that we have been blessed with closer contact than we would ever have experienced without Penrose Mornings.  The future of this blog is limited only by the ingenuity of our participants and readers.  I would like to think we would be smart enough to take family blogging and family history blogging to a new and higher level that would not only benefit us, but also be of help to countless others who are considering starting such a blog, or who have started one and then seen it languish.  The benefits are simply too great, the family ties too important, and the heritage to be passed on too valuable and fleeting, to not take this project seriously.  Cheers, dmb

The Cow Barnyard After I Left Home

The shop is on the right, the lean to garage straight ahead, the light pole that the cat named Holstein (a coward) would shinny up and sit on top until his warring battle scarred friends departed, the white house ahead.

Dad working on the new Powell LDS Church 195?

Foundation for the new Powell LDS Church

A Little Peek at a Little Corner of Main (Bent) St. History in Powell WY in 1948

Since we are all waxing tears and eloquence over our home town of Powell Wyoming, here is the only other photo I can find taken on main (Bent to you natives) street.  The significance is not in the girls in the photo, but in the fact that the building on the right was a sort of shed-type building where Hiram Absire, Rose's dad (Rose was my true love in the 3d grade and Louise's friend, but Rose betrayed me in the 7th and I never spoke to her again; now getting back to the sentence, where Hi's Electric was located.  Dad made the sign with cut out block letters on it.  The gap between Hi's Electric and the Coulston Clinic where we went to the doctor until I left home in 1950 and where we had our tonsils out, was obviously just being excavated for Penney's, Moyer's relocated drug store, and whatever else went in there.  In the background is the old Presbyterian Church.  Didn't it get moved to another part of town?  The girls are, knowing you are not interested except for one, are, l-r, Wenoa White who was an Elk Basin oil family migrant, Celia Scott, and Loretta Winterholler.  And Louise, tell me if I'm wrong, but the three girls crossing the street are likely Dora Berryman, Phyllis Jesse, and Phyllis Bell, inseparable in high school.

VETERANS DAY

Celebrating the Americans and the institutions that keep us free.  We were surrounded by incredible people that we really knew little about.  Fred Giles, already mentioned, Battle of the Bulge, Burchell Hopkin, B-52 pilot, Dawson also already mentioned, Mel Cozzens a bomber pilot(?), young Mel, Air Force Viet Nam, Sinclair Orendorff, Battle of the Bulge.  I believe the list to be much longer and if you remember please add on to it.

Then of course there is Dwight discussed joining the Marines well past my bedtime with the folks.  I stayed and listened until Mother realized that I was still up and sent me packing.  I do remember that Dwight was passionate in his conversation.  And we move on to modern day, there is Ross who spent a tour in Afghanistan and has landed on almost any runway in the world that would support a plane.

The above photo is merely for illustration  only.  I don't mean to slight anyone here, I know so little, please add, it is a great part of our lives.