Paint-by-Number Nostalgia

 Good evening everyone from my bright and sunny sunroom.  So bright I can hardly see what I type.

As the sun in my eyes I am reminded of painting a paint-by-number scene in 2020.  The pandemic was in full force and had us stuck at home, so I ordered the paint kit.  I worked a month on that thing, April 2020.  The light at this time of day, from 6:00 to about 7:00, is ideal to see all the tiny, tiny numbers.  A couple of years has gone by, but the memories are still strong as I sit here tonight.  That painting is by no means a master piece, but as Johnny often tells me, it is about the process rather than the end result.  He asks me questions like:  Did you enjoy picking it out?  Are you having fun?  Are you keeping your mind off other things?  If the answer is yes, then the end result does NOT matter.  

Time has marched on, but we all have the memories.  Thankfully, the strong memories in this room at this time of evening are pleasant.  Not everyone has pleasant memories of that time.  Be thankful, Regina.  Be thankful.

Tonight, I am thankful that my family came through the pandemic relatively unscathed.  

I am thankful that my five senses bring forth such vidid memories.

I love you.   

The Spoon

It's a dreary day today with snow earlier this morning and intermittent rain expected all day.  The sunroom is warm and inviting with the intermittent rain hitting the metal roof.  We don't even have the lights on because the six sliding doors and one huge sliding window provides just the right amount of ambient light.  So that's where we are, each on our electronic devices....yes, maybe they are VICES.  Nonetheless, here we are. 


Now that the stage is set for memories (and the fact that I just looked at our "Reminisce" magazine), let me tell you about one I had a couple days ago.


Sausage gravy had been on my mind for a while.  Since neither of us are big breakfast eaters, having this dish at night just sounded like the thing to do.  I was stirring the gravy with my olive wood paddle that Rhonda gave me when I suddenly remembered the spoon that was used exclusively for stirring gravy when I was a child.


The gravy spoon was a much worn old silver plated serving spoon.  I say silver plated in the most generous way possible because I doubt any sort of silver analysis could find much silver.  The spoon bowl itself was bent around so much that one dared not try to taste test from it.  The bottom of the bowl was worn from its daily use.


Daily use you ask?  Yes, daily use.  Since we were a family of seven, mom always found ways to stretch her food budget (we never even thought about the word budget back in those days....it was a way to stretch food).  She had five little mouths to feed and gravy filled the bill. 


Do you have a favorite spoon or kitchen tool that is always used for specific meals?  I have several wooden spoons that are much worn because I used them for making specific candy, stews, and even gravy.  Nowadays, my olive ladle has become my favorite for making gravy.  I love it, but I sure wish I had that old spoon. 


I love you.  Don't have the good stuff.

Grandma's Bed

Good Sunday evening everyone. 


On Facebook a friend wrote a nice little post about her mother wrapping a hot flat iron with some fabric and putting it in the bed to warm her feet on those cold winter nights back in the day.  My friend is a wonderful writer, and after reading her post it brought back my own similar memory and I wanted to grab my computer and start writing.  Here goes.............my own memory. 


My grandparents each had their own full size beds in one tiny bedroom.  Grandpa's bed was a fluffy feather bed which was fluffed every day as per my memory.  Even with the bed made, the indent of the feather bed was always inviting.  Inviting me to occasionally climb up and sink right up to my nose.  What a wonderful bed!


But the bed I remember  with the most fondness was Grandma's bed.  No feather bed for her, but a simple mattress.  It wasn't the finest bed by any stretch of my adult imagination, but as a child it was the best!  So warm, so safe.  Every once in a while I was allowed to spend the night with her without the rest of my sisters and brother.  Those nights were what I remember and cherish the most especially on the winter nights.  They were special nights feeling extra special by having one on one time with my favorite grandmother.  I remember her heating a couple of old flat irons on the stove and wrapping them in towels and sliding them in the bed to keep our feet warm on those ice cold nights.  She'd snuggle in with me and tell me a story or two.  I remember her cradling me in her arms................  the sensation still lingers...........


I love you, my friends.  I hope you have a wonderful memory that still envelops you when you need it most.  And I hope you have a nice warm flat iron.


Is it me or do the winters of my childhood seem colder than they are these days?  Of course, back in the day, each room wasn't heated as I have in my home today.  The car was left outside and not garaged; no key fob to start the car to get it warmed.  Yes, our creature comforts are something that I'd hate to give up.  Let's hope we appreciate them.

Blue Eyes..........

Good Sunday evening, friends.  It has been a long time since I posted and tonight I am feeling a little nostalgic so maybe I can come up with a post. 


Earlier this evening I heard the Willie Nelson version of "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain".  What a haunting, beautiful song...........and the lyrics are so mesmerizing.  It makes me want to hit the repeat and try, I repeat, try to sing along.  I didn't know until a comment on Facebook that Willie didn't write this song, but, to me, his is the best.


My family did listen to country music, however, it was not the only genre.  Perry Como as well as Sonny and Cher, along with big band music and Patty Page.............we had it covered, not to mention my sisters at the piano playing and singing hymns in the back bedroom or practicing for the high school choir.  Throw in a little Mitch Miller and Lawrence Welk.  If you listened carefully you might hear my dad singing "Duke of Earl"; you see, he liked it all.


.......And dad sang along to this song so it sends me back when I felt safe and secure....to the time when we left the doors unlocked ALL the time.  Cars, too, were left unlocked and children could play outside long after dark.  You can't catch fire flies until dark.  Not going to leave our cars unlocked these days, but maybe the world would be a better place if there were more music and lyrics like this.  Maybe easy listening pop music and hymns are better for the soul.  Just thinking out loud here.  I'm beginning to sound old and out of touch, huh?


Well, this certainly isn't the post I had in mind when I sat down at the computer, but it is in the books.  Might have to go listened to "How Much is That Doggie in the Window".


I love you.  Maybe we will meet again............


(As wonderful as my childhood was, I wonder if my mom thought her childhood was even better.  Just wondering.)

Perhaps It is All of These Things

 Do you have a favorite book or magazine that you use every year?  This is mine.  1967 Farm Journal Christmas Book. Despite the fact that the cover and back page have pulled away from the book, it remains intact and readable.  Take a look at what made me happy in 1967 and every year since.

This is my favorite recipe for anything cranberry, but nothing beats the basic relish recipe which I make each year.  I made 8 pints this week; ready for Thanksgiving and beyond.  Since it freezes, thaws, and refreezes well, a jar is almost always in my freezer.  A scoop of this delicious ice cold relish is always next to the turkey on my plate....and it is so pretty and red.  Make it, you will be amazed.  (You will need a grinder, but I bet you could use a food processor--not yet invented in 1967.)

That Yule Log Cake!  Need I say more.  I served this at my Christmas get-together way back in about 1978.  The room was warm even in December, but the cake was ice cold and refreshing.

 

I will admit I have never made the salad pictured here, but these type salads were the rage back in those days.  Thought I'd just throw this in for this look back.

This vegetable Christmas tree--I've made it many times over the years.  It is a pain to make, but it is quite cute.  If I make it again, I can see ways it could be improved. 

If you enlarge the photo, you will see the three dip recipes I made to have at the party when I served the cold cake. 

DIY was even popular in the 1960s.  Paper mache--remember?  1967 might have been the year my mom made a decorative item for my grandmother and herself.  I will try to describe it.  It was a pretty shaped larger vase, topped by a plate, another smaller vase, another smaller plate, and an even smaller vase--all covered by paper mache and painted.  It stood tall and majestic on the floor next to our front door.  It looked very expensive to me....back in the day.  The effect was quite nice.  Grapes and greenery adorned it.  I am still amazed at what a wonderfully talented woman my mom was.  I wonder whatever happened to it.  Probably threw it out.  Shame. 

And the candy...........safe to say I have made several of the recipes on these pages.  The Apricot Nugget was a pleasant change to all the chocolate.

I have bought many Christmas books much more elaborate than this thin little book, but none has brought me more smiles of satisfaction than this one.  Perhaps it is because the recipes were simple, perhaps it is because the pages remind me of certain parties, perhaps it is because I remember the day it arrived in the mail and my mother and me poring over it, perhaps it is all of these things.

I love you. 



A Long Glimpse Back

We had a nostalgic night.  Johnny decided he wanted liver and onions so 4:30 p.m. off we went.  We pulled into the diner parking lot along with four other cars so I guess we aren't the only seniors that eat so early.  The waitress told us to seat ourselves which is right down my control freak alley.  The feature of the days was goulash and since L&O didn't sound all that great, I decided to try it.  What a kick back in time............and it was good...............reminding me of the good old days when macaroni and ground beef could make a great meal for a lot of people.  Simple times, simple meals.   


Still in this "nostalgic mood", a drive up to Heritage Park Mall seemed in order.  It was here that my little family spent many happy hours when our lives were ahead of us.  So much of Oklahoma City to explore and the world awaited us.  Now, the mall is no more and the only remaining store is Sears...........BUT WAIT...........WHAT IS GOING ON?  Tons of cars there.  We hadn't seen that many cars since Christmas, 1988.  We must go in!


Sadly, we found out that they were closing their doors forever on 3 September 2017 and I guess people suddenly thought they were going to discover the bargain of a lifetime, but my thought ran along these lines; if you people (we) had been shopping like this all these years, then the store wouldn't be closing.


We took a long glimpse back taking time just to look around, not for bargains, but looking back...remembering.  There was a display of folding trays and a lump formed in my throat remembering the time when my parents had them on their Christmas list.  What a wonderful memory.  Looking at the clothes I was reminded that when I was a child, Sears was pretty much the crème de la crème.  Another lump.  Craftsmen tools were purchased every Christmas for at least one man since I started shopping on my own.  Appliances were never purchased until we had compared them with the Kenmore.  A new Sears school coat was a must for our children until they got old enough pick out their own.  We poured over the Sears catalog for days at a time with my sisters and me picking one outfit per page.  Even mom had fun doing this.  We didn't start our Christmas wish list until we'd seen the Sears ad in the Thanksgiving Day paper.  When I was a child the Sears Santa was the best......and did I tell you that my Grandpa Dawkins knew him?  Huge lump!! 


Johnny said our little walk through Sears reminded him saying goodbye to an old friend who you no longer have much in common.  So with that we will say goodbye to our local Sears store. 


I love you.


The mall has been closed for years now, but if you go to Sears before 3 September, you will see a glimpse of the mall through the curtains.  A tiny sliver that draws me......oh I wish I could go through that sliver, walk the mall even with the dust and cob webs before the cob webs cloud my memories.  So tonight we had our last glimpse of the mall, we had our last glimpse of the Midwest City Sears, we had our last glimpse back. Soon the curtain will be closed forever.



After we left Sears we drove slowly around the mall.  Why couldn't somebody save it?  The huge parking lot that used to be completely filled at Christmas now has grass and weeds in the cracks.  The glass windows and doors boarded up.  How could anything so vibrant now be just an ugly eye sore?  Sad. 


“But I also knew that there was no going back.  One can never go back; nothing and no one is ever the same.  All that remained was an occasional evening of sadness, the sadness that we all feel because everything passes and because man is the only animal that knows it."  "Shadows in Paradise", a novel by Erich Maria Remarque.

An Afternoon at Sears

Hi friends,


The other day we had occasion to visit our local Sears store.  Wow, what a shock!  The Sears store remained open after the mall closed years ago.................but it DID hold on.  Even though it is still open today, the merchandise seems to slowly dwindling away.......the TVs had been moved to another store.  By the number of customers in the store today, they are slowly dwindling away, too.


Hand in hand, we were exploring the store when suddenly a lump formed in my throat.  We looked at each other and just smiled.  So many things are disappearing from our life.  We talked about a few; Service Merchandise--gone, Montgomery Ward--gone, Dillard's in the mall--gone, the whole mall--gone, Street's--gone, Across The Street--gone, Kip's--gone, Girlie Pancake House--gone, Trade--gone, Safeway--gone, Albertson's--gone--gone--gone--so many gone that it would take an hour to type them all, and now it looks like Sears may be going, going, gone soon, too. 


As we were remembering all the choices that have gone away, my hubby asks me if we have had a net gain or a net loss.  The stores and the restaurants we enjoyed together when our family was young are slowing dwindling away.  Trickling away so that we only have pleasant vague memories.  Still we have each other, holding hands, and remembering.  BUT the good news--we're still making memories.


I love you.   

The Music

Hi friends, 

 

I have had a wonderful day despite how it started; shaken awake by a 5.6 earthquake.  Wow, that will put you on your feet in a matter of seconds.  At the onset I thought the hubby was getting up, but I couldn't figure out the abrasive sound of someone wadding up plastic sheeting.  We both jumped up and ran to the window where we saw the outside umbrella really swaying.  At that point we both said "earthquake" and ran to the living room where we confirmed it by the swaying of cords inside the house.  Wasn't long before the local channels were delivering the news of this 5.6 quake.  Not fond of earthquakes and a little afraid............this coming from a girl living in tornado alley. 

 

So many posts to write about all stemming from my awesome day, but tonight I want to talk about all the old music and musicians.  Yes, you know it, I am watching PBS and their fund drive.  They may not have this on any other time of the year, but they have it tonight and I am reliving my life, my Saturday nights, through this music.  The younger years that is.

 

It is almost comical that some of the featured rock and roll artists from my day are so aged.  How times flies......  One of these days, this music--my music--will disappear.  Already, it is hard to find on the radio.  KOMA used to be the station, but yesterday when I was in the car, the music was more for my daughter's generation which, despite her denying it, is now 20 years old........

 

Tonight I thought it would be fun to list some of the musicians that will be disappearing soon, some already gone.  So off the top of my head here are some that I remember.  See if you remember any of these.  Can you name any of their hits?  I will help you out on some.

 

• The Bellany Brothers
• Neil Diamond
• Ella Fitzgerald
• Chubby Checker -- Peppermint Twist
• Perry Como  -- Too many to list, but this time of the year ALWAYS reminds me of him.
• Buck Owens  --  Not real crazy about him, but he was a headliner in his day.
• Righteous Brothers --  Do I even have to tell you what song comes to mind?
• Patsy Cline  --  So many.........  Crazy, huh?
• Frank Sinatra
• Billie Joe Royal -- 1966
• Dolly Parton -- Every Saturday evening.
• Glen Campbell
• Jim Reeves
• Percy Faith
• Marty Robbins
• Red Folley
• Tennessee Ernie Ford -- 16 Tons
• Patty Page -- Sang one of daddy's favorite songs.
• Dinah Shore
• Glen Miller
• Roger Miller
• Mitch Miller -- Remember the sing along show?  The Yellow Rose of Texas
• Dinah Washington
• The Ink Spots
• Tommy Dorsey
• Brenda Lee -- Rockin Around the Christmas Tree
• Guy Lombardo -- What would New Years Eve be without him?
• Gogi Grant -- The Wayward Wind
• Louie Armstrong
• Burl Ives
• Doris Day -- Whatever Will Be, Will Be
• B J Thomas
• Jimmy Dean
• Hank Williams
• Bing Crosby
• The Lennon Sisters
• Frankie Lane
• Tony Bennett
• Eddy Arnold
• Dean Martin
• Roger Williams
• Bobby Vinton
• Neil Sedaka
• The Platters
• Bobby Darin
• Roy Orbison
• Herb Alpert & The Tijuna Brass
• Marilyn Maye -- The Lamp is Low
• John Gary
• Dave Clark Five
• Simon and Garfunkle
• Floyd Cramer
• Chet Atkins
• Pat Boone
• Nat King Cole
• Rosemary Clooney
• Ed Ames
• Petula Clark
• The Carpenters
• Teresa Brewer
• Andrew Sisters
• Liberace
• The Beach Boys
• Sony and Cher
• The Mills Brothers
•  Elvis -- He's been dead for almost 40 years, but he is iconic.
• Henry Mancini -- His music was in so many movies of the 60s.
• Peggy Lee -- Is That All There Is?
• Beatles
• John Denver -- One of my favorites
• Ray Charles
• The Mamas and Papas
• Rolling Stone
• Supremes
• Paul Anka
• Everly Brothers

This is by no means all of the music of my life.  I could have gone forever, but I had to stop.  Yep, some are gone, some are much older, some are almost forgotten, but some never will be.  I may forget them myself someday, but for now their music lives on with me and what great music it is.


I love you.

 

Gentle Whirring of the Fan

What a chaotic week, huh? 


So this morning we had to clean the carpet and in so doing, we hooked up the fan to speed up the drying process....the old-fashioned fan.  It is quiet in the house this morning so even with my hearing loss, I could hear the gentle whirring of the blades..........pulling me right back to 1955.  If any of you were around back then, you probably know that every house in America had a fan; maybe not air conditioning, but we all had a fan.  I have such wonderful sweet memories of afternoon naps when all was quiet.  No TV, no kids clamoring, no radio blasting, and definitely no electronic device alerting us to weather, text messages, or any other such disturbances.  In fact at my house, there wasn't even a telephone at that point in time.  Just an afternoon nap which mom sorely needed after a morning with five kids under the age of 8.  The TV would be turned off and even if we didn't nap, we had to at least lay down and be quiet.  The only distraction was the gentle whirring of the fan sweeping around the warm room.


So with that, I will leave you and wish you no chaos and a 'gentle whirring of the fan' day.


I love you.

We Came to Be 17 Again

Yesterday was my 50th year class reunion.  Oh........the memories each of these people hold in their hearts.  Yesterday we got to share those memories with others that know the stories are true but perhaps embellished just a tad.  Oh the fun stories we shared......the many stories of teachers....................football heroes..................class plays....................dateless proms.................fellow classmates (you should have been there)...................cars......................pretty girls..................handsome guys.................cheating on tests...................boys telling why they didn't ask a girl to dance (who knew they were afraid of being turned down and having to walk back to the wall without a girl on their arm)................the list could go on and on.  

As the afternoon wore on, our classmates started to drift away and head back home.  Heartfelt hugs were abundant.  Heartfelt hugs for the people who remember us when we were kids...........kids without children or grandchildren or even spouses.  Back when we had no responsibility other than a history test.  Back when momma and daddy were our anchor.  Deep heartfelt hugs for friends with sincere hopes to see them at the next reunion. 

At my hubby's 50th reunion a few years ago, one of his classmates was standing by the wall just observing.  I remarked to him that everyone looked wonderful and happy.  I never will forget what he said.  He told me that it was because it wasn't the time to talk of reality; no need to talk of impending knee replacement, or surgeries, or chemo.  We came to be 17 again.

We came to be 17 again.    

I love you.



A Peak Into the Past

Last night we got a peak into the past. 


Last night our grandsons spent the night with us and on our way to a restaurant, we stopped at Sears to get a humidifier.  Remember the Sears store in Heritage Park Mall?  One of our boys had been in a Sears store once when his dad bought a lawnmower, but the other one had not.  They were pretty much in awe that the store has "everything".  We assured them that Sears has nothing compared to what they had in the 1980s. 


While we shopped for the humidifier, we let them roam the store and they looked at everything.  All the exercise equipment, the clothes, the lawn equipment, tires, the appliances............all in one store that had "everything".  Before we left we walked the store with them and reminisced, giving them a little glimpse of what the store was like in the 80s.  We walked down to the doors that once led out to the now defunct mall.  The curtains beyond the glass doors were shut...................almost.  There were a couple of places where we could give the boys a pretty good peek into the mall...........a peek into the past.  I pointed out where the Chick-fi-la was and Jenkins where I bought my piano.  We described the mall and how we could let their mom and uncle roam around while we shopped.  As we turned around, I literally cried tears.  I apologized.  My hubby told me that it was quite alright to cry for things that once were.


Oh the mall..........we had such good times, but it is gone now.  Despite my tears, the peek into the past wasn't all that great.  Dust and litter everywhere.  The large planters that were once filled with beautiful large plants are now just ugly litter-filled eyesores with dried stalks.  I think that is what filled me with sorrow............seeing what was once so pretty, filled with pretty things and happy people now has turned into an eyesore. 


So now that I have gotten A Peak Into the Past, it is time to close that chapter and look to the future.  So tonight let's hoist our glasses to the future...................2016.


Happy New Year


I love you.  
 

The Shiny Plaid Dress

Good evening.  I'm just setting here listening to Adele's New York special when up comes a commercial.  In the commercial the woman picks up a little girl about 4 years old and the child is in a little red plaid Christmas dress.  The iconic dress that little girls have been wearing at Christmas since the 70s.  The fabric is shiny with metallic threads.  My daughter had one at about the same age.  As soon as I saw that little girl being lifted up into her mother's arms, my sense of...........smell hit me.  That may seem funny, but I can still smell the fresh new fabric of the dress.  I can smell her shiny tightly curled hair.  I can feel the warmth of her body through the fabric.  I can feel her little arms grab me around my neck and I can see her grin turn into a giggle.  I can feel her leaning away from me swaying with laughter, arms and legs still around me.  I can hear the crunch of the gathered skirt as I squeeze her a little tighter. 


My little girl has a daughter of her own now.  She will experience these same feelings one day.  Memories that can never be erased.  I will have to make sure my granddaughter has a scratchy shiny plaid Christmas dress when she's 4.  You never know what will trigger an emotion, even a commercial and a visual of a little girl in a plaid dress.


I love you. 
It's funny the memories I conjure up.  The year she had the little plaid shirt with white bodice, I wore a teal silk blouse with matching raw silk pants.  I have never had an outfit that I felt more beautiful in. 

I Love Rural Roads

I love rural roads.  We went driving today--out on the more rural Oklahoma highways.  For me, it is good to get away from the city once in a while; there's something about getting off the interstate and seeing those farms up close that fills me with a calmness that I just can't find in OKC. 


Town after town had a uniqueness that I wanted to capture and blog about, but there was one town, Paoli, that gave me pause for thought, and, of course, memories.  Paoli had only one small church that I noticed with a sign out front that we are having a fish fry tonight.  As small as the town was, I was kind of envious of their lifestyle.  They're having this little fish fry right about now and everyone in town will be invited.  I was envious that each person there tonight will know everyone else.  I was envious that the parents will feel comfortable enough to let their children run and play out doors.  There will be small talk, laughter, and then there's the fish. 


I was envious because they are living my memories.  My memories of having church socials, and how safe I felt running around the church in the evening in my little dress that tied in the back.  How exhausted and tired we all were on the short ride home with the windows down, dust flying--mom and dad and five little kids crammed into the car without regard to seatbelts. 


Idealistic????--maybe.  You are thinking that I look back with rose colored glasses.  I probably do, but isn't it wonderful that I actually do think of my childhood as pleasant rather one of disdain.  So, Paoli church, I hope you had a wonderful evening with your friends and your children.  I hope you rode home with the windows down, but with your children buckled up.

I love you.  I love rural roads.


There were so many other wonderful moments on our trip today that brought a lump in my throat.   The Model T we saw and wondered about the person who restored it and if they were having as much fun as we were in our convertible.  


One town was completely inundated with posters about tonight's football game and I wondered if their high school band was going to play the fight song as they marched down the halls to draw the kids out of class for a pep rally--just like dear old Prague High School did back in the day--"intestinal fortitude" as coach always alluded to in EVERY rally. 


Almost every town we went through on our way to Sulphur, OK, had a BBQ restaurant with a smoker billowing in preparation for their Friday customers. 


The dry grasslands getting crunchy from lack of rain; the cattle gathered under the trees for shade; the trees not quite ready to turn are beginning to take on that look of fall.  All in all, a very peaceful, calming day............reminding me so much of my childhood and thoughts of the holidays ahead.  You see, even I can't always look back.  We have to look forward and realize that happiness if what WE make it.  Let's make some happiness.   






 

Hamburgers and Memories

Have you ever had one of those sensory moments where you are taken back in time?  Sight, sound, touch, smell, and tastes.  Smell...........I had one of those sensory moments tonight with the smell of pickles.  Pickles!!!  Hamburgers were on the menu and when I opened that jar of pickles, I was immediately a little girl again.  So much so that a tear fell and the hubby asked what was wrong.  I looked up and he immediately said "You had one of those moments, didn't you?" and gave me a sweet hug.  He knows me all too well.

I have written about our Saturday night hamburger suppers several times, but for me the memory never gets old.  Saturday nights were the "party" time for my family; pop to drink, hamburgers on the stove with that wonderful odor............hamburgers frying in the cast iron skillets, freshly diced onions (not sliced), thinly, thinly sliced lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and mom's dill pickles-----just up from the cold cellar.  All those odors came together to almost make me weep tonight.  It wasn't the hamburgers so much as it was the gathering of those seven people.  The shuffling of seven chairs, the girls with rollers in their hair, the chatter, the faces........oh the faces.  Seven people who knew nothing of the future............just living in the moment............a family..........my family.

Those faces came back to me tonight......young faces........and two faces now gone, but never, ever forgotten.

Here's to my favorite meal at home.........hamburgers and memories of a wonderful childhood. 

I love you.

If you come to visit, I will gladly make you a hamburger, but you won't have this emotion for the faces have changed.  I would hope, however, that you would leave with a happy memory of being in my home.  I might even tell you a story about my life on the farm.

I Miss Kay–I Miss Momma

A couple of days ago, my niece posted on Facebook that she missed her mom.  Now her mom is alive and well and is right across town unless she is on a business trip, but she still missed her.  I miss her mom, too.  She lives right across town from me, too, but we never see each other.  Oh maybe we see each other a couple times a year if one of us makes an effort, but not like we did when mom and dad were alive.  New Years, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Labor Day, Memorial Day---these were all days where all the kids and most of the grandkids would probably be together because our common bond was momma and daddy.  Our common bond is gone.  Now, we each celebrate those holidays with our own individual families--never our paths to cross on most of those holidays. 


To all my extended family, I love you for posting Facebook pictures of all the good times you are still having with your parents, but I am just a tad jealous.   Cherish those times and let your siblings know how much they mean to you.  Time goes so quickly and then that sibling bond, while not broken, is certainly stretched. 
  
Yes, I miss Kay.  I miss Momma.  I miss them all.  First row: Rhonda is OU shirt, Mom, Kay.  Second row:  Regina, Robert.  Top row:  Brenda – taken Christmas 2003.  That is my family!!!!!  My adored family.


I love you.

All This Makes for a Great Life

Last evening, we went back to the Boulevard Cafeteria.  I have written about this cafeteria before, but last night was so entertaining I wanted to share it again.  Every Thursday night an old guy plays the keyboard--not going to say he is the greatest pianist, but he sure knows a lot of tunes.  And he takes requests.  Anything from The Beatles to Bach and a lot of old show tunes and he is especially good with swing music.  And anyway, there is just something about live music.....


Every time we have gone, there has been a group of older seniors (Older than us, can you believe it?) and last night they were in rare form.  One gentleman was celebrating his 89th birthday, and we, of course, sang along when twenty or more of his friends sang Happy Birthday to him.  I just marvel at these older folks and despite their ails and pains, they show up happy to be there enjoying one another, hugging and kissing as they come and go throughout the evening. 


As we were enjoying watching these folks dance, recall songs, and try to remember who was in that movie with Deborah Kerr, in came a little tiny woman, all alone.  The keyboardist reached out to her holding both her hands.  It was obvious he knew her as he guided her to the others.  I leaned to the hubby and said, "I think she drove herself."  He replied, "You think so?  Nah."  "She came in alone.  Do you see anyone with her?"  Later, he said, "Look, she's holding her keys so I guess she did drive.  Hmm"  It was only a few songs later when we looked up and there she was dancing with another woman a few years younger than her.  Yes, they were dancing a polka.  Oh my, it was the most entertaining thing of the evening.  The old woman was kicking up her legs almost waist high (I kid you not--at least 10 times), then she'd wiggle down and come back up without much struggle.  All eyes were on her, getting applause in the middle of the dance for her moves.  She was loudly applauded and well deserved. 


I actually had tears in my eyes as I watched the old woman dance.  We found out she was 94 years old, but I knew she was only 20 in her mind.  She still thought of herself as the girl she had once been.  In that moment, in front of all those folks, friends--strangers, she was 20.  She still had it!   


Oh, I hope I am like these older folks when I get their age.  I would like nothing more than join a group of friends for some mediocre cafeteria food, some mediocre music, some mediocre dancing, but great time being with friends.........All this makes for a great evening........All this makes for a great life!


I love you!!!


Regarding the scarf post, I went to Versona yesterday and I actually bought a scarf.  Let me clarify that statement.  I did go to Versona and I did buy a scarf, but only so Audrey could play with it.  There are so many pretty gewgaws (my mother-in-law used that word to describe anything bright and shiny), and my Audrey was grabbing at anything within or just beyond her reach.  Hey, it was only $3.00 so why not?!?  That kept her entertained the whole time we were in the store.  So Audrey's mom gets the scarf.....she looks great in them. 


 


 

Grandma Dawkins' Porch Swing

Tonight I got to keep the baby, but she was unhappy until I took her out to the porch swing.  She immediately calmed down.  Back.....creak.....forth.....creak.....back.....creak.....forth......creak.  The pattern was mesmerizing to her and to me.  The old swing was lolling that baby into a slumber that nothing other than her mother could provide.


I remember Grandma Dawkins' old swing, just to the right of the front door.  One, or was it two, of the slats were broken on one end so the lucky kids would crowd up next to Grandma to swing (the safer side), but that always left somebody having to set on the broken part.  Grandma was a nature lover so many discussions were held on that porch swing.  We would swing for hours watching the birds bring bits of straw, string, or anything that could possibly make for a good nest at the top of the corner pillars.  We'd wait for---ev---er to hear the little birds chirping when the momma bird would bring food to drop in their little mouths.  Oh, the good times, the memories...............memories of a great childhood.


As I swung tonight, I recalled my older two grandchildren swinging just like our new little baby.  Each infant had their time cuddling with Nana on that swing.  As the boys got older they'd beg me to go higher and faster until old Nana was almost seasick.  They loved it if the swing could hit the back wall.  No doubt the baby will soon want to go faster and faster.  Yes, the old swing is a keeper.  Some day the kids might want to bring their babies to swing on Nana's swing. 


There's no doubt that Grandma would use that swing every day even if we were not there.  Air conditioning was unheard of so an afternoon on the swing created a pleasant breeze.   I sure wish I had her old swing, but no doubt even if I had gotten it way back when, it would have rotted away by now.  I'd love to swing another afternoon on her old swing, but only with her.


I love you.

A Nod to Old Time Sake

Remember the days when every evening meal consisted of a big bowl of radishes?  And did you have a big bowl of cucumbers, too?  You could bet that our menu always had those two things every evening until they no longer were producing in the garden. 


Lots and lots of fresh cucumbers on the table, always peeled and sliced, but not always in vinegar.  Most of the time they were just plain old slices of cucumbers because there was always somebody that didn't like vinegar.  And by the way......... if Mom ever used vinegar, it was vinegar and water.............not the sugary concoction used by so many today. 


Radishes galore and I remember them being oh so HOT!  There were several different varieties, red globes to white icicles which always looked dirty no matter how much you scrubbed them.


So tonight I had a bowl of radishes just for old time sake - even if they did come from the grocery store.  All mine because the hubby wouldn't touch them with a 10 foot pole. 


To continue this nod to "old time sake" I had a Grandma Dawkins meal; radishes, kraut, black-eyed peas with ham, and beef kielbasa...........last, but not least, cornbread.  To finish a great meal, how about a little bit of watermelon?  A wonderful old-time meal.  Just a nod to "old time sake".


I love you. 


Earlier today, I talked with a friend who had the same memories as I did regarding the radishes and cucumbers.  Tomatoes, onions, corn, and okra...........now we are talking!

Another Perfectly Boring Saturday Evening

Good Saturday evening everyone.  I have so much news, but I will go into all that in another post.  Tonight, after a perfectly wonderful week welcoming a perfectly wonderful new granddaughter, we are home enjoying what some might consider a boring Saturday night.  We are watching The Lawrence Welk Show.  Yes, that shows our age. 


I have written about my memories of this show before.  For many years I didn't have warm memories of this show and never wanted to watch it again.  Mom and Dad would grocery stop on Saturday nights and often (even most of the time) we kids would stay with Grandma and Grandpa Dawkins.  I am sure Mom and Dad wanted (needed) a night out without five children.  Now I loved my grandparents dearly, two of my favorite people in the whole world, but I had visions of my parents  going to Hamburger King and staying home meant I wasn't getting to eat out, too.  If you know me, then you know my love of hamburgers.


But tonight, I am watching the show with a different perspective.  Back when the Welk show was on in prime time it was definitely a gentler time.  It was a beautiful show in every way.  The music was always light and uplifting.  No rap with bad lyrics, nobody was scantily dressed and there was nothing for which you had to send your children to the other room.  The clothes worn on the show were just stunning; the colors -- bright and cheerful.  The entertainers, whether dancers, singers, or musicians, were always dressed to the hilt.  Their hair was coiffed in elaborate styles, but very becoming.  Nobody looked or acted like they were drunk or stoned.  It was a very pretty show.


Tonight when the camera scanned the audience, I really get nostalgic for those people.....for those are the people of my past.  I see my aunts and uncles, my grandparents.  I see the clothes they wore.  I see my grandmothers' eyeglasses.  The hairdos were much as I remember in the late 60s and 70s.  Yes, those people are my relatives............ 


What tugs at my hearts, though, are the smiles.  The smiles of the people watching a totally entertaining show; the smiles of the audience who are dressed in their own personal finest.  There was not one bit of worry when they left the house that they would encounter language inappropriate for their youngest grandchild or their 90 year-old mother.  These days you cannot even take you grandchild to Target without worry that they will hear several inappropriate words even from children in the toy aisle. 


So..........we are enjoying another perfectly boring Saturday evening.


I love you.


Next week, expect to be bombed with baby pictures.