Happy Halloween...

The candy bowl is ready… actually have two ready.. as the neighbor isn’t going to be home.. so we are handing out theirs as well..

Hoping all are going to be safe…  as they should be, with so many churches having events.. and different charities as well.

Not like the old days of tipped over outhouses… and robbing pumpkin patches.. and smashing pumpkins…  No toilet paper hanging from the trees, and all the good stuff of old.

Now most of it is call vandalism and punishable by law.

So all you goblins be safe.. have fun.. and adults don’t be eating the kid’s candy..  lol.. 

May you all arrive home by 9 p.m. (school night don’t you know) full of laughter from good times and a full bag of your favorite candies. 

Coming of Halloween....

Seems each year, Halloween night is either snow or rain. More kids have had their costumes under rain coats or winter coats.

Those who come to the door, are so cute.. and even the teens who show up.. know they will be getting a handout from this house as well.. as long as they aren’t unruly. A lot of them are with their younger siblings or nieces or nephews.  Even have parents and we give some to them as well.

I know there are a lot of the churches that are having parties on Halloween night.. Which is good, in this day and age.. of some deranged adults…

In my day, we had the grange that would have Halloween parties.. dunking for apples in water, (does anyone do that anymore) games to play, and of course lots of candy… We would have sugar highs for weeks.

When mine went out, I always went with them.. I don’t care how old they were, I wanted them safe.. Safe from bullies who couldn’t or wouldn’t get their own candy. Safe from the traffic, as a kid with candy forgets to look both ways at the street.

And when they got home.. we would sit at the table.. with 5 sandwich bags each kid.. they divided up their candy into 5 piles.. and put them in the bag.. One they got … the rest went into the freezer with their names on them..  It lowered the sugar high.   And last until almost Easter.. and one year they were lost in the back, and found in July.

So be safe out there.. maybe the church thing is the way to go… I know ours has a lot of things going on..  face painting, games, hot dogs, and drinks.. and of course.. candy. I don’t know if they do the dunking for apples bit.

Some homes get up to 600 to 1000 kids.. we have a high of 8 and average about 4. 

HOW THE HECK DID I END UP WITH HIM?

 To finish off the last week of what my grandkids need to know.. here is the men in my life..

WW….. I was working at a factory that made suits for several stores .. all the same suit, just different brand name sewed into the label. My job was to count the units of each part that the workers did…and add the total at the end of the week for payroll. That was in San Diego.

After work, I would ride the bus to a café in National city. I got off the bus… I would go into a café and wait for my ride to come get me…as we lived way out in the country.. at least during the 1958 and 59.. it was out in the country..  Country enough to ride your horse down to the restaurant and post office and tie him in front and go take care of business…  The Café was 10 miles away, where the main line of the bus went.  In this Café there were about 4 or 5 brothers who hung out there..  and one of them use to talk to me, while I waited… One Friday he ask if I would like to go to the beach with him the next day. After getting to know him, I figured I was safe.   So I said yes, and explain where I lived.  He came by the next day, and we went to the beach.  After about an hour or so, one of his younger brothers showed up..   We joked around and swam. I went to the bathroom and came back and over heard my so called date..  telling how he had it made with me..and I would be easy…  Which made me mad…and I figured I would fix that..  So after about another hour..I said that I wanted to go home to the younger brother, who offered to take me. So I told  my so called date good bye..  and the younger brother offered to take me home…..ON HIS MOTORCYCLE.  His HARLEY… I had not ridden one, but figured why not...  I left. It didn’t go well with the people I lived with that I came home on a HARLEY.. and I was with a BIKER..  well the truth of the matter was he was in the navy, and wasn’t a biker..  He asked me out for a date.. and I said yes, and that was the beginning… 9 months later we decided to get married.   He got out of the navy a year and half later. And we had one little girl… And I was due with another in 6 months.. It was an up and down marriage.. two young people..  we were both 20, and he didn’t understand that marriage meant staying home.  We lasted 7 children and 8 years.  We got a divorce.  

MH …  a year after the divorce I had gone to a bar with my ex-sister in law and brother in law… and meet this friend of his.. who also had just got a divorce.. He invited me out to lunch the following weekend.. and took me there on his HARLEY…  it was kind of funny, as we were going down the highway, and he asked me if I like going fast.. I told him sure.. as WW use to go up to 110 mph.. which did scare me..   MH.. started out at 75… and went up to 80.. and smiled.. and then I said.. doesn’t it go faster?  He slowed down.. and said yes, but not with me on it.. or you…. lol..   We got along great… and 6 months later he asked me to marry him… he was 12 years older.. and got along with my kids..  Any guy who will take on 7 kids.. has to be a great guy.. and he was.. I use to tell people that he was not only my husband, and my lover, the father to my children..(we added one more) but he was my best friend..we could share anything together.. he passed away 17 years later at the Vets hospital in Spokane.

KG….. KG was a friend of MH…. He is the one who took me over to the hospital when they called and said they thought that MH has blown a blood clot to his heart and his leg that they took off first… had gangrene.. and didn’t expect him to last more than 3 hours.  KG took me there.. and then went to the high school to pick up the kids we still had living at home.    KG is the guy who came over often and helped me keep the house going.. and the cars.. I had gone to work at a nursing home.. I had worked extra.. to get enough  money to keep the house going.. As two more of the kids had graduated and move on.. leaving me just the youngest one at home.  He is the one who had a good relationship with the boys, to help me keep them in line the last few months of their school year.  And he is the one who told me I needed a night off.. to go to dinner, and a movie…And when I did, we came home at 1 after the dinner and movie to be greeted by two of the kids.. who wanted to know where we were that a movie and dinner didn’t take that long.  (it was nice to have the shoe on the other foot.. lol)  He is the one who talked to the kids and said I want to date your mom…   And so we lived together after the youngest one left the home.. for 13 years… see he was 12 years YOUNGER.. but the kids were thrilled to death.. and we got married in the back yard of the house we bought together..  and we are still going strong after 30 years of relationship and 18 years of marriage.. He treats me like a queen even when I am a bitch… He loves the kids and the grandkids and the great grandkids.. And they love him dearly…He is Poppa…

And that is how I ended up with these guys.. God Bless me, even with the first one.. which was as bumpy as it can get.. bcause he blessed me with 7 wonderful great kids with him.  

# ME TOO....

As you have readed in the media.. and the other media of Facebook and etc.. there is the “#METOO” movement.

This is caused by the latest sexual harassment case of dealing with women and men of power.. Weinstein is the man of the hour this time.  We just got dealt with Crosby, and the CNN group.. including Bill OReilly.    While people are taking this serious this time.. I feel that this too shall past, as all the ones of the past have.  Flares up, people rant and rave and then it all gets thrown under the door again.  

Sexual harassment has been on the playing field since the 1940 or before in the movie industry.  Remember the phase casting couch? Where young ladies were to perform on the couch before they were giving any acting roles?

Are you old enough to remember Fatty Arbuckle?  

Marilyn Monroe did her running around the couch to get away from some of the men… There was even some stories that you probably didn’t get to read about.. some young men who were chased by some of the men.. who preferred young boys.  What you never read any of these.. then Google it.. you will see this is far from a new thing.. and some of them worse than what you are reading now.

So what do I think of the #METOO call?  I think it was a great thing for those on Facebook to do.. they didn’t want any explaination.. just the metoo.. to have a count of those who have been effected by sexual harassment over the years. I never did see if anyone actually counted them. Also I believe there were a lot of women who did not type it in.. and will not.. because those of the over 60,  have hid it away. They still live with the embarrassment, the humility of it.. the shame of it.  These men made them feel like it was their fault. Also telling them.. who are they going to believe.. you or me.. and the women knew it was him. There were threats, of harm to their families, or to themselves.  So the silence remains.. and will until their deaths.  Not even be told to their daughters or sons.. for the shame is still there.   Be it a boss, a fellow co-worker, a friend of the family, or a family member… the secret is still guarded.

So the cynic in me.. feels that this too shall pass… don’t think so?  How many years ago, did it become a law for sexual in the workplace to be reported and removed? For the meetings to explain what sexual harassment is? And so many who were turn in.. over the slightest … and nothing was really done.  No… this too shall pass.. until the next time. But it is kind of nice to see all the big shot producers, and directors.. shake in their shoes right now.. hoping and praying that their name doesn’t surface …

The last day of Elk season ...part 1...

So far it is Elk winning… and the King is 0…

Which is unusual for the hunting crew.. they usually have one in the first 2 days of hunting season.. and by the weeks end.. all have gotten theirs.

But not this year…

But as any hunting widow knows.. this is not the end of hunting season.. This is the end of any weapon season of elk.  In December, elk opens again.. but this time around it will be black powder only.. And for those who do not hunt or unfamiliar to hunting..  Black powder is like the old days of Davy Crocker and Daniel Boone.  One year when the King didn’t do so well  he  found out about the black powder hunt…  And as all hunters do.. they learn other ways of weapons..   The King decided to bow out of the bow and arrow. Just not his calling.. but black powder is.

So he has two black powder rifles. (one always has a spare)

Now to me.. that is a lot of trouble to get to the point of firing.  You have to stuff down some cotton or something like that.. and a ball.. and then shoot off the firing gezmo. As you can see, I have not a clue.. but he is a happy camper. And this year is looking like it is going to be a black powder year…  But then to keep them busy in the mean time.. there is deer hunting.. which goes until December 1^st.   As most hunting widows know… there is no counting on them from October 1^st to December 1^st.. unless they have a good year.  And when it is a crew like the guys that the King hunts with.. even if you get yours.. you still go hunting.. because then you become the drop off man.. Dropping off other hunters at the top, for them to hike thru to the bottom.  And of course, if anyone scores, they are are to be the helper to get the meat into the truck.

So somewhere around January, I believe we get to see our husbands on a regular basis… but then there is snow removal season.. and you get to see your husband .. once again load up on the clothing.. heavy outer wear, gloves and etc.. and running the 4 wheeler with the blade or …even… and the snow blower…

Usually I do some great project that I don’t want him involved in.. but this year.. I just did the housework, and slept in, and read and etc…  Couldn’t find any project to get in to trouble in.  

So we will see at sunset today.. how things went.. and is it on to black powder next in December after deer season.

THE PHOTOGRAPHY ROOM....

A man, Arthur Speer, was a photographer for the Naval War College in Newport, R.I.  and he was a friend of my mother.

Mr. Speer as we kids called him… (no child called an adult by his or her first name in my mother’s household.. unless that so chosen person told us, they referred it)  Anyway, Mr. Speer took some great pictures.. There are several of which he took of my mother on her different horses… or with me and the dog with her.. 

My mother fell in love with not only the taking of pictures BUT also developing them.  And Mr. Speer taught her.

At first it was pretty weird to see my mother and Mr. Speer disappear into the bathroom..with threats of death if we open that door.  Had I been older, I might have thought they were having an affair.. but looking back now.. …nah. Mr. Speers was an old gentleman..

A year or so later, I GOT TO GO IN… to see the mystery of life of developing pictures.. It was wild.. eye opening, mouth dropping at first.  She would do some stuff. And then she would drop this white piece of paper into this water stuff….and BAM!!!! A picture would appear.. it was AMAZING…  I helped her a couple of times. But then my brother helped her..  Don’t know why neither one of us decided to do that for a living.. as that was before all the new do dads.. And we both were totally amazed by it.   

Oh, just for the record.. yes, we did open the door a couple of times.. by accident.. I swear it was by accident.

Also this was before color developing.. I remember Mom having a small kit that had colors in it.. and she would paint them the colors she wanted.. like she knew the color of the shirt she had on, so she colored it.. or the horse color and etc.   

“Things about my family that my grandchildren should know.” Series …. Part 4

Me….. not a heck of a lot to say about me.. did the usual stuff.. worked, got married.. 3 times.. once a widow.  Had 8 children.. which gives me plenty of grandchildren and now the great grandchildren are piling up.. lol  

I guess the most interesting thing I did.. was smash cars with my second husband.  We lived in Roslyn, Wa. And he had decided instead of fixing vehicles he would smash them for scrap iron… which was a double thing.. pretty good money, make your own hours and didn’t have to beg for your money at the end of the day.

I was his number one helper..  He worked for many years with a partner, called Mac the Packer.  Because Mac the Packer use to pack on mules for the Forest dept for many years..  When he and Marv decided scrap iron was easier. And Mac was getting too old to pack in the woods anymore.. He was a young 78 year old at the beginning.

They got an agreement to pick up different cars and trucks in the area by the police department and the Forest dept. Where people would abandon them.  We had an area that the Forest dept let us use.  It was an old coal mine area. Where there was a lot of slag around.. And an area that the kids could play while I worked.. In those days we would burn them before we smashed them. That was my job.  Burn them, pull the copper wire out of the dash area. Remove starters, generators and alternators, all which there was a good market for.  And then after we had 15 to 20 vehicles ready… Marv would smash them.  He had a card table size chunk of iron, that he could free wheel down on top of the cars.. smashing them down to about 2 feet tall. And then we would load the cars up on the trailer he had. That was part of my job too.  Lining up the cars straight on the trailer, so the next one could be placed until we had 4 in a row, and 3 cars high.  Then he would head off to Renton by Seattle to the place that shredded them.   We also had to remove the tires.. as they didn’t take tires over there.   So we stock piled them.   We must have had about 300 of them.. and as I was waiting for Mac and Marv to bring another vehicle  in, I was thinking of how to get rid of these tires…  as the rims we could scrap..   Then it came to me.. being I was burning vehicles.. while not “accidently” spill some gas on the tires.

And this was before the EPA..  but we knew the EPA was on the horizon.   So that is what I did… 

Well, Mac and Marv showed up about 5 minutes into the burning.. took one look.. dumped that vehicle the fastest I have ever seen them unload and were gone… of which about 10 minutes later… The police chiefs from both neighboring towns, showed up, followed by the Forest Dept and the Natural Resources guys…  And lucky for me.. they all knew me… As each walked over to where I was, they were shaking their heads…  The Resource guy said on the radio, it is ok.. just Cis, but send up just one water truck in case she gets in trouble..   I heard it all..  “You know you shouldn’t be doing this”…. “You could have forwarn us, as we have been getting phone calls for miles around.”   “You know another week or two, you won’t be able to do this at all.”    And “we will have to fine you for this then” and etc.   with me nodding my head, yeah, I know.. but I was burning the car next to it..and I guess some of the gas got spilled on some of the tires and the fire from the car started it all..  (I didn’t lie, just didn’t say, I did it on purpose) .. “Oh, well, at least it takes care of all those tires”.. as they walked back to the cars and trucks and left.. and up came the water truck guys..  We drank coffee while it burnt. Took 3 hours for it to finally burn off all the tires.. and then the guy ran some water across  the rims.   You know those two guys, Marv and Mac, didn’t come back until 5pm. And they laughed, they said they knew if it was them, they would have been in big trouble, but being it was me, I would give off with a warning.   Nice guys.. And they sure grabbed those rims up and loaded up the small truck fast and took them to Seattle.

Over the years I tried to be a good friend.. to always be there, even if called in the middle of the night … taking friends who didn’t drive, to the store .. dr. appt. and etc.  some old, some my age..  While there were bumps in life, I tried to find a lesson in it..  the divorce, and when my second husband Marv died, and I went back to work as the kids were leaving home to go on their own.  

I worked for a nursing home for almost 18 years.  Loving taking care of the elderly. They taught me so much about patience, courage, and about life it self..  I met a pro pool shark,  A gambler who went to prison for shooting a guy who shot his dog, some brawly women.. a madam.. and some the ornery ones as well.. Most of the time, I could get by them, and win them over.

I think the worse one was a man who was a former CIA officer.. He had us all giving him wide berth. He caught a mouse in his room.. and he had it in his hand, squeezing it.. then chewed the head off..  WE all headed to the shower room where we got sick, leaving one of the guys to deal with him.

I met a woman who lived to be a 100 who told stories about coming to Idaho from Indiana… with her parents and her sister. They came by covered wagon.. and had two extra horses.. which she talked about how she and her sister would ride ahead on those horses during the day.. scaring their parents, as they knew Indians were around.. And getting into trouble for riding out of range.   I was holding her hand, while I kneeled by her bed, one night.. and she asked me if I knew the Lord’s prayer.  Told I did.. she asked if I would mind saying it for her.. So I did, and as I said Amen, she said Amen and she passed away..

There was one time 4 residents were 100 years old. Of which 3 of them were teachers.. Which surprised us, as we figure the kids would have been stressful for them.  All of them taught in the area in one room school houses.   

There was the one woman who was so mad, that the activity lady wouldn’t take her on the bus that they would tour the area in, one time…  she couldn’t go as there was not enough room and she had gone 5 times in a row… She was so mad she told the activity lady, that “just fine, I will just die” if I can’t go.. And she did that night.. we were all in shock over that.

Then there is the guy who called a taxi, and told the taxi to take him to his brother’s house in Spokane… what part about picking him up in front of the nursing home, he didn’t get, but he did after they got to Spokane and the gent couldn’t remember where his brother was.   So the taxi guy brought him back.. We were scoutng out the whole neighborhood when they drove up.. Then the taxi company sue the gent.. Some one decided to wash his suit in the laundry, so he would look nice in court.  Only trouble the suit shrank some.. about 3 inches in the cuff and legs.  The judge took one look at the gent, looked at the taxi company guy and said REALLY??? Case dismissed.

Then there is the gent who took the tour bus out of the yard. Some one in the break room saw the bus go by the window… and said .. Isn’t that Floyd driving that bus..  all sudden everyone is trying to get out side to stop him.. One of the aides got his car, and took the director of nursing and followed him.. he stalled it on the railroad tracks.. with enough time for the  DON to get on the bus and drive it back.. which Floyd drove the bus out of there a lot better than she did, as she was so short, and drove back jerking as her foot bounced on the gas pedal.   

There was the night one of our old cowboys was able to get the locked door open, and headed out to the street.. we saw him thru the window and told the head nurse.  She had called the police to have them look out for him, as we weren’t  sure which direction he went. She let us go look for  him, We saw him, but  he was way up the street.. we took our car and found him running by the police station… it was snowing and he had only socks on..  We got up to him..and I jumped out and talked him into getting in the car.. which was fairly easy as he was cold.   When we return to the nursing home, the nurse told us that the police had called.. seems they were in their office up on the second floor and saw the cowboy go by, and then saw us go thru the stop sign to be able to catch him. ( was 3am..so wasn’t worried about traffic, but worried about a 92 yr. old falling on the snow) and told her that they would let it go by this time.. but we will get a ticket if it happen again.  So they watch the old cowboy running up the street, from their perch, and didn’t come down and get him?  

Then there is the guy who took a taxi to the car dealership. The Ford dealership.  He tested drove a pickup and did the paper work to buy it..  The salesman gave him a ride back to the nursing home, after it was decided to check his income for the purchase.. and he was to return the next day. When the salesman called what he thought was his home

only to find out that he LIVED in the nursing home that the salesman thought he was visiting…. And  his daughter also told the salesman, that the gent didn’t have any money, that she managed his retirement that went to the nursing hom..   Guess the salesman took a lot of ribbing over that one.  And when I was talking to the gent that night.. I asked him about it.. and he said.. you know a guy has to have fun some times..

One more.. the gent who when I sat his lunch down on the table went straight to the desert… So I asked him, if he let his kids eat desert first… and he said heck no… I said so how do you explain you getting to eat yours first? He said .. at my age, one never know when you are going to go.. you could have a heart attack while eating dinner… and by gosh, I am going to make sure I get desert before I go.. you just never know… lol… 

If I leave anything behind for my children to know…it is to be you… be the best you can be… that if you have a dream.. the only thing that will hold you back will be you..that was given to the daughters as well as the sons.

I wanted them to be honest…law wise as well as to themselves.. To have compassion for their fellow man/woman… you may not be able to help.. but you can try to understand.  Honesty is big.. as it includes not telling lies, it includes not stealing, it includes the value of your word.. if you give your word.. DO IT.. And do what makes you happy. 

Sorry but that is about as interesting as I get.  And as you can see, it was the wonderful elderly that gave you the best stories..  

“Things about my family that my grandchildren should know.” Series …. Part 3

Mary Elizabeth, my mother

Mary Elizabeth was an only child, of an only child.

I won’t say she was spoiled, but she did get her way a lot.

She is one of the women in our family who was head strong.  I don’t know a lot about her family, sadly.. don’t know why.  Maybe because her mother passed away when she was 13.  at the age of what she thought was 36. Needless to say.. when I turn 13 the year she turned 36, it was a little shaky.  But that isn’t the part I want to get thru to my grandchildren…

If you have girls.. and they are head strong.. good chance them got it from Mary Elizabeth.. Most of her younger life was spent in St. Louis, Mo. where she was born. And her father worked.  But the summers were in spent in Newport, R.I. with her grandparents (father’s side) especially as she became a teen.  And being she was the only child.. of  their only child, she was treated as special… In Newport, during the summer, she found her first and foremost love of her life.. until her dying day……. HORSES… 

After her mother passed away… her father fell in love with a younger woman… which started out pretty well, being Mary Elizabeth was treated well, in the effort to show her father, that the new to-be-wife, gets along with his daughter. Who by this time is willful.  But after the wedding, all bets were off… and the approaching teen didn’t help much either.

Mary Elizabeth, loved ice skating.. and in St. Louis there was a rink that she use to go to.. and enter races. Which she won many.  At the rink she met a young man, who her father was not crazy about.  Of course, that didn’t slow down Mary Elizabeth, because she was still sting about her father remarrying.  So she ran off and married this young man… to spite her father ….(her words).  That didn’t work out too well, as her father figure it is what it is.. so put a down payment on a house for the couple. And got along with the young man.  So 6 months later, Mary Elizabeth got tired of this… plus housework, was not to her liking.. no housekeeper like her father had after he lost his wife…

So what does Mary Elizabeth do?  She got in her 1936 Chevie, and drove from St. Louis, Mo.  half way across the country to Newport, R.I.  Leaving the fresh new husband behind in the house.   Women, at least proper women did not drive across the country alone, in the 1930’s… Remember Mary Elizabeth was willful, head strong (her father’s words) to say the least. 

She moved in with her grandparents, and decided to get a job, as she had her grandfather tell the young man she was not returning.. he could have the house.. and she wanted a divorce…Her dad was not pleased.   Another thing that a proper women did not do in the 1930’s.  

The job came by her going to Walkers Stable in Middletown, R.I. (near by town to Newport).  Her love of horses and riding ability got her a job of teaching riding lessons.

About a year into her job, there was a mechanic who came to work on one of the horse trucks.  It was love at first sight, from what I was told..   Only trouble …. Both were married to others.  Mary Elizabeth in the process of a divorce… and F. G.  started his… and in 1939, they got married.

But that isn’t the end of the story of the independent Mary Elizabeth.  Just getting started.   She made it thru the rigors of marriage this time, and thru housework and running the finances. Due to the fact that her father had sent her to Boston College and took classes in Fanny Farmer.   But the love of horses was still strong.. even after 2 children and one miss carriage, she missed her show horese.  She had friends who she rode with, as soon as the daughter (me) was old enough to watch the little guy.  And then it was show time… First with American Saddle bred… Drummer being the first show horse, and many came after that… 5 gaited was one time shot… and then the real love of it all… JUMPERS… she love it.. She went to New York at a auction for jumpers. There was an Irish horse, that jumped in steeple chase races… but there was a problem.. he no longer could race as in the trip over in the ship, some how his wind pipe got bend.. lessen his breathing for long races.  She got him for a mere $100.  (still a lot of money in those days)  I was surprised when I hear the story later, that Dad who was pretty tight, let her spend that much money.  We got him about 1950.  I don’t know what his stable name was in Ireland, but in ours.. it was HOLY SMOKE… because that was everyone’s reaction when they saw him. He was at least 17 hands.  Mom, had to get in the back of the pick up, to be able to get on him.. unless there was someone around to boost her on.  Our back yard and the neighbors became a jumping area.  There were what was called Chicken coops, and then the standard cross bars..  Holy Smoke was the most slap happy horse… kids could circle his legs and he wouldn’t move. It was like he knew…  And Mom and Smoky was we called him, went on the win many awards thru the 50’s. Grand Champion of New England, among many other smaller ones..  he just eased over the jumps, without a care.. no struggle.  To the point that some did not like to jump against him.. and one even showed up in our stable with a needle in hand….  But my girlfriend and I had been sleeping in the hay loft above the stalls…so when he came thru the garage to get into the barn… he was surprised by two screaming girls.. 

In the late 1950’s my mother got a job mending fishing nets. The owner of the field behind us own a fishing boat and he would bring his nets to the field to dry and get mended. My mother made friends with the owner, and ended up taking mending lessons from him.. and ended up being their net mender…  There was an article done in a Providence paper, as she was the only known woman net mender. (there was a word for it, which escapes me now)

In the winter…  much to my father’s protest …. My mother would have the Coggeshalls bring in new nets, that had not been tarred yet.. and she sewed the sections to gether.. Starting right after Christmas…   we had a long living room rectangle sized…  that these nets would be strung across the room lengthwise.. And by Spring, they would be fed out the window to the men, who took it to the tar pit across the field… to be tarred and put into use.  Then mended thru the summer.  So it was net mending during the week.. and horse shows during the weekends.

My mother was a strong woman.. some would refer to it as a tomboy personality.  But she had a look.. well, my brother and I knew.. not to push it.. As punishment wasn’t like it is these days.   She use to joke … what ever Mary wants.. Mary gets… after one of her favorite Broadway shows..  Damn Yankee.. the song was What ever Lola wanted , Lola got.    The other look she had, is now called in this day and age..  the BITCH LOOK.. it is the I can’t be bothered by you and your petty stuff look.  And it has manage to go thru the generations.. from her to me, to my daughters, to my granddaughters, and now my great granddaughter..  luckily we can laugh about this.

Mary Elizabeth, had many talents.. She was one hell of a cook…and knew how to put on a 8 course meal, with the proper plates, bowls, and silverware…  She was one hell of a seamstress.. she not only made our clothes.. but she could make them out of the simplest cloth of grain sacks.  She made me a prom dress out of grain sacks.. the bottom skirt part was white.. the top bust section was red and white checks.  No one knew the difference at the dance.  She also did one for Easter, (she always made my Easter outfits) a coat, purse, and hat… that not only matched but they were reversible..   Black on one side… and black and white check on the other.. I had them for years..  She was a hell of an artist. There were many pictures that we had … that she painted.  But the most famous one of all…. (among friends) was a hunt scene.. with horses, riders, dogs, foxes,  walls with jumping horses and riders..and the lodge.. It went from one side of the basement wall, around the corner to the next wall, down the length of the house… Starting with the lodge, with horses tied in front.. dogs surround the horses and riders either on the horse or standing beside them.. that was the short wall..  then came the woods, with jumps, with riders and horses and dogs…going down the full length of the wall.. and way ahead.. is the woods and fox… The riders are all dress in white jodhpur pants with red jackets and black hats…  Last I heard the people who bought the folks house, paneled over it..  don’t know if it is still there or not. As that was over 50 years ago, they sold it.
She also knitted.. made a lot of awesome sweaters... Hell of a gardener.. she could take a bit of a plant, put it in the pot and it would grow wonderfully.. She canned for many years.. our basement always had a large supply of food..  She would make up a menu for the week of dinners and then buy her food accordingly. Using Roast for Sunday and some where during the week, she would use the left over for something.. same with chicken.. She had a $10 budget for food a week.  She taught me to always save for something you really wanted.  If you didn't save for it, you didn't want it bad enough. 

Mary Elizabeth, was a willful woman… strong headed woman..  she did not make friends easily.  As she pretty much said what she thought.  She had a great love of animals, but tolerated people.. She was a woman who had no clue what to do with children.. so lead to tumblest times for her children.. and not much better with grandchildren.. As she had a motto… children should be seen not heard.. which meant my kids drove her nuts.  As we were loud and laughter rang high.  She got use to us.. And she learn to tolerated us.  And love the fact there was so many of us, as any task at the farm got done quickly with so many hands..   Luckily she got closer to my brother’s kids after we left.

She loved her animals… she understood them.. but not humans so much.   All of this helped me a great deal, as I became the strong woman that I had to be.  

Things about my family that my grandchildren should know.” Series …. Part 2

Figured my dad would be next … as I think my mother’s will be longer..

F. Gilbert (also called Gub by some friends) was born on a small island in R.I. called Jamestown. His parents are Aaron R and Harriet R.

F. G.  was brought up with a very loving woman. Harriet.

F.G. grew up on the island helping his parent with his brothers and sister, when they had the John Carr Watson Farm.  Aaron ran a stable out of there before cars. Then they moved into town, built or bought a gas station with a store.. with stairs on the outside leading to the living quarters above. F. G. would ride his bicycle down those stairs much to his mother’s horror..  His aunt who ran the post office across the street would see him come down.. many a times head over heels.  Later the family with the oldest brother built a garage to join it and evidently it because a Ford dealership.  

F.G. finished the 8^th grade.  Even tho he professed to going to high school…. My aunt, his sister told me many years later, that yes, he went TO high school..  meaning TO was the operative word… she said he would go every morning to drop off his girlfriends… and go back every afternoon to pick them up..  He was working for his father at the time.. and went to work early on his motorcycle,(on the ferry) pick up one of the cars, make the rounds to all the girls houses, and took them to school.. before his father came to the office.  And then found a car he was working on, to make a test run to make sure it was fixed.. and picked up the girls and give them rides home..  That must have been quite a trip to get his work done in time to test it.. must not have been daily. And I imagine there wasn’t much going on during the winter.

While F. G. worked for his father in Middletown for a while. At another Ford dealship.  The only way to get back and forth between Jamestown and Middletown (joined by Newport) was a ferry that went back and forth every half hour until about 11 or midnight.   FG rode a Indian motorcycle  to work each day on the ferry..  And some times after partying, he would fly down the landing and jump the motorcycle on to the ferry end.  After several of these and some other trying the same.. the ferry captain had a chain put across the end…  Luckily F.G.  heard about it.. or saw it on this way to work..  and never got caught into it.

I rode the ferry many times and saw the chain, it wasn’t until F.G.’s sister told me why it was put up there.. I thought it was so the cars didn’t fall off the end.

F.G. married a woman and they had a daughter.. then later met Mary Elizabeth while working on a horse truck. 

During World War II, he went to work for the torpedo station, and then transferring to the Navy Seals building in Quonset after the war. He worked for over 30 years for the government. 

While he loved horses, he had no where near the love that Mary Elizabeth had, so he tolerated shows over the years.. but he did get into Hackney ponies after he retired. He also had a creative side too..  he loved to carve wood.. he made many of bowls, wooden spoons, (I still have mine) and also some primitive faces in rock as well as wood.. somewhere there is a totem pole about 2 feet high, with all sorts of faces.  Animal as well as humans.   He could fix just about anything…. And was a hell of a mechanic… he was one of the few that could listen to an engine and know what was wrong with it.. and could fix it. 

And he was the best Dad… needless to say my brother and I could along with Dad most of the time.. he inherited his mothers calmness.. But don’t get me wrong.. he could be hard to deal with .. if he got mad..

I named one of my son’s after him.. he even got his nickname from him.. which of course is not used now.

Tomorrow… my mother…

Things about my family that my grandchildren should know.” Series …. Part 1…

Starting out with the great grand parents.

These will be short, as I don’t have a lot of information on them..  Especially my mother’s family… Even though I lived with one of them a short time.

The next one is my father’s family…. Which a great deal of information came from my aunt.. but still. 

Pardon.S. was native of Newport, R.I.  His family was a long time Newport family going way back.. not to

Mayflower of Mass.  But pretty close. He married a little tiny woman.. who was about 4 foot 8  She, too, was from a long time family of Newport.. the Tennent/Easton family…. He was a health inspector and went on to become a marshal for the town.. his trip to get a criminal took him to Japan.. bring the criminal back.. only to have the courts let him loose.

Also some where there is in my possession a letter written by him as a marshal..  to my other side grandfather, dealing with asking him to come to court to testify about another criminal, of a crime my Richardson side saw.

Later in life, he went to work for a paving company becoming the CEO for the company.

While being a CEO,  he hired an upstart, as a time clerk. Whose job was to make sure every worker was on time, and then make sure they didn’t leave early… and then taking care of the time cards… He wanted his upstart to learn the business from the bottom.. and work up.. All of which he did.  That upstart was A.Leroy. who went on to be a CEO  at that same company years later.  I spent almost a year with A. Leroy… But sadly he didn’t talk much about his life as a youngest.. and as an 18 year old, never thought to ask.. We did get along pretty well, especially when you consider the generation gap.. of 18 to 72. 

Next up is my father’s side…  Not a lot of information there..but more than the Kaull side.  

I got to read a diary of sorts from my grandmother Harriet.. it started just as she was going to the main land to go to Normal School.. which in those days it was where students went to school to become teachers. That was in Providence.

See her family lived on Prudence Island.  A small island in the middle of Narragansett Bay… across from Bristol, R.I.

And north of Jamestown, R.I.   She talks about going to school and a boyfriend who was in the Navy… but then she got a job teaching in Jamestown.  She had a room at a boarding house that she stayed in for the week while teaching. Which she walked to each day from the school.. which is where she met this young man who had a horse and buggy. He asked if he could give her a ride, but it took several days before she would let him..  On weekends.. she would take the Jamestown ferry to Newport… then go to Bristol, and then the ferry that went to Prudence Island.  In a matter of time.. when school broke for summer vacation… she was home on the farm… that Aaron started going to the north end of Jamestown and row a boat to Prudence Island to see Harriet.   After a while they went to New York to a church called… Little Church on the Corner… and got married.

They moved to Jamestown, and lived with Aaron’s family for a short time..  later moving into the boarding house, that was own by Aaron’s relatives.  There their first son was born.

Aaron’s family was from Little Compton over by Fall River, Mass.  He was one of about 6 kids… the family moved to Jamestown on a farm that they worked on. Not their own.. Aron, Aaron’s father was from Sweden, as well as his wife.. (I have a copy of his citizenship somewhere)

Aron (he was with one a…. and the rest after him, has two Aa’s) would take sheep and pigs and take them to Newport on the ferry.. and sell them..  Then head home at night with what was left of his money…. And sometimes bring friends from the main land… especially if it was Friday night.. Then he and the men would push the furniture to the side of the room, roll up the rug.. and then play music on the piano and what ever other instruments they had.. and dance all night long.. while the kids were piled like logs across the beds.  Then in the morning, the women would make breakfast for everyone and then the guest would head for the ferry…  Aron was hard man …. And I guess it went to dead as well, as life, as he is buried in the far side of the family cemetery plot.

Aaron and Harriet, went on to run a livery stable (before cars) first a small one, and then a bigger one called John Carr Watson Farm.. (which is still there and open for tours). They were join by two sons and daughter… Harriet ran the stable with a hired hand many of times as Aaron was sickly at that time.   The two older boys, job at the age of 10 and 12, was to fill in the ruts made by the wagons in the driveway from the highway to farm. So customers could get there.   They also ran a taxi service from one side of the island to the other, so people could go from one ferry on the East side..  to the one on the West side.. going to the main land on both sides.. (those were large sail boats in the beginning).

Later the family moved to the center of Jamestown, owning a store with living quarters above and then a gas station and garages cars came. Running a car taxi then, and also delivering groceries to the summer people homes.  Later on adding a Ford dealership to it..  He also was  with two other men, and started the theater in town.. which is still there, but is many little shops in it now.

After the war, they added a Dodge dealer ship in Newport, on west Broadway.  With the youngest son running the Jamestown garage.. Harriet and Aaron moved to Newport.  Also they built a Ford Garage in Middletown.  Harriet passing away from cancer, Aaron moved into a house with cabins on Beacon Street next to the Ford dealership he had.   My parents built a house just down the street from there on Beacon Street. My memory is of the grape arbor in the back yard, that Grandpa use to lift me up and be able to grab grapes to eat.   Also under that arbor he showed me how to kill chickens.. he drew a line on the cement, put the chicken’s beak on it.. and then chopped the head off..   Of which I used when helping Mom and Dad kill their chickens.  Also remember he was tall.. he died when I was 7.  

Throw back Thursday...... I am blessed

I was looking thru my blog, and came across this one on June 23, 2015 ......it was a beautiful day..  but looking back was bitter sweet, as in this throw back... is pictures of my daughter Julie, who passed away this past May 25, 2017..   still feeling so blessed.. JUST WITH A EMPTY SPOT. when you get a chance to do something like this.. do it soon.. you just never know....

TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2015

I went, I saw... I am blessed

This is going to be a long one.. about 40 some odd pictures..

and sorry, but they are not in any order... hope you 

enjoy them as much as I have.. this is a once in 

a life time day

 my feet stepping for the first time in 16 years.. in to the beach of Seaside

 my feet touching the water of the Pacific Ocean for the first 
time  in 16 years.. 

 The King and Misty.. not so thrilled..

 I was not the only one celebrating 75 years.. but the aquarium did it 3 years ago..

 YAHOO

 ALL OF US TAKING PICTURES OF EVERYONE..

 EARLY MORNING COFFEE WITH OLDEST SON AND OLDEST DAUGHTER

 COUSIN'S ENJOYING TIME TOGETHER.. IT HAD BEEN ABOUT 8 YEARS

THIS IS WHAT I CALL MY BOYS TO MEN PICTURE.. THE TOP PICTURE
WAS TAKEN 16 YEARS AGO.. ..BOTTOM ON  JUNE 13TH THIS YEAR

 they are lined up opposite of the top picture.. skipping the first young one.. as he couldn't make it..

NOT ALL THE GRANDKIDS HAD TWO LEGS... THE 4 LEGGED ONES ARE
JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE OTHERS.. AS ALL OF US ARE DOG LOVERS.

THIS IS 1/5 OF MY GREAT GRANDCHILDREN...

 MY OLDEST AND MY YOUNGEST... A NICE LADY OFFERED TO TAKE
A PICTURE OF THE THREE OF US.. AND WE GLADLY ACCEPTED.

WALKING AND TALKING AS WE TOOK AN EARLY WALK ON THE BEACH,
WITH COFFEE IN HAND.. AND NECESSARILY FOR THE 3 OF US...

 COUSIN'S MAKING CONNECTIONS AGAIN...

 THE PEOPLE NEXT TO US, LEFT THEIR THINGS UNPROTECTED..AND THE
SEAGULLS HAD A FIELD DAY....

BUT HAVE NO FEAR... SUPER DAD AND SON RAN THEM OFF WITH
QUITE A DELIGHTFUL GIGGLES BY SON...  WE FOLDED THE CHAIRS
OVER WHAT WAS LEFT.. AND THE PEOPLE CAME BACK SCRATCHING
THEIR HEADS WONDERING WHAT THE HECK.. WE EXPLAINED.

 THE GREAT GRANDKIDS AND GRANDKIDS GOT QUITE A HOLE GOING...

 THIS IS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS I WANTED  "MEET ME AT THE BEACH
DAY"... THIS IS THE GROUP OF COUSIN.. SOME HAVE NOT SEEN EACH
OTHER FOR 16 TO 20 YEARS... 12 of the 22

 EVEN AFTER ALL THESE YEARS... ONE THING WE ENJOY WITH EACH
OTHER IS THE LAUGHTER... THIS IS 6 OF THE 8

HERE WE ARE... WITH SPOUSES ...THIS IS THE GREATEST BUNCH OF
WONDERFUL PEOPLE.. THAT IS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR FAMILY...
I AM TRULY BLESSED...

 THESE ARE THE WOMEN WHO MAKE MY LIFE A BLESSING..
I HAD TOLD MY SON'S THAT THEY WOULD GROW UP AND HAVE CHILDREN JUST LIKE THEMSELVES.. AND THAT IS TRUE.. BUT THESE LADIES HAVE MADE IT
A WONDERFUL LIFE FOR THEM.. AND ME..

 HERE ARE THE MEN OF MY LIFE...

 THIS IS THE GROUP... 27 STRONG BY THE END OF THE DAY... WE HAD
SUCH A WONDERFUL TIME... AND I AM TRULY BLESSED..

 EVERYONE SO ENJOYED EVERYONE.. LOTS OF TALKING, UPDATING
ON THEIR LIVES WITH OTHERS.. AND HUGS...

 NOW THESE TWO..... YOU KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF HUNTING STORIES
TOLD THAT DAY... AND A PROMISE TO VISIT SOON WITH HIS WIFE.

 FATHER WALKING TO THE WATER EDGE WITH HIS CHILDREN.

 THIS IS THE ONE WHO CAME THE FURTHEREST... HAWAII.. HE MOVED
THERE 4 YEARS AGO... HE IS THE ONE THAT LIVED THE CLOSEST SO
I HAD A LOT TO DO WITH HIS GROWING UP.. THE KING AND I... IT WAS
SO WONDERFUL TO HOLD HIM AGAIN.. BUT HE LEFT ON SUNDAY BACK
TO HIS BELOVED ISLAND...  AND CAN YOU BELIEVE, THIS HAWAIIAN
RESIDENT, BURNT?  AREN'T HAWAIIAN'S PRETAN FROM LIVING THERE?
GUESS THE OREGON SUN GOT THE BEST OF HIM..  ALOHA

 THE ADULTS GOT IN TO THE DIGGING IN THE BEGINNING...

 THIS LITTLE GUY WAS ON THE MOVE... AND HAD A BLAST WITH HIS
SECOND COUSINS..

 SO HERE WE GO WITH THE FAMILY PICTURES... THIS IS THE OLDEST
DAUGHTER'S FAMILY...

 THIS IS A 4 GENERATION PICTURE...

 THIS IS #3 SON'S FAMILY... HE HAD THE YOUNGEST OF THE GRANDCHILDREN

 THIS IS #2 SON... WITH HIS 4 LEGGED CHILDREN... WHO WERE SO WELL
BEHAVED...

 THIS IS THE OLDEST SON.. AND HIS FAMILY... WE HAVE 4 GENERATIONS
THERE AS WELL...

 THIS IS MY YOUNGEST CHILD AND HER FAMILY... HER'S IS THE HAWAIIAN
RESIDENT WHO CAME ACROSS THE OCEAN TO SEE US ALL..

THIS IS THE #4 SON'S FAMILY.. AND HOPEFULLY A NEW DAUGHTER IN LAW..

THE OLDEST AND HER HUSBAND... WHAT A GREAT GUY.. HE GOT TO
SEE WHAT A CRAZY FAMILY HE MARRIED INTO..

AND AT THE END OF THE DAY... WE ARE ALL STILL ENJOYING THE DAY
INTO NIGHT..  DID I SAY, I AM SO BLESSED?  IT DOES BARE REPEATING..
I.......AM.... SO... BLESSED...

hopefully this wasn't too long for you all.

HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY, TINK...