Easter 2024

Ada looks shy in her Easter dress.  I hope she enjoyed hunting eggs.

We had tacos and taco salad for Easter.  Ingrid made these pretty cookies.

We celebrated two birthdays—Sigrid’s and Astrid’s.  Sig is 19 and on April 7, Astrid will be 24.

I made apple crisp and Laura made banana pudding and strawberry pie.

The taco salad I ate was really delicous.
 

After the Reunion

We tried on Helen’s old wigs to see if that might improve our good looks.

Helen fixed lunch for Laura, Fleta, and me!  Chopped salad, homemade rolls, baked potatoes, ham—food fit for royalty.  We had angel cakes, strawberries and whipped cream for dessert!  All delicious.  Helen graduated in 1972, but didn’t desire to revisit those days.

 

Green Forest WPA Gym

The reunion was held in the old gym.  It’s the only one we had in the 60’s.  It was built by the WPA in 1936.  Fleta graduated in 1965 and I in 1968.

I went to the restroom.  This was the girls’ locker room.  It was tiny.  Lots of memories in that area surfaced in my head.  A lady down there said she got caught smoking here.  Wow, I never even wanted to do that.  I loved playing dodge ball and tumbling.  Smoking never entered my head.

 

Reunion day

Only 4 from my class made it to our reunion.  That’s out of 50 in our class of 1968.

This is Anna Sue, me and Randy.  Ramona is president of the Alumni Association. We got a picture of her too. 

 

Happy Birthday, Sigrid!

 Sigrid is 19 today.  Seems impossible.  She’s doing well—going to school, working, living in her own place!  She’s making her way in a complicated world.

Easter Bucket

Ada is ready to hunt eggs!  I think the kids will find them.  

Daddy would hide the Easter eggs long ago.  They were hard to find.  I recall one year he buried an egg in the ash pile from the stove.  Sometimes all the eggs were never found.

 

Keeping a Record

Bloom where you’re planted.   So, what does it mean to BLOOM where we are planted? Blooming where you are planted means to grow and flourish despite the circumstances, and that does not mean to just survive, it means to Thrive and to Blossom.  I have read of people that were sentenced to prison and still did good things even there.  

I looked to see when I mowed last year.  April 14th.  So I’m waiting.  The bees like the blooms and I’ll destroy them.

 

Pet Billy

 We were poor growing up and often had weird pets.  Dad said this Billy goat was Fleta’s and mine, but he had a small herd cleaning brush from a hill.  I think he just said the goat was ours and chuckled to himself!  

A baby goat is called a kid.

Goats are sociable animals and therefore become depressed if they are separated or isolated from their companions.

They are one of the cleanest animals and are much more selective eaters than cows, sheep, pigs, swine and even dogs.

Goats are very intelligent and curious animals. Their inquisitive nature is exemplified in their constant desire to explore and investigate anything unfamiliar which they come across.

They communicate with each other by bleating. Mothers will often call to their young (kids) to ensure they stay close-by.

Love how She Loves Me

Ada loved this gift.  

Troubled

 Latest book I have read is called “Troubled”.  Written by Robert Kim Henderson who survived a gut-wrenching childhood. Born to a drug-addicted Korean college dropout and a father he can’t remember, Henderson spent the first year of life living in a car. When he was 3 years old, neighbors called the police after hearing him wail for hours while his mother got high. As a result, Henderson’s mom was arrested and deported. He entered foster care, bouncing through 10 homes over four years until he was adopted by a family in Red Bluff, Calif. 

The book is about how he survived and what he missed most—loving family!  I recommend the book.  I learned that foster kids don’t complain and “tell  on” those who foster them.  The unknown is just too frightening.  This book is similar to Demon Copperhead, but this book is true not fiction.

Blooms for Pheobe

I walked to Pop’s Pond.  I wanted to see if that “big” wind yesterday blew the new resting swing away.  No, it was still there.  I’m thankful.  Phinnie and I could walk around the pond because Logan worked on the drain culvert and added gravel.  

I went by Pheobe’s grave and God planted her a flower.  She was a precious friend to us.  She was our first experience with Corgis.  We all loved her.  She loved us in return.

 

Creeping Buttercup

Creeping Buttercup is blooming along with the Henpin!  Together they make a bouquet!  Creeping buttercup, Ranunculus repens, is also known as Crow’s foot and Restharrow.  It’s is a weed if you garden but in the Meadow a pretty little bloom.  Don’t try eating it as it’s poisonous.  It’s likes a wet soil and spreads by runners.

I’m going out to eat with my friend Kay today.  We’ve been friends over 50 years.  I don’t eat out often.  Once a week or even less.  It’s expensive.  Also, driving there takes gas and that expensive too.  I really enjoy going out to eat though.  If I went daily, it wouldn’t be as special I’m sure.  Sounds like I’m trying to convince myself?  I am.  I’m not a good cook, but I try to live within my means.  Today, we’re eating at Pasta Grill.  Kay is having lasagna. I’ll try to pick something I know I’ll be able to consume.  I know I want a side salad.  Often, if I pick something that I’m not familiar with I can’t eat it.  Now, meals are 25 bucks plus so I sure want to be able to eat what I order.

My friend Jonell sent me a new devotional.  The theme is being thankful and grateful.  I enjoy reading it and focusing on the good not the bad in my life.  I used to seek knowledge and wisdom in prayer.  Now, I know what I need is love.  Love takes care of all my ills. One can’t have too much love.

 

Rest stop

Logan and Astrid added a rest stop on Pop’s pond bank!  Now, thankfully not “a rest home” yet, just a rest spot.

 

Sour Dough

My FB memories say in 2021, Laura’s family and I hiked to Indian Rock House.  Laura loves hiking, cooking, reading, even cleaning!  A few months back she got interested in making sour dough bread like her MeMa!  Today was a first time try making sour dough cinnamon rolls!  Oh me, oh my, you can’t imagine how delicious they are.

 

Ada Came

Ada came today and we celebrated number 5!  Her big day falls during the Eclipse and Laura and I feared it would be a nightmare then!  Laura found all my gifts but I got the credit!  Ada is a precious little girl! I’m thankful the Lord decided we should have her!

 

Chores

Tasks bring rewards!  I go out when day is done to lock my chicken coop.  Coyotes roam!  I get my reward in the sky. 

Day is done, gone the sun,

From the lake, from the hills, from the sky;

All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.

I wonder if this biscuit recipe would work?  It makes 3 biscuits is what caught my attention.
 

Maybe Laura and Siggie are heading home from the “cool” beach—meaning it was cold. lol They have Sadie and Ellie now.  Hope they got all the stuff crammed in the car without strapping someone on top.

Friends Arrive

Sigrid had two friends arrive to spend time with her at the beach.  I think it’s chilly there.

Latest book…”If Creek Don’t Rise” by Leah Weiss.  It’s a saga about an impoverished community in the Appalachia.  It’s written from the perspective of different characters like the book, Olive Kitteridge.  I enjoyed reading it.  

Growing up I had one bathing suit.  I bought it when I was a senior in high school.  It was a two piece.  The top was like the sports bras of today and the bottom covered my naval.  It was black with blue, and other colors.  It was heavy material.  When we got to go to “water”, it was the creek and it was too shallow to swim.  Plus there were snakes.  None of us learned to swim.  In 1969,   I took swimming at ATU.  I passed but still as a horrible swimmer.  I never got over my fear of water.  I made sure Laura and Erin learned to swim.  Sigrid grew up with a backyard pool.  She’s a good swimmer.  Better than her two sisters.  She was on swim teams until 12th grade.  

Beach Trip

I don’t recall “spring break” when I was in school 1950’s and 60’s.  But it’s a big deal now for kids.  Just like we were asked what did you get for Christmas each year, now, it’s where did you go spring break.  Siggie has a job.  She has rent and other obligations.  But she and Laura are at the beach a few days.  Other friends of hers are nearby.   She’s even using the beach bag I crocheted her.

 

Wild Violets

Wild Violets are blooming!  Some folks try to kill them!  I like the look and bees and butterflies like them, too.

 

Bunny Ears

Ada loves her bunny ears in her hair.  Bet they make her hop.
 

Being Beautiful

Before curling irons and flat irons, we used brush rollers, then hot rollers, but my aunts used pin curls and long strips of rags. Rag rolls made ringlets and pin rolls created waves and curls for shorter hair..  They rolled their wet hair around their index finger and then pinned it to their scalp with a bobby pin.  After the hair dried, they had curls.  Water was in short supply, so water was placed in a glass and the comb rested in that water until the roller was ready for the next curl.  The picture is my Aunt Betty pin curling her sister's hair.  No hair spray either.  Sometimes a little sugar was mixed with water and misted on the hair to set it.  Hard to be beautiful!🤣