More "Vingtage" Baby Stuff

More Vintage Baby Stuff
Originally uploaded by grannybabs.

I had forgotten about this bouncing chair, because the one I have now is the plain blue one - which works beautifully - and it was one piece of baby furniture that Bruce approved of - undoubtedly because of its minimalist nature!

I think this plaid one was a shower gift with Eliza - and I think it might have "worn out" so I got the plain blue one with Noah.

And even though this fabric has a pattern, compared to the models they have now, this one could also be deemed "plain!!"

Regardless of the fabric, these bouncing chairs were a personal fave of mine. They worked better than a swing for my kids - a little tap with my foot and the boucing started!

And unlike the plastic carriers that were all the rage when Bonny and Harry were born, they molded to the baby's shape like a hammock or sling - a plus in my book.

This little sunsuit Eliza is wearing was another personal fave of mine - it was printed terry cloth - soft and absorbant.

"What do you think . . .?

I have observed that many bloggers are given to "lists" like "ten things that drive me nuts" or "ten tunes to tickle your toes." Ten seems to figure prominently in these endeavors.

I usually have a hard time coming up with more than 3 of anything. Probably because I was trained in Advanced Comp in 12th grade to give three supporting details when writing an essay. Of course, I could probably come up with "ten places I've visited" or "ten people who have had an impact on my life." But I think that's been done.

I walk to and from school. It's maybe a mile - it takes 20 minutes going and 25 coming back - back is uphill!! I walk in the morning with my friend Rene, and we never run out of stuff to talk about. But I walk home alone. And I find that I never run out of stuff to think about.

So I started thinking about what I could put on a list of ten. I thought maybe I could write about "The Best Advice I've Ever Received." I thought it had a nice sound to it, and could be elucidating and maybe even helpful. Especially since advice is often helpful - especially when we take it!

I was surprised to discover that it took awhile to come up with ten. And I know that bloggers often start with the least and go to the biggest or best. But my walk wasn't long enough for that So here they are, the ten best pieces of advice I've ever received or given - in no particular order - although I am starting with the one I thought about first!

1. Whenever I go to a baby shower and they ask you to write advice for the mom-to-be, I always share the advice my mom gave me many years ago: Never do anything when your kids are asleep that you can do when they are awake. (Advice she often took - I have many memories of coming home from school to find my mom stretched out on the couch reading - while the unfolded laundry sat on the hearth - or was still on line for us to go bring in!)

2. In that same vein, wheneverI go to a bridal shower and they want you to give advice to the bride-to-be, I always share this advice that Ida S. shared at someone's bridal shower a number of years ago: Never learn to mow the lawn - if you do, it will become your job.

3. Once Eliza wrote and asked for advice about some future choices she was facing. I was thrilled to be asked, but found that I was giving her some pretty standard - but nonetheless excellent - advice: It will never be easier and cheaper to do than right now.

4. I ended up an English major in college when my roommate Pat said, after asking me what I was going to major in, and I replied maybe math or French (don't even ask why I said math, because I have not had a math class since 11th grade, but I said it anyway), "Major in English, French takes too many units and math is too hard." I've never been sorry I followed her advice.

5. Harry's 2nd counselor when he was Bishop once said, "Have you taken the CBEST?" I said no. He then said, "Take it and I'll get you all the work you need." (He was the principal at Clifton at the time. Another excellent choice in my life.)

6. When Bishop Cornwall called me to be Ward Relief Society President, I was trying to think of some compelling information to share with him that would cause him to say, "Oh of course I'd better retract that request." Of course I came up with nothing of the sort. So I looked at Harry and said, "What do you think?" And he said, "Yes is always a good choice."

7. Back in the day when diapers were cloth and were atttached with pins, the best advice I ever got was to keep a bar of soap handy to stick the pins in - they slid in and out like a dream! (Running the pins through his beard worked well for Harry!!)

8. My sister Alice once said that her mother-in-law - or maybe it was her sister-in-law - said that if you wanted to sew, you had to learn to do it a seam at a time. It's true - and it works for me. (Of course it really only works if you have a sewing space you can close the door on.)

9. Speaking of sewing, my old roommate Marlene, said that if you wanted to get any sewing done, you just got up in the morning and started sewing - and don't worry about getting dressed or making the beds - if you stopped and did that, you'd never get to the sewing. And I believe that's true for just about anything you want to get accomplished.

10. And to wrap things up - some baby advice - which seems to be the kind we women hear the most often: Never tell anyone what you are naming your baby before it's born. Somehow no one minds saying "I wouldn't stick any kid with that name" when the baby's not here. Once here, it really is too rude to say "Your baby has a terrible name."

Except when my dad called after Phoebe was born and found out that we were naming her Phoebe Elizabeth, he said, "I'll call her Betty!"

But he always called her Phoebe! And we all know Phoebe's name is a perfect fit!

More "vintage" kid stuff!!

Umbrella strollers are almost a fact of life now - like microwaves and VCR's and cell phones. But I was there when they invented them!! And we had one of the first ones!! And we thought it was the proverbial "bee knees" as they say.

(Which reminds me that we were among the first on our block to have a calculator - and it took 8 double AA batteries and only had a red LCD screen - no tape, no memory, just added, subtracted, divided and multiplied. And we thought we were so hip and with it!)

And it cost $69.00 at Sears!!

But I digress. Here the little plaid umbrella stroller features Bonny and little sister Phoebe in front of the Cook Apts. in Centerville in 1978.

Rockin' Down Memory Lane

This baby equipment photo shows the kitchen of the Rock House - and the window that looked out onto the glassed in front porch - where I sat and had many a conversation with Alice on the phone - note the phone cord!!

And it's Harry and his Raggedy Andy - about 1973.

But the post is about the Cosco highchair, circa 1971. My dad "bought" it for us with S&H Green Stamps. It lasted through 5 kids - and only had to be retired because the attaching mechanism on the tray wore out!!

I loved how it could be hauled outside and scrubbed and hosed off and brought in all shiny clean again! And there wasn't even a tear in the plasic covering the back or seat!!

They just don't make things like they used to.

The other photo comes from the kitchen of the Cook Apts. And it's Bonny feeding Phoebe in early 1978.

Do you notice that we have Proper Nouns for the places we've lived? The House of Do Chung, Johnson's Place, The Douglas Basement, The Portia Apts., Butterfield Arms, The Rock House, Harris' House, The Cook Apts, The Duplex, The Nauvoo House, The House on Lime, The Primrose House?

I'll bet Harry P. is the only one who knows all of them!! There's a post lurking in that last paragraph!!

Help, get me out of here!!

Baby Port a crib 1977
Originally uploaded by grannybabs.

It's 1978 and Phoebe is in the portacrib - the very one that I hauled home from JC Penney in 1970 and I hauled it home on the bus and I was carrying Bonny at the same time. I'm not sure how I did it - but I remember doing it nonetheless. I think lots of kind Good Samaritans helped me along the way.

Here we are at "the property" by Mantuay - went up with the Goulds - had a little picnic as I recall.

I think Phoebe wants out. And the best thing about this portacrib was that no child of ours ever managed to climb out of it without assistance.

A Little "Stroll" Down Memory Lane

Baby Stroller 1973
Originally uploaded by grannybabs.

I started out doing a rather excellent post on baby equipment over the years. And I had researched through my photo stash to find as many shots as I could that included ancient baby gear. There were 9 or 10 of them at last count.

Blogger on Firefox has been having beaucoup problemos, so I went to Internet Explorer and up until I tried to do this post, it worked. But it wouldn't work this time.

So I gave up and went to flickr. But of course, the beginning is now at the end - because I didn't think it all through. And frankly, I'm ready to call it a night, so I'm not going to change it.

So I will just post a photo or two a day until I've got them all done. And when you read this one, you can scroll down and read the next two - and when you get to the last one, you will know how I planned to begin my excellent post that wasn't.

This is Bonny and Harry in 1973, in the backyard of the 4plex we lived in on 10th East in SLC. Joan bought us this stroller when Bonny was born, and it was the Cadillac of its time. It had a detachable car bed - that was very handy for car trips. It also had a wire basket and a canopy that I didn't use very often, because I would have Bonny stand on the back when we went for walks.

We went for a lot of walks in this stroller - especially because we didn't have a car for a while after Bonny was born. And the car bed worked on many levels - when attached to the stroller, it was like a buggy.

I made Bonny's little pink dress - and knee socks were all the rage.

To Baby Chair or Not to Baby Chair

Baby Carrier 1970
Originally uploaded by grannybabs.

The controversial buzz in the mother's rooms of the late 60's and 70's involved the question of whether or not to use a baby carrier like this one.

Harry was pretty much opposed to them philosophically - they were all plastic and babies got left sitting in them a lot. Actually, it was a fairly new concept in baby gear and not everyone used them.

We got this as a gift - and it proved to be handy for a number of things - not the least of which was putting the baby up on something so they could look around at the world and see you as you went about the house.

Baby Equipment Over the Years

Baby walker - 1978
Originally uploaded by grannybabs.

Eliza's recent post on recommendations for baby equiment struck a responsive chord in the blogger audience.

It got me thinking about all the baby equiment I have known and loved over the years. Gone are the days when you just padded a bureau drawer to make a bed for baby - although we actually had friends who did just that.

This photo shows Lyn with Harry F. and Betsy in 1974 I think. And the featured equipment is a baby walker! Not a watershed piece of baby gear - but it did provide some diversion in the kitchen when you were fixing dinner.

It wasn't mine - and I'm not sure where this photo was taken or whose walker it was. But I did have one once - probaby a borrowed one though.

Taking care of number one!

Over the past year or so, I have been given gift certificates for a facial, a massage, a manicure and a pedicure - luxuries that I have heretofore not participated - or should I say - indulged - in.

So I thought I ought to use them - everyone I mentioned this to said something like "I got a gift certificate for a facial two years ago but I've never used it." and I was afraid I would end up in that category.

So Friday I had a facial - and the esthetician persuaded me that I'd want to add the hydration treatment and foot massage for only $10 - so Friday night I was feeling pretty soft-soled and hydrated!! And I truly enjoyed basking in the ministrations of someone so skilled in making me feel pampered and relaxed.

Then Saturday I had a manicure - I'm not really a pedicure person and they said I could use the pedicure for another manicure. I have indulged in manicures, and I enjoy them. Not fake nails, just a paint job - with the pampering ministrations included!

And then today I had a full body massage - very relaxing, yes and I truly enjoyed it - I have had one before and swore I'd figure out a way to make it a business expense and have one monthly!! But that really didn't happen.

I'm ready to settle for a weekly foot massage - it would be cheaper!

So I'm feeling fairly decadent - and I will state unequivicably that I could get used to such a life as this!!

On to a new job!

I was officially released on Sunday as the Monrovia Ward Relief Society President. I had been doing double duty for a few weeks - but it really wasn't so bad - not much was going on and we had General Conference in there too.

I wasn't there for the event(we were in Malibu for Ella's baptism)- so it was kind of a non-event for me. But I had been meeting with Jennifer, the new President, several times, so I had a chance to reflect on the past almost 3 years that I have served.

As I went over things with Jennifer, I thought about what I hoped my legacy would be. I finally decided that there were 3 facets to my years of service that I hoped would continue.

One was the weekly newsletter. Harry likes to laugh at me about my obsession with newsletters, but they truly are a great tool. The idea is not original with me. When I served with Polly Bourgeous many years ago, she did one. And at the end of each R.S. meeting, she handed me a bundle with a list of names of women who weren't there that day and told me to deliver them and find out why they weren't there! And she asked for a report when we met each week for our presidency meeting!

The previous R.S. president asked me to do it about 6 months before I was called. So I now have a fat 3 ring binder full of newsletters - from July 2002 until the present - and it's like a ward history/life history combined. They have a great value - they keep women connected, they give you something to send to those who can't or don't come, and they provide a record of what you have done.

The next tradtion I valued was the implementation of birthday visits. My mom actually suggested this plan when I was a counselor to Polly and we did it with her. Once again, it's a way to connect. No one turns you away on their birthday - at least no one ever turned me away! I had wanted to meet every sister in the ward - but I missed about a dozen of them who just were never there when I called - but those I did meet were friendly - I could run into them at the street fair and feel comfortable saying hi! (Obviously I'm referring to less-active sisters - I had my counselors mostly take the active sisters.)

The final program I tried to implement was All Sister Sundays four times a year - March for the birthday, May for Mother's Day, September for a parenting lesson and December for the holiday. The Elder's Quorum would cover Primary for the last hour and a member of the bishopric would teach the Young Women. We just had our regular lesson - it was the getting together that was so great. In March, I had 9 former ward Relief Society Presidents each take 3 minutes to share something about their experience - that was a first Sunday lesson - and it was a spiritual feast. We are 2 wards that have been combined to make one, so we needed to connect - and this was a way to do so. When it wasn't Fast Sunday, we ended with muffins and juice in the cultural hall. Breaking bread together is always a good idea!!

So a chapter in my life closes - and a new one opens. We are doing a brunch on Saturday for the outgoing Stake Relief Society Presidency. And there is a Stake Leadership Meeting on the 19th. And we have a Women's Conference in January. And there are wards to visit.

And maybe I will figure out how to do a Stake Relief Society Newsletter!!

There's really nothing general about Conference!

Once again I loved listening to Conference. And I thought about how I have been listening to Conference for many years - under many different circumstances.

As a child, I remember that Conference was something that sounded very adult and boring. We would sit on dining room chairs in front of the radio in the living room and listen to the Sunday morning session - which was the only one you could get here in So Cal. And then after, we would go to Sunday School at the ward! That went on for a lot of years.

The next Sunday, at Sacrament meeting, (which was in the late afternoon or evening - before the "block!") those members of the ward who had attended conference in SLC would get up and "report" on the talks they had heard. One man in our ward, Brother Petty, went each year and worked as an usher at the Tabernacle. He always had a lot to report.

When I went off to BYU, I discovered that Conference was available all around me - on T.V. sets in the Y Center or my dorm (not many of us had T.V.'s in our rooms.) In April of 1964, we actually went up to Salt Lake and attended a session in the Tabernacle. I'd like to report that I was overwhelmed spiritually or something, but if I didn't have a picture of the day, I would not remember that I had gone!! I don't even know who we went with - probably Joy and Krenzer - he had a car.

During the years we lived in Salt Lake, I came to enjoy and appreciate the blessing of having conference available in the comfort of my own home. And I would use the time to catch up on my ironing as I watched it on T.V. KBYU rebroadcast it at night, so Harry and I would watch it then if we'd missed something during the day. I did a lot of crocheting then too!

On beautiful fall days during October conference, we often took drives to see the leaves and then listened to Conference as we drove along.

The first year we were back in California, I think we got one or two sessions on the T.V. - and I don't remember when the broadcasts started being available by satellite. But I enjoyed going to the stake center and watching it on the big screen rather than staying home to watch it. However, it really worked better to watch it at home with little kids - especially when you could co-ordinate naps with sessions! So sometimes we took turns going to the stake center and staying at home.

I remember the last year Bruce R. McConkie spoke - I was in the Stake Center - whenever anyone quotes that great talk, I am transported to the chapel there and I can see it in my mind's eye. Whenever we sing "I Believe in Christ" I think of that conference talk too.

When Harry was the Bishop and I was the YW President, we took the Priests and Laurels to Salt Lake for Conference twice - and those were fun, great experiences. One year we went up to Wrightwood with the youth and had activities centered around conference. We stayed in cabins and it snowed and everything. It was lots of fun - and I think many of the youth came to see how relevant conference could be. We had a testimony meeting after the last session, and it was very moving.

About 2 years ago we finally managed to go to the Conference Center - at least Harry,Matt, Eliza, Hannah, Noah and I did! It was a great experience too - I had thought that the largeness of the building would somehow detract, but it did not.

For the last 2 years, Harry and I have been gone over Conference weekend - twice for the St. George Marathon, once for Nebeker's wedding and then I was gone up to Phoebe's one April. It was nice to be back home and attending every session in the Stake Center once again.

Every session is wonderful - and these last sessions were no exception. I truly felt that the speakers were speaking to me personally - right from the first talk. And as I listened, I was thinking how the words I was hearing were words I needed to hear.

The Lord does indeed speak to us in the latter days - and knows what we need to hear.

"Sew what?"

Last Christmas I made aprons for my daughters. I had a couple of friends who were into vintage aprons, and Phoebe had clued me into eBay. The old aprons on eBay were sometimes overpriced. At some point I thought, "I could made an apron like that."

I then remembered a pattern my mom had used to make me an apron 30 years ago. And I not only located the apron pattern, but it turned out there were 3 of them - small, medium and large!

So I started making aprons, and it was a lot of fun. I started thinking of all kinds of people I'd like to make one for - birthdays, new babies, bridal showers - the list was endless.

I have made probably 25 or 30 aprons since December. I am always on the lookout for vintage or retro fabrics - even traditional fabrics catch my eye. So do good deals!

And I've gotten pretty fast too - I can make one in under two hours now.

The best thing about it, however, is the fact that I have made enough of them that I'm pretty much on AutoPilot when I sew. So I can think and ponder and compose letters and blogs in my head!! And when I'm done, I have something to show for my time.

I can see why people have hobbies!!

"Giving" to Remember 9/11

I had been contacted by the Red Cross to donate blood today. They've been calling me all summer - and I kept forgetting my appointments - on purpose and by accident.

But today I remembered - and thought, "I won't forget this time - I can do this to honor 9/11."

So I went and had to wait an hour - and I had an appointment! Then they tested my blood and it looked like I might not have enough red blood cells! So the nurse said, "Well, we will have to spin it and see if it's okay."

And she came back smiling - assuming I guess that I'd be disappointed if I couldn't give blood. And maybe I would have been.

I thought about Carol Lynn Pearson's poem, "Giving,"

I love giving blood.
Sometimes I walk in
Off the street
When no one has even asked
And roll up my sleeve.

I love lying on the table
Watching my blood flow
Through the scarlet tube
To fill the little bag
That bears no address.

I love the mystery
Of it's destination.
It runs as easily
To child or woman or man,
Black or white,
Californian or Asian,
Methodist, Mormon,
Moslem or Jew.

Rain does too.
Rivers do.
I think God does.
We do not.

Our suspicious egos clot
On the journey
From "Us" to "Them."

So I give blood
To practice flowing,
Never knowing
Where it's going.
And glad.

"DIg, dig, "Dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig the whole day through . . ."

The Seven Dwarfs were certainly workers of a high caliber. At least they stayed on task all day! (Better than me - although I did stay at the weeding this a.m. until it was done - at least it was a manageable task!!) (And I certainly stayed on task with my blogging!!)

I did a lesson in class on Friday about the origins of Labor Day. I have been doing that over the years - doing brief lessons on the origins of holidays. I do this mainly because is distresses me that most kids just think a holiday is a day to go shopping - or one created by Hallmark to sell cards! They look blank when you say, "Well, why is November 22nd important?" or "What do we commemorate on December 7th?" or "What is Veteran's Day and why do we always celebrate it on the 11th and not the 2nd Monday in November?"

Labor Day has more of a history than I realized. For one thing, there is not agreement on who started it. Some say it was Peter McGuire. Others say it was Matthew Maguire. (And they're not related - ha, ha - that's one my kids don't always get - but then when I was a kid I couldn't understand why Clayton Smith, who lived on Louise, wasn't a relative of ours!!)

Both of these men were early leaders in the labor union movement in the United States. And whoever really was first instigated a parade and picnic in New York on September 5, 1882. Other states and cities joined in over the years, and by 1894, Congress had made it a national holiday.

But I don't think they ever said anything about not wearing white shoes after Labor Day!!

School Bells

The school bells are indeed ringing around here - we start on Wednesday, but the teachers had to report to work today.

Unlike legions of kids who are gearing up for the first day - and in spite of protestations to the contrary - are actually pretty excited to get back to the routine of school - I am not excited!

Each year it gets worse - and I was wondering why. In my case, things keep changing - and not always for the better. I try not to be negative - and by next week, I will be in the swing of things and won't be reflecting on such things as much - but one of the first things I discovered about teaching was that it was all about change. You get used to a group of students, a place, a routine. But the next year there are new students to get to know, old students who are older and a little different, and sometimes a new classroom is assigned or the textbooks change or the bell schedule is different or your prep period is reassigned.

All of the above have happened to me on a regular basis. And I have pretty much acknowledged that it's going to be different each year. But something else is changing too. Something more fundamental. Harry says it's the Wal Mart Effect - and I think he's right.

The principal needed my much-loved classroom for the discipline room. I could understand that - it's right next to the counselor's office in the main hall and it's a good place. But she put the other SPED teacher and me into the two smallest classrooms in the school!

We've always had 2 student-free periods - one for testing and IEP's and one for prep. But now we have only one. For testing and IEP's we have one sub day a month and maybe I can make that work. But it will require a new approach, which means more work.

Then the principal wanted the other SPED teacher and me to share students so that the kids would get more variety in their day. So that means bigger classes, since I don't just have kids on my caseload. And in a smaller classroom, bigger classes is huge!!(Bigger in SPED means 15 instead of 8)

There was supposed to be another teacher hired, but for some reason they didn't. We are keenly disappointed, because more teachers mean fewer students in each class which means more opportunity to help more kids! It's really just basic math!

So you can see that the corporation (the district) is squeezing everything to get a better product for less. (I won't even go into the testing mania we are in here in America - no child left behind indeed - this madness seems to be leaving more, not less, kids behind - don't get me started!)

Wal Mart - who knew it could invade the classroom?!

"Where Nothing Is Long Ago"

is the title of a book about growing up in Utah. Virginia Sorenson, an author I admire, writes about her growing up years in a small Utah town.

I wasn't raised in Utah, but whenever I go there, especially to the Salt Lake/Provo area, I find myself reflecting on long ago events that seem to be in the present - at least they are alive in my mind.

The same was true this time also. When we walked into the Y Center (and it will always be the Y Center to me - never the Wilk! for heaven's sake!)I noticed the floors - and I said to Mom, "These are the very same floors I walked on over 40 years ago!" It's true, some things never change!

When I mentioned it to Harry, he said they are terrazzo - and terrazzo apparently is almost ageless. I'm glad - because those floors anchor the building in the past for me - and it wouldn't hold any memories for me if there wasn't some anchor there. Much has changed on the BYU campus - but much has stayed the same - at least in spirt if not in fact!

I enjoyed seeing old roommates this go round - my former roommates remain good friends - maybe I have forgotten all the negative and only retain the positive, but that's okay with me. These women were part of a very significant time in my life - and we can go years without seeing each other, and when we do see each other, the years melt away. It's the very best kind of friendship I can think of!

The Camelot Years

At Dorothy's funeral, an old friend, who also used to live in Monrovia, was one of the speakers. Her theme was "The Camelot Years." She went over all the things we used to do as young wives and mothers. She related it all to different aspects of Dorothy's life, but it brought back a lot of memeories.

My thought was that we need to cherish the moment - whatever moment it is. I reflect often on the past and enjoy getting together with old friends, but there is a present too, and I realize now that I need to preserve it also.

Another thought that came to me happened as we went into the viewing. Dorothy's son and his wife, the parents of little Jacob who drowned, were standing there. Sue hugged her and seemed to know what to say - or at least how long to hug her! I could only say, "I'm so sorry."

As we left the room, I said to Sue, "I am a woman of words. I value words. I love words. I think that words are the medium of choice. But right now, words fail me. There are no words to say right now."

Then today during Sacrament meeting, it came to me that there are many times when words fail us - and that is when we need to rely on the spirit - because the spirit can say what words can't say.

It has been an instructive weekend.

No longer waiting . .

On July 13th, I wrote a post about our friend Dorothy, who was struggling with cancer. We received an email today that she died morning. She had made it through her daughter's wedding, which was very important to her. The photo is from the wedding day at the temple, showing Dorothy on her gurney with her three grandsons.

Her husband has sent regular emails regarding her condition, and he reported that she was exhausted by all the wedding activities, but grateful that she had been able to be there for her daughter. The doctors had told him that she would rally to meet the occasion, then decline rapidly. That is apparently just how it went.

Her pain had increased and even morphine was not enough. She asked for her children who were out of state to come and say goodbye. She asked for a blessing that she could go in peace, and her family told her it was okay to go - they found it too difficult to see her in so much pain.

Her death apparently was not easy and peaceful - hospice had been there but they were short handed and so Don was alone with her as she struggled to breathe and slowly let go. It was comforting to see her at peace, but just prior to her death the family had been subjected to another tragedy.

Her three young grandsons, who had traveled from Utah with their parents, who wanted to be at Dorothy's bedside, were being cared for by a neighbor. While there, the 2 year old boy accidentally drowned. Don made it to the hospital to give him a blessing, but he did not survive. This happened on Monday and Dorothy died today, Tuesday.

I know the Lord tells us that we are only given as much as we can bear, but in his email, Don said, ". . .this is unbearable." I cannot even imagine such grief.

The family is taking comfort in the knowledge that Jacob and his beloved grandma are probably together, helping one another. Dorothy had expressed concerns about "dying well" and said, "What if I get lost and can't find my way?" Perhaps Jacob is helping her do just that.

On another sad note, Dorothy's mom suffered a massive stroke a few days after the wedding so her sister was staying with her. Neither of them were able to be with Dorothy at the end.

Don concluded his email with these words, and I find them inspiring, "I remain steadfast in Christ, willing to bow to Heavenly Father's will."

My trials are not the same as his - or yours for that matter. But we can all strive to "remain steadfast in Christ" so that our trials will not divide or destroy us.

Holes in the Sky

We are in the midst of a severe heat wave. At the moment it has actually cooled off at night for the first time in several days. On Saturday night, we were leaving Target at 9:30 p.m. and a hot wind was blowing. It felt like St. George!!

We do not have central air. There are a number of reasons why we don't, and some of them are actually pretty good reasons. They have a lot to do with some construction issues that came with the house in the form of a badly executed add-on.

We do, however, have window units, and I am actually quite good at keeping the house pleasant with the judicious use of these units, combined with some gently oscillating fans. We have a whole house fan that is supposed to suck in the cool night air - and if there is indeed some cool night air to be sucked in, it works well. There just hasn't been much cool night air.

When it's hot like this, it tends to dominate the conversation. And the newspapers are rife with stories of global warming and the like. I have learned quite a bit from reading these articles - not the least of which is that "lush green lawns" while beautiful to behold, actually hold heat and prevent the evening "cool down" from happening as quickly. We have built up the desert so that we want to live here - but the price we are paying is in higher temperatures.

So I guess it really was cooler when I was a kid. I don't have memories of severe heat - it just seemed to be part of life. But I do have memories about heat waves over the last 25 years that are vivid and compelling. One year at Girls' Camp - near Valencia - it was so hot, we just went and stood in the pool!

I love warm oranges - because when it was summer, we picked oranges from the trees and ate them warm. Believe it or not, they were refreshing.

Our idea of a real treat was sneaking ice from the bag of ice Dad bought on the way home from church (I'm not sure how he squared that with not shopping on the sabbath!) It was a paper bag and as the melting ice weakened the bag, we would surreptiously take small handfuls and put them in our mouths. Dad would holler things like "You kids keep out of that ice or we won't have enough for the ice cream." (We always had enough though!!)

We cranked the ice cream in the shade of several orange trees in our yard. It didn't seem too hot to stand out there and beg to help turn the crank!

I still love to be hit by a sprinkler - "running through the sprinklers" was often the high point of my day. Once while doing this, at a neighbor's house, I cut my big toe almost off when I stepped on an overturned wagon with a sharp edge (I'm not sure where the sharp edge came from.)

Nobody sued anybody. The homeowner rushed me to the doctor in town, who stitched it back together. And everyday for a week, she came by and brought me little presents - color books, new crayons, paper dolls. I was under 8 - and though distressed at having to stay indoors with my foot up - I managed to cull wonderful memories from that experience. (I think in a large family, being the center of many people's attention is a desired position!)

There were lots of trees and we sat under them a lot - or in them - where it was just as shady. And we dragged our mattresses out on to the patio and slept under the stars. And the Good Humor man came every afternoon with frozen delights that could be had for a nickel!

It's too bad about global warming and how it has pretty much made a rather grim prognosis for the future. I'm not sure what to do about it. I try to conserve energy, but I'm sure I use a lot - but certainly not as much as lots of people.

I wonder what the "summer memories" of children who are small now will be in 50 years?

And how big the holes in sky will be?

"You Can't Go Home Again"

Thomas Wolfe said this and he wasn't just talking about going back to the old homestead. I was remeinded of this today as I was traversing the well-worn path between the carport and the garage/office/room-in-the-garage.

I was retrieveing Cheerios or detergent or something from our erstwhile pantry/all-purpose storage room-in-the-garage, and glanced to the south and saw the empty lawn swing. I thought about how I had coveted such a swing for many years until Dawn persuaded Harry the son that it would indeed be the perfect Mother's Day/Birthday gift for me. (For those not in the know, I had talked about buying one of these for many years - Dad usually had some dismissive remark about their relative tackiness, poor construction quality, etc. The great irony here of course is that he probably goes out and uses it more than anyone!! Sort of poetic justice I suppose - but I wish I was the one out using it!!)

But I digress - in my own circumlocutious way - from my point. And the point that came to me as I saw the swing was that there had been 2 or 3 summers after I got it that I did indeed go out in the early a.m. and lie upon it and read the paper or my latest novel - or late afternoon when it was cool and breezy and maybe I grabbed a little nap - or later evening when it was dark and cool and I drifted off to sleep. I had even had a baby grandchild or two on my chest who was soothed to sleep by the motion.

But I have hardly been on it for what seems like an uncommonly long time. Summers of late have not been lazy and slow and peaceful and restful and rejuvenating. I'm not sure why the last 2 or 3 years have been so hectic - we haven't had a summer wedding since 2000.

I was reminded of my experience with Girl's Camp. I first went in 1989, when Phoebe was almsot 12. I was informed that no adults from our ward were going with our girls. I was horrified - "Oh, the Stake Leaders promised to look after them!" I was told. I was not at all at ease with such a proposal, so I got a baby sitter for the three little kids - who were 2, 4 and 6 at the time - and went to camp.

What a lot of fun it was!! I helped drive, I helped put up tents, I helped solve some inevitable conflicts, I helped at crafts, I helped at mealtimes, I took long walks around the lake, I sat in a camp chair and read, I looked at the stars at night. I wasn't in charge of anything, and I had a wonderful time.

So of course I volunteered to go the next year. It was at the beach and was fun too, but they gave me an assignment or two. Nothing excessive, but I now had a responsibility! I enjoyed it and even said yes the next year when we went to Catalina, and they asked me to be in charge of the food.

Being in charge of the food almost took all the fun out of it, so I thought about not going. But I was working in Young Women by then and really wasn't given a choice. So I promptly volunteered to be in charge of crafts, since I knew it was a much easier job than food. And even though it was a rough year with bees, excessive heat, and some nasty conflicts between an adult and some other girls and adults, I was pretty much locked in to the idea of going to camp every year.

I went to Girl's Camp every year for 15 years - until Hannah had her last year - and then didn't flinch when I told them I really couldn't go anymore. I thought I'd feel sad, but I didn't. For one thing, my calling was in R.S. by then. Hannah was away at college, and we were getting ready for Eliza's wedding. Dawn and Eve were holding down the fort here while Harry finished up at BYU, so we took care of Eve when Dawn worked. An era had passed.

And my point is - some things have a dreamy quality to them when they aren't happening any more. And some things start out being "fun" but then change as the nature of the experience changes. The first year at camp was a vacation in the true sense of the word. After that it was a job - but a fulfilling job.

I'm not sure about the lawn swing - maybe everyone else has discovered what I knew all along and so I have to fight for my right to use it at will! Or maybe that vacation is over and I need to look for another kind.

St. George was a true vacation experience - and you have to be a Terrill to truly understand that. The last time we went, it was actually a work vacation because we did Phoebe and David's invites and some other stuff. We often talk about recreating that experience - I think we need to reinvent it somewhere else though.

Meanwhile, I will pass the swing and think pleasant thoughts of lazy summer days gone by.

" . . .who only stand and wait."

Sue G. and I went and visited Dorothy I., a former member of our ward, who moved to Upland. She is dying of pancreatic cancer - and her 24 year old daughter is getting married tomorrow in the Redlands Temple. Her husband has arranged medical transport and a gurney so she can attend the wedding. Her less-active sister has put together all the arrangements for the reception, which will be held in the home - so family can come into the bedroom and visit with Dorothy if she is up to it.

I was nervous about going - I have not had a lot of experience with death and wasn't sure if I would know what to say that would be helpful. Her husband sends regular email updates, so I was aware of her medical condition but wasn't sure how it would be emotionally.

Surprisingly she looked very good. Apparently her doctor says that she looks much healthier than she really is. She laid there with her eyes closed most of the time, occasionally pushing on her morphine pump. But she would participate in the conversation and seemed to want to talk to us about her experience.

I have felt overwhelmed of late with all the issues in my life, none of which are as devastating as hers. However, we all know that the worst trials are the ones with which we are personally dealing. So I didn't go away thinking, "Well, it certainly could be worse."

What impressed me was her concern that she was handling her trial well. She was concerned about dying in a way that would be a credit to her and a blessing to her family. Concerned that she could keep the faith and not succumb to discouragement and despair. Concerned that she was setting the right example to those around her.

And that caused me to reflect on how I am handling my trials. Am I handling them in a way that is a credit to me and a blessing to those around me? Am I keeping the faith? Not succumbing to discouragement and despair? Setting the right example to those around me?

I want to let her know how much she helped me - she who is feeling that she isn't doing anything. They do truly serve "who only stand and wait."

Bonny Braids - and Amy!!

Bonny or Amy could probably tell me the year, but the girls look to be 10 or 11. They braided their hair all over their head - I'm not sure why - it was something to do I guess. Or maybe they wanted the "crimped" look and crimping irons had not been invented.

Amy spent the night and they spent the evening "fooling" around and having fun - I do remember that!

Summer in Centerville

This is a shot from the days in the Rock House. I'm sure it must be 1974, since Alice was pregnant with Erika.

Note Dale's stylish and hip beard.

And the fact that at 4 years of age, Bonny is still wearing a bib. I was a little o/c then I think. But she's always been a clean, tidy girl!!

Summer Jobs

Hannah seems to have a great summer job this year. For many years, summer jobs around here meant one of two things - working for Dad or lifeguarding. So she has broken out of the mold.

I had a plethora of summer jobs - working for a phonograph record manufacturer, playground aide (2 summers), blueprint technician, cosmetic factory minion, assosrted babysitting jobs and file clerking.

The above photo is from the blueprint tech job - Joan had worked there for several years and she got me the job. I drove to work with her - in her blue Rambler with the push button gears. The ladies she worked with were pretty nice - they all smoked like chimneys though. And they all sort of "watched out" for me, which was nice.

I think my favorite job was the playground aide - one year I coached a 6th grade girls' volleyball team to 2nd place in the LAUSD Summer Tournament - I'll bet that surprises some of you. Just proves my point that you don't have to be able to do something well to be able to help someone else do it well. (My kids often thought I couldn't supervise their piano practicing since I not only didn't play, I didn't even read music. They resisted me - and I'm sure rue the day that they did!)

I do have pictures from the playground aide days - but not of me. I think they are of my winning volleyball team - I will search for them and that will be another post.

I also enjoyed the distinction of being unbeaten for 2 summers in a row at checkers. I got nervous at times - my "kids" would bring contenders all the time - sure that I could beat them - and I worried about not being able to live up to their expectations! I'm still pretty good at checkers, but my reflexes are slower, so I do get beaten - but usually not by elementary students anyway!

It's a start . . .

I really do need to get organized - I have this vision of all these "theme" posts that would include great shots I know about - but can't remember where they are. Or great shots I've completely forgotten.

My vision here was that of the first grandkids - but it doesn't include Paul or Michael in the mix so that's not accurate. But it's a cute shot anyway.


I think this was taken at Richard and Julie's apartment right after they got married - it was winter because Bonny is wearing the wool jumper I crocheted for her. It would be about 1975 - I think.

The kids are Bonny, Chris, Jennifer, Harry with Erika and Betsy on the front row.

Maybe I will get organized this summer - or maybe not.

Daddy/Daughter Date!

Came across this picture of Dad - from 1980 or 81 I am sure - I think the cake is his birthday cake too. It's a favorite shot of mine - the way I remember Dad before his health declined.

And note my apron - my mom made if for me from that old pattern that I have been using of late to make aprons. I loved it - wore it out in fact.

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there - and may your kids have great memories like I do of a dad who was really there for me all the time. If I was sick at night, he's the one who came in. When I had whooping cough and would have major coughing attacks at night that scared the beejeebies out of me, he would come in and start counting slowly, and soon I'd be calm again and the coughing would subside. If we wanted to go somewhere, he drove us there - and waited for us till we were done - I think he kept a blanket in the car so he could snooze while he waited. (He drove us because he didn't want us driving - but he taught me to drive! And offerred to drive me anywhere I wanted to go!)

I can remember him making yellow cakes with duck eggs from the Embertsons. I can remember him braiding my hair - and that's an old memory because my hair was only long when I was quite young. I can remember him ironing our dresses on Sunday mornings. And showing me how to polish my shoes. (Do kids today even know about polishing shoes?)

I remember doing homework around the dining room table - and Dad helping me with a poster for a science report on bees - he drew the pictures of the bees for me. And I remember him driving me to school with my Brazilian coffee plantation project - we normally walked, but this was a large piece of wood with a replica of a coffee plantation that I had made - with his help - and there was no way I could carry it!

Dad drove us to Stake dances, early morning Seminary, Mutual activities, and the Saturday matinees at the Panorama Theater. I also remember some kind of small car races where he would buy us candy bars. And I remember ball games - but I'm not sure what farm team they were. One summer he drove me to work each day - at a cosmetic factory near his shop. And came and picked me up and brought me back to the shop to wait until he was finished.

Dad built the house Mom still lives in - and I grew up on a construction sight. It was fun - probably drove him and Mom nuts, but I remember smooth cement foundations perfect for roller skating. And huge piles of sand. And framed walls that facilitated climbing. And lots of spare wood for tree houses. And the worlds biggest playhouse!

Dad didn't grow up with sisters, so maybe that is why he was so protective. But I was happy. Perhaps I have forgotten the things that made me unhappy. But that doesn't diminish the happy memories.

Thanks, Dad!! Happy Father's Day!

"June is busting out all over. . ."

It's June - that means Ernie's and my Grandpa Clayton's birthdays. And my return from France in 1966 (commemorated in a photo with Alice and David!) And a visit that included seeing Aunt Joan in 1971. And Joan and Fred's wedding anniversary.

And a lot of other things - like Father's Day and Flag Day and graduations and the END OF SCHOOL!!!!!

Father's Day gets its own post - stay tuned!!

Summer Fun at the Beach

I was perusing Betsy's blog and noted that they had gone to the beach. And while looking for some other photos, came across this one. One summer - probably 1981 or 2 - Betsy came for a week or so - and we went to the beach.

You can see Bonny stretched out on the boogie board in the background and Harry and Phoebe as well as Betsy. Apparently Besty and Harry had "buried" Phoebe.

I'm sure we went to Will Rogers State Beach. Back in the days after we first moved here, I knew how to find one beach - and didn't venture to any other beaches for a few years.

We used to go to the beach every Thursday - I based this on the fact that we'd bring sand home - and I cleaned on Fridays!

Aloha

Another LDS teacher and I were asked by the principal to throw a retirement party for Mrs. Yoffe and Mr. West. I think only Hannah ever had Mrs. Yoffe, but you will all recognize her as one of the "Girls of '45" at Clifton.

And you all had Mr. West! Several old timers were there - I think you will recognize them. The school has changed much since you were there - even since I started there it has changed a lot.

But some things never change - like Arvin W. and Marcia W.!!

And of course, 6th, 7th and 8th graders are all pretty much alike, year after year!!

And they still overdress for promotion!

Campfire Girl

I was never a Girl Scout, but I was a Campfire Girl for a short period of time. My mom would only buy me the shirt, so I never really felt like a true Campfire Girl - maybe that is why I didn't stay in it long. And most of my friends were Girl Scouts, but my mom wasn't too keen on them - I think the troop in our area did lots of Sunday stuff.

I do remember selling Campfire Girl Marshmellows - they came in little boxes and I loved them. I also remember going to a campfire activity in the mountains - or at least it seemed like the mountains to me.

This is a good argument for young girls keeping journals - so we could know what we used to do, since I certainly can't remember what I used to do!!

And don't you love the hair??

Camping in the 70's

With Harry and Dawn here at our place, we see lots of Porter - and the tendency is to see his resemblance to Grandpa Bill. And he definitely has Cardon eyes.

But there is a lot of Harry in him - witness these rather poor-quality but still fun shots of Bonny and Harry and Harry alone on a camping trip we took in 1973 with Grandma and Grandpa Terrill - somewhere up in the Unitas.

Many of you will recognize the crib too! I carried that crib home from J.C. Penney's on the bus! (We didn't have a car then.) And every Terrill child slept in it at some time - some longer than others. Bonny was 5 months old when we got it - she'd been in a bassinet until then - and the minute we put her in the porta crib, she rolled over for the first time - finally had room to do it!!

Back in the day when we were young and free!!

Found this photo - one of my faves of your dad - isn't he cute? We had taken in a cat I think. We've done that a time or two. I guess we were playing UNO or something.

For those who don't know, it's Lyn, Roseann, Alice and Harry at our place on 7th and 7th in Provo in 1968-69. It was a tiny little house with a basement and a huge backyard - and the canal flowed along in front.

The Birthday Saga continues -

So, on the eve of turning 61, I am reflecting - mainly because the house is quiet and empty - Porter is asleep in his crib and the rest of the folks are celebrating at the Dodger Game - Monrovia Ward Family Home Evening Style! I volunteered for the babysitting duties.

Was looking for a specific birthday photo of me and Roseann - we share a birth day and a birth year. I have found other co-holders over the years, but none on the same day.

So I was trying to think what the first birthday was that I remembered. I think it's my 8th birthday. My friend Barbara Britten had died in March, and her mother came to my party - I don't remember ever having another birthday party as a child - but she came and brought me a set of "days of the week" underpants - that I thought were the height of luxury. She often came and talked to my mom in the months following her daughter's death from an aneurism - which no one knew about until she died suddenly. I know my mom talked to her about the plan of salvation.

What I mostly remember about birthdays as a child at home is that you didn't have to do your chores on that day, my mom washed and curled your hair for school (unheard of otherwise - hair was washed once a week on Saturday night), and you got to choose what we would have for dinner.

I also remember for a few years, my Grandma Stevens would bring out two gifts on Alice's birthday in April (Alice' s is the 26th and Grandma's was the 25th - "might as well have been a month off" she used to say!!) Whatever Alice got, I got too - but in a different color - I got a blue dress to Alice's pink one, for example. I also remember red and green lunch boxes and red and green umbrellas, but I don't know who got what color.

One year, when I turned 18, my mom made me a pink and white flowered shift with a matching jacket - I thought I was the queen of fashion in that. That was often a birthday tradition - to go choose material and Mom made you a dress.

In fact, the year before that, I got invited to prom - wasn't too excited because the date wasn't too exciting. Everyone else was excited too, so I had to use my birthday "choice" for a prom dress that Mom and Alice made. And when we went out to eat after the prom, I spilled gravy down the front!! When it got dry cleaned, the satin went limp!! When I went away to college, Alice made me a shorter dress to wear with the lace jacket that went with the prom dress.

So here are the pictures of prom dresses, and Roseann and I in 1968 on our 23rd birthdays on the 23rd! (The short blue dress is from BYU Preference in 1964, the prom is May 19, 1962 - Mom's b-day - I didn't remember that fact!)

Spring Musicals

MHS just completed their run of the Spring Musical, "Into the Woods." For the first time in many years, no one in the Terrill household went to any of the productions. I'm not sure what that says about our busy lives - I think it says that no one is really connected to MHS anymore!

(What it says about me is that the first time they did "Into the Woods," I was subbing. They had me sub for Segal the day of the dress rehearsals, and I spent the day in the auditorium, sitting with his classes and watching most of the play. Kind of got enough to last a long time!)

Rachel C. was in it this time and did a great job I am sure - you can check the video on their blog!!

So when I came across this pix of Phoebe in "Once Upon A Mattress," I thought of how this was the production that got the Terrill kids involved in drama and music at MHS - back in the day of 1993!

And Phoebe is still our Drama Queen!

Where do the years go?

Got a graduation announcement from Andrew Rich - thought you all might enjoy seeing how he's grown! He's going to the University of Utah in the fall. Thought I'd contrast it with the all-time Andrew/Noah shot from 1988!

Once a fashionista, always a fashionista!

I came across this photo of Eliza, circa 1992 - the occasion was the Adventurer Pack-in - the one where Dad made a handcart - and the little kids and I rode our bikes to the campsite.

As you can all see, Eliza has always had a flair for fashion!!

The other thing I remember about this camping trip is that we had a Sacrament meeting by the river, since we had gone over a weekend. It was somewhat abbreviated, but we did have the sacrament, some songs and prayers and a couple of talks (for the uninitiated, Adventurer Pack-ins were for YW who were 16 and older, so you know that the talks were not terribly long.)

Afterwards, Noah said, "Can we come here for church every week?"

zzzzzzzzzzz

I was looking for another photo and came across this one. It was at the little house we rented for a night in Laguna - Christmas of '98 I think - since the baby I am holding is Ella.

Being tired never seems to go away, does it??

Little Trios

I noticed that there are a lot of shots of "Leslie, Donna, David" just like there are lots of shots of "Eliza, Hannah, Noah." Something about 2 girls and a boy at the tail end of family. I like this shot of LDD in '63 - I remember those bathrobes too! And the shot of EHN is Noah's b-day in 93.

Just a little trip down Memory Lane!!