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!!

"Sumer is icumen in . . ."

The recent spate of warm days has got me itching for summer vacation to commence!! Someone at work said we had 3 more Mondays to go! (But that is deceptive, since we don't go to school on Memorial Day, so there are 4 more weeks left!!)

Anyway, here's a shot of Phoebe and Bonny in 1981 when we were camping. I know we don't have a plethora of eager campers out there in Blogworld, but it does look inviting, doesn't it??

The Many Faces of Noah

In honor of Noah's upcoming birthday - tomorrow - here are some "Noah shots" you can all appreciate!!

More Mother Shots

These shots are from August of 1985 - in fact, the occasion was Karen and Jeff's wedding. I especially like the look on Harry's and Phoebe's faces in the group shot! The shot with Jim and Trudy is on the temple grounds. I was pregnant with Hannah.

Young Women Leaders of Yore

This is a group photo taken at my mom and dad's 50th anniversary party in August of 1990. Bonny, Phoebe, Eliza and I are joined by my Laurel advisor - in the green striped dress - and her daughter. I remember Sister L. very well - she always sent me little notes in the mail - it's where I got the idea that it was cool to send notes - because I loved the ones she sent me - I still have some of them.

I also remember that she always told us that that we'd better have clean underwear every day - "you might get in an accident and get taken to the hospital and it would be embarrassing to not have clean underwear on!" she would say!!

She only died a few years ago - I always enjoyed seeing her when I visited. She had a less active or non-member husband and a mentally challenged son - but she persevered. She was a great example to me. And I loved her - because I knew she loved me.

Happy Eve of Cinco De Mayo

Posting on the Terrill blog is weird because Hannah's post has a Friday date but it's Thursday here, so the posts we add come after hers. Weird!

This is a picture of my junior high Girls' Vice Principal - doesn't she remind you of Viola Swamp?!

Now that's pretty random.

So here's a shot of my 8th grade Science teacher - upon whom I had a giant crush!!

It was, after all, 1958!!

And a shot of my gal pals at old PHJHS! I think we were all nerds - but it was a new school, so we got away with it!!

If it's Tuesday, she must be heading for London!

I've lost track of my "daily dose of photogravure" - I'm not sure how many days I've missed.

But here's a final little "Hannah note" until she sends us something to report - she is computerless but may make some connections.

This is the New Era illustration she posed for several years ago.

She's probably having a great adventure - and here I sit blogging!!

May Day - then and now!

I have fun every year explaining how May Day used to be to my students. And I remember Pheobe and the girls across the street liked to make baskets to fill with flowers and put them on the neighbor's porches and ring the bell and run!

When I was a kid, we had maypoles and in elementary school we always had a carnival on May Day. I have fond memories of May 1st! I've always carried a little grudge against Dwight David Eisenhower for abolishing the celebration of May Day in the U.S.

It's liable to become one of those "lost cultural oddities" that only the old-timers know about!!

These are some Patrick Henry Jr. high 8th and 9th grade photos of May Day and me!

Happy May Day one and all!!