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!!