The Costume Queen Celebrates Her Day!

Our good friend Sue is Ella's birthday buddy - or more accurately, Ella is Sue's birthday buddy.  I usually tack on a shout out to Sue at the end of the Ella post, but thought I'd take a new tack today.

Happy Birthday Sue - and all year through too!

Harry and Barbara (aka Harry and Bobbie!)

I had an Uncle Harry - and his wife's name was Barbara.  So I'm fond of saying that I have an Uncle Harry and an Aunt Barbara - even though she always went by Bobbie.

Funny how cigarettes and full ashtrays are so frequent in old 50's photos!

My Uncle Harry was something of a loner - not too sociable - but he looks pretty friendly here - and I remember him being friendly - at least I don't remember being afraid of him or anything.

And he was always good to my mother - his "little sister!"

My mother had her eye surgery over 2 years ago, and it was scheduled on Uncle Harry's birthday.  She felt like he was watching out for her!!

 A nice thought.

A picture - worth a number of words!

I'm pretty sure this was taken at some sort of celebration for my parents - I think it might be when they left on their mission.

But I'm kind of wondering what my mom was saying when this photo was snapped!

"Now Bob, only Apple Juice Muffins for you!"

A must see for sure!!

Harry and I had FHE at the Laemle in Pasadena - saw Wadjda - a great film.  It's the one by the Saudi Arabian woman who had to film inside a truck, giving directions by walkie-talkie because she couldn't be out on the street working with men!!

Harry thought it was a bit depressing to think of women being held down like this, but I thought Wadjda's spirit came through - a spirit of resilience and hope and purpose and determination.

For a first time film effort, it is impressive - hopefully it gets the best foreign film Oscar - it deserves it - and I haven't seen any of the other films - I just know it does!!

Go see it!!

Oh my!

Hope Bonny sees this - and let's us know the context!  Looks like she's at the shop - or some shop - I don't remember our garage ever having quite that much paint on its shelves.

I think it's from her college years - but it could be after she was married.

Lots of the slides have back stories that I don't know about.

But we have time and blogs and Facebook to use to our advantage!!

The first clue - I think Harry F. took the photo.

50 years - and still going strong!!

This year marks the 50th anniversary of my graduation from high school.  There is a reunion planned for tomorrow night - but I'm not going.  I'm not going for several reasons - cost, distance to name two - but mainly because when I saw the RSVP list, I realized that no one was coming that I'd even thought about once in the last 50 years!!

To explain - I graduated in January - and the class sponsoring the event is the June class after us - so they haven't really focused on the January crew.  And no one on the January crew cared enough to get something of our own together.

But 5 of my high school - and elementary and junior high friends - and I are getting together on Sunday afternoon for lunch - here at my house.

I always enjoy these women - the configurations change some each time we get together because some live out of state - but it's always fun.

I'll be sure and report and post photos!!

Harry the Missionary and Barbara the French etudiante!!

This is our dapper Dan all set for a day of missionary work in Lima, Peru in 1966!  Harry had the trench coat for many years.  Still has the beret I think!!

And this is the French lassie - all dolled up in her tweed trench coat and plaid babushka - walking to her classes at l'Univesite de Grenoble in 1966.

You had no idea we were both so continental!!

What will I wear?

There are not a lot of photographs from the very early years of our marriage.  A number of them have emerged among the digitized slides.  But I seem to be wearing the same striped tee shirt in quite a few of them.  I'm wondering if they were all taken on the same day?  Or was that the only shirt I owned?  Or was it just a fave I wore a lot?

I suspect it's a little of all three, but there was a time when I - and many others - owned a lot fewer clothes than people own now!  I distinctly remember my mom having two maternity outfits - one for every day and one for Sunday - and doctor visits!!

I purge my closets and drawers on a regular basis, and I don't think of myself as a clothes horse, but the items seem to pile up.  It truly has not always been this way - not sure what decade it was when "excess clothing" came into being.  

But I remember after Bonny was born, not going to church until something fit me - we just didn't have the resources to go get new clothes - and I refused to wear maternity clothes when I wasn't pregnant!

And when I went home for Christmas with my one pair of shoes, my mom took pity on me and bought me a new pair of Sunday shoes!!  And I was thrilled.

I also sewed for Bonny and used remnants my mom gave me.  She didn't have lots of clothes, but I had fun constructing her little wardrobe!  On the other hand, after Phoebe was born, I have distinct memories of shopping often for her and indulging all my little girl fashion fantasies!!

Someone has written a dissertation on this phenomenon, I am sure.  And the book The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion addresses the issue very well.  

I just think about it now and then.  And I do believe that most women wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time.

A moment in time -

Since Bonny looks to be about 2, this must be 1972.  She is shown here on the porch at Lyn and Roseann's house in Orem.  That is Chris next to her, and Roseann next to him.  Lyn is at the door.

She was certainly a towhead!!

Mary, Mary!!

I keep coming across random photos of my mom.  Everyone says that Hannah really takes after her. And she does.  You see it more when she is smiling though, I think.

The one above and the one below have some similarities.

 

And I always think of old photos of my mom when I see Hannah's reincarnation of that era.

 

And I sure did like that dress - seems amazing that it ever fit me!!

Old pictures - and the things they tell us!

When I saw this old photo, I knew it was my Grandpa Clayton - he has a very distinctive look - and them I assumed the boys were Paul, my dad, and Ted.  But my mom thought that the two older boys were Elsie's boys - and maybe the baby is Paul.  (Elsie was my father's aunt - Agnes' sister.)

This is a photo of my Grandpa Clayton - the same as the man in the top photo - with me,  and he is holding Bonny.

I like the comparison!!

Friday Night At the Movies

Life calmed down enough around here for Harry and me to watch a movie tonight!  We watched Possession - based on the novel of the same name.  I had read the book several years ago - and actually found it somewhat tedious and confusing.  

The novel included long passages of letters and poetry that the author had written as if she was a Victorian writer and poet.  Once I figured that out, I quit reading the poetry portions - the poetry wasn't that good!  Then the story moved along better!

The film is better than the book in some ways.  At least the way I remembered it!  It's entertaining and moves right along.

Great ending too!

Fabulous Phoebe!!

We joke that when Phoebe comes in the room, the party can start!!  And she has always made everyone smile.

But it's more than just being charming and fun and full of life and good ideas.  Phoebe brings the life to the party.  She is full of energy and enthusiasm - and she always pitches in and gets things moving.

She's been that way since I can remember.  She would organize her friends when they were playing.  She was always in leadership at school and served as student body president in middle school and high school.  School projects became larger than life.  Halloween was great fun.  And when costumes were required, she always came up with a great one.  (She had some memorable moments in the plays and musicals during her high school years too!)

And she always knew how to charm her Grandpa Clayton.  Even if he did say, when she was born and we told him her name, "I'm going to call her Betty!"

He always called her Phoebe!

Harry the Dude!!

Harry was always a man of many interests - but those interests usually came one at a time.  He loved guinea pigs - and it was everything guinea pigs for a time.  Books from the library, pet shop visits, acquiring one.  But then he would move on to something else - and be completely immersed.  We went through snakes and fish and aquariums and guitars and drums and painting and sculpture and biking and skateboards and basketball and backpacking and the lists go on and on.  He continues to acquire all-consuming interests for awhile - and then he moves on.

It does make for an interesting life.  And he knows a lot about a lot of things.  And he has stories for all of them.

Who knew when he was a little kid? 

I didn't!

So don't be concerned if your child seems to jump around many different interests.  He or she will have a rich, full life I am sure.

Meanwhile I will focus on my narrow scope!!

The Ever-fashionable Miss Bonny - with a Y!

I joke around about Bonny being a style maven at a very young age - but it is the truth.  In retrospect, I can see that what she was wearing was always important to her.  As a very young child, she was willing to go with my choices.  At the tender age of 3, she set the ground rules - and those included the dictum that she would choose - and if it itched or didn't "feel" just right, she could not be persuaded to wear it!

I sewed a lot for her.  For awhile, she could not be persuaded to go with anything other than what the pattern showed on the envelope.  If the dress she wanted was shown in red and white gingham, she could not be persuaded to have it in any other color!  She came to understand the limitations of that approach and could later be persuaded to search for other choices!  But she often preferred what they showed it in on the pattern!

There are a number of photos of her as a not-quite-two-year-old - who was still willing to go with my choices - in this particular combination of 70's era crocheted poncho and a Peruvian hat!!  She would laugh when the hat fell down over her eyes!!

The saddle shoes were my choice!!

I think every first child deserves a medal for surviving their parents' efforts at becoming parents!!

Featuring the ever-industrious Miss Eliza!!

It is interesting to me how photos from the past are so telling and informative.  Eliza has always been organized, efficient, thorough, creative, hard-working, and accomplished.  She is now, she was then.  But back when I took this photo, I'm sure I wasn't thinking, "Well, when she grows up, Eliza will be this competent student, well-qualified information technology specialist, excellent mom, and Primary Music Director extraordinaire!"  But she is all that - and more.  

At the time I was just pleased that she seemed to be enjoying what she was doing!

Friday night at the movies!

We have not been to the movies in quite awhile.  So when The Butler finally made it to the Krikorian,  Harry and I hustled down there.  I'd like to be able to report that we walked there - but since it was 97 degrees at 7:30 p.m., we drove!!

It was a good film - and we both enjoyed it.  I wonder,  though, if the enjoyment came in part because the events the film portrayed were events we had read about in the papers ourselves!

The more years I teach, the more I have to re-create history so that my students can see the stories we read in context.  And I am amazed at how much history I myself have lived through.

Food for thought.

If you haven't seen the film, it's worth the trip!

Another Great Grandma's Birthday Sleepover!!

It was a holiday weekend - which meant Eve had a free Monday, so we scheduled our birthday sleepover before someone else filled the slot!!  Lots of fun stuff - some of it with Noah, at the piano!!

 

Some of it making fun accessories for the American Girl doll house Dawn fashioned out of the old armoire!!

 

Other fun included:  Grandpa Bob stories, chocolate milk, Milanos, manicures, Yogurtland, dinner at Souplantation, shopping for very cute clothes, watching Matilda for the umpteenth time, and going to school together this morning!!

Have a great 11th year Eve!!  

If there's a photograph, it happened!

Years ago when I went to scrapbooking classes, I was amazed at the way so many women totally documented every week of their pregnancies!  And as years have gone by, it's almost a business to have every step of the way of every pregnancy completely covered!!  

I have never been good at consistent documentation - mine goes in fits and starts.  

A few years back I thought I'd try to see if I had a photo of me pregnant with each of our children - and I came up short with no shot of me pregnant with Harry!!

Until we digitized all those slides!  Bingo - a shot of me pregnant with Harry.  So I thought, well, now I can "document" the fact that I was, indeed, pregnant with each one of my kids!!

The above is a shot of me pregnant with Bonny.  It was all new and exciting and Harry had a new camera, so there are actually a least a half dozen shots.  I know, paltry by today's standards.  (and for all I know, everyone but me has always documented well!!)

 

This is the long-lost shot of being pregnant with Harry - in the backyard at "Butterfield Arms" where we lived.  That's Bonny in the Peruvian cap and turquoise crocheted poncho - it is 1972 after all!!  The red quilted robe is one my mother made for me when we got married - I loved that robe - and literally wore it out!!

As excited as were to finally be having another child, there are only one or two shots of me pregnant with Phoebe - and this is the only one I could find - at Mary's wedding in May of 1977.  I was 5 months pregnant and still pretty thin - although I made up for it in the last couple of months - maybe that's why I didn't have anyone take pictures!!

 

 Here I am pregnant with Eliza - that is Uncle Jack, Grandma Terrill's brother, and his wife Mickie.  We are at the farewell open house when Pop and Helen went on their mission.

Pregnant with Hannah - Dad and I took off for a weekend away - went to Lake Arrowhead.

 

This is the only photo of me pregnant with Noah.  I must have been too busy to think about taking pictures of myself!!

As I was browsing through photos, I realized that I don't have photos of myself with each of the children as newborns.  I have plenty of photos of the baby - but not me.  And that is probably just as well - the ones I do have are not all that flattering.  Honest, but not flattering!!

Another thought that came to me is that my mother has had 12 children - and there is not one single photo I have found of her pregnant!!  Maybe women eschewed that idea then!  

Even sadder, my dad, the father of those 12 children, never saw one of them born - he was always sent out to the waiting room.  And my mother, actually, was not awake for any births until the last one!

My how times have changed!  For the better I might add!