Memory Lane in Centerville!

Harry F. and family are enjoying a Utah vacation.  They spent some time in Centerville yesterday.  Harry had asked me for old addresses - which I could not remember - but I could describe where things were - and he found them.  He told me, "I remember them, I just don't know where they are!"

This is the old white church - we attended there for the first couple of years we lived in Centerville.  On our very first Sunday, we hustled off to church - and no one was there.  It was the end of daylight savings time - and we hadn't set our clocks back!!

 

We ended up in this chapel - Harry Dad served in the bishopric here - we lived right across the street - so it was pretty convenient.  (and this was back in the day when you went to Priesthood, then came home and got the family and went to Sunday School, and then went home and had dinner and a nap and headed back in the late afternoon for Sacrament meeting!!)

 

This is the house we built - it was going to be forever - and then we moved out 6 months after moving in  - and went to California!!  (And you know the rest of the story!!)  I was not happy about moving - in fact, I was downright unhappy.  While Harry and Dawn were there, a woman walked by and said, "The woman here didn't like the house so she made her husband move."  Harry's comment:  "The legend continues!"

That's how urban myths are born!!

This

Grandma Helen update -

Helen - 9 years ago at her 90th birthday celebration - she came as an "old lady" she said!!

 

Not sure of the date on this photo - sometime in the last couple of years.

Since the beginning of March, Helen has fallen a few times.  The last fall resulted in a broken hip.  She is not ambulatory now, but continues to work at strengthening those muscles.

She is doing pretty well, but she is indeed moving to an assisted living facility.  She is in good spirits and hopes to enjoy her stay there - and hopes to enjoy lots of visits from family and friends. 

Harry and Frances - along with others - are working hard to make the transition a good one.  Keep Helen - and all of us - in your prayers.

We love Grandma Helen!!  She still exhibits that wonderful sense of humor of hers!

Summer recreation and reading

With Hannah here - and Rhoda co-operating by being a wonderfully co-operative baby - we have time for movies and books.  We watched The King's Speech - I had not seen it.  What a great film - I've been looking at Queen Elizabeth for years now, and I had no idea her father was such a complex and courageous man.

 

We also watched 20 Feet from Stardom - another film I'd always wanted to see.  It's a documentary and very informative - especially about eras of music with which I am familiar.

And we picked up Ella's copy of The Fault in Our Stars.  We've both finished it, so now we can see the movie.  But we know what happens, so maybe we won't enjoy it as much.  I will let you know.

I will say that the story drags at the beginning - I picked it up and put it down a number of times.  But once it got  going, it was a compelling read.  Well-written too.  Although as Hannah says, we really don't know any people who actually talk the way they do in the book - talk with Capital Letters that is.

Let me know what you think!

Happy Father's Day!!

Some great dads I know and love - my Grandpa Stevens,

 

my Grandpa Clayton,

 

my wonderful father-in-law - aka Pops,

 

my son Harry, son-in-law Bruce, son-in-law David,

 

my son Noah - not a dad but a great uncle,

 

son-in-law David, shown here as a new dad,

 

my dad - as a young man - 

my son-in-law Matt, 

 

my son-in-law Robbie - newest dad in the bunch - 

son Harry,

 

son-in-law Bruce - with Bonny - first child - who set a great standard for all to follow.

Happy Father's Day one and all!!

Reading and watching

Harry and I went to a filmed version of the Broadway play version of Driving Miss Daisy with Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones.  It was well-done and thought-provoking. 

Maybe because we have older parents to care for.

Or maybe because we are getting older!

In the same vein, this novel, which I read a review of in Real Simple magazine, tells the rather compelling story of a man with Alzheimer's who realizes what is happening, but who wants to get one last thing done before his mind is completely out of his control.  

Often I "skim" books so that I just get the story line.  When the description is so vivid and complete that you can't skip it, I usually find that the book is really excellent.

This is just such a book.  Don't let the subject matter put you off - it's about families and the complexities there.  And it is about love and the many faces it assumes.

And it is gripping!