Grandma H

Grandma Laura had an upright piano that was remodeled and cut down. It proudly sat in the one end of the living room. Sunday evenings or afternoons at my Dad’s parents almost always included some time spent with her playing. I know a large repertoire of songs from the 40’s.

I can sing along with the likes of Sentimental Journey, Bye Bye Black Bird, Tea for Two, I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter, and Mr. Sandman. I am rather fond of the tunes I learned sitting beside her on the piano bench.

Grandmother Laura played music at a silent theatre. My Aunt Joyce recently discovered a postcard of the building. The King Theatre and the Albia Business College and Normal School were in the same building. Grandma graduated from the Normal School and taught country school in Lockman, Iowa. That is where she met my Grandfather, Paul. I suspect he was working in the coal mines. It has always been told that he did not like the mines and did not work there long. Grandma’s father spent much of his working years in the mines. Dad said he was one of the persons that set the blast, and was a respected part of the mining community. He was very good with numbers. This made him an excellent cribbage player. Sunday afternoons the men in the family would play cards and cribbage at my great grandparents. My great grandma, Sadie Cox, did not approve but that did not stop them. They lived next door to their daughter, Laura and family . I spent most of my time at their place when we visited. I remember both my grandmother and great grandmother as excellent story tellers. How I wish we had a recording of them talking

Dad tells that when they built the homes in about 1939. My great grandparents had $500. That is what they spent on their home. In later years the home was added on to by Dad and other members of the family so that it had a downstairs bedroom, an updated kitchen, and a bathroom.

I suspect there may be a couple of acres in total for the two homes. Today when I drive by the house is much smaller than I recall as a child. The yard seemed huge when I was small. Our farm stead is much larger. Grandpa Paul built a shed for his ponies, both families had large gardens and I think my great grandparents had a small chicken house. Now is it all yard.

Behind the house was a large willow tree. I loved to pick willow branches and strip the leaves. I know willow trees can be messy but I loved that tree. On many a summer afternoon we would have fresh picked red raspberries picked from the patch and vanilla ice cream when we visited.

Taken for their 50th Anniversary in 1974

I do not believe they had a wedding photo.  I went with Grandma when she picked up a plain gold band for Grandpa for a gift that year.  It was the first he had a wedding ring.  I do not recall what she wore.

The January 24th is Grandma’s birth day. She was born in Lockman, Albia County in 1907, the second child and only daughter of Harry and Sarah “Sadie” Cox. She was the grandmotherly type. I loved staying at their place. Grandma made the best homemade noodles, she loved camping trips, cooking in what I can only describe as a very small kitchen she turned out yummy meals.

Cindi with Grandma in the aftermath of Christmas around 1958-1960.

I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter

Recorded in 1935 by Fats Waller, Lyricist Joe Young, and song writer Fred E Ahlert


I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter
And make believe it came from you
I'm gonna write words oh so sweet
They're gonna knock me off my feet
A lotta kisses on the bottom
I'll be glad I got 'em

I'm gonna smile and say
I hope you're feeling better
I'll close with love the way you do
I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter
And I'm gonna make believe it came from you

Oh yeah

I'm gonna write words oh so sweet
They're gonna knock me off my feet
A lotta kisses on the bottom
I'll be glad I got 'em

Oh yeah

I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter
And I'm make believe it came from you

Oh yeah

I'm gonna make believe it came from you

Oh yeah



Sentimental Journey Sentimental Journey

Doris Day

Words and music by Bud Green, Les Brown and Ben Homer

Les Brown, with Doris as his "girl singer", charted at #1 in 1945


Gonna take a sentimental journey
Gonna set my heart at ease
Gonna make a sentimental journey
To renew old memories

Got my bag, got my reservation
Spent each dime I could afford
Like a child in wild anticipation
Long to hear that "All aboard"

Seven, that's the time we leave, at seven
I'll be waitin' up for heaven
Countin' every mile of railroad track
That takes me back

Never thought my heart could be so yearny
Why did I decide to roam?
Gotta take that sentimental journey
Sentimental journey home

Lion & Lamb

March is the month when the wind blows like both a lamb and a lion.  Yesterday was a lamb day.  Today the lion is very evident.

The blog header picture 

rather off kilter

snow-less

Saw geese flying north in a V

Tulips making there way

Snow almost gone

Longer days

Spring

Too early to do anything but look and pick up sticks and rocks.

Yes rocks!

Because we use a snow blower to remove the snow from our lane and the drives to buildings, some of the gravel gets caught in the blower and scattered on the lawn.  Every spring, after a snowy winter, we rake and use the shop vac to remove the gravel from the lawn so it does not damage the mower blade.  Gravel on a lawn is not a look we like. 

Tulips and Ugly Leaves

Spring Maybe

I want to see

tulips

daffodils

green grass

I want to feel

the warm sun

I want to

smell the warm earth

I want to

go for walks

wear sandals

I am so tired of snow

and cold

and Uggs

and blankets

and winter pj's

and coats

and gloves

and boots

I am so very ready for

SPRING

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop!!!!!!!!

From this blog, http://acanthusandacorn.blogspot.com/ I found the above photo.  Warren and I both managed to dodge snow storms to make our individual flights to partly cloudy, cool temperature, Florida.  Warmth was found is spending time with my sister Cindi, my parents, and our good friends Barb and Bob.  With such cool temperatures we kept telling ourselves that at least it was not snowing in central Florida.

This is a picture taken when I opened my front door today.  Our pig has only a bit of metal showing. 
When the star is covered up, I am out of here! 

West Coast and East Coast

Blogging has come to a halt because this week I have been in catch up mode. We were in California for six days last week. I leave on Sunday for ten days in Florida. Warren will join me on Thursday. Plans are for me to spend some time with my sister, Cindi, join Warren to visit friends in Lake Placid, and spend a bit of time with my folks in Sebring.  All the while soaking up some of that famous Florida sunshine, eat fresh frui,t and walk on the beach.

 

In California a few early spring flowers were blooming.  It was great to see green grass and plants.  We left our place about 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning after Warren used the snow blower to clear our lane and the road to the highway.  At times the day before we were in white out conditions where we could not see more than 100 yards.  The highways to Des Moines were not as bad as we had anticipated.  Our drive took a bit more than half an hour longer than usual; which was a pleasant surprise.  After arriving at the airport early we had a delayed flight as the crew needed a mandatory rest time after flying in late the night before.  At the connecting airports we walked off one plane and on to another twice to make our two connections.  Our group was large enough that they held the planes for us.   

Warren and me along Pebble Beach

Most mornings Hannah comes over for a breakfast of cinnamon toast and Sunny D.  The bowl had a few hardened marshmallows in it as a treat.  Hannah and I have perfected the art of hardening marshmallows.  I often find marshmallows in various bowls in various conditions of hardness in my cabinets.

The girls would allow me one picture each this morning.  Kelsey looked at the camera for me.  Hannah would not.  Kelsey has an omelet for breakfast as long as I have eggs.  If she forgets to bring me eggs from her chickens and she does not want to return home to get them she will make do with cereal.  I make her omelet with one whole egg and one egg white and a bit of Cheddar Cheese.  It is never a guess as to what to make for the girls.  Usually when I am taking Hannah down the lane Kelsey is arriving. 
We miss our mornings together when I am gone.  They are never here very long but it is our time to catch up and spend time with each other.  Hannah and I usually get in one computer game and Kelsey and I try to answer the questions on "Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?"

Kelsey Jill

Today is the 24th. It is my dad’s mother’s birth date. I have some things written about her that I will share at a later date. Because we will be gone on the 27th we took the Kelsey and her family out to brunch today to celebrate her birthday.

(No she did not get Ziploc bags.)

This lovely gal is our “First”. On Wednesday she turns 16. Yes, “16 candles make a lovely light”.

To say we were excited at the birth of our first grandchild is an understatement. Her Mom and Dad did not want to know until she was born if she would be a girl or boy. Once we knew we had a granddaughter we had fun buying lots of girl stuff, toys, outfits, and a beautiful walnut cradle.

It was love at first sight. We soon got into a routine where she would spend one day a week with us instead of the babysitter. On that day, she and I would play, read, cook, eat and do most anything but work. One by one I would introduce her to her Mom’s and Uncle Rhett’s old toys. I had saved most of the games, and some of the toys. There is a cupboard in the basement that held tinker toys, blocks, the Sesame Street playhouse, barn, and airport. We discovered legos, old books, dolls, cards, Lincoln logs, and more. Now unless the Australians come the toys, books, and childhood games are stored for another generation.

It sixteen she will get her drivers license. Her world has changed much since she was born but the love we share with her grows. We take delight in being part of her life. She is a lover of animals, books, drawing, soccer, and her Grandma’s omelets. She and I have had fun sewing together. I have helped her lean to weave a basket, make a posters, and cook for 4-H. She helps her Grandpa with projects on the farm. He had her painting some small projects this past summer. We now have 4 regular white LP tanks and one yellow submarine. The back on the one building is covered in graffiti.

We are both delighted to call Kelsey Jill our lovely 16 year old granddaughter.

Grandpa's Dream Machine

On the 15 of January in the year 1888 my mother’s father was born. He was the third of seven children born to Lydia Hannah Easterday and William Van Dorn Glasener.

My guess is that the picture below was taken when my Grandparents had been married about 40 years.

My grandma was his second wife and eight years younger than him. His first wife, Hattie, died shortly after they were married of Typhoid Fever. He once told me she was the love of his life. Family members told my Dad it took him years to get over her death. My grandparents were married a little over six years after her death. The wedding picture of them shows Hattie as a beautiful lady. Grandpa followed his father and other family members to the Lampman, Saskatchewan area of Canada in about 1915. The home and farm they had in Grundy County, Iowa was one of substance. For some reason his father thought they would be better off moving to wheat country. One wonders if it had anything to do with WW I. After a number of years they moved back to Iowa. I suspect they were all of broke. The land they owed is now in oil country. They always knew there was oil in the ground but because it was shallow oil the way to capture it was not available.

Grandpa was a farmer, fish seller, and orchard owner in his life time. In the 80's would visit him and Grandma at their home in town. The rather small backyard had pear trees, raspberry bushes and grape vines. All were delicious. The grapes were like none you can buy in stores.

I have been told that this picture was taken on their honeymoon.  He looks rather handsome.

He invented the Glasener Gleaner which was a machine that was simpler than the combine. He attended Cornell College for one year before they moved to Canada.  There hw was in the engineering program. Grandpa was always tinkering with something and would much rather make it himself than buy a similar item. In 1980 Malissa went to National History Day with a presentation on this invention. She sat on a bale of hay in a blue and white gingham dress with her hair in pigtails. In part of her presentation she used a tape recording of him telling about his invention.  Malissa titled her presentation "Grandpa's Dream Machine".  On the back of this picture is the notation, "shocker in N Dakota."  Mom said that Grandpa is standing in the fore ground beside his invention.

I was born when he was 60 years old.  Grandpa died 10 days after my Grandmother in 1985 at the age of 97. I am certain he willed himself to die. He was in good health at Grandma's funeral.  All his living grandchildren were in attendance.  I am the oldest granddaughter. As it was a cold winter day I stayed with him at the church while the others went to the cemetery. We held hands and talked. They had lived together in the nursing home their last year of life. When I would visit, Grandpa and I would always hold hands and talk. A couple of days after the funeral when I stopped in for a visit he refused to hold my hand and talk with me. I felt completely rejected. I think it was his way of handling the death of his wife of 67 years. When she was gone he lost all will to live.