The new year finds me and one of my sons taking down and packing my husbands cameras. You see, we had a computer/camera room that held Franks collection of old cameras as well as our computers and office equipment.
We still lived in northern Illinois when Frank had heart problems. We started walking a lot and when the temperature dropped, we started walking around flea markets for our exercise. It was at one of these flea markets that Frank saw a camera just like the one he once owned. He had learned to use the camera, shoot pictures and even develop the film in a school photography class. Of course he had to buy this camera. As soon as we got home, Frank cleaned the camera, checked it out and later he bought film and shot some pictures with it. Well that was the first one. Now it is about twenty years and many cameras later. The camera/computer room has shelves on every wall, over every window and cameras nicely arranged by type, size or manufacture. There are photos that Frank or I took over the years placed around with the cameras too. This collection gave reason to get out in bad weather, walk some shops and the satisfaction of the find.
It is now almost two years since Frank died. The cameras were important in his life and now it is time to share them with his sons. Frank, the oldest son, and Bob, the youngest, only wanted a few of the collection. Roy said he would like to set-up his home office with the rest of them. So Roy put some of each type of camera in a box for each brother. Then he and I set about packing the rest. I kept a few cameras because they played a large roll in Franks and my life, especially the last few years when he spent more time at home. Frank spent a lot of time in the research and history of the cameras, using books and his computer. One of the cameras I kept is the first camera I had, I used it in high school and when we were first married. Another camera that I kept is an old one that I photographed and had that image engraved on Franks head stone.
While going thru old pictures and advertisements, I came across one picture of two young people. They had their heads together and were smiling into the camera. This photo is only about 1 3/4 inches by 2 1/2 inches with about 1/4 inch metal frame. It has a cellophane cover and a cardboard backing, then the metal frame holding it together. The cardboard backing has a place to write the date; taken at; and message; area for you to fill in. The bottom of this backing says; taken by the Photomatic made in U. S. A. International Mutos??? Corp, New York.
Seeing this brought back memories. I remember as being quite young, probably grade school age, we would go to Chicago at times. These photo booths were in the Union Station as well as other places. You would go, push aside the dark curtain, sit down (close together if it were two or more of you), put your money in the slot and smile. I remember we had money for Nancy and I to have our photo taken in one of these booths one time. I think some photo booths did the single metal holders and other ones did three or four shots and sent out a strip of the photos.
Seeing this photo also remined me that there were street photographers when we went into Chicago. Our mother took us to houseware shows, special boat shows at Montrose Harbor and sometimes even a professional base ball game. It was on these special occasions that street photographers were out on the busy sidewalds taking pictures. They would snap your picture as you were walking in the crowd, as as you walked by they would hand you a card. If you mailed in the card and the required money, you received a photo of yourself at this great occasion.
I am glad that during what could be a difficult time, with the change in my life and home, this task sparked great memories. Good memories of the many things Frank and I enjoyed as well as bring back some long ago, almost lost memories I share with you today. Marge
Showing posts with label notes from Marge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label notes from Marge. Show all posts
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Thursday, December 23, 2010
FAMILY NEWS
December started with Nancy and I enjoying our time in San Antonio, Texas. The following week, I drove to northern Illinois. It has been three years since I have gone further than Peoria and four more hours of driving makes a difference. I left on a Saturday morning in a mist that later turned into rain, then hit fog in areas and arrived in Dundee, Illinois in the rain. I got to youngest son, Bobs before dark. We rested and talked then left for the pizza place where my children ate pizza on special occasions. My grandchildren also ate at that pizza parlor in their growing up years. It was the perfect spot for our family to get together. All were there except granddaughter, Beth. She had car trouble and did not get there. We all ate and retold old stories and added a few new ones. We took pictures before all left to go their own way. The next morning, Bob and I took off for De Kalb to attend Northern Illinois University Graduation Ceremony and see grandson Brad receive his degree. It was bitterly cold and very windy. Most of the 45 miles to the college I drove in white-out conditions. Sometimes I could see the tail lights of the car in front of me and sometimes not. Bob watched the side of the road and guided me so I would stay on the road. We got there in time but just in time for the start of the service. Bob was able to get some great pictures of Brad. We met him after the service and were able to get more pictures. It took for ever to get out of the parking lot and on to the road. The way home after the service was a little better. It was good to stop for lunch and warm up as well as get down some coffee for the nerves. After a nice dinner that Jacky, Bob's girl friend, made for us, we relaxed and watched TV for awhile. After a nice breakfast with Bob, I headed back home for the good old Ozarks. There were icy patches to watch for, even south of St. Louis. I stopped at every rest stop and walked around a bit, I even went to a sit down restaurant for lunch after filling up the gas tank. I got home before supper and better yet, before dark. It was a great time and I am so glad that Brad invited me to his graduation.
The third week in December bring up "Shop with a Cop". Our Bolivar Police Department and Wal-Mart have worked together for the past eleven years. Our police have many donations from people who give each year for this great program. Last year the Polk County Sheriffs Department joined us and this year we even has some Conservation Officers join in.. For eight years Frank took photographs (I worked for Wal-Mart at that time and helped Susan with this program) and he made booklets for both Wal-Mart and the police. His last two years he was not able to walk around to photograph the children and the officers. Lynn Flick, one of the police chaplains and I did the picture taking and Frank did the booklets. Last year I did a small version of the booklet and I hope to do a better job of it this year. The important thing is that this year 80 children were able to shop with 100 dollars each, to buy whatever they wanted. So many of the children buy for their family members and have to be reminded to get something for themselves too. It is a heart warming time for everyone involved. On this note, I wish Each of You, A Merry Christmas!
The third week in December bring up "Shop with a Cop". Our Bolivar Police Department and Wal-Mart have worked together for the past eleven years. Our police have many donations from people who give each year for this great program. Last year the Polk County Sheriffs Department joined us and this year we even has some Conservation Officers join in.. For eight years Frank took photographs (I worked for Wal-Mart at that time and helped Susan with this program) and he made booklets for both Wal-Mart and the police. His last two years he was not able to walk around to photograph the children and the officers. Lynn Flick, one of the police chaplains and I did the picture taking and Frank did the booklets. Last year I did a small version of the booklet and I hope to do a better job of it this year. The important thing is that this year 80 children were able to shop with 100 dollars each, to buy whatever they wanted. So many of the children buy for their family members and have to be reminded to get something for themselves too. It is a heart warming time for everyone involved. On this note, I wish Each of You, A Merry Christmas!
THE SISTERS
Winter is fast approaching and I want to delay it as long as I can. Nancy and I agreed we could use a short diversion before winter sets in, we decided on a trip offered by Sunshine Tours. It was for five days and headed to warm, sunny, San Antonio, Texas. Nancy has visited the area before but it would be a new experience for me.
We met in Springfield on November 29th and spent the night at the Plaza Hotel so we only had to cross the parking lot in the early morning. Our tour coach departure was for 6AM.
The first day was mostly spent in travel, the first break was in Pryer, Oklahoma at a truck stop. It was said to have the largest McDonald restaurant in the country. It is also the first town in Oklahoma to have electricity and also where Will Rogers was raised. Google is also to come here and will bring 100's of jobs to the area. After a late afternoon break, we ended the day at the Hampton Inn in Waco, Texas.
After a nice courtesy breakfast in a rather pretty lounge of the hotel, we were on the road for San Antonio. We arrived at the Club Plaza for an elegant buffet lunch. At our table, we met a couple from Mountain Home, Arkansas, as well as a nice 91 year old and her daughter, that joined our tour in Joplin. Everyone is friendly and easy to talk with. After this delicious lunch, we traveled to the Tower of Americas. This was built in 1968 for the World's Fair. The elevators to take you to the 750foot high observation deck are on the outside walls so you can see out as you go up to the deck. I was able to get interesting pictures of the San Antonio area from up there as well as pictures of the beautiful water falls around the plaza leading to and from the tower.
We then drove to down town San Antonio and our hotel, The Emily Morgan. It was once a hospital, then offices before becoming a hotel in the 1970's. It is now part of the Hampton Inn Company. We were right across the street from the Alamo and on the other street we faced the courthouse and post office. We were on the 10th floor in a large, comfortable room. We were later told by two different parties sharing the elevator, that our floor is known to be haunted. We did not see any ghosts, but who knows who were the people talking to us or the family that just sat in the chairs near the elevators the second night.
After a freshen up, we wandered over to the Alamo. There was a tour going on so we wandered around the 4.2 acre complex on our own. It is impressive to think that this represents 300 years of Texas history. Built in 1718, then in the 1800's it was under Spanish rule, it is part of the original Mission San Antonio De Valero, built by Spanish Friars to minister to Native Americans. The Battle of Bexar in 1835 and The Texas Revolution, the Battle of the Alamo in 1836. Walking through the area, I was impressed with the wrought iron work you would see on the doors, windows and in the hanging lamps. The trees were another thing that impressed me. Everywhere we went, the Alamo, the River Walk, the parkways and everywhere else, there were large, bent and gnarled trees. I do not know what type they are, possible cotton Woods?
After a great buffet breakfast, we drove to the Hill County" where we toured the ranch of Lyndon B. Johnson, our 36th President, called "The Texas White House' We were met by a National Park Service Guide, he is a very enthusiastic, informative man who loves this history and his job of telling about it. He walked us into "the office", there was a piano, desks, telephones, TV's and a fireplace. We were told LBJ liked the 50's Pop Music and tuned into that all the time. This station now plays hard rock on the LBJ-FM radio station, wouldn't LBJ be surprised?
As we went to the other rooms we were told the three TV's in each room would all be turned on if the president were in the room. He watched the news all the time and the three would be because at that time had ABC, CBS and NBC as the only networks. The dinning room was set up for dinner, because Lady Bird Johnson liked color, the dishes reflected this. The dishes were of Mexican pottery, brightly colored floral design with the center of each depicting an animal. It was not overly fancy for this was their home away from Washington DC. Outside we saw the airstrip and the airplane used to transport the president and his wife. There were also buildings with his cars on display. We visited the home where the president was born as well as the family cemetery on the way out. There were pecan trees around the area as well as long horn cattle, bison and white-tailed deer and a man plowing a nearby field.
We left the ranch and traveled to Fredericksburg, an old town of German and frontier heritage dating back to the 1840's. There were many shops, galleries, boutiques as well as lots of old buildings to see. We ate at a nice outdoor restaurant, hearing how generous there meals are, Nancy and I shared the burger and fries, but each had our own bread pudding dessert before our meal. . After shopping, we all boarded the coach and headed for a trip through the hills to Bandera, "Cowboy Capital of the World:. We went to a ranch for a hay ride, a Texas style Bar-B-Q and a "Roper" for entertainment. The roper, Kevin Fitzpatrich, was a fun, informative man. He knew more trivia about past cowboys and horse and roping history than you can imagine. He is also champion roper. He did all his roping tricks while standing on his horse, Bullwhip. He did the Butterfly, the Rollovers, Wedding Ring, Cowboy Hopscotch, Jump Through's and the Texas Skip. I ended up getting roped as did our guide. Kevin ended by telling a story about his 94 year old father that was there with him. His father was a world champion roper, he was given one of the first gold belt buckles 30 plus years ago to signify his achievement. After many years of the buckle being missing, only a few weeks earlier, a man called from California to inquire about his father. It turns out that someone came into this mans pawn shop with this buckle, the store owner wanted to check it out. A few days later, Father had his belt buckle in hand, the store owner sought him out and mailed it to him. That made us all feel good, what a nice ending to a great day.
Friday morning we were met at the tour coach by a walk-on tour guide. He was interesting, informative and fun. Our first stop was the Town Hall then we walked across to the San Fernando Cathedral that was founded in 1731. It is one of the oldest structures in San Antonio. It marks the original geographic center of the city. The original church is made of adobe and the rest in old rock style. This church is still active with weekly services. It was beautiful inside, a beautiful pipe organ, brightly colored stained glass windows and a beautiful alter. The metal marker is in the church marking the center point of San Antonio, we walked over it to leave. We drove through many old parts of town and learned a lot. We went on to visit the San Jose Mission, this too is still having weekly services. The original walls and building foundations still exist. Parts of the church are being preserved and is in tack. Drove through areas of town and saw one of the oldest and still working mills, makers of White Wing Flour, saw one of the three Air Force Bases in Texas and other things of interest as we drove to the SAS (San Antonio Shoe) Shoe Factory for time to shop.
We got back to the hotel early afternoon and Nancy and I chose to eat at the hotel restaurant. It was the best Italian Pasta meal I have had in years. Nancy actually finished her meal too, so you know it was good. We met some of our traveling group and went together for our barge ride at the River Walk. The young man who captained the barge also gave a very informative history of the river walk, the buildings, etc. Nancy and I walked around the area then drove the street cars around to check out the rest of the town. We returned to the river walk at dark to photograph the beauty of the Christmas lights hanging from the trees and the luminaries that lit the whole River Walk and all the many bridges over the river.
Saturday we started the ride back to Springfield, we drove to Austin and got out at the State Capital for picture taking and a short walk around. Then drove on to Irving for our night stay. We arrive in time for the courtesy buffet they set up for the guests at our hotel.
Sunday we drove into Oklahoma, our first break and I bought coffee and a local newspaper. Another lady and I went into a separate area where gambling machines were set up. We asked how to play the quarter machines, a lady showed us how and on my third spin, i won, Three Dollars, Wow, first time to gamble and I won, I will quit while I am ahead, it was fun. My partner lost two dollars but also had fun. Further down the road we stopped at a community run farm, they offered lessons in weaving, carpentry, home schooled their children and farmed, gardened and did it all. We were all in shock at the prices of all their merchandise, most of us looked but did not buy. On down the road we in the middle and back heard a small bang then another. Then we heard some rumbling. Soon a white car drove up side us then dropped back soon they drove up front and held up a sign that said flat tire. They pulled over and so did Rory, out coach owner/driver. It turns out that they both are coach drivers, deadheading back to their base and noticed one of the inside back tires flat. Our guide called the emergency road number Rory had and they led her to a nearby company that could meet us at our lunch stop to change the tire. When we pulled in for lunch, the tire truck was there. After a nice farewell lunch, we had fun singing the Twelve days of Christmas. Nancy's part was Five Golden Rings, mine was Eight Ladies Dancing. It was a good time for all.
The trip was fun. While down loading the 500 plus pictures I took, it brought back just how much we did see and how much fun it was. I am so glad we went and now I will get through this winter with ease. Marge
We met in Springfield on November 29th and spent the night at the Plaza Hotel so we only had to cross the parking lot in the early morning. Our tour coach departure was for 6AM.
The first day was mostly spent in travel, the first break was in Pryer, Oklahoma at a truck stop. It was said to have the largest McDonald restaurant in the country. It is also the first town in Oklahoma to have electricity and also where Will Rogers was raised. Google is also to come here and will bring 100's of jobs to the area. After a late afternoon break, we ended the day at the Hampton Inn in Waco, Texas.
After a nice courtesy breakfast in a rather pretty lounge of the hotel, we were on the road for San Antonio. We arrived at the Club Plaza for an elegant buffet lunch. At our table, we met a couple from Mountain Home, Arkansas, as well as a nice 91 year old and her daughter, that joined our tour in Joplin. Everyone is friendly and easy to talk with. After this delicious lunch, we traveled to the Tower of Americas. This was built in 1968 for the World's Fair. The elevators to take you to the 750foot high observation deck are on the outside walls so you can see out as you go up to the deck. I was able to get interesting pictures of the San Antonio area from up there as well as pictures of the beautiful water falls around the plaza leading to and from the tower.
We then drove to down town San Antonio and our hotel, The Emily Morgan. It was once a hospital, then offices before becoming a hotel in the 1970's. It is now part of the Hampton Inn Company. We were right across the street from the Alamo and on the other street we faced the courthouse and post office. We were on the 10th floor in a large, comfortable room. We were later told by two different parties sharing the elevator, that our floor is known to be haunted. We did not see any ghosts, but who knows who were the people talking to us or the family that just sat in the chairs near the elevators the second night.
After a freshen up, we wandered over to the Alamo. There was a tour going on so we wandered around the 4.2 acre complex on our own. It is impressive to think that this represents 300 years of Texas history. Built in 1718, then in the 1800's it was under Spanish rule, it is part of the original Mission San Antonio De Valero, built by Spanish Friars to minister to Native Americans. The Battle of Bexar in 1835 and The Texas Revolution, the Battle of the Alamo in 1836. Walking through the area, I was impressed with the wrought iron work you would see on the doors, windows and in the hanging lamps. The trees were another thing that impressed me. Everywhere we went, the Alamo, the River Walk, the parkways and everywhere else, there were large, bent and gnarled trees. I do not know what type they are, possible cotton Woods?
After a great buffet breakfast, we drove to the Hill County" where we toured the ranch of Lyndon B. Johnson, our 36th President, called "The Texas White House' We were met by a National Park Service Guide, he is a very enthusiastic, informative man who loves this history and his job of telling about it. He walked us into "the office", there was a piano, desks, telephones, TV's and a fireplace. We were told LBJ liked the 50's Pop Music and tuned into that all the time. This station now plays hard rock on the LBJ-FM radio station, wouldn't LBJ be surprised?
As we went to the other rooms we were told the three TV's in each room would all be turned on if the president were in the room. He watched the news all the time and the three would be because at that time had ABC, CBS and NBC as the only networks. The dinning room was set up for dinner, because Lady Bird Johnson liked color, the dishes reflected this. The dishes were of Mexican pottery, brightly colored floral design with the center of each depicting an animal. It was not overly fancy for this was their home away from Washington DC. Outside we saw the airstrip and the airplane used to transport the president and his wife. There were also buildings with his cars on display. We visited the home where the president was born as well as the family cemetery on the way out. There were pecan trees around the area as well as long horn cattle, bison and white-tailed deer and a man plowing a nearby field.
We left the ranch and traveled to Fredericksburg, an old town of German and frontier heritage dating back to the 1840's. There were many shops, galleries, boutiques as well as lots of old buildings to see. We ate at a nice outdoor restaurant, hearing how generous there meals are, Nancy and I shared the burger and fries, but each had our own bread pudding dessert before our meal. . After shopping, we all boarded the coach and headed for a trip through the hills to Bandera, "Cowboy Capital of the World:. We went to a ranch for a hay ride, a Texas style Bar-B-Q and a "Roper" for entertainment. The roper, Kevin Fitzpatrich, was a fun, informative man. He knew more trivia about past cowboys and horse and roping history than you can imagine. He is also champion roper. He did all his roping tricks while standing on his horse, Bullwhip. He did the Butterfly, the Rollovers, Wedding Ring, Cowboy Hopscotch, Jump Through's and the Texas Skip. I ended up getting roped as did our guide. Kevin ended by telling a story about his 94 year old father that was there with him. His father was a world champion roper, he was given one of the first gold belt buckles 30 plus years ago to signify his achievement. After many years of the buckle being missing, only a few weeks earlier, a man called from California to inquire about his father. It turns out that someone came into this mans pawn shop with this buckle, the store owner wanted to check it out. A few days later, Father had his belt buckle in hand, the store owner sought him out and mailed it to him. That made us all feel good, what a nice ending to a great day.
Friday morning we were met at the tour coach by a walk-on tour guide. He was interesting, informative and fun. Our first stop was the Town Hall then we walked across to the San Fernando Cathedral that was founded in 1731. It is one of the oldest structures in San Antonio. It marks the original geographic center of the city. The original church is made of adobe and the rest in old rock style. This church is still active with weekly services. It was beautiful inside, a beautiful pipe organ, brightly colored stained glass windows and a beautiful alter. The metal marker is in the church marking the center point of San Antonio, we walked over it to leave. We drove through many old parts of town and learned a lot. We went on to visit the San Jose Mission, this too is still having weekly services. The original walls and building foundations still exist. Parts of the church are being preserved and is in tack. Drove through areas of town and saw one of the oldest and still working mills, makers of White Wing Flour, saw one of the three Air Force Bases in Texas and other things of interest as we drove to the SAS (San Antonio Shoe) Shoe Factory for time to shop.
We got back to the hotel early afternoon and Nancy and I chose to eat at the hotel restaurant. It was the best Italian Pasta meal I have had in years. Nancy actually finished her meal too, so you know it was good. We met some of our traveling group and went together for our barge ride at the River Walk. The young man who captained the barge also gave a very informative history of the river walk, the buildings, etc. Nancy and I walked around the area then drove the street cars around to check out the rest of the town. We returned to the river walk at dark to photograph the beauty of the Christmas lights hanging from the trees and the luminaries that lit the whole River Walk and all the many bridges over the river.
Saturday we started the ride back to Springfield, we drove to Austin and got out at the State Capital for picture taking and a short walk around. Then drove on to Irving for our night stay. We arrive in time for the courtesy buffet they set up for the guests at our hotel.
Sunday we drove into Oklahoma, our first break and I bought coffee and a local newspaper. Another lady and I went into a separate area where gambling machines were set up. We asked how to play the quarter machines, a lady showed us how and on my third spin, i won, Three Dollars, Wow, first time to gamble and I won, I will quit while I am ahead, it was fun. My partner lost two dollars but also had fun. Further down the road we stopped at a community run farm, they offered lessons in weaving, carpentry, home schooled their children and farmed, gardened and did it all. We were all in shock at the prices of all their merchandise, most of us looked but did not buy. On down the road we in the middle and back heard a small bang then another. Then we heard some rumbling. Soon a white car drove up side us then dropped back soon they drove up front and held up a sign that said flat tire. They pulled over and so did Rory, out coach owner/driver. It turns out that they both are coach drivers, deadheading back to their base and noticed one of the inside back tires flat. Our guide called the emergency road number Rory had and they led her to a nearby company that could meet us at our lunch stop to change the tire. When we pulled in for lunch, the tire truck was there. After a nice farewell lunch, we had fun singing the Twelve days of Christmas. Nancy's part was Five Golden Rings, mine was Eight Ladies Dancing. It was a good time for all.
The trip was fun. While down loading the 500 plus pictures I took, it brought back just how much we did see and how much fun it was. I am so glad we went and now I will get through this winter with ease. Marge
Saturday, October 16, 2010
IT CANNOT BE OCTOBER ALL READY!
It started in July, Roy and Kathy came for the 4th of July weekend. We had a good time together and also spent a day visiting Branson. We had not gone to Branson in about 5 years, we had just driven through a few times. We went down under the Route 65 bridge that goes over the river. We took pictures of the old bridge which is being replaced with a newer, wider one. While there we also took pictures of the old railroad trestle then a train came through to make it even better. We later walked up to the new shopping center that runs along the river. We then went to the old train depot and got tickets to ride the old train that takes you a few miles into Arkansas. We didn't get to sit up in the observation seats so we did not get to see much more than trees and leaves. Keep this in mind if you ever take this trip, be the first 50 or you won't get seats on top. It was still a lot of fun. We then walked up to the old original business part of Branson and went to the famous Dick's 5 & 10 store. It is a store filled with a little bit of everything and anything you might ever need. Back to the shipping center and time to eat supper, we choose the newly opened Chicago Pizza Place. We then stopped at the river to watch the water and fire show that goes every hour on the hour while the National Anthem plays. This time of night there is more to the water and fire and lots of music, it was spectacular. Kathy was able to get some beautiful pictures of this unusual display.
On the 17th of July, I met Bob in Alton, Illinois at the Alton Marina. Today Beth was having a book signing and Child's fun day. The marina is so pretty and many of the boat owners came by with their children to color pictures, blow bubbles, have cake and hopefully have the parents buy a book. Bob and I were to have met a week earlier to surprise Beth at an art show in St. Louis. Beth was having some of her art work shown in the gallery. As it turned out, Bob had an apartment fire the night before and was out buying clothes and getting a motel for temporary living. Bob and I went off later in the afternoon with our cameras in hand and got some nice pictures of the marina area and the beautiful bridge that takes you into St. Louis. We were also enjoying spending time with Brad that day as well as at dinner that night. That evening we all went out for dinner and then on Sunday, we shopped with Beth and the boys after having a lunch at a local restaurant. That evening after a pizza party at Beth's apartment complex we had fun playing with the boys in the park that is across the road. The boys are growing fast and I wish I were closer and could spend more time with them.
On the 23rd of July, I met Roy and Kathy at a beautiful hotel in Peoria, (just like the one Nancy and I stayed overnight at in Springfield, Missouri). We walked the river walk to a local restaurant for dinner than walked back to the hotel. Saturday we went to the Princeville Historical Museum and met Uncle Roy Mueller, cousin Charles and his son Jason, Bob, Beth and the boys. We had a good day checking out the old school, old farm equipment, the fire department demonstration and all the activities going on. That night we were all guests of Uncle Roy Mueller at a dinner and lots of fun talk. Sunday morning found Kathy, Roy and me walking a nature trail and checking out the birds, with cameras in hand. We had our morning walk so we were now ready to leave and head out on our own directions home.
Next thing I know is, it is August, that means it is reunion time. I had been working on the Thatcher Family News but knew I had to finish that up. Roy and I had been busy keeping the grass mowed, the animals cared for and some new fencing electrified, a gate installed to keep the horses in their field and generally having all in good shape. I started cooking up the reunion stand-bys, Farmers Beans, Taco Soup, getting the beets pickled, the onions pickled and buying brats, hamburgers and what ever else we might need. What a good time to see everyone again. It was great we can all get together, tell stories, sing along and just have fun, time seems to slip by so fast.
Nancy and I met in Branson for an OWLS meeting, they had good speakers and it was a nice day getting together. I was sorry that Doris did not get to join us for lunch. It is the only time we get together in the past year or so.
I signed up and took a CCW course so I am now qualified to carry a concealed weapon. I don't know what good it is when I travel to Illinois or Wisconsin, for these states do not have or honor conceal & carry weapon laws. This is the area where I would be traveling alone most of the time. I do feel good about knowing I know how to handle and shoot a pistol, I had never touched one until that day.
September and I am packed and ready for a trip to Florida and Disney. Roy and Kathy made all the arrangements but I still had to fly alone, not only that but transfer in Atlanta, GA to another flight to Orlando, FL. I did ok for I met Roy and Kathy as I got off the plane and entered the baggage area. We had a great nine days. We stayed in a Tree House, it had three bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, a dinning room, front room and two large bathrooms. It could sleep 10 people if a family rented it. There was extra bedding in one closet, the couch could sleep two, the two chairs slept one each, and there were bunk beds in the third bedroom. The first day we checked in and went to Magic Kingdom, had a great dinner and saw the parade and fireworks. The second day we went to another park in the morning and were off to another park when I missed the step getting onto the bus and down I went. I cut my leg but thought nothing of it for I cut and bruise easily. Kathy saw that the leg needed attention so we headed back to the tree house while Roy went for first aid supplies. What a dumb thing to do, but it didn't keep us from going every day to something new as well as repeat areas we really enjoyed. The nine days went fast and it was time for the return trip. We left and at the airport, Roy explained what area was my security check-in and what uni-rail to take to get to my terminal. They left for their plane and I people watched for awhile. I then went through security and put on my shoes, picked up my purse and bag, and followed the crowd for the uni-rail. After getting off, I realized I was in the wrong place, back on the uni-rail to the terminal and then I saw the place that Roy said I was to go. When I reached the Nashville, TN airport, to transfer to Springfield, MO, I had to almost run the length of the concourse, turn right and all the way down to the last boarding spot. Two men were standing there, I asked if it was loading 1st class at this time, they said everyone is loading, go ahead. I got on and the two men came behind me and the door was closed. That sure was close, I would not have liked staying overnight. It was a fun time and I am so glad Roy and Kathy included me in their vacation. I am also happy to know that I am able to get around by myself, so I took a few scenic routes, I made it!
At the farm, Roy and I have spent some time trying to get some of the equipment to work, we did get one field of hay in, the rest of it is still in the field. Roy did get the sickle bar working on the tractor, we got it lined up and attached to the tractor and he cut a few rows and it looked good. We trimmed trees, bushes and put up part of the corral that he and Carol took down a few weeks ago. He needed to brush hot around that area and get it ready so he can ship off some of the young bulls. Roy's friend, Verle, finished putting up the corral and he will get the bulls in there and load them up for market.
I have started digging up some gardens so I can let them go to grass, it is too hard to keep the flower gardens nice as well as keep up with the grass and house. I may not get it done this fall, but I am working on it.
Last Saturday I went to Mt Vernon, MO to the Apple Butter Days. This is one of the largest celebrations in the area. Frank and I went to many of the different fairs, even this one years ago, but I don't remember any being so big. There had to be hundreds of crafters and food booths all over town. I did buy three jars of apple butter for the three ladies at work. It was about 12 or 13 blocks to my car and I did that trip twice, once when I got there and another to put the jars of apple butter and my top shirt in the car, then to leave about three hours later. I got home fixed a sandwich, put my feet up and read a book for the rest of the afternoon. So there we are, into OCTOBER ALL READY! Hope you are all busy and enjoying the fall weather
On the 17th of July, I met Bob in Alton, Illinois at the Alton Marina. Today Beth was having a book signing and Child's fun day. The marina is so pretty and many of the boat owners came by with their children to color pictures, blow bubbles, have cake and hopefully have the parents buy a book. Bob and I were to have met a week earlier to surprise Beth at an art show in St. Louis. Beth was having some of her art work shown in the gallery. As it turned out, Bob had an apartment fire the night before and was out buying clothes and getting a motel for temporary living. Bob and I went off later in the afternoon with our cameras in hand and got some nice pictures of the marina area and the beautiful bridge that takes you into St. Louis. We were also enjoying spending time with Brad that day as well as at dinner that night. That evening we all went out for dinner and then on Sunday, we shopped with Beth and the boys after having a lunch at a local restaurant. That evening after a pizza party at Beth's apartment complex we had fun playing with the boys in the park that is across the road. The boys are growing fast and I wish I were closer and could spend more time with them.
On the 23rd of July, I met Roy and Kathy at a beautiful hotel in Peoria, (just like the one Nancy and I stayed overnight at in Springfield, Missouri). We walked the river walk to a local restaurant for dinner than walked back to the hotel. Saturday we went to the Princeville Historical Museum and met Uncle Roy Mueller, cousin Charles and his son Jason, Bob, Beth and the boys. We had a good day checking out the old school, old farm equipment, the fire department demonstration and all the activities going on. That night we were all guests of Uncle Roy Mueller at a dinner and lots of fun talk. Sunday morning found Kathy, Roy and me walking a nature trail and checking out the birds, with cameras in hand. We had our morning walk so we were now ready to leave and head out on our own directions home.
Next thing I know is, it is August, that means it is reunion time. I had been working on the Thatcher Family News but knew I had to finish that up. Roy and I had been busy keeping the grass mowed, the animals cared for and some new fencing electrified, a gate installed to keep the horses in their field and generally having all in good shape. I started cooking up the reunion stand-bys, Farmers Beans, Taco Soup, getting the beets pickled, the onions pickled and buying brats, hamburgers and what ever else we might need. What a good time to see everyone again. It was great we can all get together, tell stories, sing along and just have fun, time seems to slip by so fast.
Nancy and I met in Branson for an OWLS meeting, they had good speakers and it was a nice day getting together. I was sorry that Doris did not get to join us for lunch. It is the only time we get together in the past year or so.
I signed up and took a CCW course so I am now qualified to carry a concealed weapon. I don't know what good it is when I travel to Illinois or Wisconsin, for these states do not have or honor conceal & carry weapon laws. This is the area where I would be traveling alone most of the time. I do feel good about knowing I know how to handle and shoot a pistol, I had never touched one until that day.
September and I am packed and ready for a trip to Florida and Disney. Roy and Kathy made all the arrangements but I still had to fly alone, not only that but transfer in Atlanta, GA to another flight to Orlando, FL. I did ok for I met Roy and Kathy as I got off the plane and entered the baggage area. We had a great nine days. We stayed in a Tree House, it had three bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, a dinning room, front room and two large bathrooms. It could sleep 10 people if a family rented it. There was extra bedding in one closet, the couch could sleep two, the two chairs slept one each, and there were bunk beds in the third bedroom. The first day we checked in and went to Magic Kingdom, had a great dinner and saw the parade and fireworks. The second day we went to another park in the morning and were off to another park when I missed the step getting onto the bus and down I went. I cut my leg but thought nothing of it for I cut and bruise easily. Kathy saw that the leg needed attention so we headed back to the tree house while Roy went for first aid supplies. What a dumb thing to do, but it didn't keep us from going every day to something new as well as repeat areas we really enjoyed. The nine days went fast and it was time for the return trip. We left and at the airport, Roy explained what area was my security check-in and what uni-rail to take to get to my terminal. They left for their plane and I people watched for awhile. I then went through security and put on my shoes, picked up my purse and bag, and followed the crowd for the uni-rail. After getting off, I realized I was in the wrong place, back on the uni-rail to the terminal and then I saw the place that Roy said I was to go. When I reached the Nashville, TN airport, to transfer to Springfield, MO, I had to almost run the length of the concourse, turn right and all the way down to the last boarding spot. Two men were standing there, I asked if it was loading 1st class at this time, they said everyone is loading, go ahead. I got on and the two men came behind me and the door was closed. That sure was close, I would not have liked staying overnight. It was a fun time and I am so glad Roy and Kathy included me in their vacation. I am also happy to know that I am able to get around by myself, so I took a few scenic routes, I made it!
At the farm, Roy and I have spent some time trying to get some of the equipment to work, we did get one field of hay in, the rest of it is still in the field. Roy did get the sickle bar working on the tractor, we got it lined up and attached to the tractor and he cut a few rows and it looked good. We trimmed trees, bushes and put up part of the corral that he and Carol took down a few weeks ago. He needed to brush hot around that area and get it ready so he can ship off some of the young bulls. Roy's friend, Verle, finished putting up the corral and he will get the bulls in there and load them up for market.
I have started digging up some gardens so I can let them go to grass, it is too hard to keep the flower gardens nice as well as keep up with the grass and house. I may not get it done this fall, but I am working on it.
Last Saturday I went to Mt Vernon, MO to the Apple Butter Days. This is one of the largest celebrations in the area. Frank and I went to many of the different fairs, even this one years ago, but I don't remember any being so big. There had to be hundreds of crafters and food booths all over town. I did buy three jars of apple butter for the three ladies at work. It was about 12 or 13 blocks to my car and I did that trip twice, once when I got there and another to put the jars of apple butter and my top shirt in the car, then to leave about three hours later. I got home fixed a sandwich, put my feet up and read a book for the rest of the afternoon. So there we are, into OCTOBER ALL READY! Hope you are all busy and enjoying the fall weather
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