sisters (with horns)

2007.  The beach.  Two sisters.  We've always been close.  We have a lot of fun together.  We would do anything for each other.  We respect each other.  So, I'm wondering, why did she carefully pose me in the picture below so that the moose horns from the wall plaque at the local Moose Lodge look like they are springing out of my head?  SUSAN!!!!!  re-re-re-re-spect...just a little bit

fried chicken

Back in the fifties we did a lot of camping out in the ol' Higgins tent trailer.  This mode of camping is aptly named (for us, anyway) because it fits right between our tenting days and our trailering days.  We camped in the state parks around Minnesota but also did some long distance traveling with the station wagon pulling the tent trailer.  We traveled east to the nation's capitol and then went south through Virginia and into Tennessee and Kentucky.  There were no modern interstates then.  We drove on state highways and county roads.  Every night we slept in the Higgins and every day we went sightseeing and had our share of fun.  I will never forget a request my mother made while we were in Kentucky.  She had heard about this restaurant that served a special fried chicken and she  really wanted to try it.  Let's say, she was determined to try it.  My Dad obliged and located the restaurant.  He bought a sizable quantity of chicken for us to eat for supper.  Boy, were we happy.  The spices, the coating, the tender meat...oh, yes!  And the biscuits...oh my word.  Just heavenly.  Fast forward thirty years or so.  I was living in Vicksburg.  Whenever I treated my family to this special chicken, I always brought home an extra order of biscuits.  My oldest son couldn't get enough of them.  Buttery tops and goodness within!!  Lick your fingers.  It's all good.  Thanks Mom for pointing us in the right direction.  The quest rolls on.

the big hat

My Dad and I had a favorite restaurant in our town and they served up the best Mexican cuisine in the area or so I think.  When it is your birthday they bring out the big sombrero for the birthday guest to wear while the mariachi band serenades.  Kind of embarrassing and kind of sweet at the same time.  This picture was taken in January fourteen years ago.  Oh, wow, 2004.  It looks like I'm still rockin' the same hairstyle.  Still hanging out in restaurants, too.  Aclamaciones!!

the gardens

The gardens at Versailles.  That's what is in the background.  But look at those hot chicks posing on the balcony.  The year is 2013 and my sister and I are having a great time in Paris.  A day trip brought us to Versailles.  We toured the palace...oh, my!!!  Such opulence.  Such beauty.  Such everything.  But, this is about us.  Two sisters being together and having a lot of fun.  p.s. By the way, it was so hot that day that we spent a fair amount of time cooling off at a cafe, eating some lunch and doing a lot of people watching.  Viva la France.

the giant pool

Here we are...swimming around in a giant pool somewhere in San Francisco.  The year is 1958.  Growing up in Minnesota we not only appreciated living near so many lakes, we used them for all kinds of recreation.  Our favorite was just a good old fashioned dunk in the lake.  When we travelled with our parents on longer road trips my parents realized the need for us kids to have some play time mixed in with all the sightseeing.  Swimming was a great way for us to release some energy.  So, here we are in the pool.  Oh, wait, there's one missing.  That would be Susan.  She had to sit out this session because she was suffering from an earache.  Mom said no.  So she had to sit and watch as the rest of us enjoyed the water.  Oh, but she got her revenge later.  (Please read The Red Scarf entry below)  Water.  Life sustaining.  Always.

the red scarf

On our road trip up to Northern California back in 1958 we stopped in San Francisco to do some sightseeing.  Even though it was summer we found that the temperatures were cooler than the warmth we had been experiencing in the southern part of the state.  Thus, we were dressed in sweaters and jackets.  There is a story associated with my sister's red scarf.  She had been experiencing ear aches and our mom insisted that Susan cover her ears with the scarf for protection.  Everywhere we went she had to wear the scarf.  Finally (by way of a silent protest) the scarf "accidentally" got left behind in a restroom somewhere along the way.  The "I don't know." answer to the "Where is your scarf?" question came up but the missing scarf was never found even after a thorough search.  We moved on to our next location sans scarf.  Susan never said a thing...but she knew.  Years later she told me all about it.  She took a stand.  So, here's to my little sister--protester, activist, change maker.  Love ya.

the rolling couch

Here is a picture my Mom took of her family in the 1950's.  I was about seven years old.  This was taken in the Brookside parsonage.  It probably is Sunday and we are all dressed up.  I think we all look very nice.  A note about that couch...that was our rolling couch.  Let me explain.  My oldest brother was ten years old when he became eligible to babysit us when Mom and Dad went out in the evening.  Well, when the parents were away, us kids (meaning me) would have some fun rolling off of the couch.  I would start at the very top of the couch and stretch out full length.  Then I would roll off the top onto the seating section and then roll some more until I was able to roll off the couch on to the floor.  Once there, I would wait my turn and then climb back onto the top of the couch and start over again.  What fun I had.  It was like being at an amusement park.  I was the instigator, I know.  I was always thinking up something dumb to do and then I would drag others into it.  It was just fun, I tell you.  And, I look so sweet in this picture.  Don't let the face fool you.  My brain was always ticking and I can't say it was pretty.  I was always thinking of the next adventure.  Pretty dumb, yes, but does that count?  Fun rules.

D day

When I was ten years old my family made a road trip out west.  We rumbled down the road in a Chevy station wagon (five kids stuffed in the back!) and the car pulled an Airstream trailer.  This was our first big voyage with the Airstream and we had a grand time.  We visited many national parks along the way and saw things I had only seen in books or in the National Geographic magazine.  The picture above was taken at Disneyland.  This visit was a treat for us because we had seen the opening of the park on TV and we were very excited to be here.  We never missed an episode of the Mickey Mouse Club, either.  Back in the day the park was open to the public for free.  Packets of tickets for the rides were sold at ticket booths throughout the park and Dad bought a couple of packets for us to use.  I remember the older boys rode on the mini car rides and my younger brother, sister and I rode on other rides.  There were height restrictions for the rides that had to be considered, as well.  This was how the tickets were divided up.  We all enjoyed the various shows.  I remember my Mom liked the singing bird show.  When the tickets were all gone, we left the park.  Mom bought my sister and me these hats while we were there.  They came in handy on the rest of the trip as they shielded our Minnesota heads from the very warm California sun.  Look at the price of this ride.  10 cents.  Wow!  But, when you consider our family had seven people in it, the prices for the rides really added up.  Thus, there was a two packet limit and, all in all, we had a super great day.

Jeannie fat legs

Not much to say here.  Look at that chubby little thing and her two skinny brothers.  I was one and a half years old and my brothers were three and five.  Excuses, excuses.  I know.

the artists

My brother and I were working on art projects in the basement of our house on Alabama Avenue.  He was carving a wooden figure and I was sketching.  He was a senior in high school and I was a freshman in college.  Look how intense we were.  I still have several pieces from my college art portfolio  and I have some of Steve's work, too.  Creating artworks together.  Good times.

Fitch's Resort

This photo reminds me of a fun summer vacation back in the 1950's when I was about six years old.  My dad was a minister.  He had a large congregation filled with people from many different professions.  Dr. Fitch was a veterinarian in our community but he also owned some property up on the North Shore along Lake Superior.  He and his wife operated Fitch's Resort.  Dr. Fitch invited our family to come up to the resort for a couple of weeks for a vacation.  The resort consisted of their summer home and several cabins spread out on a rock cliff overlooking the lake.  You could see Split Rock lighthouse from the windows on the porch and you could hear the fog horn throughout the night.  During the days we climbed on the rocks and made our way down to the rocky shore.  We searched for agates and waded in the water.  The water was cold but we worked up enough courage to get in the water and swim.  It was not easy to enter the water (or escape) because the ground was covered with gravel-y rocks and it was hard on the feet.  Another thing we liked to do was pick blueberries along the lane that lead to the cabins.  We would take small pails with us and try to get as many berries as we could.  We ate a bunch, too.  Then we would bring the berries back to the cabin and mom would clean them up for eating with cereal or in a pie.  We also visited with Mrs. Fitch who always had lollipops waiting for us.  Nighttime was different.  When the sun went down everything became magical.  The fireflies turned on their flashing tails and we ran around chasing them.  We played hide and seek and made wolf calls to the moon.  It was wonderful.  Closer to bedtime we were called into the cabin and we sat around the big table and played board games or worked on jigsaw puzzles.  Then it was off to bed.  One thing I remember about this vacation was that each one of us kids got the twenty four hour bug that caused us to be somewhat sick...but only at night.  What I mean is that there was a lot of throwing up at night and my poor mom mainly dealt with it.  This went on for several nights since we didn't all get sick at the same time.  My sister and I shared a bed and I remember throwing up in bed right on my sisters back.  That was a sloppy mess and why do I even remember this at all.  It's because of what happened next, I guess.  After the bed was cleaned up (and my sister, too) and the lights were turned off, my mother took me out onto the porch and we sat in the rocker and just looked out over Lake Superior as the moonlight danced on the water.  We watched the light from Split Rock flashing as it circled above the water.  The fog horn was sounding.  I asked my mom a few questions, we talked quietly and then we just sat in silence and rocked.  I will never forget that night.  I think back now and then to those moments when my mom and I were sitting there, together, slowly rocking in the dark.   This memory brings me much comfort.   It was a wonderful summer at Fitch's.

two boys and a little girl

Here is a picture of me and my two older brothers sitting on the back step of the parsonage on Brookside Avenue.  I was only a few months old and my brothers were two and four years old.  As I look at this picture now I am taking notice of the jumpsuits my brothers were wearing.  The detailing is great.  The collars have a contrasting piped finish and there are button closures in the front and a belted waist.  I, of course, am wearing a cute little dress.  Look at those full size cheeks on my face. I have seen those cheeks come and go many time over the years. How cute are we!  Oh, look at the sun shining in my eyes in the picture below.  I wanted to capture the beautiful flowers in the background.  Sun blast was a bonus.  Ouch.

five kids on a stump

How in the world did we all get on top of the tree stump without knocking each other off?  What a great idea for a picture.  We were at a trailer rally get-together (I can tell by the Wally Byum hat my brother is wearing) and we were just having some fun.  I was about ten years old at this time.  My family did a lot of camping/trailering all over the country.  This appears to be an early Spring rally.  By the way, the beanie baby I am holding in the picture below has a birthdate of January 14, 2000 and is named Halo II.  It was given to me on a past birthday by my friend, Linda.  Hi! Linda!!

ten years

Ten years ago I was standing on a beach in Venice, Florida near my home.  Life was very different for me then.  I had an active life.  I did a lot of yard work (including mowing the lawn) and I looked after my father.  After he passed away in 2008 I continued to stay busy and added some volunteer work to my schedule.  An amazing offer came my way in 2014 and I sold my house, downsized my "stuff" into storage and hit the road.  I have been traveling ever since and I love it.  I drive wherever I want to and I have done a lot of sightseeing, especially in the National Parks.  I have been able to visit with family and friends and I have been able to help out with the grandkids that have arrived in the last seven years.  I haven't found the place where I would like to settle next but, then again, I haven't looked either.  I have always felt like I was born with Spring Fever in my blood.  I'm sort of restless.  I'm curious about what's around the corner.  That curiosity keeps me going.  I don't know where this journey will take me but look where I've been.  And, this is just a ten year slice of my life.

hanging with my cousins

Here's the five of us with three of our cousins.  Plaid cowboy shirts seem to be the theme for the boys clothes.  For the girls...it's dresses.  Visiting, back in the day, was a special occasion.  What a cute bunch we are.  We clean up well.

my orange shoes

Here we are in the Spring of 1967.  I am nineteen years old and my sister is seventeen.  My sister and I are all dressed up and it is probably Sunday.  Tent dresses were popular at this time.  Look at my shoes.  They are orange and they match my dress.  I really liked these shoes.  Since I couldn't get them at Dayton's in downtown Minneapolis (they didn't have my size), I took the bus to downtown St. Paul in order to get them.  That involved several bus transfers but I really wanted these orange shoes with the quilted pattern on top and I was up for the journey.  I think my sister and I look really nice.  Look at our hair styles.  Perfection.

the next day

It's the day after and I'm still celebrating.  Look at that little girl in the picture happily opening her present  and then look at me wishing this "decorative" ice cream soda was real.  A girl can dream, can't she.  Good times...always.

seven times ten

Look at that cute little seven year old celebrating her birthday with her family.  Oh, wow, that's me in the picture and I guess that makes me the birthday girl.  And, today, sixty three years later, I am still celebrating.  I am celebrating a good life well lived.  I have people that love me and I have people that I love.  All is good.  Do you see the pretty dress I am wearing?  It was one of my favorites.  My mom ordered it for me out of either the Sears Roebuck or the Montgomery Ward catalog.  Both catalogs were popular in my house.  I wore it in the first grade.  Happy memories.  Happy day!

the day before

Today is the day before the BIG day.  Tomorrow is my birthday.  I will be seventy years old.  So, here is something to remind me that I, too, used to be a young girl.  I was about six in this picture.  Look at that cake!  Look at me looking at that cake!  We spend so much of our lives as adults.  It's nice to remember a day when I was young.

my 13th birthday

Here I am on my thirteenth birthday.  My mom made my birthday cake.  My goodness, how young I look and at the same time I look so grown up.  My hair is nicely styled and I am wearing one of my favorite skirts.  My mom made my skirt, too.  I remember these shoes...loved them.  This is the living room in the parsonage on Alabama Avenue.  It's my special day.

shared birthdays

My grandmother, Agnes, and I were both born in January.  Our birthdays were three days apart and we would quite often share a birthday dinner celebration complete with cake and ice cream.  I was about fourteen when this picture was taken and my grandmother was in her early seventies.  Agnes was born on January 11, 1890 in Henning, Minnesota to Norwegian immigrants.  She she grew up to become a ministers wife and moved about the state living in many different parsonages.  Her last home was located very close to our house in St. Louis Park.  She never drove a car and my dad made sure she was driven to the grocery store and she was in church every Sunday.  In her retirement years she became a baby sitter to many children in the area.  It was a good way for her to stay active and earn a living.  She was given the title of "grandmother to hundreds" in her obituary.  She passed away in 1966.  Here's to us, grandma.  Now let's blow out those candles...together.  

15 out of 16

This is a picture of my grandmother with fifteen of her sixteen grandchildren.  There are ten boys and five girls in this group along with our grandmother (dad's mom).  Another boy joined the group a couple of years later.  Grandma raised four children of her own and was blessed with all of these little rascals.  She loved every single one of us.  Here's to grandmothers.  Cheers!

dressed up tourist

My family took some long car trips during the summer when I was young.  We camped along the way.  First it was tenting and then it became tent-trailering with a Higgins tent trailer.  In the late 1950's we took our road trips pulling an Airstream.  What a luxury!  One summer we ventured through the mid-Atlantic states.  We toured the nations Capitol and President George Washington's home at Mt. Vernon.  We then travelled down into Virginia to see the restored village of colonial Williamsburg.  So, here's the thing.  Even though we were campers and had our fair share of play clothes along for roughing it, we also had our visiting (or tourist) attire that gave no hint to the public that we had all just slept, dressed and ate in a trailer parked in a nearby campground.  When each of us was dressed and ready to go, we waited outside, seated at the picnic table next to the trailer.  When we were all ready, we jumped in the family station wagon and went out to "see stuff". My mom liked to see us clean, dressed and looking proper.  My sister and I wore dresses and the boys cleaned up nicely, too.  That was the way it was.  Mom's decision.  And, I thank her for it.  It set a pattern for me later in life to always try to look my best and dress for the occasion.  Thanks Mom for all your hard work and determination.  You taught by example.  The lessons were learned.

school dances

I was twelve years old when this picture was taken.  I was dressed up and ready to go to my first school dance.  It was during the seventh grade and it was a night time dance.  How exciting is that?  My first big dance and it was held at night.  My mom made my dress (it's a beauty!) and I wore my first pair of heels...red, of course.  (It is my belief that every woman should have a pair of red shoes in their closet.  Power shoes!  Or, maybe, just to kick some butt.)  The boys lined one side of the gymnasium's wall and the girls stood against the other wall.  The girls were waiting to be asked to dance and the guys were avoiding us.  Mostly, girls danced with girls.  We all were waiting for the Ladies Choice dance.  I remember basically stalking my prey (I mean "that cute guy") and just when they announced the Ladies Choice dance, I moved in his direction and he quickly ran for the door.  He had been watching me watch him.  My cover was blown.  No spy-of-the-year award for me.  I was embarrassed but shrugged it off as I-didn't-want-to-dance-with-you-anyway, so there!!  That's the way it was done back then.  Nobody came as a couple...hey, it's only seventh grade!  But, a girl can dream, can't she.  I don't remember being asked to dance at all that night.  I do know that the girl's bathroom right next to the gym was a-buzz with gossip about the cute boys that were there and who was dancing with whom.  I hung out with my friends and had a good time anyway.  I remember saying that very thing to my father when he came to pick me up when the dance was over.  I remember my mom asking if I did dance with a boy and I had to say no.  But next time, maybe.  You know, I'm wondering about something.  Did the teachers who were chaperones that night have a good time, too?

another look at those dresses

As I have reported, our mother liked to dress us nicely.  Here is a picture of my sister and me showing off our pretty dresses.  We are standing in the living room of the parsonage on Brookside Avenue.  How cute are we??  hmmm...my socks are uneven.