logan pass

I believe this picture was taken during the summer of 1958 while our family was returning from our western tour road trip.  We were crossing the continental divide in Montana while driving on the going-to-the-sun road in Glacier National Park.  The elevation is over six thousand feet at this point.  Today I am standing on the bank of the Columbia River in Oregon.  Washington is on the other side of the river and the Bridge of the Gods links these two states.  Beauty in nature.

high school band

Here's a very nice picture of my brothers, Duane and Keith, all decked out in their high school marching band uniforms.  Very spiffy.  All three of my brothers played musical instruments and were members of the band.  My sister and I sang in the high school choir.  I thought it was a lot of fun, too, especially when we went on choir trips or sang at the mall at Christmastime.  That is about as musical as I get.  No solos here.

Auntie and Uncle Ed

Let's talk a bit about Auntie and Uncle Ed.  These two people are my grandparents on my mother's side of the family.  They didn't give birth to my mother but they helped raise her.  My mother and her siblings came to live with the Ehri's when Mom was eight years old.  I have always thought of Auntie and Uncle Ed as my grandparents.  Auntie grew up on a farm in the Benson, Minnesota area.  She came from a large Norwegian American family with the surname Iverson.  Auntie (Anna) eventually moved to Minneapolis and married Ed Ehri.  Uncle Ed worked for Pillsbury flour mills.  They established a home in south Minneapolis and planted a huge garden in the lot they owned next door to their house.  The growing season yielded an excellent crop of vegetables and in the Fall the canned produce filled the shelves in the basement storage room.  Auntie married later in life and never had children of her own.  She became a parent while she was in her mid forties.  She and Ed provided a home for Mom and the others and did her best to provide for them during the depression years.  As a family my parents brought us kids over to Auntie and Uncle Ed's house quite often for dinner and visiting.  Just walking into their house was a treat because the smell of freshly baked yeast rolls filled the air.  Oh, those rolls!!  I can still remember the smell of those rolls.  I dwell on the happy memories I have of Auntie and Uncle Ed.  The time spent with them passed quickly.  Uncle Ed was gone by the time I turned ten and Auntie passed away when I was eighteen.  The house with the big garden was sold and I rarely ventured over to their old neighborhood in south Minneapolis.  But, I remember those early days with Auntie and Uncle Ed well and I give thanks to these people who helped raise my mother and became grandparents to all us kids.

about friends

I read once that a person can generally count the number of their true friends on one hand.  All the rest are acquaintances.  People pass in and out of our lives constantly but there are a few people we latch on to that stay with us for the journey.  My first friend was, and is, my sister Susan.  I've always known her ( I'm one year older) and I can't think of a time when I haven't been able to talk over life's barrage of silly stuff with her.  We don't judge each other.  We do respect each other.  And when need be, we hold each other up.  Linda is my Beatle friend.  We met one day while walking home from  high school during the dead of a Minnesota winter.  We started talking about our favorite singing group and have kept that conversation (and a lot of others) going for over fifty years now.  Each time we see each other we just pick up the conversation right where we left off.  Tricia and I met through our sons who became best buddies in grade school.  Our common link was raising kids.  The kids grew up just fine and then we faced the fact that we were aging.  Well, there's not much one can do about that!! We helped each other through some very sad times.  We've had some good laughs along the way, too.  That's the way it has been for us during the last thirty five years.  Anyway,  these three ladies are my top three picks for true friends.  I have plenty of acquaintances to hang out with but Susan, Linda and Tricia have true friend status in my heart.  

susan's college graduation

Let me tell you something about ny sister Susan.  She never gives up and she doesn't let anyone with a contrary opinion stop her.  She's that tough.  Here she is as a college graduate.  Take that Mr. High School Counselor who said that college was not for her.  She thrived and she succeeded.  And then she earned her master's degree and then she earned her specialist's degree.  Take that!!  Well.....  Congratulations to Susan...the best sister anyone could wish for.  Who looks up to you??  I do!!!  While I was off in la-la land working in the arts, you were working to mold the minds of countless students who were lucky enough to have you for a teacher.  Hat's off to you, superstar!!  I'm your fan for life.  Can I have your autograph?  Can I claim you as my cool sister?  Can I just give you one big cuddle-y forever hug?  You are AMAZING!!!

north carolina trip

Back to our group photos of our family on a 1950's summer road trip.  I believe the year is 1955 and were are taking our east coast tour.  Here we are in North Carolina.  We were still using the Higgins tent trailer.  We camped along the way in the many state parks available to us.  And, we saw a lot.  Every tourist attraction was at our disposal.  I like the outdoors hiking and picnicking the best.  It was fun just to explore the campgrounds.  Still looking for outdoor adventure I visited Multnomah Falls yesterday.  (So did a lot of other people!)  The upper bridge offers a spectacular view of the falls but unfortunately it was closed for repairs.  The wildfires last autumn caused a lot of damage in the area and the eroding mountainside was giving way to falling rocks.  Very disappointing but understandable.  Next time!!

Susan and Steven are going to a dance

I think this picture is absolutely adorable.  My brother and sister are getting ready to go to a dance at the junior high school.  I know that my mother made Susan's dress.  It was made from a beautiful black satin brocade fabric.  Susan and Steven look so nice and their pose is spot on.  Have fun at the dance.

Mom and Jeremy

Here is a picture (taken during the summer of 1977) of my youngest son being cradled by his grandmother (my mother).  Jeremy was three months old at this time and my parents drove out to Pennsylvania to visit us and to participate in Jeremy's baptism.  I think this is a very sweet picture of my mom and her grandson.  As I look back on these family photos I can see how much Jeremy resembles his own baby daughter, Evelyn, at that very age.  Evelyn was my mother's middle name and her great granddaughter is named in honor of her.  Here she is holding, as this picture shows, the future father of her namesake.  The circle of life continues to roll through time--great grandmothers to grandmothers to parents to children.  What leaves always comes back.  That's comforting to know.

cuddle bugs

Here I am at the age of twenty six.  And, look how happy that little boy is!!  Jason was about nine months old at the time this picture was taken.  Big smiles all around, I'd say.  Tooth-y grins.  Wide open foreheads.  It's a genetic thing.  Cuddling with a baby is the best.

a moment in time

My sons were eight and eleven years old in this picture.  They were posing with their grandpa, Ben, in front of the Airstream trailer--good 'ol 2268.  What a fine looking group this was!!  I believe this picture was taken in Vicksburg when Mom and Dad were on a road trip and trailer rally in the South. They were parked at a local campsite and we brought them to church with us on this particular Sunday.  There are a couple of things to note about this picture.   The car my Dad was driving at the time was a Lincoln Town Car.  (Pretty daring for a confirmed Chevy man!)  He had secretly wanted one for a long time and he was finally able to get a good deal on a used model in great condition.  (After a few years he returned to his "Chevy Man" persona)  Also, take notice of the pants and shirts my sons are wearing.  I call these combos "the Sunday uniform".  Every boy (young and old) wore either a white shirt and tan pants OR a light blue shirt and navy pants for dress up occasions--like going to church.  Actually the shirts and pants were interchangeable and so two garments became four outfits.  (repeat every month)  The long sleeved version of this shirt replaced the short sleeves during the winter months.  Wearing a belt was mandatory.  hohoho  My memory bank is overflowing with this kind of stuff.  Good times.

time flies

And here they are again...twenty plus years later.  Dad and two of his grandsons are enjoying a moment together at a very special event.  This time they are all wearing suit coats and ties for a more complete look.  How proud Dad was of all his grandchildren and their children, as well.  And, they loved him back.  Hey...sharp dressers!!

day trips

1974  The three of us made a day trip to a wild animal safari park in central Pennsylvania.  We drove a Datsun (a what??) pickup truck that we used for camping.  The Datsun had a foam mattress in the truck bed and I made a paisley (of course) cover for the mattress.  Jason was six months old at the time.  I am wearing my all time favorite orange fringed cape.  Look at those smiles.  Those were carefree days..$80 a month rent for a three room apartment in downtown York, a smooth running truck, bell bottoms with crazy looking patches strewn about in no discernible pattern, an oh-so-fashionable fringed cape and no real worries.  Fast forward to 2018.  Another day trip with Jason...and his kids!  We are at Mt. St. Helens for the day.  The weather was gorgeous and we were having fun hiking around by the Johnston Observatory.  Another terrific day with the family and so much to be thankful for.

then and now

What a difference forty four years makes.  I was twenty six years old then and I am seventy years old now.  Then I was the mother of an infant and now I am a grandmother to four children and one of them is an infant.  Same flat hair, though.  Nice smile.

it's Jeremy day

It's hard to believe this little guy turned forty one today.  And, he's my youngest!!  Look at this cake.  I made it, of course.  The decorations on the top of the cake are the candy press on kind that you can buy in the baking section of the grocery store.  They are attached to a sheet of paper and with the help of a little water on the back side of the paper, they peel off and are then placed on the cake.  Sometimes the candy pieces break so a lot of creativity is needed every once in a while in order to pull off the perfect cake topper.  Happy birthday, little guy.  (big guy)  You're wonderful.  p.s.  I see my big forehead came out to play today.  And, where did my eyebrows go?

the little preachers

Here's an interesting picture of my sons.  It was taken on a Sunday morning as we were leaving for church.  Look at these sharp dressed kids in those three piece suits!  Clip-on ties and white shirts complete the look.  I bought the suits at Sears and they were made out of very washable polyester.  It's the 1980's.  Of course they are polyester!!  This look was dubbed "the little preacher" look.  I don't know about that.  I just thought they looked adorable.  I'm their mother so I can say stuff like that.

couch relatives

This picture was taken in 1954 or so.  I look about six years old in this picture.  My three brothers and my sister and mom are sitting on the couch and floor.  We looked dressed up so we may have been visiting someone's home on a Sunday.  I am not sure who the two seated gentlemen and the two standing ladies are.  I love my sister's pink dress and her very sweet pose.

family on mtn

Here we are again overlooking the rock formations at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah during the summer of 1958.

brother Steven-150042

This is my brother Steven.

Mom

This fresh faced seventeen year old was about to graduate from high school in June of 1938.  How pretty is she!!  Heading out into the big world, going to secretarial school and then on to work at Montgomery Ward.  Helen married Bennett in 1942 and moved from Minneapolis to Jersey City.  They later moved back to Minnesota and settled in St. Louis Park.  That's where we come into the picture.  All of us.  My mom was a quieter person; somewhat shy.  She was a gracious hostess and hosted many house parties as the wife of the minister.  She taught my sister and I how to set the perfect table and all about giving the perfect hostess gift when we were invited to someone's home (hint: Fannie Farmer candy).  She always fixed her hair nicely and wore a special necklace or earrings to finish off her outfit.  My sister inherited that talent.  She was a wonderful cook.  My sister inherited that, too.  She liked to sew.  I inherited that talent.  She was a good mom.  My sister and I both inherited that from her.  Us kids drove her crazy.  She liked her quiet times.  I wish I had shown her more appreciation as I was growing up.  I certainly can appreciate all that she did for us as I look back over the years.  I followed her example when I was raising my own two kids.  Thank you, Mom, for being my mom.

to Mom on Mother's day

Dear Mom,  Thank you for giving me life.   I think about you a lot and I wish you were here to talk to.  I hope you are proud of me and the person I became.  I raised two sons and I patterned a lot of my parenting skills after you.  The boys turned out great.  You have a granddaughter named in honor of you.  Evelyn is a beautiful little girl and has your clear blue eyes.  I love you, Mom.  Jean

Sunset Point

It was 1958 and our family was crossing the western half of the United States during our summer vacation.  We were on the road for several weeks and along the way we stopped in a number of national parks.  Here we are in Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.  The Sunset Point overlook gives a great view of the rock formations that came about after ancient periods of inland seas and erosion stripped away the weaker soils surrounding the rocks.  Stovepipe rocks (hoodoo's) are in abundance and are there for the viewing enjoyment of all who come to Sunset Point.  I remember this trip very well.  All five of us kids were crammed into the back of the Chevy station wagon.  Dad drove and Mom rode shotgun.  Mom was also in charge of the maps and she held the key to our daily destinations.  Hitched to the back of the Chevy was the Airstream trailer.  The Airstream was on its first major cross country journey that year.  Bryce, Zion, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Disneyland, San Francisco, Redwoods, Portland, Seattle, Grand Coulee Dam and much more.  Oh, did we drive...on and on and on.....  good times!

mom,s,s,j on a boat

Mid 1950's boat ride...somewhere.  I can't quite place this but one thing I do remember clearly is the RED SCARF worn by my sister.  Why do we all look so serious?  It really looks like a very nice day for a relaxing boat ride.

Airstreams and pot lucks

And, this is what a local Airstream rally looks like.  Here we are at a Minnesota unit get together.  It's all about the fun and the fellowship and can there be any finer way to fellowship than over a pot luck dinner?  People actually dressed up to eat picnic style in the outdoors.  It was all so friendly and the food was delicious.  People bring their best homemade dish to the table.  It was truly amazing what the chefs created in their well stocked compact travel kitchens.  The local/state rallies were held several times during the year with Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend gatherings being very popular.  Pull up a chair and dive in.  (use your napkin, please)

mom and dad wearing WBCC berets

I've mentioned that my family travelled around the USA and Canada in an Airstream trailer.  Not only did we have the trailer for fun and adventure, we also belonged to the "club".  That would be the Wally Byam Caravan Club.  Wally Byam was the innovative designer/creator of the Airstream line of travel trailers.  In this picture you can see my parents wearing their official WBCC headgear.  The hat is actually a very nifty beret with the official logo patch sewn on to the beret.  Dad wears his beret with the patch center front while my Mom wears her beret with a jaunty (yet fashionable) twist to the side.  The berets came in both winter weight (wool) and summer weight (cotton).  We had both styles.  Always ready for a rally!!  And speaking of rallies, I had the good fortune of meeting Wally Byam at the 1959 international rally that was held in the Wisconsin Dells area.  When Wally Byam arrived at the rally site, he was treated like a celebrity.  Everyone wanted to see him!  And, what do little girls with autograph books do?  We make sure we get autographs!  And we got his!!!   (Below: What's that spike-y thing growing out of my head??)

2268 airstream

Here we go.  2268.  That's the address (WBCC membership number) of our Airstream travel trailer and we are about to hit the road searching for adventure.