the higgins tent trailer

Oh, boy!!  Going back to those tent trailer days, are we?  Lot's of fun, you betcha!  I may have mentioned this before  but here is what happens when you are camping and you have to get up during the night to answer nature's call.  I remember that I was zipped tightly in my sleeping bag, not so much because it was a chilly night but because sometimes a mosquito or two found their way into the tent trailer and wanted a good meal.  I woke up in the middle of the night with an urgent need to go to the bathroom.  I very slowly unzipped my sleeping bag so that I wouldn't make any noise and very silently made my way to the doorway by carefully avoiding any people who may be sleeping in the central floor area of the trailer bed.  I made my way onto the screen porch where I, again, very carefully unzipped the side screen opening.  Once outside I zipped it back up so that new mosquitos would find their way inside.  I turned and ran (barefoot and wearing only my summer shorty pajamas) to the public bathroom, all the time fearing a big bear would come and get me.  When I finished (what a relief!!) I ran back to our campsite and quietly unzipped, entered and zipped the screen opening on the porch and super quietly maneuvered my way over the feet of sleeping people and climbed back into my sleeping bag.  Zip, zip and I was safe in my sleeping corner.  Success.  O.K., did I mention we had a lot of fun while camping?  We did.

another graduation day

In June of 1967 my sister and brother graduated from high school.  They graduated in a class of over eight hundred students, the largest graduating class in the school's history.  Here they are taking a picture with our Dad at the Baccalaureate service at the high school on the days preceding graduation.    After the graduation ceremony the graduates attended an all night party at the junior high which was a couple of blocks away from the high school.  The night included movies, games, lots of food and a visit by a well known celebrity in the area--generally a Minnesota twins baseball player.  In the morning everyone walked over to the high school for breakfast and then it was over.  We were done.  High School was finished.  On to college.  But first.....summer fun.   p.s. When I posted the other day about my high school graduation I erred in that the picture taken of me was actually taken on my college graduation day, not on the day of my high school graduation.  In the back of my mind I knew I wore a white robe for the high school ceremony and a black robe for the college ceremony.  Oops!  However, the story that I posted remains the same.

senior pix/crazy curl

This is a funny story about my senior portrait.  It also involves my friend Linda.  Linda and I were talking about what we would wear for the pictures.  I had a beautiful yellow sweater that I planned to wear.  It was very simple in style with a plain round neckline.  Linda had a very beautiful cross necklace that she planned to wear for her portrait.   She didn't have a simple round neck style sweater to wear so I lent her mine.  She lent me her cross to wear.  Bingo!!  We helped each other out and we were happy to do so.  Back in the day senior portraits were always taken as black and white photos.  Linda and I laugh to this day because even though we were dressed identically, no one would ever know just by looking at our yearbook pictures.  No yellow sweater give away!!   That's our joke.  About my hair...hmmm.   I was initially disappointed with the photo because while I was sitting for the photographer, he decided to place the curl (I call her "crazy curl") that is on the left side of my head onto my shoulder.  I had wanted that curl to be in back of my shoulder.  I have always thought that this random curl looked out of place just floating there all alone.  I had teased and sprayed my hair just to get that perfect long haired '60's look (British fashion models were my idols at the time--especially Jean Shrimpton) and then this weird shoulder curl/crazy curl showed up in my senior portrait.  What!!  OK, OK, to be fair I'm all right with it now.  I'm just telling you how I felt then.  Class of '66 rules.  Enjoy your day.

Mom's birthday

Today is the anniversary of my Mom's birth day.   She was a very pretty young woman and very stylish, too.  Note the jaunty little hat sitting atop her head.  Her hair was always fixed nicely and she was always able to put together a cute outfit to wear.  She was very modest and somewhat shy which, I think, is what made her beauty stand out even more.  Here's to you, Mom, and Happy Birthday.

Graduation Day--June, 1966

This is me posing for the camera in my backyard just before heading over to the high school for the  graduation ceremony.  The ceremony was held outdoors in the football stadium.  I graduated with over seven hundred classmates.  With my last name being near the front of the alphabet I received my diploma early and waited patiently for everyone else to walk across the stage.  I remember it was a very hot evening and it was stifling with those robes on.  So, here I am fifty two years later looking at a picture of this fresh-faced girl who is about to graduate and head on to college in the Fall.  What would I tell her if I could?  Keep smiling and do everything you want to do.  You're going to be fine.

Airstream summer

Who doesn't like some summertime fun!!  And, nothing says "we're having fun" more than camping out with the family.  I believe the girl holding the water hose while standing in front of 'ol 2268 is a younger version of me.  Our family was attending a Minnesota unit Airstream trailer rally.  I would say it was the year 1960 just by looking at the cars in the picture.  All classics!!  Oh, wait, they were new cars then.  We always put up the trailer awning and placed a long aluminum folding table under it.  It was a lot easier for our family to spread out a bit at mealtime when we ate outdoors.  Just hanging out with friends or exploring the area was a major pastime during the day.  The evening brought out the lightening bugs and the campfires filled with group singing and ghost stories woven into the magic of the darkness.  Don't forget about the s'mores.  Ahhh, summertime.  It's here.

Jason's baptism-June,1974

This day is all about Jason and his baptism.  He was three months old and we were living in York, Pennsylvania at the time.  The church service was lovely and very meaningful.  Afterwards we served dinner at our apartment (all three rooms of it)  to about a dozen or so family members who gathered with us for this joyous event.  We had card tables set up everywhere and people were packed tightly into our tiny place.  I'm pretty sure there was a jello salad present on the buffet table (aka: the kitchen counter) as all good hostesses in the 1970's served a beautiful jello mold salad at every dinner party.  I knew the one food item I could make successfully was jello.  Anyway, this day brings back a sweet memory of my little boy and his baptism.  side note: I prefer to make jello with fruit in it--most likely canned fruit.  Fruit cocktail goes with every flavor of jello but I'm partial to mandarin orange slices in orange flavored jello and pineapple tidbits are a MUST in lime jello.  Plain jello just doesn't do it for me.  Now, enjoy your day.