Happy Mother's Day!

The Mother’s Hand (1966) by Antanas Sutkus

 Mother's Day is Sunday, I didn't have to tell you though. All of us who have Mothers, had Mothers or have been Mothers know when it's our day. It can be a day of pampering, but most likely it's not. You still cook or clean or straighten up after kids or husbands! But Mom's just do that, they don't think twice about picking up the family room before bedtime or folding a load of clothes while dinner is cooking. My Mom was a typical 1950's Mom who stayed home with my brother and I and gave up all aspirations of career or fame so that she could wipe our noses and attend every school play we were ever in. Daddy went to work and Mom did the rest. 

♥     ♥     ♥     ♥     ♥

If you think about it, childhood is a very small part of our lives. In 12 years we make the memories that we carry with us the rest of our lives. Not enough time really to do all the things that make for a happy childhood...

√  Play dress up 

√  Go Sledding

√  Build a snowman

√  Go swimming

√  Have a picnic

√  Visit the zoo 

√  Play Monopoly

√  Take a walk

√  Look at baby pictures 

√  Sing Songs

√  Go roller skating

√  Build a blanket fort 

√  Have a scavenger hunt

√  Go to the movies 

√  Finger Paint

√  Make S’mores

√  Play baseball

√  Rake leaves and jump in them

√  Go on a hayride 

Visit a pumpkin patch

√  Plant something

√  Have a water fight

√  Play hide and seek

√  Go to the state fair

√  Make homemade ice cream 

√  Go wading in a creek

√  Go horseback riding

√  Climb a tree 

√  Go camping

√  Draw a map and have a treasure hunt 

√  Play in the rain 

√  Paint a picture by numbers 

√  Fly a kite 

√  Jump rope 

√  Go fishing 

√  Play Simon Says

√  Play “I Spy”

√  Start a collection of rocks or shells 

√  Draw pictures on the sidewalk with chalk

√  Go for a bike ride

√  Play pretend

√  Tell Knock-Knock jokes

... unless you had a Mom like mine. The only thing I missed was going to a Pumpkin Patch, but they didn't have those in the 50's! Wishing a Happy Mother's Day to all of you out there that have been a Mother to someone or SOMETHING, that includes Moms of pets~ Dad's of course, Grandparents who step up and fill in for all the working Moms! It was such a blessing to have her in my life and I honor her this day.

♥     ♥     ♥     ♥     ♥ 

This is Me

My Grandmother was the keeper of family history. Her love of genealogy joined with her love of history compelled her to record everything that happened in the town of Lead Hill, Arkansas. Births, deaths, marriages, divorces, those who moved in and those who moved away... it's all there in notebooks, clippings from the paper, and documents.If you've thought about searching for family history, it's as easy as getting on the Internet these days. Lots of sites out there to guide you. One of the best ways to start is by asking your oldest living relative, before it's too late, to help you fill in the blanks. I found this list last week with 50 Questions for Family History, an easy to fill out "form"... kind a Cheat Sheet for you! Questions that will help you to make your own family history. Sit down with your Grandparents, or an Aunt or Uncle and just start, don't put it off any longer! 

1. What is your full name? Why did your parents select this name for you? Did you have a nickname?
2. When and where were you born?
3. How did your family come to live there?
4. Were there other family members in the area? Who?
5. What was the house (apartment, farm, etc.) like? How many rooms? Bathrooms? Did it have electricity? Indoor plumbing? Telephones?
6. Were there any special items in the house that you remember?
7. What is your earliest childhood memory?
8. Describe the personalities of your family members.
9. What kind of games did you play growing up?
10. What was your favorite toy and why?
11. What was your favorite thing to do for fun (movies, beach, etc.)?
12. Did you have family chores? What were they? Which was your least favorite?
13. Did you receive an allowance? How much? Did you save your money or spend it?
14. What was school like for you as a child? What were your best and worst subjects? Where did you attend grade school? High school? College?
15. What school activities and sports did you participate in?
16. Do you remember any fads from your youth? Popular hairstyles? Clothes?
17. Who were your childhood heroes?
18. What were your favorite songs and music?
19. Did you have any pets? If so, what kind and what were their names?
20. What was your religion growing up? What church, if any, did you attend?
21. Were you ever mentioned in a newspaper?
22. Who were your friends when you were growing up?
23. What world events had the most impact on you while you were growing up? Did any of them personally affect your family?
24. Describe a typical family dinner. Did you all eat together as a family? Who did the cooking? What were your favorite foods?
25. How were holidays (birthdays, Christmas, etc.) celebrated in your family? Did your family have special traditions?
26. How is the world today different from what it was like when you were a child?
27. Who was the oldest relative you remember as a child? What do you remember about them?
28. What do you know about your family surname?
29. Is there a naming tradition in your family, such as always giving the firstborn son the name of his paternal grandfather?
30. What stories have come down to you about your parents? Grandparents? More distant ancestors?
31. Are there any stories about famous or infamous relatives in your family?
32. Have any recipes been passed down to you from family members?
33. Are there any physical characteristics that run in your family?
34. Are there any special heirlooms, photos, bibles or other memorabilia that have been passed down in your family?
35. What was the full name of your spouse? Siblings? Parents?
36. When and how did you meet your spouse? What did you do on dates?
37. What was it like when you proposed (or were proposed to)? Where and when did it happen? How did you feel?
38. Where and when did you get married?
39. What memory stands out the most from your wedding day?
40. How would you describe your spouse? What do (did) you admire most about them?
41. What do you believe is the key to a successful marriage?
42. How did you find out your were going to be a parent for the first time?
43. Why did you choose your children's names?
44. What was your proudest moment as a parent?
45. What did your family enjoy doing together?
46. What was your profession and how did you choose it?
47. If you could have had any other profession what would it have been? Why wasn't it your first choice?
48. Of all the things you learned from your parents, which do you feel was the most valuable?
49. What accomplishments were you the most proud of?
50. What is the one thing you most want people to remember about you?

Scanning Memories

I've been in the picture box again, remembering an old photo of a Christmas at my Uncle Tracey's house. All of my cousins are in this picture, surrounding Grandma Risley. That's me in the front on the right! I have a bank of holiday memories that sustain me, things that pop into my brain each year as I prepare food or wrap gifts. We were a larger family then, Daddy had 2 brothers and a sister. When we'd gather there would be 20-30 of us. Cousins to play with, lots of presents and a visit from Santa. We'd take turns going to Aunts and  Uncles houses but the scene was always the same. The kitchen counters and tables would be laden with holiday food... hams, turkeys, jello salads, chips and dip. It was the 50's and our Mother's had on their finest, red lipstick and heels---just to go to a family party! When I look back at pictures, even my Dad had on a suit! If you ever watch Mad Men, or go even farther back and see an old Leave it to Beaver, you can't help but wonder if people really dressed like that. Well, we did!

Once I started looking, it occurred to me that it might be a good idea to scan some of the really old pictures from the Risley side to post online and share with other relatives to copy. This picture was taken at the annual 4th of July picnic probably 1905-1910. Grandma is in the front row, first one on the left. It's rural Arkansas folks, most likely with temps in the 90's, but these ladies are dressed like they are going to Cotillion in Atlanta! 

This one's dated 1928, my Dad would have been 7. He's in front on the right. Grandma and Grandpa were teachers in the small community of Peel, Arkansas. I can't imagine what it must have been like in the years that followed. The Great Depression took its toll on many families, even to the point of families breaking up. My Grandparents took in relatives kids, that's just what you did. No one had to think twice.  

Daddy used to say they never went hungry. They grew their own food and hunted to put meat on the table. It was more than sport, it was survival. That's not to say he and his brother's didn't enjoy hunting. In later years, the brothers and all the male cousins made a yearly trek to Colorado where they camped and hunted big game. It was a time they cooked out over open fires, hiked the mountains and re-lived the times of their youth.

Last week our Grandson joined his Dad for target practice at the farm. If  Daddy was watching, I bet he was smiling...

Trash or Treasure?

Sharing the good stuff, that's what blogging is all about. That's why I love going for my morning visit over to Janie's, she tells it like really is. She said genetics play a big role in explaining why they are driven to go junking. In their blood she says, also it's their livelihood since she is an antique dealer. On a fairly regular basis she loads up the car with daughters and grand babies in tow for a junkin' run. Janie is an open book, sharing her life with all of us, even the embarrassing stuff! Half the morning gone, her daughters noticed she had her shoes on the wrong feet, really! They were the forgiving moccasin type so it wasn't as bad as it sounds. She said her Mom on another run for goodies had her coat on upside down... you'd notice that, wouldn't you??? She did say it "felt odd!" I have to collect myself here, this is funny stuff................. OK, I can type again! You just have to go visit her post at Janie Fox Talks .

They say confession is good for the soul, I think I need to go to confession, I mean spill a little this morning! When we lived in California in the early 1970's, the apartment complex was huge. Fairlake was wooded with parks and pools. The apartments were in blocks, each with private enclosed patios and walkways, planned well with playgrounds and hidden areas set aside for garbage cans. Our daughter Stephanie was two, she toddled everywhere with me. Every few days I'd gather up our trash and walk down the path that led to the garbage area. Just inside the gate, there were  metal cans lined up along the sides of the walls. Sometimes when people would move, they would throw away things that they chose not to take. Things like lamps and tables and chairs. And sometimes the stuff would still look pretty good. Stephanie and I would see the booty and our hearts would race. "Det it Mommy," she too had inherited the junking gene! We did 'det it' many, many times! Lamps and dishes, vacumns and furniture. It became an event, going to the gahhh bage as Stephanie called it! Sometimes she would be playing in her room and she'd come ask me if we needed to go the the "gahhh bage!" Lord help me, this too funny to write...

True, every word of this, and I have to reach a stopping point! One thing we found was a true treasure, a sewing machine. There it was, like new, beside the metal garbage can. How could anyone throw away a perfectly good sewing machine? I picked it up (it was the portable in-a-case kind) and carried it back to our little 2 bedroom apartment. I knew immediately that this would be sent to my Mom in Arkansas. For my 13th birthday my parents had bought me a New Home sewing machine, so I didn't need it. Mom used that sewing machine for the next 35 years. It made pajamas for our families, it mended pants for my Dad and it even made doll quilts for the granddaughters. The sewing machine that was trash to someone else, resides at Stephanie's house mending clothes for her boys. I love that.

Uncle Pen

Pendleton Vandiver, recognize that name? He was Uncle Pen to Bill Monroe, considered the Father of  Bluegrass. His influence in Bill Monroe's life gave the legendary songwriter a bank of memories to draw from and share with the world. Even if country music is not your "cup of tea," Bluegrass is a part of our heritage, brought to the Appalachian mountain region from our Scotch/Irish ancestors. For 50 years Bill Monroe influenced the music industry. His well-known song "Blue Moon of Kentucky" has been covered not only by bluegrass but also rock and country artists like Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney, and Patsy Cline.

Find A Grave

James Pendleton Vandiver (1869–1932)

"He was uncle to  musician  Bill Monroe, who immortalized him in a song, Uncle Pen. Monroe used to hear his uncle playing fiddle on the hilltop where he lived, while Monroe put away his mules at night. He later said that Vandiver was "the fellow that I learned how to play from." Vandiver played fiddle at local square dances and social events, his nephew backed him up, playing mandolin. Monroe's parents had both died by the time he was 16, he lived part of the time with his Uncle Pen in his two-room hilltop house in Rosine, Kentucky. Bill Monroe's biographer, Richard D. Smith writes, "Pen gave Bill more: a repertoire of tunes that sank into Bill's aurally trained memory and a sense of rhythm that seeped into his bones. Sometimes Bill played guitar behind his uncle, sometimes the mandolin. On September 13, 1973, a monument in honor of Uncle Pen was unveiled by Monroe at the Rosine Cemetery."

In my family, probably because we have southern roots, when we speak of them we say Uncle Troy, Uncle Burl, Aunt Walsie, Aunt Garla. Even though they are greats or great-greats, they are still Aunt Walsie. It's a way that we teach each generation our connection to where we came from and where we are going.

Some of you wanted to know what in the heck this building could be. Well, my SISTER-in-law, also known as MacGyver, did a little research and found out that this giant 35 foot fork is only a couple blocks away from her in Springfield and can you believe... she's never went to check it out! It used to be in front of a restaurant out on Glenstone, but now lives happily buried in the cement at Noble & Associates, a Springfield ad agency. Noble does a lot of work for the food service and retail industry, so the fork makes sense! A plaque proclaims it as "The World's Largest Fork," which may or may not be true!

I used my GPS to navigate the trip this week, good thing since I am "map challenged." Before TomTom came into our lives, getting lost on vacation was a given. I always packed a cooler with drinks and some type of nourishment because I knew we WERE going to get lost and it might take some time until we found the right road.

We've been lost in Florida, Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, North Carolina, California, Pennsylvania, Maryland, D.C., oh...and Arkansas. It's not pretty either, there is finger pointing!

 There are some things in Springfield that you might just miss if you didn't know about them. I'm sure you're writing down the World's Biggest Fork" on you Bucket List. Don't miss the Seeburg Muffler Car, it sets in front of their business on Campbell and catches your eye!

When I was a kid, this was a landmark out on Glenstone... the old Lily-Tulip Company had a cup complete with straw that was just too cool! The plant was built in 1952 and in 1989 it sold to Sweetheart Company who makes Solo cups. Unfortunately it is now closed, according to MacGyver...

One more...this is the World's Longest Footbridge for Trainspotting, really! Built in 1902 the walking bridge was built for people to watch trains from!  It's 562 ft. long, crosses 13 sets of train tracks!

These two whirling dervishes were so busy talking that they forgot to tell me where to turn when we were sightseeing. That seems to run in our family... the whirling dervish part!

I don't know why my eye is attracted to the weird. The restaurant where we ate the other day, the one that served the giant Sancho...well the bathroom door was the skinniest door I've ever seen! We spent a big part of the meal discussing that skinny door and what if we couldn't fit into there after eating the giant Sancho!

I love animal weirdness. This Razorback hog is something that we actually have here in the Ozarks. Missouri and several other states have open season year round on the overpopulation of feral pigs. I know if I ran into this guy in the woods it would scare me to death! 

These guys were hanging out at Bass Pro Shop. One soft shelled turtle and another cute little box turtle having an up close and personal conversation on the log. I heard what they were saying...

"Why did the turtle cross the road?"

"To get to the SHELL station, silly!"

The Suitcase

When our kids were here over Christmas, we got into the old suitcase that my Grandma used when she took her train trip to California in 1947. My whole childhood Grandma would re-live that trip she and Grandpa took to visit my parents. It now holds precious memories in the form of pictures, clippings, receipts and the intricate genealogy that Grandma worked on her entire adult life. As a child I can remember Grandma discussing genealogy with my Mom when we would visit. It sounded like this, "Her mother was a Jenkins and on the paternal side they were Austins. Her cousin, twice removed was Ruth Raley's husband." Greek to me! Then 50 years passed and I inherited the papers that meant so much to Grandma. As I looked at her handwritten documentation of her family, it began to make sense. The work that went into compiling her records is none short of miraculous. She wrote for census records, waiting patiently for the answers to come back via mail. She corresponded with the few relatives still living to have accurate accounts of births and deaths, marriages and even cemetery records.

If you have ever been interested in finding relatives from generations back, there are countless sites online to help. There are even software programs like Family Tree Maker and The Master Genealogist that help you through the detailed job of searching. It's not as easy as you think, but it's very much like a giant puzzle and once you get started, it's addictive.

Online you can search at Ancestry.com and Rootsweb.com. ArkansasGravestones.org has cemeteries online, complete with pictures. For some it's the only way they can ever see and know where loved ones are buried. This gravestone was my Great-Grandfather Thomas Keeling.

Bird Moore Milum was Grandma's Grandfather, I love that name!

His wife was America Milum!

My Grandmother's sister, died of scarlet fever when she was 17 months.

Grandma's Father, C.W. Milum, died when she was 16.

Rafe Milum, Grandma's brother who died in infancy.

Catherine Nation Ledbetter Tabor, Great Grandmother of my Dad 

This is probably the oldest headstone, my Grandma's Great-Great-Great Grandfather Jordan Milum who served in the Revolutionary War. It's at the Old Milum Cemetery, not to be confused with the Milum Cemetery 20 miles away!

Epitaphs, the short text honoring a deceased person and inscribed on their tombstone or plaque can be verse, relationship (Father, Mother, Sister, Brother) or favorite scripture or saying. Look HERE for some memorable epitaphs!

Remember me as you pass by;

As you are now, so once was I.

As I am now, so you will be:

Prepare for death, and follow me.

The Picture Box...

I've been in the picture box this week. Amy wanted me to scan some old pictures and send them. None of these were the one's she asked for, but I sent them anyway. I can't help it, I love these pictures and she was just so darn cute! Red hair and freckles, what a perfect combination. Amy could be "girly girl" one minute and the next...

...the biggest tomboy on the block!

She had a gaggle of friends at this age, and they spent the night at our house...or their house every weekend!

I don't know how she went from 14 to 30 in the blink of an eye. She's probably wondering that too!

Her sister Stephanie was pregnant with our first GRANDson Jackson in this picture taken Easter 1994.

How did this one get in the mix??? This is Fred and Ethel, they set on our porch every Halloween when the girls were growing up!

Out of the two girls Amy is the "quieter one," that's not to say she is quiet! We are an outspoken bunch, opinionated, passionate about our beliefs and loud at gatherings. Christmas is going to be a lot of fun this year, we are all going to be together for the first time in several years. I can't wait, but this time the GRANDson's will run the show. It will be hard to keep up but I'm taking my vitamins!

Family Traits

When my Mom moved from her farm at Lead Hill, I was faced with the daunting task of cleaning out the house that had been home to two generations. Dad and his brother Walton built the house at Lead Hill in 1949 when they came back from California. It was part of the farm that had been in my Mom's family since the early 1800's. After Mom and Dad moved to Springfield, Missouri her parents moved from the "old place," where Mom was born and raised into the new house. The move was simply across a couple of 40 acre fields, but it was a different world than they had ever experienced. It was 1952 and they had never lived in a house with indoor plumbing. Hard to imagine, huh? It wasn't the expense that kept them from modernizing the old house, it was stubborness on my Grandpa's part. HE WAS RELUCTANT TO CHANGE, I put that in caps so that you would see how stubborn he was!!

The first picture above is his Grandpa Abel Keeling (seated front row, 3rd from the left) with his family.  The second picture is my Grandparents, Clay and Selva Keeling. Abel Keeling was born in 1823 and died in 1911. My Great-Grandpa Thomas Weldon Keeling is seated on his father's left and was born in 1860 and passed the year my Mom was born, 1924. Not only do I know their birthdates, I know siblings, cousins, second cousins...even third cousins twice removed! How? Because my Grandma in her ultimate wisdom and precise penmanship, wrote down family history.

(click on document to enlarge)

My Grandmother loved geneaology. She was an only child who lost both her parents before she was 16. Her family was one of Boone County's oldest and she was diligent in journaling facts and memories to share with future generations.

Since I am now the keeper of the history, I have a new found interest in the information that Grandma felt compelled to guard so carefully. It's like a big puzzle when you first start looking at all the pieces...

Homestead Certificates signed by then President William McKinley

Tax receipts going back to 1898, WWII Rationing Coupons...

   Even a letter Grandma's father had written to his parents in 1892! You can click on the document to enlarge, but I'm not sure you can read the text. He was travelling in the Choctaw Nation, before Oklahoma was even a state...headed for the Cherokee Nation. He signs it C.W. Milum Checotah Indian Territory! That blows me away!!

Genealogy may not be your thing, but these are treasures... Mom's dog Fido in the top picture (precious because Mom was an only child and she loved that dog so), Mom's grade card 1936 and a picture at age 12. Grandma was a saver of memories, and I am a writer of memories. She'd be happy I shared these today!