Memories of Christmases Past

Yes, I know that it is now January 17 and Christmas was almost a month ago but this is a post that needs to be written instead of just inserted into my 2016 Blog book as I've done with other photos.

I always decorate early for Christmas, well, early for me! As soon as we've had our Thanksgiving, always on the 3rd Sunday in November, I love to bring out my favorite Christmas things. And they are always up for a couple of months. When Spencer was a child I usually had to *quick-take-down-Christmas* so we could have his birthday party on the 22nd! (And, yes, they are still up this year.)

I have A LOT, TOTES-FULL, of Christmas decorations. Many of them never emerge from the dungeon... I just don't have the heart to get them out. So about 4 totes are labeled *YES*.When I saw this lovely, living in one of the *YES* totes, I knew I wanted to put it out this year.

Decades ago rotten rodents got into the, then, cardboard box of Christmas decorations and chewed holes in this treasure, along with other items that are irreplaceable.

Reading this tag that my Mama taped there 43 years ago feels like a message coming through time. I know she still wishes me love, peace and joy. She knew all too well the heartache that comes at Christmas time when you have loved ones who have gone on before. Her mother died on December 19, 1927 when my Mama was only 14.

I briefly considered putting it on the floor, around my 3 trees, before realizing that if it was there it would get too much abuse from one *stupid-dog* Harley as he launched himself off the chair to go bark at the latest distraction he'd spied.

I settled on putting it on the chest with one of my creches on top. Why hadn't I thought about that before?

I may have hit on a new tradition. It has been so happy to have a little bit of my Mama around this season.

Snow Day!

Way back in December 2008 I took a photo-a-day challenge that morphed into a 25 month-long journey of a photo AND a post everyday. So when I noticed that last year, 2016, I only had 17 posts I was more than a little disappointed! Granted now I do more on Instagram and Facebook but somehow many of the wonderful photos languished on the hard drive of my laptop and the stories in  my poor little brain!

So this year I hope to do much better.

This day is the second time in the last 10 days that we've gotten a *dumper* of a storm! And all I have to say about all this snow is HALLELUJAH!

Is it a stinkin' lot of work to move 18" of snow? You bet. Do I do it all myself? You bet. I spent the better part of 4 hours this morning moving snow, erm, and then moving it again after the snowplows came through the neighborhood and filled up the newly cleaned mailbox access and driveway.

The snow is so deep that it covered the exhaust manifold of my cute little snowblower. But this little machine is a real worker. I've used vacuum cleaners that are harder to use than this snowblower! Although I really have to put my back and/or legs into it to move through the deep snow. Ah, the disadvantage of being short in stature!

Our last 3 winters have been pitifully short on snow. Now did I enjoy those temperate winters. YOU BET! But I'm a smart enough girl to know that we NEED this wonderful snow to make it through the long dry summers.

I love how the snow made these darling little cones on top of my gate posts. And since we have our attention on this side of my house I have to add that I gave up today and moved the garbage and recycle cans into the garage. It will eliminate a big stretch of concrete that has to be cleared. Fernando can just have a pleasant winter home over there until March or April. (He only has one wheel drive anyway!) 

I love my happy little winter home. I'm so very grateful for a safe, warm, dry, comfortable home!

One of the tasks that is always part of my snow removal it a clear path for our mail lady. She finally made it to my neighborhood about 5pm! The thought occurred to me to leave her a little treat. I noticed when I was out on errands later that many mailboxes are just buried.

It always makes me remember my own dear Mama who drove the rural mail route in Greenville, CA for 13+ years before she had to take leave because of her ovarian cancer.

64 y 25d

A common practice on grave markers was to list the person's age in years and days. My Mama, the original Grammy, died at 64y 24d.

This day, THIS DAY, I have out lived my sweet Mama.

I've thought on this so many times this last year. In April 1976 my Mom whacked her leg on the lawn mower and got a huge hematoma on her shin. Dr Batson told her she needed to take a few weeks off work and let it heal.

I was all in a dither because Miss Amanda was due mid-May. How could I manage without my Mama there? Finally, just days before I was due, Mama got the ok from Dr Batson to travel and my mind was at ease.

Since Mom lived several hundred miles away she took off when we called her to tell her the baby was on her way. She arrived in plenty of time to *take care of HER baby while I took care of my baby* (plus Tony and Rebekah). She mentioned, when she arrived, that her *gut* was getting big. She'd recently lost weight and couldn't figure why that should be. I, being all wrapped up in myself, just thought she was imagining it... she'd been off work for 4 weeks and couldn't stay busy.

Grammy, Bekah, Amanda and Tony

June 11, 1976

Mom's Aunt Ester lived in Portland, Oregon (we lived in Sweet Home, Oregon) and so after a couple of weeks of taking care of us she wanted to see her only aunt. She was gone for a few days and when she returned I notice that the blouses I'd make for her were snugger across her abdomen than when she'd arrive 3 weeks earlier.

That was the beginning... the first inclination that anything was wrong. After exhaustive tests it was finally diagnosed, from a abdominal fluid test, that she had stage 4 ovarian cancer. Prognosis- 6 months to 5 years.

REALITY- she died less than a year after coming to welcome Miss Manda!

MY MAMA WAS LIKE ME! (or perhaps, I like her). SHE WAS FIT AND ACTIVE AND VIVACIOUS AND LOVED HER FAMILY WITH ALL HER HEART! AND SHE WAS GONE!! Yup, and I was only 24 years old... my Mama's Mother died when she was 14. (I just can't like this!!)

So, as I said, I've reflected on this so many times as I go on my walks, work in the yard, serve at the Temple, tend my darling grandbabies... I'm living my Mama's last year of life.

And in true Elsie-fashion, even though she was dying, she filled her last few months with as many wonderful things as she could. Her last trip was to Ann's house for Andy's baptism in March 1977. Even though she and a friend drove to Utah she had to fly home she was so ill.

So, here I am... Grammie- 64 years and 25 days and doing just the kinds of things my Mama taught me to do... being a Grammie extraordinaire!

Fiona's #3 birthday cake

for her

Fiona's Purple Party

And...

And Grammy was here in spirit as I used her spatula-tor to frost cup-cake-REE-ouses!

I love you Mama... thank you for always loving your little-Joanie!

The Blessing of the Temple

Today was my turn for sharing time. Usually I get started on it several days early but it totally slipped my mind until I was headed home last night at 10:30 after babysitting my littles. PANIC!! I knew this month's theme was the Temple and was so blessed and relieved when my topic was-

"Families are blessed through

sacred temple ordinances."

As I read through the sparse outline into my mind came exactly what I needed to share. My life would be so sad... so bereft of hope without the saving atonement of our Saviour, Jesus Christ and that through Him I have been sealed eternally to my wonderful celestial children! How could I possible go on without the hope of a glorious Resurrection? And an eternal association with my loved ones?

So I stayed up late and got up early so I could take my family with me to sharing time today. I found this wonderful snapshot was just perfect for showing my beautiful children at a very happy time. Christmas 1980 (7 months before Tony and Amanda died).

I also took along this photo that I put together back in December 2008. My Mama and Daddy... who love me and assist me from the other side of the veil!

When I talk of those wonderful temple blessings how could I not share their likeness?

Of course I get emotional when I share my deep faith and love for my family and the comfort I receive through the Holy Ghost. The spirit was so strong bearing testimony of the truths I was sharing...

Families Can Be Together Forever!

I made sure to identify to the children that what they were feeling was the Holy Ghost bearing witness to them than the things I was sharing are true!

After the closing song (Gethsemane led by several of my wonderful primary children... I was a mess) and closing prayer by Elder Oaks great-grandson, one very perceptive, precious girl (Zoie Smith) came and gave me the biggest, longest hug and thanked me for my lesson and testimony! What a sweetheart! She knew I needed that hug!

I am so blessed to be able to work with these wonderful children.

Tomato-y Goodness

My Daddy told stories with the best of Texans! He was born in 1897! No, that is not a typo... he was 55 when I was born.

When Baby-Jake was just toddling about some kind neighbor brought by a bushel basket of tomatoes and left them on the porch. Back then, in the rural pan-handle of Texas, folks believed raw tomatoes would poison you. (I never could work that one out!) Baby-Jake was a sickly little guy but he managed to get over to that bushel basket of ripe tomatoes and ATE THEM (dun! dun! dun!) Almost immediately he stopped being so sickly. He always credited his improvement in health to those tomatoes.

MY DADDY, BABY-JAKE AND HIS SISTER FRANK

CIRCA 1898

Thankfully, we know that tomatoes, particularly garden grown, are marvelous! And my little grandchildren totally agree with their great-Grampy!

Lasterday was our early Thanksgiving (I'd rather have ALL of our [local] children on any day than only part of them or stressed-out kids on THE day!) After dinner Fiona came up from the dungeon with a tomato and it reminded me that I have several boxes of ripening tomatoes ferreted away weeks ago when I put the garden to bed for the winter.

I had Kaia and Elise bring them up to the dining room table in hopes that I might be able to *pedal* some of them to the family. (It always amazes me at how hard it is to give away garden produce this time of year. We are all *so done with that* and just want them gone!)

Camille and I were sitting at the table visiting. I was holding my sleeping baby-boy, but when he woke up he wanted his Mama!! She was trying to send an email to a co-worker and not paying attention to Mr Chunka-Monka- who I was watching as he and his big sister, Miss Bitty, were sampling Grammie's tomatoes (THEY are not *so done with that*!)

That's one of the wonderful things about being the Grammie... most things amuse me rather than aggravate me! Chunka, with only his two little teeth, was making a good job of demolishing eating tomatoes! 

(Those CHEEKS! I DIE!)

When Camille noticed she wanted me to get photos of his tomato-y goodness... all down the front of him...

And all down the front of Mama! (She texted me later and told me he needed a bath because he smelled like tomatoes! Imagine that?)

He thoroughly enjoyed his Thanksgiving feast of first yams and then tomatoes for dessert! (Grammie had some of Suzi's wonderful salad for dessert!)

As Camille and I talked about how precious he was with his tomato-eating we remembered that last year, almost to the day, Miss Bitty did the same thing at Grammie's house.

MISS BITTY, 19 NOVEMBER 2014

She has her tomato in one hand and her [banned and illegal] Kinder toy in the other. (Stuart and Stephanie smuggled brought it back to me last fall when they returned from Europe.)

I can hardly believe that the little girl who speaks paragraphs to us today was this tiny girl just one year ago.

I was quite certain I'd blogged about this day, when Miss Bitty was alternately gnawing on the tomato AND the fingernail file! But I could find no trace of it. I even had to dig... dig DEEP, to find these photos. That's what I get for taking photos with my iPad instead of my iPhone. Fortunately I hadn't deleted them!

First Tomato for Daddy

Today is my Daddy's 118 birthday! Happy Birthday Daddy! I thought it was only fitting that I should eat this year's first tomato in his honor!

My Daddy was quite the story teller. We used to love to get him going on his stories.

He told us that he was a sickly little baby- kind of scrawny and puny. Back in the day folks in North Texas believed that raw tomatoes were bad for you (sad, I know!). His Mom had a bushel basket of tomatoes stilling on the porch and little Jake managed to get at them and EAT THEM! Rather than making him sick he started getting better almost right away. He always credited fresh tomatoes as the reason.

Jack "Jake" Homer and Francis Amy Caraway about 1897 taken by Fischer portrait landscape photographer

"It All Started in Yosemite- 1912"

I love family history- most specifically, family stories. I grew up in a family rich with stories. So telling this one makes me very happy. I've known it for quite a while but I just pulled it out and dusted it off to use as part of Primary Sharing time last Sunday.

My Mom, Elsie Munce Caraway must have asked her father William Munce to write her the story of when/how she was born. The following is the letter she received from my Granddad. (his original punctuation and spelling have been preserved)

"Home
January 21, 1960

Hello Kido:

Well you have sure landed me a dilly of an assignment, requesting at this late date the mode, and method, of your arrival at 2010 East 16th St St in Oakland, Calif. on April 15, 1913

I'll have to go back to 1912 to get this tale off to the right start.

Our neighbors, named Garner, wife and daughter, talked up a trip to Yosemite Valley; said trip to be made in a covered wagon and a team of horses."

WAGON TO YOSEMITE 1912

"Dad supplied the transportation and we russeled up the grub; so bright and early one July morning we hit the trail, and enjoyed every hour of the four days it took to reach Inspiration Point where we got our first glimpse of the wonders of Nature."

WILLIAM AND ELSIE MUNCE AT YOSEMITE 1912

"We made camp under the Royal Arch, and for about ten days we were leg weary;"

WILLIAM AND ELSIE MUNCE ON MULES AT YOSEMITE 1912

"and then went over to North Fork where Mrs Garner had a mother and brother on a rundown ranch close to a small Indian village where we stayed about a week and then took the trail back to'ard home by round about roads arriving safely having spent about 25 days of dust and ashes with board and lodgings in the open."

GROUP AT NORTH FORK- ELSIE MUNCE 2ND FROM RIGHT

"Time marched on; and on one occasion I see Mother making baby clothes and asked her how come? She said I had planted seed under the Royal Arch and that she was going to make a daddy out of me, which she did, for she wanted her baby born in Oakland so here we are back where we started from.

When my Mother heard the news she was real tickled and told your Mother-to-be that she had been with each of her daughters when their baby came, so she would stand by.

On the 15th day of April old Dr Beckwith was on the job with all his equipment and you took your own sweet time coming out to see what kind of company you were forced to keep. You were a red, rosy, package, and I can still hear my Mother singing, crying and praying as she was giving you your first bath. She never got through telling folks of her new granddaughter's big blue eyes and ready grin; she was the proudest Granny in town and was happiest when she had you in her arms and sang to you some of the old time Scotch lullabyes."

JESSIE RAE MUNCE HOLDING HER GRANDDAUGHTER ELSIE LOUISE MUNCE CIRCA 1914

"Hope this is what you wanted; but if it isn't sing out and I'll try again.

Dad"

They had several other happy Yosemite vacations but no Munce-Yosemite-vacation story is complete without adding this last photo! My Granddad was a big man, over 6' tall; surely he knew the dangers of hand-feeding the bears! (Run away, run, run away!) But here he is... feeding the bears with his "machine" in the background.

WILLIAM MUNCE HAND FEEDING BLACK BEARS AT YOSEMITE 1930

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Or Walk By Our Lilac Tree ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Lilacs will always hold a very special place in my heart. The smell transports me back to my little-girl days at our tiny home in Greenville. We had a huge (6-8" tall and 4-5" wide) lilac hedge that was right along the street in front of our house. There were also several more lilac bushes at the front corners of the house and down the east side.

For whatever reason my lilacs are glorious this spring! Perhaps the lilacs are appreciating this real spring; it is just that right uneven mix between balmy days and stormy days that we rarely get here.

I've always loved the Primary song My Heavenly Father Loves Me. As a child I only knew about lilac bushes, not lilac trees... I thought the song writer was a little mixed up. Now as an adult I've come to appreciate the beauty of a lilac tree or a less bushy bush.

The most wonderful thing about the the 6 lilac bush/trees that live here on my happy little quarter acre of heaven; only two of them are the same color (those shown in the photo above).

My Favorite Lilac

And You Mix It...

Fiona just turned 5-months old lasterday. What a fun age. She is coming into her own cute little personality. We had an extended Grammie day today. Yes, I do love this time.

After visiting with Mama, for lunch, and Auntie Desi, for a trim and wax, we headed back to baby-Fi's house. She took a little cat nap and woke up ready for a bottle and some play time.

We had some fun interaction time. First Fiona played in her little exersaucer for a few minutes but that was clear across the kitchen from where Grammie was doing dishes.

I pulled out the bumpo (boy, I love this little seat). It puts Fiona right up with the action. She was so cute trying to grab the dish soap. I'm guessing she wouldn't have thought it was too fun if she could have gotten it to her mouth. Fortunately, she isn't strong enough to do that yet!

I never trust even a bumpo out of arms reach, so when I came time to put dishes away she moved over to the other counter and played mix-it-up with a whip and big bowl. I'm always amazed at how much babies like kitchen gadgets... just like Grammie.

She vocalizes, blows raspberries and jabbers *mama*. She understands peek-a-boo and laughs. We play *hootie-owl* (We put our noses right together and hoot. It's a game my sisters used to play with me.)

Since I was gone for two weeks in CA I've really seen the change in her. It has reminded me of Tony at this age. We had just moved back home when Tony was 5 months old. My mom, the original Grammy, just delighted in that darling baby boy.  She was almost my age.

I'm so grateful for the wonderful example my dear Mama set for me on how to be a good Grammie.  She would delight in this new little baby girl... just like me.

Elsie, Fiona and Spencer- Family

I got a text from Camille just as we were walking into the house from our Temple day. It said,

"I keep forgetting to tell you but occasionally Fiona looks like Spencer these days."

And you know the funny thing? As soon as she said that I knew the exact look she was talking about. Those photos of Spencer where he looks like my Mom, the original Grammy!

So I went ferreting in my digital photo files (thank you Cindy!) to find this photo of my Mom, Elsie Louise, taken in 1913. Now here we are 100 years later with her little great-grand-daughter that very much has her great-Grammy's eyes.

I love how these family resemblances pass down from generation to generation. The funny part about Spencer is that for as much as he looked like my Mom as a baby he morphed into my Dad as he became a teenager! Weird how that works out sometimes.

My Darling Niece

My darling niece is a writer AND she is going to be published! As part of that process she needed a bio photo for her book. She asked if I would be willing to be her photographer. Sure thing!

She was traveling home today after spending the holidays with her folks so we set up a photo shoot right here in my little corner of paradise. (I'm so glad the Eves share their beautiful pond- all the way from the Philippines! Although their nephew looked a little confused today!)

As I was clicking photos I was impressed, again, with family!

MY FAMILY! 

Many times I have this experience as I look through the viewfinder! I'm taking Sarah's photo, but who I see in those eyes, cheeks or smile is my Mama! (or my Daddy) It is déjà vu!

[isn't she the cutest?]

The first time I experienced it was almost 16 years ago when my niece Cindy got married. There she was, at Grammy's temple, looking like her Grammy AND with her Grammy's wedding rings.

I'm so grateful for the eternal nature of the family. That these wonderful people who are my family will continue to be MY FAMILY!

I've missed posting to my blog on a daily basis! I love having this very real and pertinent record of what I do and see. So project twenty-fourteen is under way. It is for me and if you folks like to read over my shoulder you are certainly welcome to.

Elsie's Handiwork

My mom, Elsie, did beautiful, meticulous handiwork. She used to say that the back of her embroidery needed to look as good as the front. I never understood that at the time but now as I look back I realize that much of her handwork was on things like dish towels where one can clearly see the front and back on a daily basis.

When my mom passed away 35 years ago I inherited her embroidery thread roll. I love all the memories attached to it. Mom would cut up pieces of cardboard in a bobbin shape to roll the embroidery thread around. I still have many of them. I love the rainbow colored bias tape that mark each pocket for color sorting.

Sady, in 1999, just after Buddi adopted us she decided to chew on this precious heirloom. Stupid little dog! It has remained in that damaged state ever since then (but I'm not sure why!)

I've done quite a bit of embroidery lately on my wool purse and on a wool purse for DeLoris (more to come on that). Lasterday it hit me! Why don't you repair the damage made by stupid-little-dog? (let's not get hasty!)

I think part of the reason I couldn't repair it before is that I didn't want to lose any of my mom's handiwork... not even the tiniest bit. I agonized over how to repair it so that I kept as much of it intact as possible. There was a 1 inch piece of bias tape that I removed (and it killed me! I said right out loud, "Mama I'm sorry to take out your beautiful, tiny little stitches!) Her stitches are so tiny and invisible AND strong- a talent that I didn't inherit from her.

Rather than cut off any thing Mom had done I decided to just patch it. I looked in my Sterilite tub of white and off-white fabric and found a piece that nearly matched this 60-70 year old fabric. I dumped all of the thread in to a smaller box and hand washed the roll (definitely the first time I've ever washed it). And, believe it or not, a quick search in my tub of ribbon and bias tape turned up a near match for the old bias tape!

I decided to add a little tie to close it up. I've been using a straight pin and noticed that it was starting to wear the old fabric.

I'm so pleased with my newly repaired heirloom.

Daddy Says...

"You'll never cut yourself with a sharp knife!"

I wish that was true! But my experience would indicate otherwise. Since I keep my knives *nice and sharp*, just like Daddy taught me, when my knife slips, oops! I end up in need of stitches or, better yet, derma-bond and steri-strips.

This latest casualty happened at girls camp while cutting jalapenos. I got a seed under my thumb nail and when I went to flick it out with one of my other nails I made a fist and sliced into the side of my thumb! Ah well, I've done seen worse!

But you know this latest casualty (which has healed nicely, thank you Shannon!) got me to thinking about cutting implements and my affinity for them.  Again, I can give credit to my Daddy. When I was in my mid-teens Daddy got me a wonderful gift (that keeps on giving!)

How can you NOT love an array of cutters like this?

Daddy taught me how to sharpen these babies...

The wooden handles have held up well since I don't frequently wash them in the dishwasher. But my poor cleaver... that's a different story!

Back in the day before microwaves I used to use this with a hammer to break apart frozen meat. If I could wind back the knife-clock I would do that one differently.

My very favorite pair of scissors that Daddy got me were my button hole scissors.

I don't use them often but I'm so grateful for them every time I do.

And my scalloped pinking shears? The are the best...

But how does one get these sharpened?

This, fortunately, isn't a cutter! It is my Mama's *spatulator*. I've been told that it started life longer than this but one day it got stuck in the beaters of the mixer and Daddy had to shorten it and make a new rounded edge. This old friend has spread enough frosting to cover the state of California!

These? These are of recent date. I got them at my favorite Bosch store in Orem. Yeah, see that green one there? That is the culprit. Now here's the funniest part... I grew up KNOWING these were called *Perry-knives*

And I can't even bring myself to post photos of my knife drawer or stash of scissors! It's a bit of an obsession for me. I can never have too many cutters!

Just yesterday while shopping at *Bed, Bath and Beyond Linens* (just for you Auntie P) I found these babies! Whee-haw... another cutter!