Remembering... 40 years ago

Sunday was Miss Fiona's 4th birthday and Grammie has earned the privilege of being the birthday cake baker! I love this new role! But, actually, it is just returning to a very old role; a 40-year old tradition.

My sweet Mama gave me her cake decorating books and tips (because SHE wanted to learn to decorate cakes) so I could make sweet cakes for my children. I've reflected at how very kind this was of her.

This was my first grand attempt for Tony's 5th birthday. He wanted a cowboy and Indians theme for his party. Back then, when money was so tight, the 5th birthday was the first one where we had a *friends* party for our children.

I went and bought a new decorating tip just to make all of these fun balls on his cake.

(This is the same tip that I pulled out Saturday to create Miss Fiona's master-piece featured in a separate post!)

As I scanned and edited these old photos, yellowed with time, I started having memories pour forth from these simple images.

I think this photo is the one that really got me. The casual observer only sees Tony and Bekah with his party cake and cupcakes for his friends party.

I see-

• my old Formica table with gold flowered chairs that we bought or acquired when we moved to our trailer in 1974.
• on the window sill is the start of the first shamrock plant I ever had. Mike had been at a week-long training seminar in Shalishan, Oregon in January and brought back the funny little bulbs for me. It is potted in a Lucerne sour cream container.
• also on the window sill is a start of my Mom's Christmas cactus, tucked in behind my stylish curtains.
• out the window I can see our 1970 Chevy Vega, parked at the curb. It was my favorite green.
• Tony's #17 jersey is one I made him. Mike's favorite number was 17.

And this one of my darling family.

• Amanda is 11 months old, Bekah is 3.5. I love how interested Tony's sisters are in his special gifts and how he is sharing the experience with them.
• our not-too-long green shag carpet.
• my little rocking chair from when I was a tiny girl.

I'm so grateful for these happy memories.


**
And as long as we are on the memory train I had to share these photos of my darling Tony and his 2nd birthday cake.

I like doing things ahead of time... doing things last minute stresses me out too much. Fortunately I learned this lesson early on in my life and usually avoid a lot of stress...

but not this time.

We'd only lived in Priest River Idaho for 3 months when Tony's 2nd birthday came rolling around.

(Isn't he darling? I love his sleepy morning face!)

Grammy, my Mom, got him this red wagon for his special day.

He's put his favorite toys and his special quilt, made by Auntie Ann, in his new ride.

I'd made a fabulous cake for him. It had homemade marshmallow frosting that came up in beautiful peeks with swirls of dark chocolate on the top and sides. I put it, for safe and secret keeping, on top of the refrigerator.

Imagine my disappointment when I went to get the cake and found that the heat of the fridge had melted all of the marshmallow frosting down around the bottom of the cake. Luckily I had it in a cake-cover-plastic-deal and was able to smear the, now milk chocolate, frosting back up over the cake.

Funny story, but here's the thing... Tony was thrilled that his 21-year old Mommie had made him a special cake for his special day.

I'm so grateful for all the memories that came pouring out along with Fiona's special birthday cake!

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.

Makin' Bread

First off, I just want to say how grateful I am that Camille and Kevin let me have these Grammie-days! Usually I have Miss Bitty and Chunka-Monka every other Monday... We both look forward to these days.

Keeping my Mama, the original Grammy, in mind I try to think of the wonderful things we used to do when I was a little! My Mama was 39 when I was born; I was her 3rd family: after raising first, her brothers and then my sisters 8-10 when I was born. I truly was her little shadow and if we were going to cook something? Well, she couldn't possible do it without me!

After Chunka-Monka, the King-of-Snuggles, was down for his afternoon nap Miss Bitty and I had a job to do! Grammie's been NEEDING some cinnamon swirl bread!

I remembered that recently I'd discovered that my 3-step step-stool made a perfect perch for Bitty-helpers (It also doubles as a highchair!) so I brought it up from the furnace room.

After Miss Bitty was safely on her perch with her apron on, tied in front (Grammie, too), I got out the Bosch and recipe box. I found the recipe and handed it to her while absentmindedly saying, "First we need to read the recipe!" What a smart little girl!

Of course she had to accompany me on a trip to the dungeon to get the canned milk and pour it into the measuring cup to heat up. When it came time for the flour measuring we had a couple of spills, which is to be expected. Then she would pick up a little flour off the counter and then dust her hands onto the floor and just chortle! What a magical sound!

And every successful baker HAS to have a rolling pin! When Spencer's family was here at Christmas I devised these 1" PVC pipe rolling pins for all of the squishy play (read- Play-Doh).

YOU NOTICE HARLEY, HER EVERY FAITHFUL COMPANION, IS RIGHT THERE TO OBSERVE!

After we'd mixed the cinnamon, sugar and butter for the swirly part I asked Miss Bitty if she'd like to taste it. Ahhh, a taste-explosion in her little-girl mouth! AND another implement for dough manipulation!

Then she needed to spread on the yumminess! Notice that this is not the first trip from bowl to dough!

I asked her if she wanted to eat her dough. She quickly assented and popped the whole gaggy-blob in her mouth. Needless to say, it didn't stay there very long before she realized it was not going to go down. We took it out (read- Grammie caught it!) and cut it into smaller pieces just right for tasting.

Have you ever seen such a darling little taster??

When it was time for her and brother to return home we took one of our unbaked-loaves (on the heated seat!) to bake at her very-own house.

I'm so grateful that I have such a wonderful role-model as my dear Mama! I absolutely love this life of mine!

Provo Temple- The End of My Era

So many feelings swirling in my head this day... I don't even know where to start this post. Perhaps at the end. Today was the last shift I served as an ordinance worker in the Provo Temple. I've served for 10 years 7 months.

TODAY, 16 DECEMBER 2015

I was set apart on Amanda's birthday, May 19, 2005. I didn't realize then that I was embarking on a wonderful, healing journey.

JOANIE CIRCA 2005

I don't think I realized how much grieving I had just stuffed in a hole because life had to go on. I know that most of that healing is due to my service in the Temple. I've come to an understanding and peace on so many things that needed to be dealt with, but life was always too busy, until now! I've recorded many beautiful, sacred experiences in my journal that all happened in the Temple. Oh, I am so eternally grateful to my Heavenly Father for this great blessing.

As I've pondered on this post I remembered the first time I attended the Provo Temple.

It was the summer of 1975, my Mom and sisters, all avid genealogists, were going to attend a genealogy workshop in Provo Utah. I was so desperate to be with everyone else that I offered to come and be the resident day-care provider for all of the little cousins since I was not a genealogist! Mom flew me, Bekah and Tony from Priest River, Idaho (actually Spokane, WA to Salt Lake City via Denver with these two littles! Bekah, 22 months and Tony, 3) I came a few days early and stayed with Ann and Wayne in Elsinore.

BEKAH, JOANIE AND TONY

27 JULY 1975

ELSINORE, UT

We all met up in Provo and stayed in Helaman Halls. I was the Auntie day-care for 8 little Caraway cousins! It was lovely (if you don't count that we all got salmonella!!) but, truly, it was wonderful to be together as the Caraway girls again.

On one of the afternoons I was able to go to the  Provo Temple. I've always hungered to serve in the Temple.  My sweet Mama, always the photographer, recorded that event for me. She stood up on the balcony to get a picture of me as I left to walked up to the Temple.

And an wave for the camera.

So, after all of the photos I've posted of the Provo Temple over the last 10+ years, this is the last day I am officially an ordinance worker.

But you know what? I will be going back frequently even after I begin as an ordinance worker at the new Provo City Center Temple in March.

Grammie's Costume Box of Memories

In 1979 I made my little kids Halloween costumes. I was so pleased with the how they turned out. (Please to notice the barn wood shelf, the very stylish macrame owl and plant hanger- accenting, of course, the harvest gold couch)

AMANDA, TONY AND REBEKAH HALLOWEEN 1979

Previous years I'd done easy things like a ghost, cowboy, fireman etc but this year I went all out.

TONY, 7- THE PUPPY, COMPLETE WITH EYE-SPOT AND LEASH.

My first thought was that these would become pajamas but I was so happy with them that they became the first residents of the Halloween box.

REBEKAH, 6- THE SWEET KITTY

AND AMANDA, 3- AS A LEOPARD

THIS IS A VERY TIRED LEOPARD AFTER A TIRING NIGHT OF MARAUDING THE NEIGHBORHOOD!

AND YOURS TRULY IN MY 27-YEAR-OLD TOMATO-Y GLORY!

(When I ran across this tomato costume last week I'd forgotten that it was this old and I was that young.)

Over the years I've added more costumes: the Fruit of the Loom guys (a bunch of grapes and an apple), the tortoise and the hare, salt and pepper, pirates, hula girl, shepherds, Tinkerbell (a hand-me-down from Sue), an old woman and many more. Each Halloween we'd pull the box out and have a costume parade... and I loved it.

My favorite will always be the years Bek and the boys would come to visit. Stuart would usually have us in tears of laughter. I searched in vain for my blog post about this and I just now remembered- it's not on my blog but tucked safely in one of my many scrapbooks (you remember those days before blogging?)

So I was happy when Camille asked if the kids could come over and *shop* in Grammie's costume box for Halloween. Yes, please!

But this was our unexpected bonus... we put Fiona in her Auntie Amanda's 35 year old costume. (And see Mama-Camille's cute *costume*?)

What do you think this little costume would say about this?

Grammie says it makes her heart very happy!

Freeway Bushes

For as long as I can remember we've called oleander freeway bushes. They are prominent in the median strip all up and down California's Central Valley. When Bekah moved to Fresno in 1998 I became intimately acquainted with the miles and miles of oleander median. It was comment to drive past oleanders as big as a house, and I'm not exaggerating!

Sometime about 10-12 years ago CalTrans decided they needed to add a center guardrail which meant they buzzed off all of the bushes at ground height. I was just sick!

So this trip, when I saw that some of the large white ones were as tall as semis I felt happy again! All is well in the freeway bush department. 

In Her Mama's Chair

Miss Fiona came to spend the afternoon at Grammie's house while Mommie did her last day of school training before summer (YAY!) and Daddy took the *bigs* back home. After a nap on Grammie's big bed, with Grammie, it was time for some lunch.

One of the first things she did when I put her in the highchair was hook her little toes under the edge of the stainless steel tray.

That is when the memories started rolling in. It seems like only yesterday that this sturdy little highchair was Mama's meal-time seat.

This happy little highchair has been host to several generations of children. It joined our family almost 48 years ago when my sister, Sue, got it for her first baby, Cindy. After two more babies at her house Sue gave it to me for Spencer. He used it until I got a second highchair in preparation for twins. It even took a trip to Rebekah's house for several years (where it got recovered with white vinyl) before it came back to me.

Now it gets occasional use from visiting grandbabies.

Happy little friend!

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ 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

The Joy of Photos

I've said this before but my memory works like photographs; I have a whole library of mental images. I think that is one of the reasons I love photographs so much. They freeze a moment in time and when I look at them all of the emotions from that moment come back to me with clarity.

After finishing the 8 bridesmaid dresses the next item on my To-Do list was to scan photos of Stuart for a video presentation to be shown at the groom's dinner (aka rehearsal dinner) and the reception. I leafed through 21 years of photos and pulled out the ones I liked the best; the ones that captured Stuart for me.

Not many days later Stuart informed me that he looked goofy in all of the photos (and that's MY fault?) He looked through 15 years of photos, marked ones he wanted me to add to or replace. I sent them off to Liz and told her she would have to get with Stuart to pick the ones that don't look goofy!

This whole *search and scan exercise* got me infected with photo-phever again! I want to be able to share these wonderful memories with my kids... you know, the ones who made these wonderful memories.

Working in no particular order I started in 1993 and decided to scan every page and label them chronologically so they will *read* like the paper photo album. (I have about 6 years scanned)

It didn't take long before this photo jumped of the page at me! Look at these beautiful girls! Rebekah and Megan were room-mates at BYU before Rebekah got married. So when Megan and Erik got married two years later I captured these two friends, and now sisters. I just want to cry with love for these two beautiful girls who have matured into wonderful mothers and women.

August 23, 1994

Another of my favorites is this one of Rebekah and Spencer. Rebekah is wearing a cute little jumper I made for her to wear in the ward road show. Spencer is just 2 months old; the same age his little Annabelle!

March 3, 1984

And here are Camille and Stuart when they were only 7 months old... just about the age of little Fiona. How is this happening to me? This fast forward of 30 years?

May 1986

OK... and then there's this one of my babies with mustaches...

 DRAWN BY DADDY WITH A PERMANENT INK MARKER!

He said they liked it. What really happened was he liked to vex the mama because they wouldn't wash off! Can you see how unbelievable cute these babies are?

April 1987

And my beautiful Rebekah again. She is 13.5. When I was that age I looked like a boy (Stuart, in fact, and whereas it looked good on him at 13.5, it didn't work so well for me!)

May 1987

No list of favorite photos would be complete without this one! These precious little children! What a joy! We have two more re-enactments of this photo. Camille just commented that we need to do that again. Wouldn't that be fun with them and their spouses and kids?

August 1989

And here is that same cute group... 1st day of school 1995. Spencer is starting 6th grade and Camille and Stuart are starting 5th grade. Such happy siblings.

July 26, 1995

I'm so grateful for all of these happy photo and memories! What a blessed life I have!

Old Towel Gets New Life

You all know that I am a sap, a romantic, a head-in-the-clouds-kinda-girl, but I can't help it when I see things that make me happy, when I see history repeat itself.

About 28 years ago, when Camille was just a six-month old baby, my dear friend, Auntie P, gave me several pieces of terry cloth. I immediately fashioned a hooded bath towel from a wonderful 60s era floral print. (I'm pretty sure this was a find of Edna's at DI) Camille used that happy little towel for many years before she outgrew it.

At some point I put it in the basket of pool towels that lived outside the back door. And when we moved to Utah, hence no pool, it went to live in my rag-towel basket under the bathroom counter. Which is were I found it when baby-Fiona arrived. I KNEW she would need her Mama's cute little hooded bath towel.

Recently, while on Grammie-duties, baby-Fi had a blow out and needed a bath (oh no, poor Grammie!) so I got to do my favorite thing... give baby a sink bath. I did a quick pre-bath search and found this old-friend, happy to be needed again (just like Grammie!)

Joy in the Journey

I know there are folks who would rather get *a whack on the nose with a rusty poker* than sit down to a sewing machine. But that doesn't describe me.

My project this day was to work on Annabelle's blessing dress. My hope is to have it finished before Deb goes into labor so I can take it with me when I go down to do Grammie-duties.

This dress will be very similar to the one I made for baby Fiona. I just love the ruffled skirt!

As a teenager I was very much results driven when it came to sewing. I would get home from school and think, "I want something new to wear tomorrow". I'd dig into the *material* drawer, ferret out a pattern and have a new outfit the next day. My favorite *epic-fail* story was the time I didn't have quite enough fabric so I had to cut the two front pieces separately. I went to great lengths to match the plaid only to find out I'd cut two left fronts!

Quilting is what has taught me to enjoy the journey. So as I was sitting in my sewing room this morning, pinning the gathered. ruffly skirt to the bodice I was struck with how satisfying it is to see all of those even little gathers and lined up straight pins.

Silly me... but, there you are.