Sometimes You Just Have To Laugh...

Today I went to Desi's house to get a perm. (For those of you who may not know, Desi and Camille have been best friends since kindergarten and she is like a second daughter). Her little kids were going to go right across the street and ride their bikes in the parking lot at the school (which they call the park).

It brought to mind a story about my Tony. When he was just about the same age as Emmalie we lived just kitty-corner to the park and he used to love to ride his new bike there. I told them that I was watching out the window when I saw Tony crash his bike into one of the logs that were at the park's perimeter. I saw him get up and he started jumping up and down and crying (but I could'nt hear him, I could only see him). When I met him halfway he was bleeding badly from a cut on his head. (Poor little guy! You know how head wounds bleed)

TONY WITH HIS BIRTHDAY BIKE APRIL 1979

Emmalie was sitting at the counter eating a donut I'd brought and chimed in, "Did he die?"

I thought about it for about 2 seconds and answered, "Yes, but not from that!" And then laughed. Desi catching the sick joke, joined in. Finally Emmalie wanted to know what was so funny. So explained to her that he'd died from a drowning accident 2 years later.

There may be those who will judge me harshly on this one. I'm just grateful that, for once, the *dead* question didn't feel like such a punch in the gut. (But I cried as I wrote all of this!)

Sweet Linden Trees

As I sit here this evening blogging from my deck I am enveloped with the aroma of my back-door neighbor's linden trees. Every June they burst forth in a heady, sweet fragrance that is sometime so thick it is almost overpowering!

I'm sure that I've seen them in bloom before but I couldn't remember what they looked like so I asked if I could come capture their likeness. Certainly to pour forth a scent that is best described as being similar to plumeria or freesia the blossoms must be large, similar to east coast dogwood or camellias.

But, no, they are just these little fuzzy blossoms.

And what did I spy on my way to get this photo? A precious white butterfly making the rounds on my lavender. He and the honey bees were taking it in turn to sup at the spikes.

"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

Grammie & her Boys

Tadhg graduated from Minarets high school on June 5th so Grammie needed to make a trip down to CA for the occasion. I just can't believe that it's been 17 years and 8 months since that boy was born. Where has the time gone?

I was so pleased when it came to picture time and Tadhg just wrapped his arms around his little Grammie! I am so glad that my boys know how much I love them!

I needed another picture with them after church on Sunday. They are such good sports.

And even though I'd just gotten a pix in February I was surprised to see how much they've grown in that short amount of time. I purposely didn't zoom in on us so that I can remember the wonderful landscape around the Oakhurst Chapel. In the February pix we are in front of a ginormous rockadon; in June an equally ginormous oak.

Bek commented that she didn't have any recent pix of her boys or family so I decided that it was time for a Grammie remedy! This ones good enough for framing.

Seeing Rebekah with her *men* just made me want this classic bride and her brothers photo. When Bek married almost 22 years ago her brothers were all too small (Spencer was 8 and Stuart 5) to pull this off. I love the looks on the faces and the positioning of Curt's tie!

Next morning it was time for me to start making tracks back home. I came out to my car and it was covered with pine needles. It had only been parked there for a few days.

Funny story, Beatrix still had pine needles in her bonnet when I sold her... I suppose Elio will too.

Grammie-Heaven

One of the best things in my life is being a Grammie! I was talking to Gordon the other day and mentioned how much I enjoyed being a mom... that, without a doubt, was my favorite! I loved (love) being a mom. But we all know that being a mom (and not JUST a mom) requires work, work and more work to go along with the joy. That is not a complaint... just a statement of fact.

Ahhhh, but being a Grammie? Yup, that is heaven. It is the extra blessing! I like to say, "I am no longer the Mommie-enforcer, I am the Grammie-spoiler!" And can I just say that I am loving this phase of my life!

I got to see two of my little darlings (that live much too far away). Oh, how I love these babies! My sweet Deborah took some sneaky pictures of me with Baby Belle.

This little girl is so squishable! I could just nuzzle and kiss those cheeks all the day!

And Riley... I wanted to say *little-Riley* but this big boy is 7 now! Where does the time go? We had a fun dip in the pool together. I tried to teach him the steamboat kick that I learned so many years ago but he was more interested in playing with the other kids in the pool!

(Parenthetically, I'm often reminded that Riley and I have the same age difference, 55 years, as my DADDY and I have. And I am reminded that I am grateful that I am in the grammie, not the mommie, roll!)

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!

Rainbows

I ventured outside this evening to water a few dry spots and recently located plants. When I opened the garage door I could see the rain in the air, but no wetness on the driveway. I was pondering on that phenomenon when I heard a neighbor's grandchildren calling out...

"Look!! There's TWO of them!"

I knew immediately what they were seeing TWO of! I came inside, grabbed my Rebel and out I went... chasing rainbows!

Quail Adventures

It was a *beautiful-work-in-the-yard* day today. I started early with a trip to the green waste dump to get a load of compost. It is so wonderful and black and compost-y!

I bought a bunch of plants yesterday at Home Depot to fill in some blank spots in my yard. I started in the front; planting a big hydrangea and installing my new self-winding hose reel. As I came around into the backyard I saw movement...

It was a quail family: Mama, Daddy and a bunch of little babies were crossing the back lawn and went into hiding under the currant bushes. I struggled to get my iPhone out of my pocket to get some photos. Those little babies move FAST!!! I have several of photos of rocks as they darted along the breach filled with rocks between the garden shed and the raised garden area. I didn't want to unduly upset them, but I NEEDED SOME PHOTOS! So I stood back by the edge of the shed and just kept clicking photos.

Daddy immediately flew away, I'm sure it was a diversionary tactic but I couldn't help but see that it left Mama in crisis with about a dozen babies! She was talking to them the whole time...

"All right babies, be brave and follow me!"

"Stay right along the fence..."

"Be quick now! Come under this nice plant..."

And, my favorite, "Come my babies. Let me gather you under my wings!"

I love how fluffed out she is. I couldn't see any babies under her. What a good Mama!

O ye people... how oft have I gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and have nourished you. (3Nephi 10:4)

Purple Robe Locust

This year, the 9th since I planted it, my Purple Robe locust tree is putting on quite a show. A quick Google search showed me that this beautiful tree doesn't photograph well. I wish you could see it with your very own eyes. It is a beauty!

Now this...

THIS! is what the beautiful flowers look like!

And the smell? Yup, it's heaven! Somewhere sweet between lilacs and honeysuckle. And now I have purple snow on my lawn from the dropping blossoms.