

Here is our little man, Krue--He is a very sweet boy-- Just had a check up--recovering from an ear infection and broncitis--13. something pounds I think(or was it 15?)--and I do remember 27 inches--off the height chart by a little.--4 months old Friday.







I was looking for a devotional book on Handel's Messiah--because it has a cd in it with the Hallelujah chorus and...--anyway--I found an envelope of pictures at the bottom on the cabinet I was looking into--poor photography--very poor--but the pictures were mostly from our years in Edwards,--Mississippi almost 20 years ago.
We lived in a manse--a parsonage--a church owned preacher house. We lived there for 5 years--at our first church Jason pastored. The second bathroom was a mess--as you see--but the deacons did fix it up before we left. I have mentioned to a few people about the water in Edwards--lots of lignite or iron or something--said to be safe (I drank it:) needed lots of clorox in white wash loads--Made your skin and hair really soft and slippery--hard to "feel" rinsed off. I have said--a bath tub full looked like ice tea--southern tea, strong--or maybe even coca cola.
Well--here it is--only a few inches deep in this bath--
This was the blue bathroom between our room and the boys bedroom. There was a bathroom with a lot of brown in it in the main hall--which Hannah--and later Linnea used. Hence--Jack's oft repeated observation..
"BLUE IS FOR BOYS---
BROWN IS FOR GIRLS"
I was always confused about the "brown", I always expected him to say "pink" but just a few years ago Hannah reminded me about the brown bathroom--that girl is so smart.

As I was writing the last post--I had a sudden inclination to write about my mother, Jeanne. Saturday was the 20th anniversary(Is that what you call it?) of her death. She was 61--I was 28. Is it because of the nice round number of 20 that my mind seems to think of her more--and my heart to miss her--after such a long time? Is it because so much transition is bubbling in our home that I would like her to be here--her memory added to mine--"How did you..? What was...? Did I... ?"
My mother and me--1957. She was a great cook, a seamstress, an organized housekeeper--and worked full-time outside our home for most of my life. I rarely saw her messy--she wore stockings and a dress on picnics!

This must have been late 1983--2 years before she died. She moved to Mississippi with us in 1981 and eventually lived with us for about 2 years.
She was a cheerful, positive woman--and a great help to me as a young mother. And a loving grandma, too.
Now that my children are just about all in adulthood--I have a greater appreciation for her encouragement. Was it hard for her to keep her opinions to herself? Did she wince as I fumbled along in my parenting, etc?
I've had 20 years without her and I want to tell anyone who reads this--to those who never knew her--I just want to say--The Lord blessed me with such a good mom--and I probably didn't tell her that often enough.

Another view of the street can you see the camry? the other direction was a little nicer--we walked to school every day. Often we came home for lunch and sometimes my mom's sister--Aunt Helen would take her lunch break at our house.
Here is the house--We lived next door to a little--and I mean tiny lunch cafe --doesn't show on the picture----and on the other side was a bar with an apartment over it. (Can you see it with the sign on it?) It is still a bar!
I remember once picking 10 pounds of dandelions out of the front yard for 10 cents a pound. My Mom was sweet to give me a job to earn some money to buy a $1 pocket knife that was for sale at the tiny neighborhood store around the block. It is still there-- It looked kind of creepy now so I didn't go in. But Candy and I made many trips there for licorice, didn't we, Candy?
I had a wonderful teacher--Miss Ely-- for the 4th grade at an old, small brick school about one block from our house--The Daniel Webster Elementary School. I often walked home for lunch. The School is a Daycare now-- it was like 3 stories tall with a basement (where we had art and music) and an asphalt playground. I think there may have been just one class per grade, at the most 2. My best friend was Brenda Moore--she had 6 sisters and no brothers at the time:) Later she had 7 sisters and one baby brother I think.
I did not take a picture of the Memorial Park pool--about one block further on Memorial Ave.--about 3 blocks from my house. The summer I turned 10, they finished building it--it cost 10 cents to get in--that is what I used my allowance for--I walked to the pool about every day--I loved it!
This was the year we got "Double"--a miniature German Shepherd that we had for 12+ years--He was great!!!
FIRSTS my year in PA.
My first and only smallpox innoculation (It causes dime size scab and scar that I still have)
My first Funeral--my grandfather Smedberg died that first September.
My first pocketknife
My first slumber party
My first room to myself (that I can remember)
My first Bible of my own--my grandma sent me one and I got one in SUnday School(I earned it learning the books of the Bible )
My first Good News Club
My first memory verse learned and never forgotten Colossians 1:10
My first music lessons--a few weeks of violin before we moved
My first play--I was Clara in some goofy Children's theater
My first auction--with my parents--I got a giant 3 foot tall black cat with Green jewel eyes for a dollar--a box of junk that included suntan lotion--and a great rocking chair I had for years and its a shame and a long story why I don't have it any more
My first Little League game (to watch) Some boys from my class played- Williamsport IS the Little League Capital of the World you know--The Little League world series is always played there
