10 DAYS!!!!

How in the world can 10 days have gone by since the last time I posted--
Unbelievable--
I have no cute pictures or anything profound to share today---

Just thought I'd ask--Has anyone ever read any books by Walter Trobisch? I know of 3 he wrote--I read them in high school and a few times since--Short simple good books on relationships--I highly recommend them.

I believe he was acquainted with JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis--but my memory may be whacky--I think he is german. His books are not fiction.

Well--that's it for today--

FINISHED--part deux

(See comments under 1st post)

HA!
It would have been hard to keep going without really knowing and liking the story from the movie and musical.--The book is better--Fleshes out the characters more, but has SO MUCH HISTORICAL BACKGROUND --French clergy--Waterloo--Church history of a certain order of nuns--Paris Sewers--Revolts, etc. etc. etc.(as the King of Siam would say)
and lengthy descriptions Waterloo--Convent life of above --Paris sewers--The distinction between an insurrection and an emeute (You'll have to read the book to find out!!!!)hahahahaha(some of these expansions are 40 or more pages long)
AND French stuff (whole phrases and songs)not translated--

which drove me crazy
but I was too lazy

to go get my FRENCH ENGLISH DICTIONARY and translate for 20 minutes every 2 pages.
Some of the french seemed superfluous like the Tom Bombadil songs in Lord of the Rings--but in some contexts I thought it might say something of what was in a characters heart--and thought--so it really peeved me alot. (DO I sound bitter?)

(I may get around to translating--maybe on the computer--
the last french
on the last page
--It probably is important :>)

Actually--I was glad I read it--it is a great story--and great discipline for my scattered brain.

I just reread this post and I think I just wrote a book report!

Finished--1432 PAGES

Les Miserables
on Saturday, February 11, 2006

started it sometime last fall--glad I read it--but will never read the whole thing again.
Ask Me Why--Don't get me started:)

While I think of it...

Thinking about Mrs. DLO Farr reminds me of a story that made a lasting impression on me.
One of Mrs. DLO's good friends at Edwards was Mrs. Boyd Hooker. Both had been married, then widowed, and I believe neither had had children of their own. Mrs. Boyd entertained herself at home playing rousing hymns on her piano and crocheting. Around the age of 90--during our time at Edwards--Mrs. Boyd Hooker died. The visitation was at her home (the casket was there too). The church women had a bounty of great food.

At this visitation her nephew told this story. (The movie "Steel Magnolias" had just come out--I think.)
Lamar Hooker said that his aunt Boyd certainly was a steel magnolia. During one of Lamar's boyhood visits to his aunt--Boyd had bats in her attic. To be rid of them, she fixed a bucket of strong ammonia water--went up there while they were sleeping in the day--and pulled down those bats one by one and drowned them!

Mississippi Trivia

No picture today--I wish I had one of a dear little old lady.

I have 2 great-nieces due to be born late spring and there has been some lively discussion of names.
For the past week I have been thinking of a lady in our first church in Edwards: Mrs. DLO Farr. We always called her Mrs. DLO (pronounced Miz DLO). She was in her late 80's when we first went to Edwards Presbyterian. When Jason would go to visit her he would take Hannah or another offspring and she would give them tea or coke in a little juice size cocacola glass and sugar cookies. She was not even 5 feet tall--
Her given name was DLO. Capital D, Capital L, Capital O.
She once told us of the origin of her unusual name. She was named after a relative--maybe an aunt or great aunt--This relative been the last in a long line of children born and the parents had used up all the names of family, etc. The baby girl was so precious to her parents that her father chose the name--Dear Little One--DLO--and that was her name.
Isn't that sweet:) I love that.
The trivia part comes with a "fact" I have not this week been able to verify online--that this very same ancestor gave her name to a town in Mississippi, as I was told years ago. There IS a town, D'lo, Mississippi. And on checking--from the late 1800's to the first half of the 1900's--the census records have about 20+ "Dlo's" born in various towns in Mississippi.
This is a random post--but--there you have it.

MY SISTER

My Sister Candy





When we were younger, my sister, Candy , and I did not look or act too much alike.--We never shared the same friends--even in high school. We are less than 2 years apart in age--so although I never wondered at it then--seeing the relationships of the different sets of sisters in our church--I see now that it could have been different.
Since High school I have seen very little of my sister--In a good year maybe 2 weeks--in a sad year--not at all. She has lived in Mexico for 25 years or so, as a missionary. For the first 20 years we really didn't have e-mail or phone connections.
So I find it kind of funny for my children to say how Candy and I are 2 peas in a pod--we laugh alike--at the same things--talk alike--make the same faces in reaction to things. Some differences remain. She is still neat; I am still messy. She is straight blonde ; I am curly brunette. She is petite; I am--well--I'm not petite! My reason for this reflection is...
In the past couple of years, thanks to AIM, we have been amused when one of us says,
"Wait--I need to go check on dinner--I'm making spaghetti"
"Really? we're having spaghetti too!?"
Another time it may be the same dessert or kind of cookies.
This weekend Candy said (From Durango Mexico)--"I need to go fill holes to get ready to paint--I hope the color is ok--It is called 'suede' "
"Is that from WalMart?" I said
"Yes, I got it in El Paso"
"My front room is painted "suede" from Wal-Mart!"

Not very exciting--but I got a tickle from it--and felt like sharing:-)

Betty Jeanne

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... ?"
She was born in 1924--into a somewhat poor family--the 4th of 5 children. This is the only childhood picture I have of my mom. She is 3 here.--It would be another year before the youngest, Gladys, would make her appearance.


At 17.

My mother worked full time and lived with her mom, helping to pay the bills --and then married my dad when she was 29.












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 is the closest to my age that I can find a picture--1971--my mom would have been 47--I am 48. I remember she was always so much older than most of my friend's moms--but she looked so young--and she was very smart.

also--this was the year my parents divorced.

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.

A New Year

Happy new year--

I have no fun pictures to post--my one resolution is to quit nickel and diming all my money away and save for a camera of my own--I think posts are a little more fun with pictures--unless you are a gifted writer like Sienna, Ashley, Sue or Suzanne, and others-
The reason for this post--and there is a reason--
I find it a little disappointing to click down my list of websites of the people I know and see no new entries, sometimes days in a row--Thank you Suzanne for your postings of the weekend!!SO in case anyone shares this deflated feeling I thought I should put SOMETHING--ANYTHING on mine today.

I brought down from the attic 2 large empty boxes for ornaments--that's about it--
I hope to start in earnest tomorrow to get going on the undecorating.

My side of the POX

This is for those who read the handy dandy site. Right after Thanksgiving--I developed a case of Shingles---and found out that Shingles is actually an outbreak of the chicken pox virus that I had when I was very small over 40 years ago. This virus sometimes hides out in the spinal cord or brain and then makes a comeback--with a slightly different MO than the chicken pox.--Shingles is not contagious--AS SHINGLES--
but it can spread as CHICKEN POX to those who have never had it.

The good mother that I am--I couldn't remember if Linnea had had the pox when my older 3 had it or not. I was not feeling well and very busy with our Christmas Open House--so I didn't push Linnea to go get the shot (that could have saved her:) And being the "chicken" that she is (pun intended--sorry) she didn't push me to take her to get the shot.

Well, it is about 2 or 3 weeks later--and the chicken pox has struck her down--at a most tragic time of year to be struck.

It has a poignant side to it though--
Just think--The very same virus germ that I had as a wee tot--waited patiently--and is now infecting my own child about 44 years later--which is why Linnea said it was like a family heirloom that maybe one day she could pass on to her children. But alas --the virus may have struck its last blow--as there is now a vaccination you can get.

Now--I have a question that I have not researched yet--
The Aveeno bath for the pox says it is "Colloidal" oatmeal?

Does anyone know what colloidal means--and how is that different from regular oatmeal?

White Snow Bright Snow

Last night it snowed. The Fresh smell of snow in the air is unlike anything else. I thought I could smell it Sunday night--and then Monday it snowed. I don't know how long it will last out there--but it is wonderful.
I am just looking at it this morning--but last night as it began--I did go out and walk around a bit.


It was a wet snow--not crunchy--but the sound and sensation of walking on heavy wet snow has always reminded me of having a filling packed in at the dentist. sort of a heavy low squeak--I don't know how to describe it really--Does anybody out there know what I am talking about--or am I nutty?

Oh, how the years go by...

I think that is a song, isn't it?
Now I am sure that Ashley knows who this is:)

a hint--together again this week.







Little Linnea has gone to Cahleefornya to visit with her cousins, Joel and Ashley and sweet baby Jude--

for Ashley

This is probably THE grossest picture I have--I am amazed we got it and more amazed I kept it--but for such a time as this I am glad I did.

This is for Ashley--any other readers will just have to wonder:)

After reading your post--I wanted to share this with you--You can probably guess who these darlings are--and yes--this was the old days and that IS a dirty diaper soaking in the commode. These guys were caught in the act--splashing and having a good old time. ugh.

a history lesson (snooze if you must)

While in Pennsylvania a couple of weeks ago--Jason and I drove up to Williamsport, PA. My family moved there from Fullerton, California around 1966 and we rented a house for one year before moving back to New York. I was in the 4th grade.

Here is the lovely Brodart factory--pretty much the same as I remember it from 39 years ago--on Memorial Avenue in Williamsport, PA

The silver car is our camry where Jason pulled over directly across from the house Candy and I lived in when we were 11 and 9 respectively. It was a rental directly across from this factory.

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!
The house hasn't changed much--the fence in front is new--I remember building snowmen in the front yard.--playing in the neat walk up attic--watching the "Monkees"--the bar and diner are still there--and the monstrous factory across the street-- Brodarts.
On warm summer nights I would sleep on the porch with the blinds pulled down. We had coal heat and it would be delivered to a chute in the front of the house. It really isn't a very swanky part of town--wasn't then and is even less now. (The camry still parked in the same spot)
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 loved that pocket knife--I lost it in some marshy swamps I was playing in about a year later near our house in Sunnyside, by Chautauqua lake in NY.

(here is the store around the corner) I wanted to get closer but Jason was in the car on the corner and it was sort of a bad neighborhood and there was a car just sitting across from the store close to me with 2 guys in it not doing anything--made me want to take a pictue and scoot back to our car:)

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

I may have something-----

I may post soon--as I get pictures back from our getaway to Pennsylvania.

I had a grand old time--Pennsylvania Farm Country is very beautiful. And it was fun to treasure hunt in antique/fleamarket places. My favorite find was an original watercolor.--If I can get Jared's old digital camera to work--I'll post a picture soon.

Sleep tight

Well, I was cleaning up from young adults and put something away in the cherry hutch and this picture was laying on the shelf--I love this picture--

You young ones may enjoy seeing family--

The year is somewhere in the mid to late 1920's I think
My dad (and Candy's)--William Henry Smedberg (Bill) is in the car--about 10-12 it looks like.
My Grandpa, Carl Oscar Smedberg and my Grandma Ethel Olivia Smedberg and Bill are on a picnic, it seems.
(By the way--I said I don't have time on the last blog--and I don't--as we speak there is something else somewhere that I really should be doing:)

Sleep Tight--Sweet Dreams

Stand by--sleep tight

Well, I have painted about half of my downstairs after 2 years of debating color choice---it is trickie--as we have emerald green carpet, kid of pale almost blue green gray marbled tile in kitchen, hall and dining room, dark green marbly countertops and cherry cabinets--black appliances and dark wine furniture--anyway--i did it but I am going out of town and Don't have time to take pictures--and write about it--If I remember I will write about it when I get back. Our walls were all boring white when we moved in--(all the green we inherited, and I am working with it:) I painted the dining room red 2 or 3 years ago, and one of the rooms a suede (light beige/taupe?) The color finally is a light gray green with maybe a bluish cast in some light. It is funny because I really like it but sometimes it looks GRAY--sometimes GREEN, and sometimes Blue-green. Again I forgot to take before and after shots--that would have been fun.

Sleep tight

Boring

You know--I only put this stuff here so Candy could get to it without downloading pictures--I forgot that when I comment you can get here--sooooo--Now I will have to be a better blogger if I have an audience--and good grief--Ashley is going to link me--Pressure!!! No promises how much will ever get here. I really never can think of anything interesting that the rest of you haven't covered--that is why I don't write many letters--Maybe I will change the name to BORING BLOG--and all of my loved ones can come here when they are ready to go to bed--so I can put them to sleep--
I'll be thinking about this-----
By the way this is the first day in a long time that I even looked at this blog--I had no idea I had comments.

Happy New Year!

This Sunday is the beginning of a new year --- of Sunday School. I cannot believe that this will be my 6th year teaching. There are changes this year--I have lost my partner--Donna Griffith--They have divided our class due to its growing size--Donna is getting a new partner and teaching the 3rd grade--I will be teaching the 2nd grade with my co-teacher--Lindy Hall--a very dear woman--but I will miss Donna terribly.

We have used the Desiring God ministries curriculum--I LOVE IT---
I'll be teaching--The ABC's of God--a study of the attributes of God. It's amazing how the 2nd graders learn this --yet the material could even be taught to adults--it is that meaty--I want to prepare better and pray more and do the best ever this year.

We will have about 11 or 12 in the class and I hear there are some real characters--I love those!

Zinnias

Here are my Zinnias--I couldn't talk any of the kids to let me take a picture of them standing nearby so I had to take one of myself--I thought I might as well add the hat I wear to garden and pick berries.
I needed a person to stand close so you can see how HUGE they are!!! They are way taller than me (or is it I) I forget.
Zinnias are one of those flowers that need to be cut often to keep flowering--so we have enjoyed colorful bouquets most of the summer. They make me happy.

Little Bright

Little Bright Ogburn is about 6 months old. She is a petite 13 lbs or so.