My Reading Blog

The other day, there was a commercial from an insurance company on tv and they were giving tips of what you need to do before a tragedy occurs. One of there tips was to walk through your home, take pictures of everything and documents the items, when you got them, the cost, sentimental value, irreplaceable, etc.  Put the pictures and documentation in a safe place - away from your house. That way if a fire, tornado, hurricane, or any other type of disaster should occur, you would know exactly what you lost. I got to thinking about that and today, I started this task.  Just writing down each item.  I'll have hubby take pictures to coincide with what I have written down. I started in the living room - simple - right?  I thought that would be an easy room - just a little furniture, tv, oh, the tables and lamps, the handmade table runners, and now the corner hutch - filled with so much, so many memories.  I looked at my Mom's china, the top of our wedding cake...

Today would have been my Mom's 98th birthday, but she went to Heaven when she was only 70 years old, but I'm sure her and Dad are having a great celebration. My Mom had a hard life, although she never complained or expected anything to be easy.  Her mother died when she was 33, leaving Mom (the oldest) at 14, a 12 year old brother and 4 year old sister.  Mom didn't have a choice in those years, she became the "Mom", housekeeper, cook, caregiver.  She had to drop out of school and only completed the 6th grade.  I think this is when she learned to be the nurturing and caring woman that she grew up to be. Mom was a hard worker all of her life.  In addition to taking caring of her siblings and her Dad, she worked at a hat shop.  After marrying my Dad, she continued to work her nurturing as she raised my brother and me.  When we were in school, she became the cook at the elementary school, where in addition to cooking, she loved caring for the kids. ...

We've lived in several homes over the years and enjoyed each of them.  Last year we sold the log home that we had built and put a lot of sweat equity into.  We wanted to sell it to someone who would care for it and love it as we did.  The people who purchased it seem nice and he was really excited to purchase it, she not so much.  But it happened. We have a neighbor across the street from that house who keeps us up to date.  Last summer after we moved, the house wasn't moved into right a way, the grass/weeds grew and didn't get mowed.  We began to wonder and worry, but it was out of our hands and we had to put it aside.  Last week we drove past the "ole homestead".  The outside looked just like we had left it and was well kept.  So we're hoping that they are caring for our "baby". We've driven past other houses that we owned, but didn't have the attachment that we did with this one, so it wasn't as traumatic as this move. One othe...

 I had something totally different that I had planned to write today, but then I received an e-mail with this video attached. The Path of a Warrior I also watched the Memorial Day Concert from The Capitol.  It was very moving and brought tears to my eyes with each tribute. Both of these made me think about how far we have gotten away from celebrating the true meaning of Memorial Day.  How many people truly know what this day is all about?  Do we celebrate because it's a day off of work, a long weekend, the beginning of summer, picnic or BBQ? Or do we truly remember why this special day was created? When I was growing up, this day was called "Decoration Day" - we decorated the graves of those who died fighting for our country.  And then the name was changed to "Memorial Day" - a day set aside to remember the loss of those who fought for our freedom.  My Dad was very active in the American Legion and Mom in the Auxiliary.  Because of them,...

Yesterday's post about our dining room table got me to thinking about the house where I spent the first eleven years of my life.  The house was built in 1900 and my grandparents lived there in the late 1930's until my parents returned in 1945.  Grandpa retired from farming and my Dad took over.  I came into the picture in 1948. The main floor consisted of a kitchen, pantry, bath (with a claw foot tub), formal dining room and living room and a small room used as a play area with a daybed and piano and a closet.  The closet was my hiding place where I played with my dolls and read books.  We used the daybed when Allan or I were sick.  I learned to play the piano on the old upright.  There were five bedrooms on the second floor.  I remember over the years that I changed rooms several times trying to find just the right one to call my own.  The front bedroom which was one of the larger ones, was for company and we kept it closed off duri...

After reading Elsie's slice this morning, I reached way back into the dark crevices of my mind and came of with a memory from my childhood. Most every year during the summer, we spent a week on Lake Little Arbor Vitae near Spooner, WI.  The trip that seems to stick in my mind was when I was about 11 years old.  We stayed at a resort.  I remember that it was a very tiny cabin, but then there only four of us - my Mom & Dad and my brother.  The boats were furnished with the cabin and as I recall, it was also small, probably a row boat with a motor attached. One day my Dad took Allan and me out to fish.  It was a pretty day when we started out.  I think we were fishing for crappie.  Mom stayed behind to clean the cabin and get dinner ready.  I think she was planning to have fresh fish for dinner.  My memory isn't that clear on some of the particulars. We had been out only a short time when Dad said we need to get back to dock, there's...