(Roman + Sleep) - Wyatt Earp = Milestone

In The Middle Lane: Milestone
Too tired; Grandma B says it all in posting accessible by the link.

Roman & Zoe 12.31.08

2008 is just about over?

A new year? What's that?

Does becoming a Mom make one more sentimental? (or just mental)?

Tonight I realized no more pictures of the babies in 2008. The year is gone, the year is done. Oh my. A few more for 2008...

Christmas on Pleasant Row (Annie)

From Annie P.

Though almost 69 years have passed, the memories of 'Christmases Past' at the Pleasant Row home of John and Edna have not dimmed! Pleasant Row is such an appropriate name yet today for that little community of folk who live along 'the hard road' into Cuba from the north!

A few years ago, I wrote those memories down for cousin John and am attaching them to this letter, first.

“Christmases Past Nostalgia”

Christmas at Grandpa John and Grandma Edna’s in the later 1930 and early 1940’s holds special memories for me and I would like to share them with you as I remember them.

The big two story bungalow still stands (and looks much the same as it did then) on Pleasant Row in Cuba. It was the family home of John and Edna and their six children: Verna, Reba, Wendell, Robert, Bernard and Louise. A long-covered porch runs all across the front of the house with the entry door in the center and two large windows on either end of the front. Along the south side there are also two large triple windows. It was inside the first of these two windows that the big Christmas tree always sat in the spacious living room with the adjoining dining room open to view with a couple columns supporting the archway between the rooms.

It was under this tree that the gifts were all placed and then opened together on Christmas Day. It was quite an ‘opening’ as you might imagine of six offspring plus their spouses and children. There were a lot of brightly wrapped packages under that tree!

Since this was still post-depression years, money was tight, but ingenuity was not! There was a limit of 10c per gift. Yes, 10c! so you can see (even then) what I mean about ingenuity! I can remember how Mom and I would keep our eyes open (or our thoughts) for items for everyone that met the 10c criteria: items for ‘the men’ and items for’the women.’ Kitchens gadgets (the state fair with its hawkers was a wonderful source for these) were high on the list as I recall and often homemade items as well.

But, what I remember most is the Fun! Real fun and joy as we shared together on Christmas Day and exchanged what each one had managed to find for the others. And, just the ‘togetherness’ with Grandma and Grandpa in their home was special. I know we all gathered in that dining room for a big meal too, but I don’t remember all that as much as I do the gift ‘hunting’ and giving of those years. I remember feeling the warmth of the family and their love for each other and the special time of just all being together at “The Home on Pleasant Row.”

Many Christmases have come and gone since those years of my youth, but they remain treasured memories still of wonderful joys of family no longer with us.
How I look forward to some day greeting each one again where ‘every’ day is Christmas.

Then, secondly, a photo taken either in 1939 or 1940 of the 'nuclear' family of John and Edna:



Verna is on far left, then Reba, Louise, Edna, John and Bob. Wendell and Bern are in the back row. As you can see, it was taken outside (again on the southside of the house!) and is only the children of John and Edna. I do not have one with the spouses in the family at that time.

This was the era of the Great Depression's ending and pre-WW II.

I also have a photo of E. Mary and I taken that same Christmas, standing in almost that same spot.



There is a little house in the background (behind Mary) and a good friend of ours still lives in that house. She is in her 80's now, but so good to keep me posted on happenings of today in Cuba. I was about seven and as you can see, Mary was a beautiful teenager, so with seven years age difference between us, probably about fourteen at the time. John would have been there that Christmas with his Mom and Dad at about the age of two. So sorry there is no photo of John or Uncle Bill (Reba's husband,) your John's Mom, Evelyn, or Aunt Phil (Uncle Bern's wife) if she was 'in the picture' yet at that time or of my Mom who just might have been the photographer. Aunt Louise did not marry until about ten years later.

Merry Christmas Present, With Joyful memories of Christmases Past and Anticipating Future ones,

annie

Movie night on the couch with Dad

Quick mommy postings, while she has 2 minutes...

This is from the other night, although dad is taking a cat nap now on the couch with Zoe before he has to go back out to work tonight..

Movie: Kung Fu Panda. Seriously.

Night and day

E. Mary and Peaches (Annie)

more from Annie...

Now, we have at last reached the entry of your Great Grandmother Mary, into the story!

Another pair of high school sweethearts, Verna H and Earl B must enter the story first.
They were married Dec. 1, 1922. Then, E. Mary was born three years later: March 4, 1925. The first photo I have of her is with her puppy Peaches.



He almost looks like a toy in the picture, but he is a real doggie!



As you can see Mary loved him and isn't she a cutie? This love of doggies was with her all of her life. My mom and dad had given her the puppy.

Mary was about seven years old when I entered the scene and the next photo is a postcard that her mother, Verna, wrote to my Dad (Wendell, her brother) about a month after I was born.



The other side is dated Nov. 3, 1932 and it was sent for one penny! I include it because of the sentence in it where Mary laments that I 'will be as big as she is before she sees me!' This was still in the years when the Great Depression in our country was in full swing, so any opportunity for work could not be missed! Burlington (where I was 'on view') was about 80 miles from Cuba where Mary and her parents were at the time.

Well, it was a bit sooner than that as the last photo attached shows!



It was spring in Illinois as you can tell by the spirea blooming in the background. I was approximately six months old and Mary seven years. The photo was taken on the southside of the Pleasant Row House (the home of Grandpa John and Grandma Edna) as most all the family photos I have were. It was the biggest spot and also with the best light. This is the first photo of us together, but not the last nor the many memories we made in life together!

Chapter Two: Class of 1895 (Annie)

More historical information from Annie P.

The 'story' goes on..................

After graduating in 1895, both John and Edna became teachers and then the high school sweethearts began their married life together in Cuba, Illinois. See class below.




But, by 1907, they had three children: Verna (the mother of E. Mary your Great Grandmother, Roman and Zoe), Reba and Wendell (my father.) The attached photo has seen some 'wear' but the trio is still visible!



Photos of the family are rare; as the first home that John and Edna had, burned, and all the family pictures (save those that had been sent to others) were lost! Grandma Edna (in later times) took a lot of 'ribbing' about the fact that all she thought to grab when fleeing the fire was the alarm clock! And, of course, seeing the children safely out!

That sort of 'evened' things out with Grandpa John, though, who also took the same 'heat' about his story of the yellow dog that followed the covered wagon when he came west with his parents and brothers. However, the truth is that Grandpa John was not born until the family settled in Illinois! He just remembered being told the story!

By 1910, another boy had been added to the 'fold' and a picture taken of Verna, Reba, Wendell and Bob is the last photo attached with this segment. Bob is the father of John W H (the first grandson of John and Edna) and he is named after his Grandpa John.



I am told that the looks on their faces are because the rug they are sitting (or standing) on has the picture of a dog on it. In any event, it is a charming photo of the ever expanding family of John and Edna. Two more children: Bern and Louise soon joined the family but I do not have any photos of them at an early age with their brothers and sisters, just one soon to come in another segment of them as adults with their parents.

On both sides of my family, many of the old photos were postcards sent to others, then somehow re-collected! A few years back I looked up the history of postcards from the early 1900's on and it is quite a fascinating subject. The two photos (except the 1895 class picture from a newspaper) in this segment were both postcard photos.

Christmas Day (part 5) - George and Georgia

A box from Auntie Shannon...Let's see what's inside...


Curious George! And his twin sister Georgia! Oh how amazingly cute. Zoe, you got some headbands to match too. I sense a future photo shoot...






Kissy, kissy! mwach! Georgia loves you (and loves to see you smile)!


Zoe's having fun in her crib with Georgia and the new selection of toys hanging on the sides for her amusement. Thanks to Auntie Shannon and Uncle Dan, Aunt Jen and cousins Zach and Mina for all the discovery toys!

Christmas Day (part 4)

Hmmm.

The closest thing you're going to see to a real puppy in a long time!! This is a really cool one though that will talk to you and sing you songs. That's pretty cool.

Just seeing the Lullaby Glowworm makes Zoe sleepy! :)
A pink one for Zoe and a blue one for Roman - perfect!

Time to open another present from the G's Bu.

Alright, a new outfit and some bibs to keep it clean!

For the purpose of melting Daddy's heart even further...

How it all Began..... (Annie)

from Annie P., your paternal Great Grandmother's cousin

Dear Roman Wesley and Zoe Cate,

The story of your 'roots' on your Great Grandma E. Mary's side (and mine) began long before the story of Mary and I, so be prepared for a lot of 'greats' as I tell you the tale of how we came to be cousins and best friends for many years! I hope you will enjoy knowing these things one day.

Our (Mary's and mine) great grandparents were Cal and Lydia P. Thus, if I am counting the 'greats' right, they are your great great great great grandparents. I did not know Great Grandma Lydia but I did have the joy of knowing Great Grandpa Cal P and he was my best buddy till I was five years old. I had many wonderful adventures with him and he taught me to spell dog and cat. He lived with us and I was fascinated by his white mustache and how he drank his coffee.He had a huge coffee cup and an even bigger saucer below it. He would pour his coffee (some at a time) into his saucer, blow on it and then drink it! It was quite a process!



He loved baseball and would sit with his ear right up to the old chapel style radio which was turned up to full volume to listen to the games (inside in winter and out in the garage in the summer.) He loved my mother's pies along with that coffee! Earlier in his life, he had run a restaurant 'uptown' in Cuba and before he died at the age of 92 was honored in the Town's Centennial up in the square. The picture of him that I am attaching was taken in front of 'The Pleasant Row' house about which you will hear more later.



I am attaching a photo of Great Grandma Lydia next, but I don't know where or when it was taken. She is the lady on the right and the mother of my (and Mary's too) Grandma Edna P-H.



The last photo attached is of your Great Great Great Grandparents: John Weston H and Edna P H when they were sweethearts in high school in Cuba, Illinois.




As you can see, they are in a heart and are standing side by side in the top row of the photo. In the next letter, I will send you the entire photo of the graduating class of 1894-1895 and at the bottom of the photo, they are identified by name so you will be able to be sure you are seeing them when that picture comes in the next 'installment.' A good friend who still lives in Cuba just sent it to me this past year when it appeared in the Fulton Democrat paper.

This is just the 'first installment' and there are more to come soon.

Love, your cousin (a few times removed) annie

P.S. I think it is four times: E. Mary, Mike Sr. Mike Jr. & You!

Christmas Day (part 3)

Time for Roman to open some presents from the Grandfamily Bu (so deemed: Grandpa Bu, Grammy Pammy, Uncle Jared, Aunt Amanda).
Grammy Pammy: You have my permission to give me a nickname that isn't fair. I bet you were in early grade school when I was born. Not quite "Grammy".

A puppy dog that talks and sings, Woo Hoo!

Taking a break from the action with Uncle Dave.

Enjoying some tunes...

Christmas Day (part 2) or Lions and Tigers and...

Bears! Oh My!



I still think Roman is going to win us the big money on America's Funniest Home Videos one day. Those looks! I wonder where he gets them? (May I submit myself for consideration: video evidence in the last post).



After his initial shock, Roman is quite happy with his new outfit.
Good thing he's too young to get beat up on the playground. This is Viking terrority after all.
This comes from Grandfamily Bu.

Fling!

Dad had the camera rolling when we were opening presents. More on what I was looking at later, just thought I'd share Roman's entertaining maneuver.

Link to this video on Youtube.

A new tradition

Your great Grandma E Mary's cousin Annie has been posting comments on your blog and has forwarded some history of your family which we'll be sharing here shortly. Included in the last week was this scan of her recipe for Butterscotch Bars. I made them for Christmas, only I improvised a little bit. I didn't follow the directions on your dad's favorite, 7 layer bars, so I had a bunch of the topping that crumbled off. Those "leftovers" of nuts, coconut, chocolate & butterscotch chips took the place of the "nuts or coconut" in the recipe. It turned out pretty good.

E. Mary's Butterscotch Sticks

1/2 c shortening
2 c brown sugar
2 eggs
2 c sifted* flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c nuts or coconut
1/2 tsp vanilla

Melt shortening, add sugar. Blend & cool
Add beaten eggs & vanilla.
Sift* dry ingredients and add to shortening mixture.
Spread on greased pan and bake 30 minutes in 350 degree oven.
Cut into sticks and let cool in the pan.


Another cookie I think I'll always make is the Melting Moment. My favorite Christmas cookie. The recipe is here for posterity...

Melting Moments
1 c soft butter
1/3 c powdered sugar
3/4 c cornstarch
1 c flour

frosting:
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla/lemon flavoring
1 c powdered sugar
enough cream to spread

Cream butter, gradually added powdered sugar. Add flour & cornstarch, mix well.
Chill 1 hour.
Form into balls and bake for 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven.


*I came home from 7th grade Home Education class and asked grandma where her sifter was. She said she'd never used one and we didn't really need one. I've baked a lot of goodies since then (and tested my share ;( )and she seems to be right - no one's every complained! So, I never sift. Sift if you like, but don't sift if you don't like.

Christmas Day (part 1)

Did we decorate and put up a Christmas tree this year? Um, no. We found that when time and space restrictions merge you get.....The Christmas Coffee Table.



We found that it later converts to a nice place to put the Trivial Pursuit game and a nice place to set your drink. Imagine that - a festive holder for gifts AND a piece of useful furniture. ;)

We got two boxes shipped to us the week of Christmas from your family in Chicago.



A box from Auntie Shannon and a box from Grandpa Bu, (and I'm apologizing to Pam for this one in advance, I didn't make it up but it's SO blog-worthy), Grammy Pammy, Uncle Jared and Aunt Amanda. Given Mike was born to extremely young parents, the twins have some young relatives. Among them the twins Jared and Amanda, who are in 6th grade. They have their youthful uncle/aunt-hood in common with your Uncle Andy who became an uncle to cousin Zach at the age of 6... Speaking of Uncle Andy, his gift of Minnesota Twins outfits is mixed in. This might be something of a sacrilege, mixing Twins gear with Chicagoland material...There might be some opinion on which team should win your alliance. We're going to have to let you decide that one. Maybe when your uncle Jared makes it to the big leagues you won't have to struggle with which team - it'll be his :)

I wanted to point out this item, dropped off by Grandma K while we were out.

Clone Trooper Helmet. Your Mom and Dad have some "discussions" about the Star Wars collectibles your Daddy likes to buy. This one was a gift, so Mommy can't complain too much. And, according to Daddy it's FOR YOU. So when you're a little bit older, just point him back here. Grandma K gave it to you.


Notice above though how Daddy is eyeing it....



Mommy found it humorous that your Dad was excited about this- it is after all geared to ages 5 (and up). I like to focus on the 5 part. Especially after he kept asking me all morning if we could open the presents. He's going to be your partner in crime on Christmas morning, that's for sure.

Christmas Eve (part 4)

Roman not so happy. Zoe is content...


...and Roman a little happier.

Christmas Eve (part 3)

Roman and Zoe finally got the chance to meet their cousins. In the photo above Zach (16) is holding Roman and Mina (12 in January) is holding Zoe. They were subjected to their Aunt Mary's nonstop photo session, although this time she had help from Uncle Andy. Two cameras, two sets of flashes. They couldn't see without spots for awhile after that!

2 years ago they got their first cousin. This year brought three more. Better late than never!



Here Mina is with Zoe. I've said it before, but maybe not here...Zoe reminds me a lot like Mina in temperament. Easy going.



And here are your Uncle Dan (mom's oldest brother) and his wife, you aunt Jen, parents of Zach and Mina.


Zoe, your Aunt Jen closed her eyes so you wouldn't be the only one. Right, Aunt Jen?

Mina and Zach's Grandma H (Jen's mom) joined us as well.