Fourth of July

Dad in 1946. Happy 4th of July everyone!

Father's Day

Here's a picture of my Dad, probably the first grade. See the brand new pencil in his pocket? I think I had some haircuts with my bangs not quite even...didn't we all. Dad passed in 1999.

Mom growing up

I just wanted to share a few more pictures of Mom growing up...she's about 15 and 16 years old in these pictures. Isn't she a cutie? I love you mom.

Mom growing up

Here's Mom a little older...I think 15 years old. Mom's on the right and that was her good friend Kitty. Mom had moved to Washington DC to live with her Aunt and two cousins during the war years. She helped baby sit the two young cousins while her Aunt worked. Now I don't usually write a lot on my blog, but I will tell this story. I love to hear Mom tell her stories of her early life and I remember a lot of details. Mom kept in contact with her friend Kitty, even after they moved from Washington and each got married and had children they wrote a few letters back and forth. Then Mom lost contact with Kitty and she didn't know what happened to her. Fast forward to the end of 2005. I may have mentioned that I love to do genealogy research and I visit a lot of websites and library websites for research. I was reading a research library's guestbook one day and noticed a lady had left a comment praising the library genealogy department and that she had found info on a relative, and she gave the lady's name. I recognized the name as Kitty's mother. I couldn't believe it, and she gave her email address. I contacted her and she was Kitty's daughter! I was sad to find out Kitty had passed away in her early 40's and I really hated to tell Mom. But, Mom was able to talk to Kitty's daughter on the phone and tell her lots of things from those years in Washington DC and we exchanged pictures by email. She was thrilled to hear Mom's stories about her mother because she was just a teen when her mother passed away. Now, the odds of me reading that particular library's guestbook, and remembering that name from my Mom's past...well, it was all pretty amazing.

Mom at seven or eight

Left to right= her cousin, sister, brother, cousin and Mom. Mom has some interesting stories to tell of growing up in Oklahoma. Stories about the Depression and the dust storms and much more. Maybe I can get her to write some things down that I can share here.

Mom growing up

Here's mom with her mom (Grandma Briggs). Don't ya just love Grandma Brigg's 20's hairstyle and the her dress?

Old family photos

That's my mom's mom on the left (Grandma Briggs) and two of her sisters. I think this picture is so sweet. Look at their lovely hair and those dresses. I don't have the year of the photo, but Grandma Briggs was born in 1903 and she looks to be maybe 5 years old.

Mom in the first grade

Aren't they cute? I bet you can't guess which one is Mom...I couldn't!

She's a little lady..

Here's Mom a little older...wish we still had that tricycle!

Old Photo

Here's another photo of mom..at two years old. I think photographers would come to houses with the cart and animal to take the pictures.

Old photo

My mom's family took lots of photos and I love looking at them. I want to share this one of my mom as a baby in 1924. Her mother, my Grandma Briggs, is holding her. Grandma Briggs could crochet really well. I guess that is where I get my interest in crochet. Today, Tom, my DH, took me to therapy (which means I went to craft stores A C Moore and Michaels.) I bought some yarn, even though I don't need it. LOL! But I had to use those darn coupons they keep putting out...by the way...did you know you can use their coupons on magazines? I do that , especially when there is a 50% off coupon.

Old scrapbooks

Have you ever seen the old scrapbooks for sale on ebay? This picture was highlighted from one such scrapbook a while back and I saved the picture because it is such a great photo! I love the dress, the furniture and the drapes too LOL! It is fascinating to see the scrapbooks for sale but at the same time very sad. A lot of work and love has gone into these scrapbooks and yet here they are for sale to a stranger. Some of the scrapbooks document peoples whole lives and then I guess there is no family member to pass them to.