When I was nine or ten years old, soon after we came back to Coronado after WWII, my parents were blessed to receive a 1938 Dodge from my grandfather. It was a black beauty that had the misfortune of being crashed into as it was parked next to my grandparent's house in the middle of the night. Third street did not have much traffic in those days, especially in the wee hours of the night, so this was big news in our neighborhood.
In the morning when I got up I heard about all the commotion that had gone on while I was sleeping. Granddad's car had been hit by a young man as he drove down the street next to our family home on third street. The old Dodge now needed repair and a new paint job. Since Granddad did not do much driving anymore he decided to give the car to my parents as they needed it. They had not had a car during the war and were so glad to accept our grandfather's generosity. Since the car needed to be painted they chose to have it painted green. It was more common for cars to be black in those days so our car stood out with the new paint job and the rack they had installed on top of the car.
Mom and Dad began painting houses together around this period of time. Originally Dad was the main painter, but it was not long before they were a team. Mom did the driving as Dad did not see good enough to drive anymore. Dad used to drive for a living when Mom and Dad first knew each other, but things had changed over the years. Now Mom was at the wheel and Dad navigated. He was good at this. He was a very good painter and soon had Mom doing detail work. The car with the rack on top gave them a way to carry paint supplies and ladders to their jobs.
There was plenty of room in the old Dodge for my two sisters and me when we needed to go someplace in the car. I mainly remember walking most places I went since we were mostly in Coronado at this time. I do remember going down the Silver Strand on occasion with my parents. The Strand was just one lane each way in those days. It was widened later in the fifties. I remember going to Imperial Beach where Mom and Dad were painting some houses that were being built then. They also painted one or two houses for the same contractor out near Spring Valley or Lemon Grove. They mostly painted in Coronado for different homeowners.
In the spring of 1949 we decided to travel to Washington state in our old green Dodge. My sister Donna had been there since the previous summer so it was just Betty and me in the back seat along with our pets and many belongings. Mom and Dad were in the front seat along with a friend of the family. I guess this way Mom had someone else who could help drive. Dad was still the navigator. The trunk was full and the rack on top had a large wardrobe with things packed inside. The pets Betty and I were sharing space with were my little turtle, Mac, and our little red hen, Susie Q. Yes, we shared space with a chicken. We had her in a crate for her own safety. This is probably my most told story, with variations each time. I should have a picture for posterity.
I may forget other old cars Mom and Dad probably had after this, but how can I forget our old green Dodge? There are other memories associated with it too. I remember our family going to Tijuana in the car. I remember that one time we went to the horse races south of the border in our Dodge. That is the only time I ever went to the races. I was still a child then.
We sometimes visited my Aunt Clara and her family at their home in Spring Valley. It was still country then. There was a little stream that went along their road that I remember playing in. There was a large California pepper tree in the yard next to the old two story house. I remember climbing this tree as a child. In 1950 we stayed in my aunt's house for a quarter of the school year after we came back from Washington. Some of my cousins were with us then. Mom and Dad had to commute to Coronado from the house in the country so they could continue painting houses in the city. It was a long ways to go in their old green Dodge each day. I took a school bus to school in La Mesa. My sisters went to a nearby school in Spring Valley.
In Washington we also went to the country school by bus. We lived on our grandparents farm then. Mom and Dad helped my mother's parents with their farm at that time. Dad came back to California earlier to find a place for us to live. That is when he made arrangements with his sister for us to live in her Spring Valley house.
Dad's brother came to Washington after Christmas to help us move back to California. This was 1949, just before a new decade. I had just turned thirteen. The reason my uncle came to help us is because his two children were with us then. They had been on the farm with us since summer. They got lessons in a completely different lifestyle than they were used to. They were city kids with no farm experience. I mean old fashioned farm, including outhouse. We left Susie Q on the farm. I hope she survived the blizzard that hit a day or so after we left. We were back in our old Dodge with more kids than before and I still had my turtle. We added a kitten to the mix. We were pulling a small trailer for our belongings on this trip. There was Mom and Uncle Elliot with at least one child in the front seat. No seat belts in those days. The children and teenagers in the car were my two cousins Malcolm and Geraldine plus my two sisters and me. A full car.
So our old car that Granddad gave us after the war was part of our family history. These stories are a significant part of my growing up years and I never get tired of telling them. If it weren't for the time my cousins were with us on the farm and in Spring Valley I would only have childhood pictures to know them by. I barely saw them any other time in my life. When I was very young there are pictures of us on the porch of our grandparents home on third and F in Coronado. These are cute pictures of us playing with Grandma's pots and pans. And since I am back to the place this story began I guess it is a good place to close.
Showing posts with label Childhood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Childhood. Show all posts
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Life is But a Moment in Time
As I was trying to read my devotions and was deep in thought I thought about the fact that just the other day I was a child and now I'm facing my seventy fifth birthday in two months. It was only yesterday that I was playing jacks and jumping rope with my friends. Now we are all grandparents. It was just a hop skip and a jump since we played hopscotch until now when even walking is affected by arthritis. Where did the time go? Life is fleeting, a moment in God's time.
When I was a child I was so anxious to grow up and get married and be a mommy. It seemed like forever. When I was a newlywed and Paul was drafted into the Army and was gone so long it felt like forever. It was much too long considering that he missed a year and a half of our first baby's life. Then when I was a young mother with four children it seemed like I would be forever attached to a buggy or stroller. It was not so long after all. My babies grew up much too fast. The next thing you knew they were teenagers and then high school graduates.
Our youngest child left the nest first when he joined the Marines at the age of seventeen. I only had him under my wings for seventeen short years. Only a short time in the scheme of things to nurture him and lead him to the Lord. But I was a baby Christian myself so I missed too many opportunities to lead him where I would like to see him be. Did I plant seeds or water them? I would hope that I did. He is a dear son and is good to us. He may be more than six feet tall but he is still my baby. But he has a mind of his own and I can only pray that he will accept the Lord, hopefully while I still have breath left on earth.
The next child to leave home was the oldest when she got married at the age of twenty eight. I was blessed to have her with me all those years. She enjoyed Bible stories and nursery rhymes as a child. She was close to me as the first born. I am thankful that she loves the Lord and brought her girls up in a Christian home. It was such a blessing when she became a wife and then a mother. I loved being a grandma to her two little girls. They are not little girls anymore but I still love being their grandmother. Time flew by and now I'm a great grandmother. That sure happened fast.
The third child to leave home was our third child, our first son. He joined the Air Force and then left the nest. He has only been home for Christmas one time since then. But he comes home during the year and shares quality time with us. As a child he did not get many opportunities to travel but he puts in the miles on his car now days. He takes us places when he is with us. As a child he loved his blocks and puzzles as well as all of his boys toys. When we had sons after two daughters we found out that boys make boys noises. Cars and trucks require that sound. That was just the other day. Where did our little boys go? As with our other son our prayer is for him to know the Lord.
We still have one daughter at home with us. When she was a young child she loved sitting with me in the rocking chair and being read to. I guess all of our children enjoyed this ritual. But some latched onto this ritual more than the others. She loved her "Nanny book" which was part of a large set of children's books we got when she was a baby. She grew to love the Word of God too. Thankfully we continue to go to church with her after all these many years. She is child number two in birth order. Not only did I teach her things when she was a child, she now teaches me new things such as using the computer.
Not only did the time swiftly pass in raising four children, it has been but a brief moment in time since our granddaughters were little. And now we have a great grandson. How can I be about to celebrate seventy five years here on earth? I was just seventeen years old and walking down the aisle at church on an August afternoon in 1954. I was looking forward to being a good wife and mother. Well, I tried to be those things but it wasn't all picket fences and roses. There were thorns along the way. Oh to go back and do a better job. Thankfully I came to know the Lord along the way and that is the best part of all. Where would I be without the Lord? I would be lost and facing my senior years in darkness. As it is I enjoy sharing my days with other believers and look forward to spending eternity with Jesus in the home He has prepared for me and other believers.
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90: 12
When I was a child I was so anxious to grow up and get married and be a mommy. It seemed like forever. When I was a newlywed and Paul was drafted into the Army and was gone so long it felt like forever. It was much too long considering that he missed a year and a half of our first baby's life. Then when I was a young mother with four children it seemed like I would be forever attached to a buggy or stroller. It was not so long after all. My babies grew up much too fast. The next thing you knew they were teenagers and then high school graduates.
Our youngest child left the nest first when he joined the Marines at the age of seventeen. I only had him under my wings for seventeen short years. Only a short time in the scheme of things to nurture him and lead him to the Lord. But I was a baby Christian myself so I missed too many opportunities to lead him where I would like to see him be. Did I plant seeds or water them? I would hope that I did. He is a dear son and is good to us. He may be more than six feet tall but he is still my baby. But he has a mind of his own and I can only pray that he will accept the Lord, hopefully while I still have breath left on earth.
The next child to leave home was the oldest when she got married at the age of twenty eight. I was blessed to have her with me all those years. She enjoyed Bible stories and nursery rhymes as a child. She was close to me as the first born. I am thankful that she loves the Lord and brought her girls up in a Christian home. It was such a blessing when she became a wife and then a mother. I loved being a grandma to her two little girls. They are not little girls anymore but I still love being their grandmother. Time flew by and now I'm a great grandmother. That sure happened fast.
The third child to leave home was our third child, our first son. He joined the Air Force and then left the nest. He has only been home for Christmas one time since then. But he comes home during the year and shares quality time with us. As a child he did not get many opportunities to travel but he puts in the miles on his car now days. He takes us places when he is with us. As a child he loved his blocks and puzzles as well as all of his boys toys. When we had sons after two daughters we found out that boys make boys noises. Cars and trucks require that sound. That was just the other day. Where did our little boys go? As with our other son our prayer is for him to know the Lord.
We still have one daughter at home with us. When she was a young child she loved sitting with me in the rocking chair and being read to. I guess all of our children enjoyed this ritual. But some latched onto this ritual more than the others. She loved her "Nanny book" which was part of a large set of children's books we got when she was a baby. She grew to love the Word of God too. Thankfully we continue to go to church with her after all these many years. She is child number two in birth order. Not only did I teach her things when she was a child, she now teaches me new things such as using the computer.
Not only did the time swiftly pass in raising four children, it has been but a brief moment in time since our granddaughters were little. And now we have a great grandson. How can I be about to celebrate seventy five years here on earth? I was just seventeen years old and walking down the aisle at church on an August afternoon in 1954. I was looking forward to being a good wife and mother. Well, I tried to be those things but it wasn't all picket fences and roses. There were thorns along the way. Oh to go back and do a better job. Thankfully I came to know the Lord along the way and that is the best part of all. Where would I be without the Lord? I would be lost and facing my senior years in darkness. As it is I enjoy sharing my days with other believers and look forward to spending eternity with Jesus in the home He has prepared for me and other believers.
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90: 12
Saturday, July 30, 2011
More Coronado Memories
No sooner was I finished with my last blog post about Coronado than I thought of more things to share. I know I can get redundant, repeating myself, but I also don't want to forget anything.
Yesterday Laura and I were walking down an alley in Coronado which made me remember several things. I remember when not all of the alleys were paved. It took a long time for all the alleys in Coronado to be paved. Laura even remembers that some were not paved when she was young. I assume they are all paved now. Many communities still have unpaved alleyways. We don't even have alleys in the area we live in.
Our last place of residence in Coronado was on Olive Lane, an alley. It is an interesting alley, shaped like a T, with little cottages facing the alley. There are other interesting alleys especially named such as Adella Lane. Paul and his family lived on Adella Lane in the little house they built before they built their larger home in front, on Pomona Avenue. They lived on Pomona Avenue when I met and married Paul. That is the house that our children remember.
Another memory that was triggered while walking in the alley is a faint one from my childhood. I know it is true because the subject came up a couple of years ago while visiting Paul's brother Charlie and cousin George. The conversation starts with, "Do you remember the alligator in Coronado?" I guess this was a conversation starter during several gatherings that year. Yes, I do remember the alligator. As children several of us looked over the tall fence in an alley to get a good look. It had a nice pond and was securely enclosed in the yard. I wonder how many years it was there.
When my children were young the talk of the town and in the Coronado Journal was the cougar. One family had a real live cougar. I think one of our children knew someone from that family. She may have been in Bill or Griff's class. Paul wrote about the cougar in one of his many letters to the editor. I still run into articles about the Coronado cougar.
When I was young our family raised chickens in Coronado. I remember having an incubator to keep the young chicks warm. They grew fast and my parents sold them as fryers. Yes, Dad had to butcher them. He was not a farm boy, but he learned to do this. My mother was a farm girl and knew how to clean them so they could be eaten. Some grew to be hens and provided eggs. One was our pet and we were attached to her. She is the subject of one of my favorite stories.
When Donna was ten years old she was the first one in our family to fly in an airplane. She flew to Washington state to spend the year with our grandparents on their farm. She went to help them with their chores. I'm sure it was more beneficial to my sister as she received many valuable lessons from our grandparents. There were eggs to gather and lessons learned in the kitchen as well as the barn. There were also Bible lessons to learn.
I mention this story as it leads to the chicken story. In the spring of 1949 Mom, Dad, Betty and I decided to move out of our grandparents' home on Third and F in Coronado and head to the farm in Washington. This meant finding homes for several pets. We decided to take Susie Q, our pet hen, with us on the trip. I also had Mac, my turtle, along for the ride. Our car was loaded with all our worldly goods as well as our family and pets. We had things piled on top of the car and in the large trunk. Betty and I shared the back seat with Susie Q and Mac. Susie was in a suitable box and safe for the journey. She laid two eggs on the trip, and we always said one of them was while we were crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. Maybe that was so.
You can picture us being quite the sight for sore eyes. Before heading north we stopped at our dentist's house as he and his wife were friends of ours. Mom and Dad had done a lot of painting for them. His wife said that her cousin's husband was a pastor in Washington. Can you imagine the surprise when we went to church that first Sunday we were in Washington and the cousin's husband was the pastor at the little church that my grandparents always attended. He had even baptized my sister during the time she had been with our grandparents. It is a small world.
Later that year, right after Christmas, we headed back to California. We left Susie Q on the farm, but my turtle came back to California with us. I have written about this eventful year several times so will not go into more detail about all that happened.
Fast forward to the sixties and we meet up with the pastor from my grandparents' church again. Paul and I were going with our children to First Baptist Church in Coronado. In 1966 we had a new pastor and his family at the church. You guessed right. It was the same pastor as I mentioned before. He had been at the Logan Heights church in San Diego for years and was happy for the opportunity to move to Coronado. To this day his wife Betty is one of my good friends. They were not in Coronado long, but lived in San Diego for many years. Four years ago they moved to Texas to be near family as they were getting on in years. Pastor Clark went to be with the Lord several years ago and it is good that Betty is near her family.
Yesterday Laura and I met Betty in Coronado along with another good friend from so many years ago. Betty is visiting friends in San Diego and then is headed to Washington to spend time with family. This was my second opportunity to see Betty since she moved to Texas. So Betty, Carolyn, Laura and I spent time together at the Ferry Landing in Coronado yesterday enjoying getting caught up on family news. We could have talked longer but everyone has a full calendar. These are precious moments in time. Oh, Betty is 90 years old now, or will be in December. She could pass for a much younger lady. Except for Laura I was the youngest of the bunch. I will be 75 in December. Just a kid, ha ha.
Since I mentioned the Ferry Landing I will mention the old ferries. Until the bridge opened in 1969 we had the large car ferries between Coronado and San Diego. They went from the foot of Orange Avenue to where Sea Port Village is now. We could go across in our cars or as pedestrians. It did not cost much and was a break from the trials of the day. Sometimes as pedestrians we would go back and forth without paying any extra. It was a time to feel the breeze from the bay and look for an occasional porpoise near the ferry. The San Diego skyline was different then too.
When Griff was a cub Scout we had an opportunity to go with his fellow scouts and their families on a whale watching trip out of the Coronado Yacht Club. This was the first time that I can remember going out in the ocean. We enjoyed whale sightings and a relaxing time on the water that morning. Since then we have gone on several whale watching day trips. Another fun trip is the Harbor Cruise around the bay. We have done that a number of times. We have taken friends and family over the years. We like the two hour cruise rather than the shorter cruise.
When I was in fifth grade my friend Georgette and I spent some time hanging around the yacht club and someone gave us a short jaunt on his sailboat. That really caught on with my friend as she continued to be enamored with boating over the years. I remember one summer I spent a very long day with her at the beach and got very sunburned. We all have to learn the hard way to be careful in the sun. Another time, with other friends when I was fifteen, I spent a day sailing in the bay to the cove which is now part of the State Beach. It was another long day in the sun and another bad sunburn.
My children had their bad sunburns too. The sunburns were so bad they maybe needed medical care. They became very cautious after that. Paul has always been cautious since he was a redhead with fair skin. Kathy is very fair too so has always had to be careful. The other three are the ones that got the bad burns that I mentioned. I remember my sister Donna getting a bad burn or two also.
One time when I was thirteen my friend Georgette and I were walking our dogs on the beach and they got tar or some kind of oil on their paws. It was impossible to get off them. We tried alcohol if I remember correctly. It really hurt their poor little paws. That is a not to do ever again experience.
When I was in sixth grade I spent a lot of time at the Coronado stables. Yes, Coronado had stables. They were near Forth Street, near the North Island gate. There are houses there now which are part of the Country Club Estates. There used to be a golf course on that side of town west of Alameda Blvd. As for me spending time at the stables, I never rode any horses there. I liked a boy that was there. I spent a lot of time with Penny that year too. I'm sure she went to the stables with me. This was not long before our family left for Washington in 1949.
That is also the year that I went on a first date to the Village Theater in Coronado. The Village would have just been two years old at that time. Nicky is the young man who took me to the movies that time. I even remember that we saw "The Three Musketeers". Nicky also spent time at the stables. He was not the one that I had my eye on at the stables though. I liked a boy named Paul. But he preferred that I would turn my attention to Nicky. It was all very proper sixth grade situations. Nothing improper occurred.
I always had another boyfriend as long as I can remember. Hotchy was a neighbor boy that I always knew. I really liked him and sometimes he liked me. One time he took me ice skating in San Diego. Even though I could roller skate I had no luck with the ice skates. I tried and tried to stand up and ice skate to no avail. Hotchy (Charles) lost patience with me and put me on the bus in San Diego with instructions of what to do to get home. I guess it only took one bus as that was no problem. But I misunderstood on when to put my coins in the fare box. I paid as I was getting off and the bus driver said that "It was about time that I paid." I did what I thought I was meant to do. That may have been the end of Hotchy for that year, but there were other years with times as his friend. Once I was in high school we never spent any time together. I often wonder where he is now.
We have a lot of childhood friends that we enjoyed time with for a period of time. Karen and Judy were good friends of my sisters and me. We spent much of our childhood playing with them, not always peacefully. Our imaginations were often in action when we got together. We planned plays or skits with them in their backyard. They lived next door to their grandparents and shared a large backyard with them. They had other relatives nearby too, much like us. We remember Karen and Judy having certain chores to do and their little house was very neat. Karen and Judy were both in the same graduating class as me. We graduated from Coronado High School in 1955. We did not really hang out together much after we were in high school though.
I enjoyed many friendships over the years and am always happy to see these friends again at reunions. One friend that I was close to in high school and for several years afterwards was Joan. I want to be in touch with her again. We have talked on the phone several times, but I never seem to follow through on getting together with her. I hope this will be the year. We are not getting any younger.
Madeline and I have remained good friends all these years. I am ever so thankful. We first met in third grade and we have each had a lot of friends over the years. Yet we have developed an even stronger sister bond as the years pass by. We are sisters in the Lord and that is one reason we have bonded. We are both silly together too. Wouldn't know we are elderly. That is for other people. Her mother could qualify, yet she is a young 94 year old. It is a blessing to have this mother in our lives.
My other mother Rosalie is also 94 years young and a blessing from the Lord. She was born in Coronado and has almost always lived in Coronado. Donna and I both adopted her as a mother. She was also a cupid for Paul and me. Rosalie's father was a Coronado ferry captain in years gone by. Such history our families share.
"More Coronado Memories" could go on and on, but this is time to close this post. There are always more things to write as they come to mind. I think of them faster than I can write. Sometimes they flit away before they reach the keys. See you the next time I sit here. Hugs :)
Yesterday Laura and I were walking down an alley in Coronado which made me remember several things. I remember when not all of the alleys were paved. It took a long time for all the alleys in Coronado to be paved. Laura even remembers that some were not paved when she was young. I assume they are all paved now. Many communities still have unpaved alleyways. We don't even have alleys in the area we live in.
Our last place of residence in Coronado was on Olive Lane, an alley. It is an interesting alley, shaped like a T, with little cottages facing the alley. There are other interesting alleys especially named such as Adella Lane. Paul and his family lived on Adella Lane in the little house they built before they built their larger home in front, on Pomona Avenue. They lived on Pomona Avenue when I met and married Paul. That is the house that our children remember.
Another memory that was triggered while walking in the alley is a faint one from my childhood. I know it is true because the subject came up a couple of years ago while visiting Paul's brother Charlie and cousin George. The conversation starts with, "Do you remember the alligator in Coronado?" I guess this was a conversation starter during several gatherings that year. Yes, I do remember the alligator. As children several of us looked over the tall fence in an alley to get a good look. It had a nice pond and was securely enclosed in the yard. I wonder how many years it was there.
When my children were young the talk of the town and in the Coronado Journal was the cougar. One family had a real live cougar. I think one of our children knew someone from that family. She may have been in Bill or Griff's class. Paul wrote about the cougar in one of his many letters to the editor. I still run into articles about the Coronado cougar.
When I was young our family raised chickens in Coronado. I remember having an incubator to keep the young chicks warm. They grew fast and my parents sold them as fryers. Yes, Dad had to butcher them. He was not a farm boy, but he learned to do this. My mother was a farm girl and knew how to clean them so they could be eaten. Some grew to be hens and provided eggs. One was our pet and we were attached to her. She is the subject of one of my favorite stories.
When Donna was ten years old she was the first one in our family to fly in an airplane. She flew to Washington state to spend the year with our grandparents on their farm. She went to help them with their chores. I'm sure it was more beneficial to my sister as she received many valuable lessons from our grandparents. There were eggs to gather and lessons learned in the kitchen as well as the barn. There were also Bible lessons to learn.
I mention this story as it leads to the chicken story. In the spring of 1949 Mom, Dad, Betty and I decided to move out of our grandparents' home on Third and F in Coronado and head to the farm in Washington. This meant finding homes for several pets. We decided to take Susie Q, our pet hen, with us on the trip. I also had Mac, my turtle, along for the ride. Our car was loaded with all our worldly goods as well as our family and pets. We had things piled on top of the car and in the large trunk. Betty and I shared the back seat with Susie Q and Mac. Susie was in a suitable box and safe for the journey. She laid two eggs on the trip, and we always said one of them was while we were crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. Maybe that was so.
You can picture us being quite the sight for sore eyes. Before heading north we stopped at our dentist's house as he and his wife were friends of ours. Mom and Dad had done a lot of painting for them. His wife said that her cousin's husband was a pastor in Washington. Can you imagine the surprise when we went to church that first Sunday we were in Washington and the cousin's husband was the pastor at the little church that my grandparents always attended. He had even baptized my sister during the time she had been with our grandparents. It is a small world.
Later that year, right after Christmas, we headed back to California. We left Susie Q on the farm, but my turtle came back to California with us. I have written about this eventful year several times so will not go into more detail about all that happened.
Fast forward to the sixties and we meet up with the pastor from my grandparents' church again. Paul and I were going with our children to First Baptist Church in Coronado. In 1966 we had a new pastor and his family at the church. You guessed right. It was the same pastor as I mentioned before. He had been at the Logan Heights church in San Diego for years and was happy for the opportunity to move to Coronado. To this day his wife Betty is one of my good friends. They were not in Coronado long, but lived in San Diego for many years. Four years ago they moved to Texas to be near family as they were getting on in years. Pastor Clark went to be with the Lord several years ago and it is good that Betty is near her family.
Yesterday Laura and I met Betty in Coronado along with another good friend from so many years ago. Betty is visiting friends in San Diego and then is headed to Washington to spend time with family. This was my second opportunity to see Betty since she moved to Texas. So Betty, Carolyn, Laura and I spent time together at the Ferry Landing in Coronado yesterday enjoying getting caught up on family news. We could have talked longer but everyone has a full calendar. These are precious moments in time. Oh, Betty is 90 years old now, or will be in December. She could pass for a much younger lady. Except for Laura I was the youngest of the bunch. I will be 75 in December. Just a kid, ha ha.
Since I mentioned the Ferry Landing I will mention the old ferries. Until the bridge opened in 1969 we had the large car ferries between Coronado and San Diego. They went from the foot of Orange Avenue to where Sea Port Village is now. We could go across in our cars or as pedestrians. It did not cost much and was a break from the trials of the day. Sometimes as pedestrians we would go back and forth without paying any extra. It was a time to feel the breeze from the bay and look for an occasional porpoise near the ferry. The San Diego skyline was different then too.
When Griff was a cub Scout we had an opportunity to go with his fellow scouts and their families on a whale watching trip out of the Coronado Yacht Club. This was the first time that I can remember going out in the ocean. We enjoyed whale sightings and a relaxing time on the water that morning. Since then we have gone on several whale watching day trips. Another fun trip is the Harbor Cruise around the bay. We have done that a number of times. We have taken friends and family over the years. We like the two hour cruise rather than the shorter cruise.
When I was in fifth grade my friend Georgette and I spent some time hanging around the yacht club and someone gave us a short jaunt on his sailboat. That really caught on with my friend as she continued to be enamored with boating over the years. I remember one summer I spent a very long day with her at the beach and got very sunburned. We all have to learn the hard way to be careful in the sun. Another time, with other friends when I was fifteen, I spent a day sailing in the bay to the cove which is now part of the State Beach. It was another long day in the sun and another bad sunburn.
My children had their bad sunburns too. The sunburns were so bad they maybe needed medical care. They became very cautious after that. Paul has always been cautious since he was a redhead with fair skin. Kathy is very fair too so has always had to be careful. The other three are the ones that got the bad burns that I mentioned. I remember my sister Donna getting a bad burn or two also.
One time when I was thirteen my friend Georgette and I were walking our dogs on the beach and they got tar or some kind of oil on their paws. It was impossible to get off them. We tried alcohol if I remember correctly. It really hurt their poor little paws. That is a not to do ever again experience.
When I was in sixth grade I spent a lot of time at the Coronado stables. Yes, Coronado had stables. They were near Forth Street, near the North Island gate. There are houses there now which are part of the Country Club Estates. There used to be a golf course on that side of town west of Alameda Blvd. As for me spending time at the stables, I never rode any horses there. I liked a boy that was there. I spent a lot of time with Penny that year too. I'm sure she went to the stables with me. This was not long before our family left for Washington in 1949.
That is also the year that I went on a first date to the Village Theater in Coronado. The Village would have just been two years old at that time. Nicky is the young man who took me to the movies that time. I even remember that we saw "The Three Musketeers". Nicky also spent time at the stables. He was not the one that I had my eye on at the stables though. I liked a boy named Paul. But he preferred that I would turn my attention to Nicky. It was all very proper sixth grade situations. Nothing improper occurred.
I always had another boyfriend as long as I can remember. Hotchy was a neighbor boy that I always knew. I really liked him and sometimes he liked me. One time he took me ice skating in San Diego. Even though I could roller skate I had no luck with the ice skates. I tried and tried to stand up and ice skate to no avail. Hotchy (Charles) lost patience with me and put me on the bus in San Diego with instructions of what to do to get home. I guess it only took one bus as that was no problem. But I misunderstood on when to put my coins in the fare box. I paid as I was getting off and the bus driver said that "It was about time that I paid." I did what I thought I was meant to do. That may have been the end of Hotchy for that year, but there were other years with times as his friend. Once I was in high school we never spent any time together. I often wonder where he is now.
We have a lot of childhood friends that we enjoyed time with for a period of time. Karen and Judy were good friends of my sisters and me. We spent much of our childhood playing with them, not always peacefully. Our imaginations were often in action when we got together. We planned plays or skits with them in their backyard. They lived next door to their grandparents and shared a large backyard with them. They had other relatives nearby too, much like us. We remember Karen and Judy having certain chores to do and their little house was very neat. Karen and Judy were both in the same graduating class as me. We graduated from Coronado High School in 1955. We did not really hang out together much after we were in high school though.
I enjoyed many friendships over the years and am always happy to see these friends again at reunions. One friend that I was close to in high school and for several years afterwards was Joan. I want to be in touch with her again. We have talked on the phone several times, but I never seem to follow through on getting together with her. I hope this will be the year. We are not getting any younger.
Madeline and I have remained good friends all these years. I am ever so thankful. We first met in third grade and we have each had a lot of friends over the years. Yet we have developed an even stronger sister bond as the years pass by. We are sisters in the Lord and that is one reason we have bonded. We are both silly together too. Wouldn't know we are elderly. That is for other people. Her mother could qualify, yet she is a young 94 year old. It is a blessing to have this mother in our lives.
My other mother Rosalie is also 94 years young and a blessing from the Lord. She was born in Coronado and has almost always lived in Coronado. Donna and I both adopted her as a mother. She was also a cupid for Paul and me. Rosalie's father was a Coronado ferry captain in years gone by. Such history our families share.
"More Coronado Memories" could go on and on, but this is time to close this post. There are always more things to write as they come to mind. I think of them faster than I can write. Sometimes they flit away before they reach the keys. See you the next time I sit here. Hugs :)
Friday, July 29, 2011
Coronado Memories
When we travel through Coronado my family has to put up with me remembering too many details of days past. "See that house, Mom and Dad painted it," or "I baby sat in that house when I was in high school," are comments often heard from me. "I remember being in that house when I was real little. I think my parents knew someone who lived there." I know I can wear their ears out with all these facts. "Do you remember the store that used to be in that location?" is another oft spoken phrase.
Paul often recalls facts from his childhood too. We both grew up in Coronado so between the two of us there is a lot of Coronado history in our heads. Not really enough to write a book about, but our families would be an interesting chapter in a book on Coronado. Actually there is a section on some of the Marvins in one of the Coronado books. Paul's dad responded with some family pictures and facts when one book was being put together. But we could add the Jones and Mc Donaugh family too. I sent one favorite Jones family picture to a book about San Diego. This picture is included in that particular book.
Laura has information about places that my mother painted that I did not even know. Laura spent a lot of time helping her grandmother paint when she was quite young. She remembers Mom painting one mansion that has been in the news lately. I asked her if it was the interior or exterior and Laura remembered it being the exterior. Mom could climb a ladder to paint a two story house if she had to. Mom started painting with Dad back in the forties, soon after the war. She continued until long after Dad died in 1964. She had to earn a living and she was a good worker.
One time I was helping Mom paint inside a house a few blocks from where we lived on F Avenue. It was not long after my dad had died and the children were quite young. The children went nearby to one of Laura's friends to play. I was busy painting and just knew that the children were fine. Well, when Laura came back to where I was I asked her where her little brother was. She said that he would not follow her so she had left him outside the house where I was working. He was not anywhere to be found. Panic time! We rushed home looking for him on the way. Paul was home from work and heard my sob story. He calmly picked up the phone and called the police. When he asked them if they had a kid there the answer was yes.
Paul was able to go to the Coronado Police station and retrieve our little son. He had been found by a very concerned lady and taken to the police. He spent several hours there and seemed none the worse for wear. If it was today and that happened we would not have had such a simple happy ending. I'm sure that other agencies would get involved and we would have to prove that we were fit parents. Was I a fit parent? I think I was, but I could have been a lot better. There are a lot of things that I would improve on. But I do not believe I was negligent. I should have used more sense that day though.
It doesn't take much to dredge up a memory. Just going down that street where I was painting that day so many years ago will bring that story to mind. Just seeing something in the news such as the little girl found wandering in the street in Coronado in the middle of the night will trigger my memory of that day. I am oh so thankful that my story had a happy ending. I certainly hope that the little girl and her adoptive mommy have such a happy reunion. Now days the courts get involved which makes for a long drawn out story. And of course the media have to get involved. My name would have been mud.
Griff continued to have adventures as the years went by. He was an active little boy. Both of my sons could not understand why I was so adamant about them coming down off the two story roof when we lived on Olive Lane. I don't remember how old they were, but they may have been between six and nine years old. And that may have been when I got my first grey hair.
We lived close enough to the beach for the children to enjoy living in a beach community. Laura remembers jumping from rock to rock as she and her friend made their way along Ocean Boulevard. The tide pools in the rocks near Hotel Del Coronado were another place for an adventure for the children. There were walks or bike rides on the Strand as the children got older. That was before there was a good bike path on Silver Strand.
When our oldest daughter was five years old she had an adventure with her little friend. This would have been very unusual as she was always nearby where she belonged. Kathy and her friend walked the whole two blocks to the bay and were found by a nice policeman who brought them home.
Even when the children were barely in kindergarten they were able to walk to school and back home alone once they were shown the way. Now days I would not choose to have children do this, but we lived in a different day and age. I know that some mothers were cautious and continued to walk with their children for several years. One good friend of Laura's always rode on the back of her mother's bike well into grade school. I know a lot of parents are very cautious now days and I understand why.
When the children were quite young they learned the way to their grandparents' homes. I especially remember the first time we decided that Laura was able to walk by herself to Paul's parents' house on the other side of town. Paul's mother and I had it well planned with phone calls and instructions. Laura must have been around half way there when she needed help from a nice lady. More phone calls and arrangements. Laura eventually arrived at her grandmother's house fine and dandy. My kids loved their grandparents, Paul's parents and mine.
My first adventure was told to me as I grew up. When I was a toddler using a walker we lived one half block from my Coronado grandparents. Well my parents must have turned their backs on me and I headed up the hill and across the street to my grandparents' house. Now days this is busy third street, but in those days there was no traffic, thankfully. Families have had stories to share through the centuries and we add our stories to share with the next generations.
Some stories are too sensitive to remember and to share, but they also help to make us what we are. God knows these stories as He knows all about us and He cares for us as a mother hen cares for her chicks under her wings. We can go to the shelter of the Lord's wings. Under His wings I will abide. Safely abide forever.
Paul often recalls facts from his childhood too. We both grew up in Coronado so between the two of us there is a lot of Coronado history in our heads. Not really enough to write a book about, but our families would be an interesting chapter in a book on Coronado. Actually there is a section on some of the Marvins in one of the Coronado books. Paul's dad responded with some family pictures and facts when one book was being put together. But we could add the Jones and Mc Donaugh family too. I sent one favorite Jones family picture to a book about San Diego. This picture is included in that particular book.
Laura has information about places that my mother painted that I did not even know. Laura spent a lot of time helping her grandmother paint when she was quite young. She remembers Mom painting one mansion that has been in the news lately. I asked her if it was the interior or exterior and Laura remembered it being the exterior. Mom could climb a ladder to paint a two story house if she had to. Mom started painting with Dad back in the forties, soon after the war. She continued until long after Dad died in 1964. She had to earn a living and she was a good worker.
One time I was helping Mom paint inside a house a few blocks from where we lived on F Avenue. It was not long after my dad had died and the children were quite young. The children went nearby to one of Laura's friends to play. I was busy painting and just knew that the children were fine. Well, when Laura came back to where I was I asked her where her little brother was. She said that he would not follow her so she had left him outside the house where I was working. He was not anywhere to be found. Panic time! We rushed home looking for him on the way. Paul was home from work and heard my sob story. He calmly picked up the phone and called the police. When he asked them if they had a kid there the answer was yes.
Paul was able to go to the Coronado Police station and retrieve our little son. He had been found by a very concerned lady and taken to the police. He spent several hours there and seemed none the worse for wear. If it was today and that happened we would not have had such a simple happy ending. I'm sure that other agencies would get involved and we would have to prove that we were fit parents. Was I a fit parent? I think I was, but I could have been a lot better. There are a lot of things that I would improve on. But I do not believe I was negligent. I should have used more sense that day though.
It doesn't take much to dredge up a memory. Just going down that street where I was painting that day so many years ago will bring that story to mind. Just seeing something in the news such as the little girl found wandering in the street in Coronado in the middle of the night will trigger my memory of that day. I am oh so thankful that my story had a happy ending. I certainly hope that the little girl and her adoptive mommy have such a happy reunion. Now days the courts get involved which makes for a long drawn out story. And of course the media have to get involved. My name would have been mud.
Griff continued to have adventures as the years went by. He was an active little boy. Both of my sons could not understand why I was so adamant about them coming down off the two story roof when we lived on Olive Lane. I don't remember how old they were, but they may have been between six and nine years old. And that may have been when I got my first grey hair.
We lived close enough to the beach for the children to enjoy living in a beach community. Laura remembers jumping from rock to rock as she and her friend made their way along Ocean Boulevard. The tide pools in the rocks near Hotel Del Coronado were another place for an adventure for the children. There were walks or bike rides on the Strand as the children got older. That was before there was a good bike path on Silver Strand.
When our oldest daughter was five years old she had an adventure with her little friend. This would have been very unusual as she was always nearby where she belonged. Kathy and her friend walked the whole two blocks to the bay and were found by a nice policeman who brought them home.
Even when the children were barely in kindergarten they were able to walk to school and back home alone once they were shown the way. Now days I would not choose to have children do this, but we lived in a different day and age. I know that some mothers were cautious and continued to walk with their children for several years. One good friend of Laura's always rode on the back of her mother's bike well into grade school. I know a lot of parents are very cautious now days and I understand why.
When the children were quite young they learned the way to their grandparents' homes. I especially remember the first time we decided that Laura was able to walk by herself to Paul's parents' house on the other side of town. Paul's mother and I had it well planned with phone calls and instructions. Laura must have been around half way there when she needed help from a nice lady. More phone calls and arrangements. Laura eventually arrived at her grandmother's house fine and dandy. My kids loved their grandparents, Paul's parents and mine.
My first adventure was told to me as I grew up. When I was a toddler using a walker we lived one half block from my Coronado grandparents. Well my parents must have turned their backs on me and I headed up the hill and across the street to my grandparents' house. Now days this is busy third street, but in those days there was no traffic, thankfully. Families have had stories to share through the centuries and we add our stories to share with the next generations.
Some stories are too sensitive to remember and to share, but they also help to make us what we are. God knows these stories as He knows all about us and He cares for us as a mother hen cares for her chicks under her wings. We can go to the shelter of the Lord's wings. Under His wings I will abide. Safely abide forever.
Monday, June 13, 2011
First Memories
There is an article in the paper today about first memories and how young were you at the time of your first memory. I know that I remember several things from when I was in kindergarten. I'm sure I remember a little bit from when I was a little bit younger. I clearly remember the house we lived in when I was around four or five years old. In fact my youngest sister was a baby then so I would have been about four when I first remember that house.
The house was on B Avenue, south of Tenth Street. It was a very old house and has been gone for years now. There was a vacant lot on the corner of Tenth and B. Next to the lot, on Tenth, there was a building that must have been a club house for Filipinos. I was a friendly child and probably made friends with some of the people there. Across the street on Tenth and C was, and still is, the Presbyterian Church. I made friends with Pastor Carson's youngest daughter Eloise. I went to their Sunday School for a while, but don't remember how long. We had been so young that Eloise did not remember knowing me when we met in later years.
On Orange Avenue, in back of our house, was the little hospital where my sisters were born. Twenty years later, in the sixties, there was a cute shop there named The Bayberry Tree. That store could have been there into the seventies. We enjoyed going into that store over the years when my children were young.
One story that Mom used to tell about my sister Betty was that she used to hold her breath and couldn't breathe. Mom would grab Betty and head out the back towards the hospital, then Betty would catch her breath when they got outside. I guess they didn't end up reaching the hospital before she was ok. We were in a good place if assistance had been needed.
Another time when Betty was about two years old, when we were visiting our grandparents and other relatives on F Avenue, Betty fell while drinking out of a small juice glass. She cut herself very bad on the bridge of her nose. I remember it bleeding a lot and all the adults being very concerned. Little Betty needed stitches for that injury. Those were probably the first stitches for any of us. I know we lived in the house on B then as I remember my aunt and uncle being with us there right after that happened.
I remember going to kindergarten in Coronado. My grandfather used to take me home after school. I rode on the back of his bike. One day when he went to pick me up I wasn't there. I had gone to a friend's at a house nearby. I can even remember the house on Seventh Street, near where the current police station is. I don't know how he found me but he did. I guess I was in big trouble since it stayed in my memory bank all these years. I'm remembering this seventy years later.
Paul remembers the first day of kindergarten. He says there were two teachers and he rejected both teachers. He does not remember why he did this. There is usually one child in a class who would much prefer to be home with Mommy. I guess he was the one. He also started school in Coronado. One of the teachers was the teacher I remember having, as did three of our children.
Donna didn't get to go to kindergarten as we were in Washington state with our mother's parents and there was no kindergarten there. I remember Donna's first day of first grade at the Meridian School, near the Canadian border, not far from our grandparent's farm in Laurel. I had done first grade twice at that school. I was in second grade when Donna started first grade. We had moved to Portland by the time Betty was in kindergarten. She started school there and finished her kindergarten year in Coronado.
One thing I remember about going to school in Portland, when I was in third grade, was that we were in a mixed race neighborhood. This was a change from our days on the farm with our grandparents. I also remember someone asking me what was on Betty's face. I never paid much attention to her birthmark otherwise. I knew enough to just say it was something she always had. Kids can be color blind, or blind to birthmarks. I always had a mole near my eye and remember a teacher being concerned about it when I was in first or second grade. Otherwise I wouldn't have thought about it. I eventually had it removed many years later. Betty never had the desire to have her birthmark removed. It was part of who she was.
Another memory from the house on B Avenue in Coronado also needs to be told. My parents were always hard workers and they did what they needed to do to support our family. Mom took in laundry and ironing and may have done some maid work. When we were very young Dad was a chauffeur, while his eyes were still good.
One day when Mom was at work and Dad was caring for the three of us girls he may have fallen asleep on the job. He may have had a few under his belt too. That happened sometimes. The three of us may have been on the noisy side and bothered the neighbors this one time. Our nearby neighbor was none too pleased with the enthusiasm coming from the kids in the house next door, and Daddy could not be raised from his sleep. Our good neighbor called the police. When Mom came home from work the police were there and helping out nicely. But my Mom had plenty to say about that! She told them to mind their own business, that they did not need to be there. Life was not boring in our household.
In this day and age I'm sure things may not have ended as they did in those days so many years ago. I have a feeling that they did not choose to cross paths with that mother hen again. She could be very likeable and never knew a stranger, but not on that day.
Small world if you live in Coronado. Our neighbor was one of Paul's uncles. Now I remember that uncle always saying nice things about my mother. My dad was a good friend of another one of Paul's uncles. Even though I did not know Paul till we were teenagers our ties go back a long way. Dad and Paul's aunts, uncles and parents all grew up in Coronado from the time they were in school. Some of my uncles and one aunt would have gone to school in Coronado too.
I remember the first day going to school after arriving back in Coronado after the war. I was in third grade, Donna was in second grade and Betty was in kindergarten. This would have been after Christmas vacation, and after a long bus ride for our whole family from Portland to San Diego. After that first day of school I was to make sure my sisters got back home on Third and F ok. I remembered where my sisters classes were and how to get home. I found Donna and Betty as I was supposed to do. But then they decided they knew more about getting home than I did.
I couldn't persuade them to go with me straight down F from the school to home, heading north, towards the bay. It was so easy for me, but they had their own idea of where to head. They went straight, but they headed west down Fifth Street, towards North Island. I got home and told either our parents or grandparents that Donna and Betty were headed the wrong way. It did not take long for family to find my wayward sisters. They knew the way after that.
Another time that same year I was walking with two friends home from school. We were across the street from Dorothy's house, on the same block that I lived, when a man asked us if we wanted a ride. I was not wise to the ways of the world, just fresh from several years of "A Little House On The Prairie" existence. Thankfully I was with two wise friends and noted that they were alarmed. They ran to Dorothy's house and thankfully I decided that was what I should do too. Or maybe I just finished the walk home since I was close by. I would have thought it was someone that maybe I knew and was just being nice. The next day the police came to school and asked us questions. I doubt that I was a good witness for the information that they needed.
The second friend that day was Paul's cousin Sally. I have known her since third grade. When we met we were so amazed that our fathers were good friends. Our fathers had their own adventures together over the years.
After this experience I was sure it was my God given duty to warn my sisters of things such as that. But I got carried away and put fear into them that did not need to be part of their young lives. I had just discovered that there were bad people and I was the one to protect my sisters. Who knows, maybe the person who offered us a ride was not really a bad guy. I did a pretty good job of warning my little Kathy too. "Do not take rides from strangers," so she even turned down a ride with my aunt that she knew all her life. I must not have worried too much though as my children pretty much had the run of the island. And that is another story.
The house was on B Avenue, south of Tenth Street. It was a very old house and has been gone for years now. There was a vacant lot on the corner of Tenth and B. Next to the lot, on Tenth, there was a building that must have been a club house for Filipinos. I was a friendly child and probably made friends with some of the people there. Across the street on Tenth and C was, and still is, the Presbyterian Church. I made friends with Pastor Carson's youngest daughter Eloise. I went to their Sunday School for a while, but don't remember how long. We had been so young that Eloise did not remember knowing me when we met in later years.
On Orange Avenue, in back of our house, was the little hospital where my sisters were born. Twenty years later, in the sixties, there was a cute shop there named The Bayberry Tree. That store could have been there into the seventies. We enjoyed going into that store over the years when my children were young.
One story that Mom used to tell about my sister Betty was that she used to hold her breath and couldn't breathe. Mom would grab Betty and head out the back towards the hospital, then Betty would catch her breath when they got outside. I guess they didn't end up reaching the hospital before she was ok. We were in a good place if assistance had been needed.
Another time when Betty was about two years old, when we were visiting our grandparents and other relatives on F Avenue, Betty fell while drinking out of a small juice glass. She cut herself very bad on the bridge of her nose. I remember it bleeding a lot and all the adults being very concerned. Little Betty needed stitches for that injury. Those were probably the first stitches for any of us. I know we lived in the house on B then as I remember my aunt and uncle being with us there right after that happened.
I remember going to kindergarten in Coronado. My grandfather used to take me home after school. I rode on the back of his bike. One day when he went to pick me up I wasn't there. I had gone to a friend's at a house nearby. I can even remember the house on Seventh Street, near where the current police station is. I don't know how he found me but he did. I guess I was in big trouble since it stayed in my memory bank all these years. I'm remembering this seventy years later.
Paul remembers the first day of kindergarten. He says there were two teachers and he rejected both teachers. He does not remember why he did this. There is usually one child in a class who would much prefer to be home with Mommy. I guess he was the one. He also started school in Coronado. One of the teachers was the teacher I remember having, as did three of our children.
Donna didn't get to go to kindergarten as we were in Washington state with our mother's parents and there was no kindergarten there. I remember Donna's first day of first grade at the Meridian School, near the Canadian border, not far from our grandparent's farm in Laurel. I had done first grade twice at that school. I was in second grade when Donna started first grade. We had moved to Portland by the time Betty was in kindergarten. She started school there and finished her kindergarten year in Coronado.
One thing I remember about going to school in Portland, when I was in third grade, was that we were in a mixed race neighborhood. This was a change from our days on the farm with our grandparents. I also remember someone asking me what was on Betty's face. I never paid much attention to her birthmark otherwise. I knew enough to just say it was something she always had. Kids can be color blind, or blind to birthmarks. I always had a mole near my eye and remember a teacher being concerned about it when I was in first or second grade. Otherwise I wouldn't have thought about it. I eventually had it removed many years later. Betty never had the desire to have her birthmark removed. It was part of who she was.
Another memory from the house on B Avenue in Coronado also needs to be told. My parents were always hard workers and they did what they needed to do to support our family. Mom took in laundry and ironing and may have done some maid work. When we were very young Dad was a chauffeur, while his eyes were still good.
One day when Mom was at work and Dad was caring for the three of us girls he may have fallen asleep on the job. He may have had a few under his belt too. That happened sometimes. The three of us may have been on the noisy side and bothered the neighbors this one time. Our nearby neighbor was none too pleased with the enthusiasm coming from the kids in the house next door, and Daddy could not be raised from his sleep. Our good neighbor called the police. When Mom came home from work the police were there and helping out nicely. But my Mom had plenty to say about that! She told them to mind their own business, that they did not need to be there. Life was not boring in our household.
In this day and age I'm sure things may not have ended as they did in those days so many years ago. I have a feeling that they did not choose to cross paths with that mother hen again. She could be very likeable and never knew a stranger, but not on that day.
Small world if you live in Coronado. Our neighbor was one of Paul's uncles. Now I remember that uncle always saying nice things about my mother. My dad was a good friend of another one of Paul's uncles. Even though I did not know Paul till we were teenagers our ties go back a long way. Dad and Paul's aunts, uncles and parents all grew up in Coronado from the time they were in school. Some of my uncles and one aunt would have gone to school in Coronado too.
I remember the first day going to school after arriving back in Coronado after the war. I was in third grade, Donna was in second grade and Betty was in kindergarten. This would have been after Christmas vacation, and after a long bus ride for our whole family from Portland to San Diego. After that first day of school I was to make sure my sisters got back home on Third and F ok. I remembered where my sisters classes were and how to get home. I found Donna and Betty as I was supposed to do. But then they decided they knew more about getting home than I did.
I couldn't persuade them to go with me straight down F from the school to home, heading north, towards the bay. It was so easy for me, but they had their own idea of where to head. They went straight, but they headed west down Fifth Street, towards North Island. I got home and told either our parents or grandparents that Donna and Betty were headed the wrong way. It did not take long for family to find my wayward sisters. They knew the way after that.
Another time that same year I was walking with two friends home from school. We were across the street from Dorothy's house, on the same block that I lived, when a man asked us if we wanted a ride. I was not wise to the ways of the world, just fresh from several years of "A Little House On The Prairie" existence. Thankfully I was with two wise friends and noted that they were alarmed. They ran to Dorothy's house and thankfully I decided that was what I should do too. Or maybe I just finished the walk home since I was close by. I would have thought it was someone that maybe I knew and was just being nice. The next day the police came to school and asked us questions. I doubt that I was a good witness for the information that they needed.
The second friend that day was Paul's cousin Sally. I have known her since third grade. When we met we were so amazed that our fathers were good friends. Our fathers had their own adventures together over the years.
After this experience I was sure it was my God given duty to warn my sisters of things such as that. But I got carried away and put fear into them that did not need to be part of their young lives. I had just discovered that there were bad people and I was the one to protect my sisters. Who knows, maybe the person who offered us a ride was not really a bad guy. I did a pretty good job of warning my little Kathy too. "Do not take rides from strangers," so she even turned down a ride with my aunt that she knew all her life. I must not have worried too much though as my children pretty much had the run of the island. And that is another story.
Monday, May 30, 2011
A Stitch In Time
On New Years Day when little Kathy was just sixteen months old we were spending the day at my parents house in Coronado. I was there to watch the parade on television and to let Kathy enjoy some time with her grandparents. She was new at walking and was a little bit adventurous. The back of the old house had some steep steps that she was interested in.
Some time that day Kathy took a tumble down the back steps. She cut herself just above her eyebrow and it looked like it needed a stitch or two. I called our doctor and he answered the phone. He had us go to his house so he could look at the injury. You can tell this is a different era than the time we are in now. This was the first day of 1957.
Dr. Hamby decided that Kathy needed a stitch or two. The good doctor and his wife opened their office so they could tend to my little one. She was immediately taken care of and despite some tears did just fine. We didn't have to spend hours waiting for medical care. She may have a faint scar as a reminder of that day so many years ago.
It seems as if each child has a story to tell about getting stitches. My nephew Gary had more times of getting stitches than I can count when he was little. One time when he was at my house he fell out of the lower bunk, and it was real low. He hit his head on a small object on the way to the floor. Of course he needed stitches. It was always small accidents like that, but they added up.
Laura had to have stitches when she was hit in the head by a toy army tank. The tank had a little help from her brother Griff. At the emergency room in Coronado they had to make sure it was not parent abuse. We assured them that it was caused by her little brother. She reaffirmed that was what caused the injury. Thankfully she was o.k. after getting stitches.
Bill was innocently walking on the beach with his friend and his friend's mother when he stepped on some glass. He got a large cut on his foot near his toes. I was at work at the time, one of the first weeks I worked at the Avenue Variety store in Coronado. That seems to be when a number of things happened in our family. Paul was available to take Bill to the emergency room to get medical care. The other mother might have gone too. Bill needed a lot of stitches in a delicate part of his foot. I was vigilant about picking up glass on the beach after that. That is a good reason for no glass on the beach.
Griff needed stitches when he tripped over his shoestrings at school. He may have been in second grade, or first grade. It is almost humorous that tripping over his shoestrings would cause his stitches as he was a very active little boy and I would have thought that one of his adventures would have been the cause. When he was older he had some very interesting bike adventures. They are a story in themselves. For one, he lost some teeth on "suicide hill." I'll remember to write more about his adventures another day.
Some time that day Kathy took a tumble down the back steps. She cut herself just above her eyebrow and it looked like it needed a stitch or two. I called our doctor and he answered the phone. He had us go to his house so he could look at the injury. You can tell this is a different era than the time we are in now. This was the first day of 1957.
Dr. Hamby decided that Kathy needed a stitch or two. The good doctor and his wife opened their office so they could tend to my little one. She was immediately taken care of and despite some tears did just fine. We didn't have to spend hours waiting for medical care. She may have a faint scar as a reminder of that day so many years ago.
It seems as if each child has a story to tell about getting stitches. My nephew Gary had more times of getting stitches than I can count when he was little. One time when he was at my house he fell out of the lower bunk, and it was real low. He hit his head on a small object on the way to the floor. Of course he needed stitches. It was always small accidents like that, but they added up.
Laura had to have stitches when she was hit in the head by a toy army tank. The tank had a little help from her brother Griff. At the emergency room in Coronado they had to make sure it was not parent abuse. We assured them that it was caused by her little brother. She reaffirmed that was what caused the injury. Thankfully she was o.k. after getting stitches.
Bill was innocently walking on the beach with his friend and his friend's mother when he stepped on some glass. He got a large cut on his foot near his toes. I was at work at the time, one of the first weeks I worked at the Avenue Variety store in Coronado. That seems to be when a number of things happened in our family. Paul was available to take Bill to the emergency room to get medical care. The other mother might have gone too. Bill needed a lot of stitches in a delicate part of his foot. I was vigilant about picking up glass on the beach after that. That is a good reason for no glass on the beach.
Griff needed stitches when he tripped over his shoestrings at school. He may have been in second grade, or first grade. It is almost humorous that tripping over his shoestrings would cause his stitches as he was a very active little boy and I would have thought that one of his adventures would have been the cause. When he was older he had some very interesting bike adventures. They are a story in themselves. For one, he lost some teeth on "suicide hill." I'll remember to write more about his adventures another day.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
A Walk to Remember
One special memory I have is when I was around seven or eight years old and Daddy took me on a long walk in Portland, Oregon. I lived with my grandparents on the farm in Washington state near Bellingham. I was visiting my parents in Portland where they lived at the time. That is where they had to go to find good jobs during the war.
My Dad and I enjoyed each others company and one day he took me on a walk that included almost all of the bridges in Portland. I don't recall how many bridges there were but we were challenged to do as many as possible that day. These bridges were across the Willamette River in the heart of Portland, if my memory serves me well. These were draw bridges and that would allow for ships to pass through. I remember looking down into the water from way up high. We could toss a pebble into the river and see the many circles getting larger as the water rippled out. These are childhood memories.
The day began with Daddy braiding my hair and making sure I was presentable. I'm sure my mother was at work that day. Dad also took me to a photo booth to get my picture taken. I have never used one of those photo booths in the years since as far as I can remember. But I have been tempted to on occasion in remembrance of that day many years ago.
I also recall that on the bus heading to Portland from Bellingham practicing trying to whistle. I'm sure I was not successful enough to disturb anybody on the bus. I eventually learned to whistle, but not very loud. I never could do it good enough to whistle for a dog or anything. I have since lost any whistling skill I may have had.
You never know what memories one thought might trigger.
My Dad and I enjoyed each others company and one day he took me on a walk that included almost all of the bridges in Portland. I don't recall how many bridges there were but we were challenged to do as many as possible that day. These bridges were across the Willamette River in the heart of Portland, if my memory serves me well. These were draw bridges and that would allow for ships to pass through. I remember looking down into the water from way up high. We could toss a pebble into the river and see the many circles getting larger as the water rippled out. These are childhood memories.
The day began with Daddy braiding my hair and making sure I was presentable. I'm sure my mother was at work that day. Dad also took me to a photo booth to get my picture taken. I have never used one of those photo booths in the years since as far as I can remember. But I have been tempted to on occasion in remembrance of that day many years ago.
I also recall that on the bus heading to Portland from Bellingham practicing trying to whistle. I'm sure I was not successful enough to disturb anybody on the bus. I eventually learned to whistle, but not very loud. I never could do it good enough to whistle for a dog or anything. I have since lost any whistling skill I may have had.
You never know what memories one thought might trigger.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Remembering My Sister
My sister Betty was the youngest of three girls. I was the oldest sister and Donna was the middle sister. Betty Frances McDonaugh Hamilton was born April 11, 1940 in Coronado, California. She died on November 23, 2007 in Billings, Montana.
Our parents were R. Eugene and Ida Frances McDonaugh. Dad was born in Washington D.C. in 1911 and came to California when he was nine years old. He spent the rest of his childhood in Coronado. Mom was born in Bellingham, Washington in 1913 and spent her childhood on a farm in that part of the country. Her maiden name was Davenport. Our parents met in Coronado and got married in 1935. Dad was a chauffeur and Mom was a maid at the time. Later, after the war they would spend many years painting houses together in Coronado.
During World War II my sisters and I lived on the farm with our grandparents while Mom and Dad worked in Portland, Oregon in the shipyards. I always say that Mom was Rosie the riveter. She was always a hard worker. Dad painted inside the ships that were being worked on.
One family story is that Dad took Betty with him on the bus to California. We were not exactly rich and Dad could not afford the fare for Betty. I guess she was barely old enough to have to pay so Dad said she was four rather than five years old. She was to say she was younger than she was. When they got to our aunt and uncle's house in L.A. and they asked her how old she was she had to ask Dad, "How old are I now Daddy?" She was tiny and no bigger than a four year old at that time.
Our grandparents were very upright Christian people so we learned a lot of good lessons in their home. They faithfully took us to their Church and Sunday School. We also lived a "Little House On The Prairie" existence. There were fields to play in and a barn that we spent time in. It was fun to watch our grandparents milk the cows. We had chickens and pigs too. We had a healthy lifestyle. There were plenty of vegetables that grandma had canned from her garden. It was fun being able to climb the cherry trees to pick our own fruit. And riding on the haywagon while our grandparents and other relatives brought in the hay was a fun time for three little girls.
The summer of 1945 we moved to be with our parents in Portland. I remember all the horns and celebration that summer when the war was over. I was sheltered from most of what had been going on in the world. The main thing I remembered is that my Daddy did not have to go to war as he did not pass the physical when they tried to draft him. But he served our country in a different way as he was available to work in the shipyard.
Now we were living in a housing project in Portland and had indoor plumbing instead of the little house out back. These were nice buildings in my child's eyes. The school was in walking distance instead of by the bus I remembered from the farm. Betty got to start kindergarten when school started that year. We also had relatives near Portland and got to go to their place for Thanksgiving. It was a time of more good memories for our family. The five of us were all together again.
After Christmas the five of us took the bus to California where we would live. I remember seeing palm trees for the first time in years. I also remember the ocean for the first time since I was a lot younger. It was probably the first time Betty ever remembered this scenery. Our grandfather met us at the Santa Fe train station in San Diego where we got off the bus after such a long ride. He took us on the ferry to his house in Coronado. It was so sweet to see our father's parents again after so many years. I wonder if Betty had any previous memory of them. I had always written to them as Grandma Davenport encouraged me to do this.
My parents had hoped to be living in the old house next door to our grandparents, but there were already renters there. We moved into the back part of our grandparent's home on the corner of third and F where we would live for a few years. I was in third grade, Donna was in second grade and Betty was in kindergarten. I even remember the first day of school in Coronado. We made friends in Coronado that would last a lifetime.
Mom and Dad painted houses for a living for many years. Donna, Betty and I had the island for our playground, the bay on one side and the ocean on the other. We went to Sunday School and made friends there. When we were on the farm we went to a Baptist Church, but there was not yet a Baptist Church in Coronado. We went to the Methodist Church for many years and made many memories there.
The summer of 1948 Donna flew to Bellingham to be with our grandparents as they needed her willing hands to help them on the farm. Betty and I were together with our parents, and I'm sure we missed Donna as part of the family. We had always played together, maybe not always peacefully.
The spring of 1949 the rest of us decided to go to Washington and join Donna to spend time with our grandparents there. This was a memorable car trip that I have written about before. The car was loaded with all of our worldly possessions and two special pets, as well as squeezing us in too. The pets were my favorite turtle Mac and our little red hen Susie Q. We were quite the sight.
It was a pleasure to be back on the farm. I was in sixth grade and Betty was in third grade. Donna was just one grade behind me. When in Coronado I was homesick for the farm. When in Washington I was homesick for Coronado. I don't know if this was the case for my sisters. We spent the rest of the year on the farm until after Christmas. In the meantime two of our California cousins came to live with us on the farm. It was fun to get to know them.
So after Christmas their dad came to help us move back to California. My dad had already moved back and made arrangements for us. We were to move into our Aunt Clara's big old house in Spring Valley. There was a houseful as my cousins were still with us as well as another cousin, Aunt Clara's son. We went to various schools as we varied in ages. Donna and Betty and one cousin went to the nearby elementary school. I was in junior high and two cousins were in high school. This was a lot for our parents to deal with. They were also back to painting houses in Coronado.After a few months of this arrangement we were making new plans to get closer to Coronado. Cousins were now out of the picture and we temporarily settled in Imperial Beach in our friend's house. We went to school in Coronado as we would move there in the summer when the house Mom and Dad wanted would be available.
The rest of our school years we would be in Coronado. Betty graduated from Coronado High School in 1958. She was already an aunt by then. Betty had a job in a bank while she was still single. She had done a lot of babysitting as a teen ager, as we had all done.
It was not long before Betty met and married Samuel S. Hamilton. He was a young sailor from Wyoming. Three of Betty's children were born in California. The youngest was born in Hawaii when Sam was stationed there with the Navy. Elizabeth was born in Coronado like Betty was. Her sons are Gary, Matthew and Mark.
Donna managed to get to Billings for a vacation once with her daughter Debra in the early years. Donna's son Arthur got to spend some time in Billings with his cousins too. Mom and her husband Frank used to get to Billings almost every year at one period of time. It wasn't until 1979 that three of my children and I got to go to Montana. That was after Kathy got her own car and took us on trips. Also on that first trip was Laura and Bill. We got to go to Yellowstone National Park for the first time with Betty's family. Griff stayed home with Paul that summer.
Then in 1980 Betty and Sam's daughter came to visit and stayed for five years. She also had her dog with her. Mouse was a good dog. Elizabeth became like a daughter to me. In 1981 the girls and I made a trip to Washington and Montana. This was another trip to remember. It was my first time back to Washington since 1956 when I went with my in-laws and baby Kathy. On this 1981 trip Kathy was driving. We visited family and saw the sights. We met up with Donna and her husband Fred, as well as little Freddy, in Billings. So the three sisters were together for another reunion. Caroline, Donna and Betty.
Betty and Matthew both came to Kathy and John's wedding in 1983. Matthew saved the day with all the help with the food. We had other relatives from out of town too including Paul's brother Charlie, and John's sister who came on the bus from Washington with two little children. Betty had also come on the bus from Billings, Montana.
Betty and Sam made more trips to San Diego over the years. When Mom was in her last days Betty and Sam made two trips by car in a very short period of time. They did a lot of work with us. Matthew was with them then. They were here for a memorial service for Mom.
Years earlier when our Dad died Betty made a trip from Washington state with three little children on the train. Sam had just left on deployment with his ship. This was 1964. Betty had hoped to get here to see Dad in the hospital, but she got here for a funeral instead.
In 1997 Sam died of a heart attack. He was young like my Dad had been. He was just 55. Dad had only been 53 when he died of cancer. A couple of months after Sam was gone Donna and I flew to Billings to spend some sister time with Betty. I think we were there for about two weeks. Sam died September 6th the same day as Princess Diana's funeral. This date is also Grandma Davenport's birthday.
When Betty died Donna was able to fly to Billings to spend two weeks with the family and be there for the memorial service. Elizabeth's new husband officiated at the service. Elizabeth and Jack were there from Missouri. Gary, Matthew and Mark live in Billings, Montana. The family still have the home they have been in for many years.
Betty and Sam are also survived by four grandchildren. Mark's children are Brittany and Michael. Elizabeth's two are Andrew and Elijah. And this year they would be great grandparents as Andrew is going to be a Daddy.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Two Precious Daughters
Lovely and full of grace; in my heart there is a place for my dear daughters. My life would not be complete without my two sweet girls. They learned their lessons as they should at my knee reading books and in Sunday School. They heard the story of Jesus and accepted Him into their hearts as soon as they understood the message of His love for them.
Playing school and playing house as well as making mud pies and what was called giant stew were fun to do. The park and the beach in sunny Coronado were activities to make a day complete. Riding on the ferry on San Diego Bay could also make their day. Going to the San Diego Zoo was also a favorite thing to do.
I remember when they each started school and had the same kindergarten teacher as I did. Kathy had one of my classmates as her second grade teacher. Kathy even baby sat for the kitty of one of her sibling's teachers. The girls took their lessons in school to heart and did their very best. They enjoyed the good grades earned upon completing a project. Laura had the same sixth grade teacher as I had in Coronado. They had other teachers that I had too. A favorite was my high school homemaking teacher which Kathy also had the privilege to learn from each year she was in high school.
When Laura was two and a half and Kathy was five they got a baby brother, Paul William Marvin, III. We call him Bill but his friends call him Paul. Then two years later they got another baby brother, Griffith Hughes Marvin. We call him Griff. They are both named after family.Kathleen Jean has my middle name, Jean. She has always been called Kathy. Laura Elizabeth has my grandma Pearl Elizabeth's middle name. I like family names. And I love my family!!!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Remembering Sixth and Seventh Grades--1948-1950
As the oldest sister I was sometimes the mother hen watching out for my chicks. We enjoyed each others company most of the time but we had our moments. We each had our own ideas of how things should be. I may have been the oldest but Donna could also rule the roost. She was ambitious and could lead the three of us in getting things done. Mom and Dad knew it too as she is the one chosen to spend a year on the farm to help our grandparents. She was not yet ten years old the summer of '48 when she flew all by herself from San Diego, CA to Bellingham, WA. I'm sure she was a great help to Grandma and Granddad. This was also a time of her being nurtured by our dear Grandma. I'm sure she got lessons in the kitchen as well as Bible lessons. And there were eggs to collect and other farm chores.
That was the summer I went to Girl Scout camp in Cuyamaca. I had a lot of fun the week I was there, but I also remember being homesick part of that time. That is the only time I ever remember being homesick. I remember one other summer when I was older going to G.S. camp which I enjoyed. We had some weekends there with our Girl Scout troop, too.
My younger sister Betty and I got to take violin lessons at school the year Donna was on the farm. I received an antique violin from an old family friend. Mom and Dad bought Betty a used violin that she treasured. We didn't get to even complete a whole year of lessons as we left Coronado and headed to Washington that spring. We finished that school year in Washington. I was in sixth grade. Then I started seventh grade in Washington. After Christmas we headed back to California.
A lot happened in that time as two of our California cousins came to live with us on the farm. They were from my Dad's side of the family and were city kids. They had never lived on a farm before. They didn't know what to expect when they arrived. They expected something more modern than what they saw when they arrived. We were in a time warp with an older house and the little house out back. My sisters and I didn't question these things until our cousins came on the scene. But it was fun to get to know Malcolm and Geraldine. We enjoyed our time with them.
When we moved back to California our cousins came with us. Their Dad came to help us move. My Dad had already gone back to California to make living arrangements. We ended up at my Aunt Clara's big old house in Spring Valley. It was still country then. My aunt wasn't living there at the time but one of her sons, my cousin David, was there. So my parents had a lot of responsibility with my two sisters and me, plus three other kids. My parents were going back to their house painting in Coronado too. I had just turned thirteen that December. Two of the cousins were teenagers. I'm sure this was a real challenge for my parents. Up to that point they had not been challenged by teenagers.
When we were in Spring Valley I went to junior high school in La Mesa and had to take the school bus as we did in Washington. At least one of my cousins went to high school in La Mesa and also took the school bus. My sisters and one cousin went to the nearby elementary school. This was my first experience with going to different rooms for each class. I was able to make friends as I do in each situation. I even had a boy friend who took me on a tennis date. His mother drove us to State College to the tennis courts so we could play tennis. Unfortunately I learned one lesson the hard way when I let some other friends talk me into sharing a secret that he had told me. I don't remember his first name but I do remember his middle name that I was not meant to divulge to anyone. Because I did not do the right thing by falling to peer pressure I lost my special friend.
In just a couple of months Malcolm and Geraldine headed back to live with their Dad in Alameda. I only got to see them a couple more times over the years. We are out of touch and I have no idea where they live.
After we were in Spring Valley for a few months my Aunt Clara sold her house so we needed to move again. My aunt had owned the house for many years and her family had grown up in this house. She was widowed when her children were young so I'm sure times were difficult for her.
My parents needed to find another place to live. We had good friends with a little house in Imperial Beach and it was available to rent. This was to be our next abode until we could move back to Coronado in the summer. Since we knew we were going to be in Coronado the next school year we went ahead and enrolled in Coronado schools. We weren't exactly above board as we gave our grandparents' address in Coronado to pull this off. Telling untruths did not come easy for me. I suffered with boils and hives during this time and for some time afterward. Of course this is a difficult age anyway.
During the summer we moved into the old house next door to my grandparents in Coronado. This is the house that my parents had wanted to rent for quite sometime. My sisters and I lived in this house until we each got married. Mom and Dad were finally able to buy their own house in the early sixties. It was the first new house they had ever lived in.
I started this story with a different thought in mind and will come back to that idea at another time. As for me watching out for my sisters when we were little, I have continued to be the mother hen of the family. I have been close as possible to my sisters children. One niece came to live with us for five years after she graduated from high school. Another niece is also close to me even though she lives in Washington state. I try to stay in touch with each nephew and niece. Over the years some have made special effort to visit us in California. I am still very close to Donna. We lost Betty November of 2007. We had a most enjoyable time with the three of us and some of the children when we were together in San Diego the summer of 2006.
That was the summer I went to Girl Scout camp in Cuyamaca. I had a lot of fun the week I was there, but I also remember being homesick part of that time. That is the only time I ever remember being homesick. I remember one other summer when I was older going to G.S. camp which I enjoyed. We had some weekends there with our Girl Scout troop, too.
My younger sister Betty and I got to take violin lessons at school the year Donna was on the farm. I received an antique violin from an old family friend. Mom and Dad bought Betty a used violin that she treasured. We didn't get to even complete a whole year of lessons as we left Coronado and headed to Washington that spring. We finished that school year in Washington. I was in sixth grade. Then I started seventh grade in Washington. After Christmas we headed back to California.
A lot happened in that time as two of our California cousins came to live with us on the farm. They were from my Dad's side of the family and were city kids. They had never lived on a farm before. They didn't know what to expect when they arrived. They expected something more modern than what they saw when they arrived. We were in a time warp with an older house and the little house out back. My sisters and I didn't question these things until our cousins came on the scene. But it was fun to get to know Malcolm and Geraldine. We enjoyed our time with them.
When we moved back to California our cousins came with us. Their Dad came to help us move. My Dad had already gone back to California to make living arrangements. We ended up at my Aunt Clara's big old house in Spring Valley. It was still country then. My aunt wasn't living there at the time but one of her sons, my cousin David, was there. So my parents had a lot of responsibility with my two sisters and me, plus three other kids. My parents were going back to their house painting in Coronado too. I had just turned thirteen that December. Two of the cousins were teenagers. I'm sure this was a real challenge for my parents. Up to that point they had not been challenged by teenagers.
When we were in Spring Valley I went to junior high school in La Mesa and had to take the school bus as we did in Washington. At least one of my cousins went to high school in La Mesa and also took the school bus. My sisters and one cousin went to the nearby elementary school. This was my first experience with going to different rooms for each class. I was able to make friends as I do in each situation. I even had a boy friend who took me on a tennis date. His mother drove us to State College to the tennis courts so we could play tennis. Unfortunately I learned one lesson the hard way when I let some other friends talk me into sharing a secret that he had told me. I don't remember his first name but I do remember his middle name that I was not meant to divulge to anyone. Because I did not do the right thing by falling to peer pressure I lost my special friend.
In just a couple of months Malcolm and Geraldine headed back to live with their Dad in Alameda. I only got to see them a couple more times over the years. We are out of touch and I have no idea where they live.
After we were in Spring Valley for a few months my Aunt Clara sold her house so we needed to move again. My aunt had owned the house for many years and her family had grown up in this house. She was widowed when her children were young so I'm sure times were difficult for her.
My parents needed to find another place to live. We had good friends with a little house in Imperial Beach and it was available to rent. This was to be our next abode until we could move back to Coronado in the summer. Since we knew we were going to be in Coronado the next school year we went ahead and enrolled in Coronado schools. We weren't exactly above board as we gave our grandparents' address in Coronado to pull this off. Telling untruths did not come easy for me. I suffered with boils and hives during this time and for some time afterward. Of course this is a difficult age anyway.
During the summer we moved into the old house next door to my grandparents in Coronado. This is the house that my parents had wanted to rent for quite sometime. My sisters and I lived in this house until we each got married. Mom and Dad were finally able to buy their own house in the early sixties. It was the first new house they had ever lived in.
I started this story with a different thought in mind and will come back to that idea at another time. As for me watching out for my sisters when we were little, I have continued to be the mother hen of the family. I have been close as possible to my sisters children. One niece came to live with us for five years after she graduated from high school. Another niece is also close to me even though she lives in Washington state. I try to stay in touch with each nephew and niece. Over the years some have made special effort to visit us in California. I am still very close to Donna. We lost Betty November of 2007. We had a most enjoyable time with the three of us and some of the children when we were together in San Diego the summer of 2006.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
More Thoughts of Our Son Bill
Since yesterday was our son's birthday I have more memories to share about his childhood. Bill was our child who had a favorite blanket. He enjoyed having it with him and had a pet name for it. One day I couldn't find Bill anywhere in the usual places in the house. I searched outside and was beginning to panic. One more search of the house and there he was sleeping on the pile of dirty clothes next to the washing machine. His favorite blanket was in the pile ready to be washed and he obviously missed it. I guess I got the message that he needed his blanket and knew how to solve his problem. He was so cute sleeping in the pile of laundry with his favorite sleeping companion.
One day after enjoying the swings at the park we couldn't find his blanket anywhere. We searched the whole park, including the trash cans, but no blanket anywhere. We had no choice but to go home without it. This blanket had history as it had been with us since our oldest child was born. It had covered Kathy and Laura as well as comforting Bill.
Bill solved his problem by adopting a favorite stuffed toy, a beautiful white fluffy kitty. It was not a washable toy and looked very much loved in a short time.
Another favorite memory from when he was a toddler is how much he enjoyed playing with his blocks. He would line them up precisely by color in a row. When he was a bit older he became quite skilled at doing puzzles. I bought a puzzle for a seven year old that he could do when he was three or four. I also learned that boys are definitely different than girls. Boys make boys noises when they play with cars and trucks.
We weren't going to have toy guns for our boys but we learned real fast that rule was not going to work. At one of Bill's early birthday parties he received more than one toy gun. I was not going to take his gifts away from him. Besides that, I learned that boys will make imaginary guns. I don' know if I learned that with Bill or his little brother, Griff. The younger one still likes guns.
A very favorite story in our family is when Bill's whole second grade class came to our house to see our zoo. We lived in a little house in walking distance from the school in Coronado. I put most of our pets on our patio for the children to see. We had guinea pigs, hamsters, a pet rat, birds, turtles, a dog and of course kitties. I don't remember if that is all. That is enough though. At one time we had a pet hen. She crowed so we gave her to someone in the country. That is not a mistake- she crowed.
Bill has matured into a son to be proud of. He goes by his first name, Paul, now days. But he is Bill to family and those close to us. We have the same situation with my husband Paul. He is Bill to his family and those who have known him most his life. Grandpa Marvin was also Paul.
Our hearts and prayers are with our sons each day of their lives. Hugs :)
One day after enjoying the swings at the park we couldn't find his blanket anywhere. We searched the whole park, including the trash cans, but no blanket anywhere. We had no choice but to go home without it. This blanket had history as it had been with us since our oldest child was born. It had covered Kathy and Laura as well as comforting Bill.
Bill solved his problem by adopting a favorite stuffed toy, a beautiful white fluffy kitty. It was not a washable toy and looked very much loved in a short time.
Another favorite memory from when he was a toddler is how much he enjoyed playing with his blocks. He would line them up precisely by color in a row. When he was a bit older he became quite skilled at doing puzzles. I bought a puzzle for a seven year old that he could do when he was three or four. I also learned that boys are definitely different than girls. Boys make boys noises when they play with cars and trucks.
We weren't going to have toy guns for our boys but we learned real fast that rule was not going to work. At one of Bill's early birthday parties he received more than one toy gun. I was not going to take his gifts away from him. Besides that, I learned that boys will make imaginary guns. I don' know if I learned that with Bill or his little brother, Griff. The younger one still likes guns.
A very favorite story in our family is when Bill's whole second grade class came to our house to see our zoo. We lived in a little house in walking distance from the school in Coronado. I put most of our pets on our patio for the children to see. We had guinea pigs, hamsters, a pet rat, birds, turtles, a dog and of course kitties. I don't remember if that is all. That is enough though. At one time we had a pet hen. She crowed so we gave her to someone in the country. That is not a mistake- she crowed.
Bill has matured into a son to be proud of. He goes by his first name, Paul, now days. But he is Bill to family and those close to us. We have the same situation with my husband Paul. He is Bill to his family and those who have known him most his life. Grandpa Marvin was also Paul.
Our hearts and prayers are with our sons each day of their lives. Hugs :)
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Our Grandparents' Farm
When my sisters and I lived on the farm with our grandparents we enjoyed many activities that would not be available to city children. When I look back I think of "Little House on the Prairie". We had fields to play in as well as the woods. We liked to watch our grandparents milk the cows and to help gather eggs. There were also pigs and an old farm horse.
The house was warmed by an old wood heater and sometimes we used the fireplace. Meals were prepared on a wood stove too. I remember helping Grandma bring the wood inside and pile it in a deep wood box in the kitchen. The bathroom had minimal use, as the toilet never was usable during my years there. We had to use the little house out back. It was a two seater with a deep hole in the ground. I remember when they dug a new hole and built a new outhouse. That was a big deal. And toilet paper was a luxury. Old catalogs did the job. I don't know if there ever was a working water heater as I remember the grown ups boiling water on the stove.
I can picture cold winters with icicles hanging on the eaves outside the windows. Inside the house we would have been enjoying conversation and doing little tasks Grandma instructed us to do. Christmas was a time to hear the story of baby Jesus and to try to remember a small verse for the Sunday School program at the Laurel Baptist Church. We had a tall tree from our nearby woods and there was something small for each of us under the tree. I remember trying to spot Santa Claus. And one of the songs we sang was "O Little Town of Bethlehem". Our mail was addressed to Bellingham the closest big city near our farm. My mom and I were both born in Bellingham. Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
We enjoyed riding on the back of the tractor, standing behind our grandfather. And I recall many a hay ride on the wagon behind the tractor. It was fun to be out in the fields with our grandparents while they were doing their many farm chores. One day when I came home from school I heard about my little sister Donna and her mishap of the day. She had been riding on the back of the tractor while Granddad was plowing the field. She had been holding on tight but must have lost her grip and fell off the tractor into the path of the plow. Granddad immediately knew she had fallen and was able to stop the tractor before she was injured by the sharp blades of the plow. She may have had a scratch or two but it was a miracle that was all. When they got back to the house Granddad was in no condition to go back to plowing that day. That was the first thing I heard about when I walked in the house after school.
My mother was a farm girl all of her growing up years, but Donna, Betty and I only had a few years of growing up on our grandparents' farm. I treasure the memories and the love our grandparents showed us.
The house was warmed by an old wood heater and sometimes we used the fireplace. Meals were prepared on a wood stove too. I remember helping Grandma bring the wood inside and pile it in a deep wood box in the kitchen. The bathroom had minimal use, as the toilet never was usable during my years there. We had to use the little house out back. It was a two seater with a deep hole in the ground. I remember when they dug a new hole and built a new outhouse. That was a big deal. And toilet paper was a luxury. Old catalogs did the job. I don't know if there ever was a working water heater as I remember the grown ups boiling water on the stove.
I can picture cold winters with icicles hanging on the eaves outside the windows. Inside the house we would have been enjoying conversation and doing little tasks Grandma instructed us to do. Christmas was a time to hear the story of baby Jesus and to try to remember a small verse for the Sunday School program at the Laurel Baptist Church. We had a tall tree from our nearby woods and there was something small for each of us under the tree. I remember trying to spot Santa Claus. And one of the songs we sang was "O Little Town of Bethlehem". Our mail was addressed to Bellingham the closest big city near our farm. My mom and I were both born in Bellingham. Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
We enjoyed riding on the back of the tractor, standing behind our grandfather. And I recall many a hay ride on the wagon behind the tractor. It was fun to be out in the fields with our grandparents while they were doing their many farm chores. One day when I came home from school I heard about my little sister Donna and her mishap of the day. She had been riding on the back of the tractor while Granddad was plowing the field. She had been holding on tight but must have lost her grip and fell off the tractor into the path of the plow. Granddad immediately knew she had fallen and was able to stop the tractor before she was injured by the sharp blades of the plow. She may have had a scratch or two but it was a miracle that was all. When they got back to the house Granddad was in no condition to go back to plowing that day. That was the first thing I heard about when I walked in the house after school.
My mother was a farm girl all of her growing up years, but Donna, Betty and I only had a few years of growing up on our grandparents' farm. I treasure the memories and the love our grandparents showed us.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Jesus Loves The Little Children
"Jesus called a little child and had him stand among them. And He said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.' " Matthew 18: 2-5
I remember singing "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, they are weak, but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so." I loved the song as a child, and continued to sing it with the children I taught in Sunday School through the years. Another favorite song was "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world". What a great message for children to hear.
We also read the message in Mark 10: 16. "And He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them." We also see the relationship Jesus has with children in Luke 18: 16. "But Jesus called them to Him and said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.' "
It is best if children grow up knowing these truths and take them to heart. But Jesus is waiting with open arms for each one of us to repent and become like little children, and to come to Him. "Jesus said, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul all and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.' " Matthew 22: 37, 38
I remember singing "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, they are weak, but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so." I loved the song as a child, and continued to sing it with the children I taught in Sunday School through the years. Another favorite song was "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world". What a great message for children to hear.
We also read the message in Mark 10: 16. "And He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them." We also see the relationship Jesus has with children in Luke 18: 16. "But Jesus called them to Him and said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.' "
It is best if children grow up knowing these truths and take them to heart. But Jesus is waiting with open arms for each one of us to repent and become like little children, and to come to Him. "Jesus said, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul all and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.' " Matthew 22: 37, 38
Monday, November 1, 2010
More Halloween Memories
We didn't get a lot of trick-or-treaters last night, but enjoyed the ones who came to our door. Since we have lived in this house since 1973 we have known several generations of children in this neighborhood. In recent years I have been taking pictures of the children we know that come to our door on Halloween. I sometimes miss getting a picture of some I don't recognize in their costumes. Some I mainly recognize because they are with their parents. They come at all ages as the older children bring their younger siblings.
I like taking the pictures for my own album and also to enclose in Christmas cards to our neighbors. The children are used to me with camera in hand on Halloween, but there are various reactions by the little ones. Last year little Bridget must have already had enough pictures taken of her costume as she broke out in tears and headed home. Her older brother and sister were used to me taking their pictures so they stayed for treats and pictures. Later on that evening Bridget was back for treats, but no picture. This year all went well and she smiled for the camera. This is one of the families I have known since their mommy was a baby.
The children come in elaborate costumes, lovingly put together. Probably most come from a store but a lot of talent goes into the finishing touches. When my children were little we had two clown costumes that were shared by all over the years. Most years we used various items of clothing and our imaginations for good old fashioned characters. There were fat people, tramps, ghosts and one child wrapped in bandages (torn sheets) like he had been in an accident. This was pretty much the type of costume my sisters and I would have put together. Of course we enjoyed having masks too.
When my children were older my oldest daughter made an adult sized clown costume that we used for many years. One of their friends borrowed it and got the prize for best costume at the party he went to. I enjoyed wearing the costume a few times for the trick-or-treaters. My favorite disguise was the nose and glasses I wore with whatever else I had chosen for my costume. As long as I didn't speak nobody knew it was me. That was fun.
We can continue to have fun even as we get older. In many ways I'm young at heart and do not feel like I'm going to be 74 in a month. Yet I love the fact that I'm a grandmother and will be a great grandmother before the year is over. Wish I could give all my children and grandchildren hugs right now.
Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven". Matthew 18: 3
I like taking the pictures for my own album and also to enclose in Christmas cards to our neighbors. The children are used to me with camera in hand on Halloween, but there are various reactions by the little ones. Last year little Bridget must have already had enough pictures taken of her costume as she broke out in tears and headed home. Her older brother and sister were used to me taking their pictures so they stayed for treats and pictures. Later on that evening Bridget was back for treats, but no picture. This year all went well and she smiled for the camera. This is one of the families I have known since their mommy was a baby.
The children come in elaborate costumes, lovingly put together. Probably most come from a store but a lot of talent goes into the finishing touches. When my children were little we had two clown costumes that were shared by all over the years. Most years we used various items of clothing and our imaginations for good old fashioned characters. There were fat people, tramps, ghosts and one child wrapped in bandages (torn sheets) like he had been in an accident. This was pretty much the type of costume my sisters and I would have put together. Of course we enjoyed having masks too.
When my children were older my oldest daughter made an adult sized clown costume that we used for many years. One of their friends borrowed it and got the prize for best costume at the party he went to. I enjoyed wearing the costume a few times for the trick-or-treaters. My favorite disguise was the nose and glasses I wore with whatever else I had chosen for my costume. As long as I didn't speak nobody knew it was me. That was fun.
We can continue to have fun even as we get older. In many ways I'm young at heart and do not feel like I'm going to be 74 in a month. Yet I love the fact that I'm a grandmother and will be a great grandmother before the year is over. Wish I could give all my children and grandchildren hugs right now.
Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven". Matthew 18: 3
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Childhood Halloween Memories
Since I have been enjoying writing about my family and events in our lives I was encouraged to begin a blog. As I am writing these first sentences the neighbor children are coming to the door trick-or-treating.
I don't remember trick-or-treating until I was about nine or ten years old. We moved back to Coronado after a few years on my grandparents' farm in Washington state when I was in third grade. I don't recall anything about Halloween from my years on the farm. We lived in Portland, Oregon for the first half of third grade and I don't think we went trick-or-treating that Halloween. But I do remember Halloween in Coronado.
We had a Halloween parade down Orange Avenue with all the children in costumes. The parade started at the large Christmas tree at Isabella Blvd. and Orange Avenue and we headed north on Orange. I don't recall if we ended the parade at the school or another location-maybe the football field. When my children were little the parade was just at the football field which was Cutler Field. Since there were festivities on Halloween it was the tradition for many years in Coronado to trick-or-treat the night before, on the 30th.
I remember a neighbor had a party for us children one year. That may have been when I was in fourth grade. My sisters and I appreciated events such as this, spooky story and all. One activity of the party was trick-or-treating on our block. I remember at least one party at our Sunday School too and bobbing for apples.
I'm sure the children that got to go to the Fall Festivals at the different neighborhood churches would take some of the memories home with them and tell their families about the fun time they had. If they received Christ's love from the people of God I'm sure hearts will be touched.
Hugs to each one reading this. :)
I don't remember trick-or-treating until I was about nine or ten years old. We moved back to Coronado after a few years on my grandparents' farm in Washington state when I was in third grade. I don't recall anything about Halloween from my years on the farm. We lived in Portland, Oregon for the first half of third grade and I don't think we went trick-or-treating that Halloween. But I do remember Halloween in Coronado.
We had a Halloween parade down Orange Avenue with all the children in costumes. The parade started at the large Christmas tree at Isabella Blvd. and Orange Avenue and we headed north on Orange. I don't recall if we ended the parade at the school or another location-maybe the football field. When my children were little the parade was just at the football field which was Cutler Field. Since there were festivities on Halloween it was the tradition for many years in Coronado to trick-or-treat the night before, on the 30th.
I remember a neighbor had a party for us children one year. That may have been when I was in fourth grade. My sisters and I appreciated events such as this, spooky story and all. One activity of the party was trick-or-treating on our block. I remember at least one party at our Sunday School too and bobbing for apples.
I'm sure the children that got to go to the Fall Festivals at the different neighborhood churches would take some of the memories home with them and tell their families about the fun time they had. If they received Christ's love from the people of God I'm sure hearts will be touched.
Hugs to each one reading this. :)
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