Thanks to the efforts of my daughter, Kristina, all the Grokes and Groketts were together for the first time in a long time. The last time we were together for family pictures, Robert and I had five grandbabies. Since that time, we have added eight more and two more in-laws. We had a photo shoot in St. George. The weather turned out beautiful, and we had a wonderful time. Thanks, Kris, for having the spunk to do this. And thanks to all my children for keeping their Mama happy. Cause when Mama is happy every body is happy, but when Mama ain't happy.... well you know.
Robert and Deanna Groke are so exxxcited. They just gave birth to a new baby--Cabbage Patch type. What a beauty she is. From a little speck to a head big as mine. The new arrival was picked Saturday nite. Her first night home was so fun. Mama Groke couldn't get enough pictures. Sadly the beauty only lived for a day, as she found herself in the best cold slaw ever made. Grokes thank everyone for their concern with this pregnancy.
A proud Mama Groke shows off her latest off spring--a result of the empty nester's group
There was a little girl, Who had a little curl, Right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good, She was very good indeed, But when she was bad she was horrid.
Today, my cousin, Brent, wrote about the wild roses growing around New Harmony. Brent likes to get me thinking about my childhood. And he is very good at it. I was going through some of my pictures to find pictures of me in front of the yellow roses Brent talked about. In doing so, I came across a lot of pictures of me and my curly hair. When I was a teen, the in- thing to do was straighten your hair, I have always liked doing my own thing, and figure if Heavenly Father gave me curly hair, it was because he wanted me to have it. Therefore, I have never tried changing it, and to be honest, I am very thankful for it. When I see some of the stuff people go through to make their hair look good, I just shake my head--as if to say I don't have to do that--Nanny Nanny BooBoo
I am happy to say some of my curls are working their way down the line. My daughter, MaLynda looks like I did at that age. She is the top picture. Oh, and don't tell anybody, but she is wearing a wig. My granddaughter Aspen Hughes is getting more curls every day. She is the bottom right and I am the bottom left. Yes there was a little girl who had a little curl and when she was good, she was very good, but when she was bad..........
When one of my daughter's was a lot younger she ask me a very serious question. Don't worry, MaLynda, I won't tell them it was you--giggle. Her question to me was,"Mama, when you were little was the world black and white or was it in color?." Yesss, I got a good laugh from this, but I also knew it was a sincere question. I think she must have been watching a black and white movie thus prompting this line of thinking. Well, MaLynda you know your mother is a very big procrastinator. So some 15 years later, I will answer your question.
My world was both. I lived in beautiful New Harmony, and had family that I knew adored me, in that aspect, my world was colored, but many pictures taken during that time were black and white. However, you're Grandpa Vivian purchased a new camera and it actually took colored pictures. What I find interesting today is that even though a lot of these older pictures are in color, I prefer them in black and white, and thus with the magic of todays world, I just hit a couple of buttons and I can get these pictures in various shades. And with certain coloring tools, you can even add color to your black and white photos.
I yearn for some of those black and white pictures. This blog was prompted by my sister-in-law Karen, who sent me an e-mail this morning entitled "Our childhood in black and white." I almost deleted it, but decided to check it out. I am so glad I did. it brought back some fun memories-- memories such as watching, Saturday morning Micky Mouse cartoons over to Grandma Davis' or Going down to Grandpa Prince's to watch Lawrence Welk, with Lowell and my cousin Mervin Prince. How about singing "Happy Trails To You." with my cowboy hero, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Even today, I love to watch the reruns of Andy Griffith. He lived in Mayberry USA, and I lived in New Harmony, USA. We didn't have a barber shop--just my Uncle Sheldon Grant, but we did and do have a post office where we learn the latest. He had Aunt Bea. I had my Aunt Laura, My Aunt Camilla, My Aunt Sylva, and my Aunts Veda and Venice, not to mention 60 other aunts who lived in New Harmony, to watch over me. Oh, and I even had my own Aunt Bea look-a-like-- Aunt Clara Grant. Not to be out done, because of my Dad, I could even whistle the tune that always took Opey and his Dad fishing.
How many nights did I come home from school to watch Superman, who was faster than a locomotive, and leap tall buildings in a single bound? Oh, and while we are taking a tour down memory lane, how many times did I come home from school to house a that smelled like freshly baked bread, and a mother there to make sure that I did get home--a regular June Clever--apron and all.
My other hero, the Lone Ranger had Tonto to keep him on the right track. I had my big brother, Lowell. Lowell didn't ride a big white horse, but he was my hero non-the-less.
So Miss MaLynda, in answer to your question, I had the best of both worlds--color and black and white. Do I miss it--you better believe it!
In my last blog, I told you that I wanted to do a blog on a love that I got from my Dad, and that is scrapbooking. I spend hours working on my books. Some one has said, "I scrapbook therefore I am - broke." My love for this hobby has led into other forms of paper crafting The ideas I use in scrapping can also be used for card making, and other paper crafts. I love to send a card, I have made, and get deep satisfaction when someone calls me, and tells me they were feeling "down" and out of the blue they receive a card from me. I love that feeling of making someone happy. Because it lifts me up. Am I selfish or not? My love for paper crafting has also found me sharing my talents (or lack there of) in teaching classes. The photo of me below, was a demonstration I gave at Super Saturday last fall. These were gifts with cute sayings decorated with my scrapbooking supplies. I currently have a display of my work in the New Harmony Library--no brag, just fact.
I didn't realize Dad was into scrapbooking until I moved back home and was going through all his scrapbooks. Oh, they weren't decorated, by any means, but he identified most of the people in the albums. Of course, his stuff was not "acid free" (something that drives us scrapbookers up the wall), but they were identified making it so much easier on me, when I transferred them into my books. One of the reasons I took up this hobby was to get my pictures out of boxes, plastic bags, off the floor, you name it. Well, once I started scrapping problems multiplied. A scrapper takes pictures of everything--just ask my MaLynda. Some people are gun shy, she has had so many pictures of her taken, she is camera shy. Go to the bathroom, take a picture, pick your nose, take a picture. Wreck the car, take a picture...well you get the idea. I am further behind now with pictures that need to be scrapped than I ever was before I started.
I have daughters and daughter-in-laws that also scrap. This picture was a taken at MaLynda's birthday party last month. She is enjoying the beautiful book her sisters, Brenda Carling and Kristina Hughes made for her. How satisfying it is, to this mother, to see her children following in her footsteps--now I can box up all my 100s of photos and pass them on to the girls. That will give me more time to take more pictures of my grand babies--teeheehee.
Thank you Daddy for giving me a love of scrapbooking and finding a creative outlet to share these memories with my family. "A person is neither whole nor healthy without the memories of photo albums. They are the storybook of our lives. They provide a nostalgic escape from the tormented days of the present. " ~Patrick Garry
Want to see a fun site, go here, maybe we both can win....http://themeanestmom.blogspot.com/
The pillowcases, belonged to Mom. I don't know if she made them or if somebody gave them to her. I would like to think that they were some I made, but I am not sure.
When I was a little girl--is that an oxymoron--I was never little. I had a baby sitter, Lana Grant who always was doing "handwork" as they used to call it. I never knew her when she didn't have some kind of stitchery in her hands. She still does to this very day. I wanted to do that. Mama got me started. Many days during the summer, Mom and I would sit and embroidery together. Another fun memory as a child was spending one afternoon a month with the ladies of New Harmony as they stitched on their pillowcases or samplers and gossiped all in one setting. You talk about multi-tasking. Those women could do it all. I learned more in one afternoon at these activities then I could reading the newspaper for a year--giggle. You needed to go to those gatherings so they wouldn't talk about you--snicker, snicker. The love for this hobby has carried on to this day, in one form or another. Because of this, I have earned some extra spending money to support my habit. Three of my daughters have also carried on this tradition as they stitch for fun and profit. Little did Marva Prince know when she took the time to teach me to stitch that it would be with me for life. Below are some of the things of have done in recent years.
This picture of me was taken at a craft store in St. George. My daughters and I stitch for a lady who works under the name Live Well Stitchery out of Cedar. Her name is LuAnne Keets http://www.livewellstitches.com Her big money comes from the items sold during Swiss Days, Utah's biggest craft show held in Midway UT. People climb all over each other to get her work, and just think we are a part of that.
The little baby picture is a sample of one of the many I do for gifts.
I am writing this stuff for my blog because I want to pass the memory of it on to my family. This talent and love for stitchery came from Mom, but the next one--my love for scrapbooking came from my Dad.
Ohhhh, and one last thing. Did you know that when you prick yourself and get blood on your sampler, that your own spit (saliva for you sophisticated readers) will remove it--and, yes, it was your blood, it has to be your spit. I have no idea why, but I know it works.
*******I just found out that the pillowcases were made by my Aunt Camilla Prince. Her children, Claudine and Brent both remember her making them. Thanks you guys for the info.
Deanna gives the newest Groke a good rub down. MMMMMM good!
