Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days. . .

This past week my cousin, Annette invited me (thanks Brent for the heads up) to go to my Grandpa Prince's house for one last time. The house would be meeting it's maker in a day or two. So, with camera in hand, Robert and I went together to see this house. I think it was Robert's first time in it. How funny, it was his first, my last. Of course, he had no memories associated with it. But you can bet I do. As luck would have it, my camera's battery was dead. So many of the pictures I will be using are either from my cousin, Brent, or my niece, Talonnie. However, the memories are my own.

The first room we entered, was Grandpa's front porch. In my growing up years, we spent many hours out here. In this blog I will be referring to the house as Grandpa Prince's, as he was the only one living in it when I was young. Grandma Prince died many, many years ago.

Grandpa had a big bed on this porch. One day, when Gary and Elwin were quite young, they were playing on the bed. Grandpa would pull the hair on their neck. I took it as long as I could then I told him to "stop that". The madder I got, the more he laughed and the more he laughed the madder I got...well you get the picture. My Mom was more upset with me than she was with Grandpa. I couldn't understand that. I thought he was really hurting my little brothers. Now, mind you, it was OK if I hurt them, but by golly nobody else better touch them.

Another thing associated with this porch was a recurring dream I had for years. Grandpa was laying in bed on the porch. Waiting for people to come and see him. We would walk by his house day in and day out, but nobody ever stopped. This dream was a night mare to me. I would wake up sick to my stomach thinking I had let Grandpa down. I knew we hadn't because I personally would fix his dinner (that is a story in itself) many a night. I loved Grandpa and I loved his stories. So why did this dream haunt me so. I think it was a wake up call. Because, the day they took Mama to the hospital from my my niece's wedding (that be you Kayla) I told Bob about this dream and told him I wasn't going to have the same dream once Mama was gone. Well, when the day came that Mama was put in the care center, I tried to visit it her about every day. I couldn't always do it, but I tried. And you know something, I have not had that dream of ignoring Grandpa since then--Thanks Grandpa for keeping me on the straight and narrow.

In the summer time, Grandpa would sleep out on the porch, and I would be sleeping outside at my house. You could here his cough from my house. A cough that many of us still have. You can be in church and here a cough and know it came from one of Grandpa's grandchildren.

From the porch we went into the living room. This was the last place where I seen my Grandpa. Even in death he taught me a lesson. The morning he died, I was supposed to be riding to school (I was in college) with my Dad. Early that morning (about 6:30) , my Aunt Camilla called Dad and told him Grandpa wasn't feeling well. I think Aunt Camilla fixed his breakfast and we fixed his dinner. Anyway, Daddy got down there and it wasn't long before he called and told us that my Grandpa had died. Not knowing if I needed to drive myself to school or not I went to down to Grandpa Prince's. Grandpa was laying on the couch with a white wash cloth over his eyes. He looked like he was asleep, and in his later years, when I would go to his house he would be on the couch, and many times, asleep. So it was very natural to me. I remember Dad's brothers and sisters were all sitting around laughing and telling stories. It was as if nothing had happened and this was just another fun get together. The spirit was in the room and I have never felt that kind of peace before. It was then that I truly knew that death wasn't all the bad. Yes we would miss Grandpa Prince, but you don't know how many times prior to this, Grandpa told me how much he missed Grandma Prince. In fact, not too long before this, he had told me that he had had a visit from Grandma who had been gone for many years. I knew then it wouldn't be that much longer that we would have Grandpa with us.

Also, it was in this room that I got my taste of True Story magazine. I would always manage to find Grandpa's latest copy when I would go down to visit him. One time, my cousin Velda and I were sitting on the couch reading it, and we heard the screen door screech. Quick somebody was coming. We hurried and hid the magazine under a pillow--just as Uncle Darce walked through the door. He talked to us for a minute and then started into the kitchen, but before leaving he said "you can get your magazine out now". How did he know that? The look of surprise must have shown on our faces as he started laughing. Oh, "heck" ( those of you that know Uncle Darce know this isn't the exact word he used)"Every granddaughter that comes to this house reads those magazines", he said. So much for being sneaky.

My first time of watching television took place in this room. Grandpa was one of the first in New Harmony to get one. He loved watching Lawrence Welk. So on Saturday night Lowell and I (and sometimes my cousin Mervin) would go down and watch it with him. I still love Lawrence and his music.

From the front room, I went to the bedroom on the left. I spent many nights in this room, as my Grandma Prince had a sister, Aunt Margaret Duffin. Who after Grandma died, would come and visit Grandpa. I was ask to spend the night down there each time she would come from Idaho. I thought they were being nice to me. I loved her, she always brought me a present. It wasn't until later, that I found out they were using young, Deanna Prince, for a chaperon. How funny was that. In my eyes, they were two very old people, why did they need a chaperon. Yesss, I have learned a lot since then--giggle.

The kitchen was next on my list. No, it didn't look anything like I remembered it, but I could still picture the kitchen I grew up in, the kitchen where I would sit at the table and listen to Grandpa's stories about his mission and the farm. The table where I would sit and gag as Grandpa would eat the same old thing every night, and just laugh and laugh at my reaction. His idea of a good dinner (Old timers in New Harmony people called this meal supper. Dinner was what you ate at noon time) was a boiled egg cooked no longer than 3 minutes--with an emphasis on the 3. Have you ever seen an egg cooked that long? Trust me, you don't want to, and further more, you don't want to eat one. Let me rephrase that, you couldn't eat it, you would have to drink it, you might as well, take the egg out of the fridge and crack it open without putting it over the flame. Just writing about it makes me green under the gills. In the summer time, there was a bowl on the table with onions and cucumbers mixed in with vinegar. This was good! This same table was where I learned about Grandpa's musically abilities. He would sit and drum his fingers on the table while waiting for the eggs to get warm.

To the right of the kitchen was a bedroom. I always thought it was fairly good size, but to my amazement it was really small when I walked in it for the last time. This was Grandpa's bedroom. This was the bedroom he was in, when he told me about Grandma coming to see him. The things that one remembers.

On to the upstairs I went--very carefully, I might add. I could now see why the house was being torn down--it was falling down, and was becoming a very unsafe place. My cousin, Velda and I had spent a lot of fun times playing up there. There was still evidence of the light we had painted green one summer when we were up there playing with another cousin Patsy Hall.

I mentioned that I couldn't remember Grandpa's bedroom being so small, well today, I couldn't remember the upstairs being so big--as scary. Dad came from a large family, and in my mind they were all crowded into this small house, but in all honesty the bedrooms were pretty good size. However, I can't help but think they must have been very cold in the winter time. Where the walls were starting to crumble down you could see they had no insulation. I managed to find me a brick to bring home. The house had been pretty well picked over by the time Robert and I got there. As you go up the stairs, there was a little door on the wall. I never knew what it was for, but in talking to my Aunt Bea the day before, she told me that there had been in a fire in that little room--I think it was part of the attic, and they must have had to go in there to put it out.

I didn't spend a lot of time upstairs, but sure took my time coming down the steps. Wow, that was scary. Each step I took I knew was going to be my last. Speaking of steps, I also took a peek at the cellar. I never dared go into it as a child, and I wasn't about to go in it now--treasures or no treasures, cause I just knew that every snake in New Harmony was keeping warm there during the winter months. Annette also told me that some animal had dug a big hole in there. The old bottles I wanted could go the way of the house.

I took one last walk on the ground floor before I told the old house good bye. The house is gone, but my memories are not. You know something, it is hard to compete with memories. As I walked outside I couldn't help but look at the front yard that used to be the home of some of the most beautiful roses in New Harmony, and in the soil, the best fishing worms around. We loved to go to Grandpa's after a good day of watering, turn on the flash light and see the earth worms coming out to be picked to go fishing with us. Grandpa (like my Dad and my husband) loved his gardens, and it showed. In the summer you would see Grandpa Lo, on his knees weeding the flower beds, and then he would use the hose as a cane to get up.

As I climbed in the pick-up and took one last look at the house, I looked down the street towards my Uncle Darce's old house now owned by the O'Connors. One day, Mama and I drove to Grandpa's after being in Cedar. He was walking down the hill towards Uncle Darce's house. He fell just as I was getting out of the car. I ran down the hill to help him up. I will never forget the look on this precious man's face. He was crying and the top of his nose was bleeding where the little pebbles (still on his face) had cut him. He was so upset about getting old. I don't know if the fall hurt him or the thought that he couldn't walk like he used to. How that hurt me. I couldn't stand to see my Grandpa hurting (Ouch--here come the tears). It appeared that as a line from his favorite poem says his "get up and go, had got up and went."

I am so thankful for the memories I have. I learned so much from my Grandpa Prince. He was a man loved by all, and he loved the Lord. His service in the church lives on. each Sunday, when I go to church, I am in awe at all the grandchildren of James and Rhoda who hold callings (many of them more than one) in the New Harmony Ward.

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. ~Charles Dickens

One of the traditions we had as children was the return of Santa on his way back to the North Pole--Dec. 31. At which time he would fill our Christmas stocking for the second time. It may have only been a pkg of Juicy Fruit gum and a dime, but I tell you, it was sooo exciting for us. This is something that I still do with my children. As children, we didn't have the fancy socks that we have today. We just ran in the bedroom, and got one of Daddy's work socks--usually gray with maybe some red edging. Unlike the socks we use today that are as much part of the decorations as the tree itself. Only, Santa takes advantage of the after Christmas sales, and they get a lot more in their socks.

I was very upset to learn, that not one of my brothers carried on this tradition in their families. I couldn't understand why. My belief is, they let their wives do the "Christmas thing", therefore the wife brings into the home the things she did as a child. I guess my husband did the same thing, because this wasn't something he did in his family either. At first, he probably just went along with it to keep me happy. But he really gets in to it now, and to this I am very thankful. Come to think of it, this idea came from the Davis line, so apparently Dad did it because Mama wanted to. I guess what it boils down to is the man follows the woman. This is kind of sad when you think about it. Generations of traditions could be lost because of this.

When Robert and I were first married, we both had things from our families that we liked and wanted to continue on with. For one, in the Prince Family, We would get up very early on Christmas morning, and I mean early. Sometimes we would be up 4:00 a.m. We actually got up earlier, but would be sent back to bed, until the excitement couldn't hold us down any longer. (Lucky for us, Mama was always on our side, Dad would have stayed in bed if he had had his way.) Whereas, the Grokes used Christmas Day to sleep in. Ohhhh, I could see this was going to cause a problem. Did we fight about it, I should say not, we compromised. We get up early--. Now on my part of this, in Robert's family they opened presents one at a time--starting with the youngest and working their way to the top, and then starting all over again after the oldest had opened a gift. This way you could ohhh and awwww about what everybody got. On the opposite end of this, my family all got our presents and then just started rippppppping them open. In five minutes it was all over, and nobody knew who gave what. So I decided to go with the Grokes on this, and like it so much better--besides, it makes the day go slower. We get up early, for me, and we open presents one at a time for Robert.

Growing up, we had a certain set of Christmas tree lights that we used year after year, or so it seemed. They were the great big Christmas lights and you don't see many of them any more. Most people use the miniature lights on their trees and house decorations. As a child another decoration we always had was a picture of Santa that we hug on the door.

Another Prince tradition for me was Daddy cooking breakfast, for all of us. This was the one time of the year, Mama didn't have to do it, and Daddy would cook our eggs anyway we wanted them. He also cooked pancakes, but don't tell anybody, I didn't like them, he never took them off the grill soon enough. Now Robert is the chief cook and bottle washer on Christmas Day in our family. He doesn't do pancakes, but we still have choices to make when it comes to how we want our eggs or what kind of meat we want with our eggs and hash browns. Now following this breakfast if I had done what we did as a child, I would go visit all my brothers and their families just As it is we usually just stay home and enjoy each others company. Not to mention watching of all the movies we seemed to have received as gifts--even from Santa. (Picture on left is My uncle Reeed and Aunt Laura Family visiting us on Christmas day 1957)

I grew up with the memory of Mama setting aside a special day the week prior to Christmas to make candy to pass around. This included my favorite, divinity, as well as panoche and fudge. We would then divide the candy up and put them on different places to pass around to our neighbors. Who in turn, would do the same for us. We would trade one plate of goodies for another. It's OK cause that meant I would always get some of Aunt Sylva's cherry divinity. This Christmas the only divinity I got came from a patron of the library who bought me a goody bag for helping her. Oh we got tons of neighborhood gifts, but I myself don't spend time baking and making candy--I would eat it all before we got it out of the house. I like to do crafty things to pass on to my friends and neighbors. I don't remember my Dad getting into this, but that is because he worked full time and ran the farm when he got home from work. Robert on the other hand is very helpful in driving me around and dropping off the goodies. There has even been times when, for one reason or another I didn't want to do it, and he was right there prodding me on.

And least we forget, Every year the New Harmony Ward had a primary program, and it seemed every year I was an angel for it. I still remember the silver tinsel and how it itched. But angels can't complain you know?







Oh, just like this picture of my brother Roland, Christmas is a time for dreaming, and you can bet I do.

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring-not even a mouse....

Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year. I love everything about it. When I was little, I thought every year, the tree was prettier than the year before. I look at old pictures and see that we had some sorry looking trees, but I still thought they were beautiful.
We always had ice cycles on them, That was pretty much Roland's and my job to do. We were told to put them on one at a time, and we did, for the first two or three, but that got old pretty darn fast. So we would take a hand full and just throw them on. Mama was very patient with us. I think she would wait until we were out of the room and then rearrange the silver strands. I loved going through the boxes of decorations and remembering where they came from.
With modern technology, we now have a pre-lit tree. We use it over and over, but I still love it, or I should say love them, as we have one in the Visiting Teaching room, and the big one in the family room. My next couple of blogs are going to be dedicated to Christmas. Today the trees, next time, Santa.
We always had big lights on our tree, and you don't see a lot of that type of light anymore. Oh, they still make them, but most tree lights are the little ones. So to this day when I see the kind of lights we used as a child I get all excited--I know, Deanna, get a life....
My Grandma Davis' tree had lights that looked like candles. How pretty they were. It was like they had bubbles going through them.
I don't remember Grandpa Prince's tree, but I do remember an experience I had with him. One year I went down to Grandpa's and he didn't have a tree. Roland and I told him we were going to get him one. He tried to talk us out of it, but we wouldn't listen. We went up to the FLAT and chopped down a little one and took it too his place. He didn't have any decorations, so I decided to use all the Christmas cards he had received and put them on the tree. I know it was not the most beautiful tree in the world, but I know it meant a lot to Grandpa (oh, oh, here comes the tears) cause he looked at it, and his eyes watered up and the tears came down. You know that is the only thing I can remember about that Christmas, but what a wonderful thing to have as a memory.

There is nothing more peaceful to me, then to turn out all the lights in the house, and then turn the tree lights on. I could sit there for hours and watch the tree--as if it was going to do anything. But you know what, "The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other."--Burton Hillis.

Leaves crackling under foot, plants bloom in one last magnificent Hurray as their roots grow deep to ensure new life next Spring

Fall is here.....
I love this time of the year in New Harmony. I took the picture of the flowers after our first frost. I look at them now, and pretty as they were, it looks to me like they are crying. They know their life has come to and end. But while they are here, they sure make life better for the rest of us. I hope I can be that way. I drove around the valley this week looking at the color changes. Some of my favorite places are not colorful this year, as they were destroyed by fire, but I can still see beauty.

This deer was on my front lawn. She is lucky she is a she and not a he. Cause if she was a he, she wouldn't be.........

Deanna and the not so giant peach

FROM THIS. . . .




TO THIS..........................

I don't know why it is, but this year, I am so excited about the orchard and garden. I guess I should say about the produce we are getting. I still don't get a kick out of weeding, but I sure do like the results after it is done. It just amazes me, that you can take a little seed, put it in the dirt and then get the things we get, after it has matured. This week, I bottled peaches. Look at what they went through to get to the last step.


TO THIS. . .


And finally this...............................

I have a family here on earth, they are so good to me............

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.

Announcing the Arrival of a new Grokett....... Weighing in at 1lb.

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

Deanna gives the newest Groke a good rub down. MMMMMM good!