GROWING UP AND MOVING OUT

 

Wayne 1956.

In the summer of 1956 my parents helped me run away from home.  I felt there wasn't any room in the 32' trailer we were living in at Woodley Hills trailer Park in Alexandria, VA., for Dad, Mom, Jay, me, Evy, Davy and Wayne.  We may have added the alumo room by then so Mom could have her piano and cedar chest.  I don't remember if Grandpa Roy was visiting us at that time.  I would turn 13 in July so I determined that I should go visit Grandma Grace Belle, Grandpa Roy, Grandma Isabel, Grandpa Claude, Uncle Hollis, Aunt Jeanne, cousins Richard, Janet and Bob in Spokane.

1956 Grandpa Roy with Mom and Davy by alumo room.  I think she was pregnant with Wayne then.

Spokane 1954 Richard, Uncle Hollis, Aunt Jeanne, Bob, Grandma Isabel, Janet, and Grandpa Claude.

Spokane 1958 Richard, Bob, Janet.

1950 Grandpa Roy and Grandma Grace Belle.

My Wisconsin relatives--  Aunt Emily, Uncle Ernest, cousins Kit and Rinda would be driving from Eau Claire to Spokane that summer.  It was arranged for me to take the bus from Washington D.C. to Eau Claire and hitch a ride with them the rest of the way. 

Uncle Ernest and Aunt Emily 

1957 Rinda and me.

1957 me with Kit.

Mom and Dad had no idea that I would have to change buses in Chicago.  Fortunately for me I looked young enough that nobody tried to "pick me up" at the Chicago bus terminal.  Also I had become bus sick and my dress may have been smelly. A soldier asked me if I knew where to get the bus for Eau Claire.  I didn't.  He pointed me to where I should wait then he took off to go to a bar. 

Meanwhile, at the same time, Jay left for Mexico to visit a family who we knew through Aunt Emily and Uncle Ernest-- the Benitez.  His letter to us follows.

1956 letter from Jay. 

Sounds like Jay had a wonderful time.

On our trip from Eau Claire to Spokane I remember one lunch Aunt Emily prepared for us which we ate as we drove.  She took hard French rolls and filled them with deviled ham.  The best sandwich I had ever had up to that point.  Kit and Rinda read quite a bit as we traveled.  I had never been able to read in a car without becoming sick. As I studied them I was tempted to read.  I picked up some of their reading material and started reading just as we entered the Badlands of South Dakota.  Aunt Emily instructed me that I was missing the Badlands.  I was shocked.  All this time Kit and Rinda had been reading and just as I started reading I was singled out.  I was not happy with her.  My angry retort was, "I've already seen the Badlands." ( I didn't take correction well.) My family had driven west through South Dakota many times.  Our family stopped at Mt. Rushmore one time.  I remember the buffalo steak served in the restaurant.  It was delicious. (We had roast buffalo at R Ranch and it wasn't as good.)

When we arrived in Spokane I asked to be dropped off at Grandpa Roy and Grandma Grace Belle's farm.  Unfortunately my aunt and uncle had planned for me to accompany them and my cousins to Walla Walla.  So after a few letters flying back and forth I joined them.  After that excursion I was dropped off at the farm and my Aunt Evelyn and cousins Dorothy and Richard arrived just then.  

The highlight of the summer was a birthday cake for me provided by Aunt Evelyn. Trips to Natatorium Park and Liberty Lake were special memories for me.  (My cousin Kit tried to get me to scream on the ferris wheel when he would turn our enclosed cage upside down.  I refused to scream.) I hated shopping but Aunt Evelyn thought I didn't like to shop because I had no money.  She gave me some money but I still despised it.  (My daughter and my husband shop for me now.) Grandma Grace Belle was a good cook.  We had steak, potatoes, and from the garden--  fresh peas, beets, carrots, and salad. We had icecream with strawberries on top for dessert.  She kept a watermelon in the refrigerator for anytime we would want a slice. 

There are several letters from me to my folks that summer saying that I wasn't coming home until they bought a house.  I believe I was under the influence of Grandma Isabel as she had much to say about us living in a trailer. They did buy a house and I went home.

I was informed by one of my correspondence writing teachers that my story about my trip cannot be published as a children's story because there is no plot.  Nothing bad happened.  So I leave it here for the family to read.

Psalm 91:11 For he will command his angels concerning you

    to guard you in all your ways.

 

G.K. CHESTERTON

G.K. Chesterton

“We shall soon be in a world in which a man may be howled down for saying that two and two make four, in which furious party cries will be raised against anybody who says that cows have horns, in which people will persecute the heresy of calling a triangle a three-sided figure, and hang a man for maddening mob with the news that grass is green.” G.K. Chesterton 1905

STATE FUNERAL OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II

 

On Monday, September 19, 2022, Queen Elizabeth was laid to rest.  If you would like to see any of Queen Elizabeth's State Funeral service go to the You Tube above.  Joel Rosenberg wrote about the service in his newsletter.  If you would like to read it go here. 

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

Me with Heather and Jes in 1991.  We are on a ferry with the twin towers in the background.  From a video by Chris.

On our visit to New York City in 1991 we never imagined that people we had welcomed into the United States would turn out to be terrorists in 2001.  They were our neighbors. What could have been done differently to save all of the lives that were lost on 9/11?  Maybe by loving our neighbors well enough that we legislate strict immigration policies?  Israel's policy may be a good example to follow.  

Now in 2022 our immigration policy still does not work well.  We are hearing news that may be true or false.  What are we to believe?  We see "everyone doing what is right in their own eyes,"  much as in the day of the Judges in the Old Testament.  God raised up presidents and congress to help our nation but it seems our country is embattled in fighting each other instead of the real problem of evil. 

Here is what Justice Sonia Sotomeyer said about what the people of the United States should do to get along: 

SOTOMAYOR: With every single person that I meet, particularly if I disagree with them, I try to find the goodness in them. I try to find what part of them can we communicate with together. And so I may have used and I have used as an example, my relationship with Justice Clarence Thomas, I suspect that I have probably disagreed with him more than with any other justice. That we have not joined each other's opinions more than anybody else. And yet, Justice Thomas, is the one justice in the building that literally knows every employee's name. Every one of them, and not only does he know their names, he remembers their families names and histories. He's the first one who will go up to someone when you're walking with him and say, Is your son, okay? How's your daughter doing in college? He's the first one that when my stepfather died, sent me flowers in Florida. He is a man who keeps, cares deeply about the court as an institution, about the people who work there. He has a different vision than I do, about how to help people, and about their responsibilities to help themselves. I've often said to people, Justice Thomas believes that every person can pull themselves up by their bootstraps. I believe that some people can't get to their bootstraps without help. They need someone to help them lift their foot up so they can reach those bootstraps. That's a very different philosophy of life. But I think we share a common understanding about people and kindness towards them. That's why I can be friends with him. And still continue our daily battle over our difference of opinions in cases. But you really can't begin to understand an adversary unless you step away from looking at their views as motivated in bad faith. And so, yes, I have friends of all backgrounds, and friends have all political views. And I will continue to do so because that's important to me. Understanding how I can make the best pitch, long term, to achieve the goals that I think are important.

May the people of the United States listen!

Luke 10:27 He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself'". 

HAMS

 

Navigation station

Beware the "Ham Nazi." He's similar to the "Soup Nazi" on one episode of the "Seinfeld" TV show.  I had a run in with this guy when we were living on our boat in Mexico.  We had just taken our weekend ham radio class and had gotten our licenses. I was looking forward to some communication with friends in the U.S.  Unfortunately I did not speak "ham" yet. You must only use certain words.  Other words are not allowed. No freedom of speech on ham radio.  He demanded I add the Mexican identification letters. Well I may have flunked "ham radio" but the following young girl knew exactly what she was doing when she talked by ham radio to the International Space Station.  Click the link here to listen or to read the story.