Tacoma 1960's

Vicky ask me what the Tacoma Zoo was like in the 1960's. My answer " duh.. I don't remember" But I did find these pictures taken getting ready to go and at the Zoo. , In the first photo sons #2 and #3 at the Zoo, second photo me (big hair thanks to DMIL talking me into a perm ) trying to shoe an uncooperative child with a little help from the cat before we take off, last photo son #1 just before we leave for the Zoo. Don't know why we didn't take more pictures at the Zoo like maybe with the animals. But I'm thinking we had our hands full with wrangling three little boys. Our oldest son loved to bolt when ever he saw an opening . Anyone that's read Stephen Kings "Pet Cemetery "can appreciate that fun game. I used to have nightmares of him running out into traffic. That's probably why he and I are not in the Zoo picture he's bolted and I'm chasing.

But back to not remembering much about the Tacoma Zoo, in my defense we've been in three continents, nine countries and a lot of Zoos. So I started to think, what do I remember about Tacoma? Tacoma was my husbands first Air Force assignment after we were married .We were there five years the longest we ever lived anywhere until we retired. The first house I don't remember the street name it was a cute two bedroom with a very nice living room that had a huge great wood burning fireplace. The problem was the house was not insulated well. I think it had orginally been built for a summer vacation or hunting cabin. We had to sleep in the living room near the fireplace to stay warm. . Before long we moved to a apartment on Pacific Ave. It was very nice and warm but it was second story and we had a growing family. So.... we moved again to a house in Tillicum across the street from a lake. This was my favorite we were just couple blocks from a public beach I could take the kids to.

Just a few of the other things I remember are -Always getting a thrill when I'd see Mt Rainer from my back door(only on a clear day of course :) Kippered Salmon, first time I had it and love it. A short drive to see the Pacific Ocean for the first time. Escalators going up the hill between the streets in down town. Crossing Narrows bridge to have a picnic in a park. The chili dogs had beans in them . And the weather , it rains a lot in Tacoma but when it's nice it's very, very, nice in fact it's perfect. .

It was one of my favorite places we ever lived.

Friday Flashback

Christmas five years ago our cat Peanut was only five months old and as you can see in these photo's he destroyed our Christmas tree. I swear to you this tree was totally decorated.Here he is finishing the job and removing the last couple bulbs. The next thre years I bought real trees thinking they would stand up to him better. After the first year though he seemed mildly interested removing only an occasional decoration. The last picture is Peanut in a shoe box. Someone got a new pair of shoes and the next thing we knew there he was napping in the box. He looked so dorky we had to get a picture.
Last year we went back an artificial tree. The live trees I bought for two years were beautiful Fraziers that hang on to their needles real well I really loved them. But with the last live tree when I dismantled it I found burn marks on the branches and I use the cool lights. Maybe a short in the wiring? I don't know but that was a enough warning for me. Every Christmas we have too many tragic house fires here in the NE for me ignore that warning. Better safe than pretty it's back to the artificial for us.

Some of My Favorite Things

The pine rope, lights and red bows on the picket fence out front is one of my favorite Christmas things. Don't know why it just gives me joy to look at it. And once again my hokey geese They give me joy too. Again don't know why. The little red coat my DDIL bought at a garage sale. I only have one goose dressed up so far I'm trying to decide how to dress the other one I debated between a reindeer or an angel. Any opinions.
Now another question. Our family traditional Christmas Eve dinner is Mexican fare ,taco's, refried beans, etc. OK,OK,OK, I know this is not a common traditional I've never claimed it was. But..... my dear sis (yes you Patty :) makes fun of this and tries to tell me her family tradition of Christmas Eve CHILI is a NATIONAL TRADITION. I beg to differ since she is the only one I know who serves chili on Christmas Eve. So I ask you dear reader do you know anyone that Christmas Eve's tradition is Chili?

Chritmas Quilts Done!

Happy dance!!!The quilts I've made for Christmas gifts are done,done ,done.Well almost I still have to bind Milisa's but these three are ready to be mailed OK. These are for Lucas and Jordan and my DS and DDIL. The last two weeks I've been slave labor for these quilts working on them night and day. Now I can starting blogging ,baking and decorating. Yea!The last photo is a close up of the raccoon on Story book quilt now he has eyes. I didn't post another picture of the whole Story book quilt because I'm sure everyone is sick and tired of it.

Flash Back Friday- Christmas Past- Christmas Present

Christmas Past-
Photo of my four boys (yes,boys, remember long hair was cool in the 70's)taken Christmas morning 1973. Check out the Brady Bunch garb. And gold carpet.LOL
The little white tree we bought at the base in Spain The Spanish didn't do Christmas trees so it was a mad scramble to get the artificial ones at the BX (base store). Little ones like this were all they had by the time we got there. At least it was better than my neighbors aluminum tree with the rotating colored light. LOL We actually grew fond to the little white tree and kept it for several years ,
Christmas Present-
Lucas 6 and Jordan 17 months our two youngest grandchildren with Santa. As you can see poor little Jordan is not too impressed with the jolly fat man. That Lucas the older boy is getting so handsome. I think he's going to be the next Mario Lopez. Their mom is from Honduras and Lucas has his dad's dark blue eyes and light complexion and his mom's dimples and dark hair .What a cutie.

Package from Holland

I received my bag from Heleen Tue! I just love it. I think it goes quite well with my new winter coat too. She also sent me the cute things from Holland pictured here. As some of you already know I love things dutch so was delighted to receive these. Last spring I decorated my kitchen in blue and white Dutch Delft. I've been collecting dutch patterns ,wooden shoes, windmill, dutch girl carrying water ,etc ,for a wall hanging I plan to make after Christmas. Some of these will be perfect to use in it.

Thanks Heleen.

Thelma Loraine Stevens Myers

DMIL passed away early Wed. She wanted no funeral,no graveside service nothing. She was cremated and her ashes in a container placed in her husbands grave. This is very hard for me being a Catholic and believing we should honor the dead but this is what she wanted.

So I thought I'd write a little something about her on here.

She was born Thelma Loraine Stevens in 1915 in Bysville Ohio. The fourth child of Bertha and Ira Stevens a housewife and coal miner/farmer. When she failed to thrive the Dr.'s decided her mothers milk wasn't good and put her on a bottle. But by that time she was so weak they didn't expect her to live. So they took her down and had a professional photo taken of her with her siblings. Of course she beat the odds and lived 92 more years. I think it was an example of how tough she would show the world she was.

She met and married her first husband George Walter Leimenstoll (Walter) at seventeen.He was ne-er-do-well , playboy from a well to do family from the south. She described him to me as the love of her life and good for nothing but charming women. She told me this was not to diminish the love she felt for her adored second husband the best man she ever knew but simply a different kind of love. What she felt for Walter was the head over heels starry eyed love of a seventeen year old. After two children and ten tremulous years of marriage enduring his drinking, gambling, womanizing he came home one night and ask for a divorce. She said fine.The next day she packed her bags while Walter now sober recanted and begged her to stay. But she refused. She told me she could put up with a lot but she wouldn't stay where she wasn't wanted. With a few belonging in a couple suitcases she took her two children and boarded a train to Ohio. And never looked back. She never received a cent of support from him .

Not one to sit around and feel sorry for herself she immediately applied and got a job at the Goodrich rubber factory in Akron.Where she worked for the next twenty five years. Remember this was the 1940's when single mothers were rare and women's wages sorry. She worked,bought a house and supported her children as good or better that most men at the time. Eight years later in the factory she met a newly divorced man raising two children of his own. Whom I can only describe as the kindest, best man I've ever known. They married,combined their families and built a good life together. Grandpa passed away in 1987. She continued to live on their farm in Eastern Ohio until her death this week..

Rest in peace Grandma you earned it.