Tuesday, December 30, 2008
UPDATE ON TAYLOR
Taylor's mother has posted an update on her condition on her blog, so you can read all about it here. I'm sure she would appreciate everyone's support, as well as the continuing prayers, at this time. Be sure to read my previous post about Taylor's accident, if you haven't already. C'mon, everyone, this little gal needs all our prayers for a miracle!
Monday, December 29, 2008
FELLOW BLOGGER ASKS FOR PRAYERS
I recently received the following email from a blogger friend, Michelle, in FL. She is asking for prayers for her 10-year old daughter. I know we all can pull together on this one! This little girl needs all the prayers she can get right now. We are all mothers and can read this mother's pain between the lines even. Please read on.....and pray for this beautiful little girl!
Nancy, I need your help.
We had a bit of a rough Christmas. Taylor had an accident. She was playing at a friend's house and was shot in the eye with a BB. She has been on complete bed rest since Tuesday. She isn't allowed to read, play video games, run around.....nothing.
We go back to the ophthalmologist on Monday. Her eye has been completely dilated. We are hoping for the best, but nothing is sure right now. She does have the best doctors, and best case scenario, she will keep her sight after surgery, worst is she will lose it. We are hoping that we have done everything right. If she ran around, or didn't follow direction, her eye socket will rebleed and that is really bad. We are also looking at the possibility that she may have a cataract caused by the trauma. That can be fixed with Laser surgery. She 's been so good about it all. I think the Doctor really got through to her how important it was for her to follow his orders.
She's just been my little Tiny Tim. She's bored out of her mind, but she has been a real trooper.
I need as many prayers as you can muster........EVERYONE YOU KNOW!
Monday is the deciding factor. We need all the prayers, everyone!
Love
M
Sunday, December 21, 2008
AWARD TIME AGAIN PLUS ANOTHER GIVEAWAY
The following is from Hootin' Anni' as her Holiday Gift! Thank you, Anni! I haven't known Anni all that long, but it doesn't take but one visit to her blog, and you'll also be hooked! She is one talented lady and is always coming up with a different new header on her blog!
My good friend Merle at Merle's Third Try gave me this lovely Butterfly award recently...and I am supposed to pass it on to 10 bloggers. I would like to pass it on to ALL of my regular readers since the last time I chose a certain few to receive an award, there were hurt feelings, and I am not out here in Blogland to hurt anyone's feelings. Eventually, everyone ends up receiving it, anyhow. Merle, I hope you understand why I am doing it this way, and I do hope it is okay to do it like this. Merle is from Australia and has the neatest blog. If you're having a bad day and could use a good laugh, you need to visit Merle's blog! You will fall in love with her just as I have! She is one grand lady from 'down under'! Thank you so much for this lovely award, Merle! Your friendship means the world to me, and I love ya!
This Christmas Spirit Award was kindly passed on to me by Mary at Mary's Writing Nook. Thank you, my dear friend.
Below are the rules of this award:
1. You must be a true Christmas lover to receive this award.
2. You must link back to who gave you the award.
3. You must list 5 things that you love about Christmas.
4. Pass it on to however many you like, but to at least one person to keep the Christmas cheer going.
5. Let the recipients know you have tagged them.
Five things I love about Christmas.
1. The spirit of love that surrounds us this time of year.
2. The joy of giving to others.
3. The quality time spent with my children.
4. The shopping, wrapping, and baking days my daughter and I share together.
5. The holiday dinner with both of my children at the dinner table at the same time, a rare occasion now that they are grown and one lives away!
I am passing this award on to ALL of my regular readers. I am tagging you all! Please take it, enjoy it, and pass it on!
This next one is also from Mary, given as her Christmas Gift to all of her readers. Thank you so much, Mary! It is just so touching!
And another Butterfly Award! This one is from Mary. Thank you so much, Mary! I value your friendship so much and love you for the fine lady that you are! Mary has a great blog and a great big Husky dog, too! Her photos will take you all over as she gets around to many interesting places! She is from Canada and I have seen places, through her blog pics, that I have never seen before.
And......two more from Mary! Thank you, again, Mary! You are so generous with your awards to everyone!
In a few days, I hope to post some pics of some Christmas decorations..... If I don't get to them, I will post them right after Christmas. These next few days are going to be kind of hectic for me! Just in case, I am.....
Wishing you all a verrrry Merry Christmas!!!
But let us not forget the real Reason for the Season!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Happy Birthday to my Daughter
This is my letter to my daughter who celebrates her 44th birthday today, December 15th...
Gee, it doesn't seem that it has been 44 years since you came into this world! You were our first-born, and your birth made us a family. Your dad and I were in heaven, so to speak, at that time. We were like two kids with a new toy!
It was during doe hunting season, and I had been helping Grandma Squeek (my mom) with her hunters. I hadn't been feeling very well at all that afternoon, December 14th. I managed to sit on a kitchen stool and do what I could to help. You began to let me know that you were getting kind of restless that day. After supper was over, I told my mom that I thought I was having contractions.
Being December, you might know that it would be snowing quite heavily. Your dad took me back to our home to get my things so we could head out on the 20-mile drive to the hospital across those narrow country roads. But once I got home, I just had to take a shower, shave my legs, etc. Finally, an hour later, I said I was ready to go. By then, your Uncle Jake (my brother) was there, more nervous than your dad. He was going to follow us to the hospital in case we slid off the road. It really was a wicked night to be out on the roads, period. There were several inches of snow covering the roads, and there were no tracks from other vehicles to even follow. The roads hadn't been plowed yet, as the highway department would usually wait til the snow let up before clearing the roads. We had quite a perilous drive up Keating Summit Hill and then down the other side! The final 10 mile-lap was all flat road, thank goodness!
Finally, we arrived at the hospital! They were anxiously waiting for us, worrying about us driving through such a storm to get there. In a small town, where everyone knew everyone, and they all knew Aunt Naomi and Aunt Biddy, knew that I was their niece. There really wasn't any hurry since you ended up taking your good old time to be born! We put in a rough night together, you and I, but then finally, at 5:28am on December 15th, you were born! Your birth brought us so much joy! You were a beautiful baby but bald as could be! I had you by natural childbirth, so I was awake to see you born. We were just happy that you were healthy and had 10 little fingers and 10 little toes! We didn't care if you were a girl or a boy! Back in those days, no one knew whether the baby was a boy or a girl until the baby was born.
Your dad was with me all through the night, getting no sleep at all. Uncle Jake was calling all of our relatives who lived in that town (which we later moved to) telling them I was in labor. Your dad went to your Great-Grandma Jenny's in the morning to get some sleep, but he said he got very little, as her phone was ringing constantly with relatives calling to see if I'd had the baby yet. The day was busy with visitors coming to see you. We couldn't wait to bring you home! Oh, what a fun day that was! We knew nothing about babies, but we learned in a big hurry, thanks to the help of Grandma Squeek (my mom). You were such a good baby and started sleeping the entire night on your sixth night at home.
Poppa Steve, with his Bell & Howell movie camera in hand, came with your dad the day I was discharged. He filmed you and me through the hospital window and then later while leaving the hospital with you in my arms. Once we got home with you, I left you on the sofa while I got out of my clothes and into a robe to be more comfortable. Poppa Steve and Grandma Genevieve were there to undress you, the camera rolling all the while. What a blessed Sunday that was! I watch that video every year on your birthday. Poppa Steve knew what he was doing when he was filming everyone all the time. He gave us all such wonderful memories on film to keep alive forever.
You have done nothing but bring us joy all these years! We have always been so proud of your accomplishments during high school, college and now in the working world. You are the sweetest daughter I could have ever asked for! You have grown into a caring, loving, beautiful young woman. I know you are in Montreal on a business trip this year during your birthday, but you are still right here in my heart, where you'll always be. We will celebrate the big "4-4" this weekend! Happy Birthday, Honey! Always remember how much you're loved! We love you!!!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Grandma's Apron
From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks,
Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow,
bent over the hot wood stove.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.
From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.
After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.
When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.
It will be a long time before someone invents something
Friday, December 5, 2008
Awards Day
Boy, am I ever behind! I need to thank those who have sent awards my way. Below are some buttons/awards I received some time ago from Mary over at Mary's Writing Nook. Thank you so much, Mary!!! I do apologize for being so tardy in posting them and thanking you properly. I love and appreciate them so much! I need to learn how to add text to a pic so I can make some of my own to pass on. Mary seems like the type of person who would be there if you ever needed a hand or a friend! Do check her blog out...I'm certain you will enjoy your visit with her! She's really a lovely lady and has a very enjoyable and interesting blog!!!
And I am so late in getting these in a post, too! These are also from Mary! I just loved this one with the black cat! She has the cutest things up her sleeve over there at her blog!
Here's the lovely "Proximidade" award given to me by Gramma Ann of Ann's Quotes and Things. I received this one from Merle of Merle's Third Try a while back, too, so I am properly thanking you, also, Merle at this time.
"Blogs that receive this award are 'exceeding charming,' says its author. This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into the body of their award."
I am to pass this award on to 8 people. I find it very, very hard to choose just 8, and I see some of you that I would like pass this on to have already received it. I am very pleased to pass this award on to the following 8 blogs:
And this one describes ALL the blogs I read!
Have a great weekend, everyone! My daughter is taking me shopping to another city tomorrow, so I'll see how long I can walk. I love to get out and shop during holiday time, but the legs and back don't allow me to do much. So I am so happy that my daughter is taking me and will be with me. It should be a fun-filled mother-daughter day!P.S. I've had some blogger problems today...spacing, text color, etc., so please excuse the mess of this post! I've been working on it off and on all day since 10:10 this morning, and it is now 6:04pm! LOL
Thursday, November 27, 2008
PRAYERS NEEDED!
I'm sure the family would appreciate all the prayers they can get at this time. So please add his name to your prayer list, and pass it on so that he'll have a mutitude of people praying for him. Prayer does work, we all know that, so please pray and remember him and his family in your daily prayers and also your Thanksgiving Day prayers today.
Some of you may already frequent his blog or his wife's blog. If you haven't, you need to, as they have theeeee best blogs! Patty and Abe celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary this past July! I have met some wonderful people through blogging, and this couple is on the top of my list! To know them is to love them!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Punky's Battle is Over
If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will remember that Scooter, age 15, lost her battle with heart disease on October 6th of this year. It has been very heartbreaking for my son to lose both of his beloved little girls less than 7 weeks apart. It was a very sad day for our family again, but we know that Punky and Scooter are frolicking together once again.
Punky was a shelter kitten when he adopted her on July 5, 1991. She was a pitiful little thing with an infected eye with puss running out of it and down her little face. We took her straight to the vet for a checkup and medicine for her eye. She was given a bath to rid her of fleas, as she was loaded with them. Her coat was so thin that we could actually see them crawling all over her bony little body. The vet said her eyeball was even swollen. Our shelter has come a long way since the 90's and has a great staff now. Dogs seem to get priority at our local shelter, though, so we adopt the little cats no one would ever choose. We have found that they are all beautiful on the inside.
Below is a pic of where she slept...right next to Tim's pillow. He said that she actually got on his pillow with him the night before, something she had never done. He took that as a sign that she was telling him something, maybe that she was ready to go. We have found that usually an animal will let you know, in some manner, when they are ready.
As I told my son, she loved him, and she knew that he loved her. They had 17 great years together. We have videos of her that we can watch to keep her alive forever in our hearts.
As my vet wrote in a sympathy card one time when I had to have my beloved Duffy put to sleep in 1996, also, due to cancer: "You have given Duffy one last gift...his release from suffering." So I passed those words on to my son:
"You have given Punky one last gift...her release from suffering."
My last words to you, Punky: "I know you are in a better place now, but you will be sadly missed, my little Punky, and you will always have a special place in my heart....Grandma loves you!"
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Cold Day in the South
We had a cold front move in on us, so today is a bit nippy with a little wind. I kind of welcome the cooler weather myself. I have to run out this afternoon to do a few errands, and then I am taking time to visit my good friend, Wanda, who fell a week ago last Friday night and broke her lower leg and ankle...a total of 4 bones broken! She had surgery the next day and had to have a rod and pins put in. So she is now at home, recuperating. I made her some homemade rolls, so I plan to stop by and visit her for a little while. My work is taking the backseat today! LOL
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
A BIG "Thank You"
I know it's been almost a month since my last post, but work has been crazy working with "snowbirds" every day who are looking for winter homes in the Orlando area. I am going to try and do better. Usually, by the end of the day, I am so tired that all I want to do is grab a quick bite to eat and head on to bed, which is usually around 2 or 3am. I hope to get around and visit you all soon!
Yesterday took me to Greenville two times with my daughter's cat, Buster. We had to leave him there, and then they called when he was finished. He was due for his one-month post chemo checkup and ultrasound. The ultrasound showed that there is no reoccurrence of his bowel cancer, thus far. I just received a phone call from the specialists' facility with his bloodwork results. Everything is the same as it was the last time. He has had an elevated kidney value all along. His BUN is at 54, whereas normal is in the 14-36 range. This indicates that he is experiencing some kidney failure, but it hasn't improved, nor has it worsened, since his last bloodwork was done. All cats by the age of 15 experience some kidney value problems. Anyhow, we are very pleased with the good news, both yesterday and today! He has to go back on December 1st for another checkup and chest x-rays. They keep a close watch on them after they have received chemo and/or radiation treatments.
Our leaves are turning, but I don't think the colors are as vibrant as they have been in previous years. They are more muted in color this year, and there are a few leaves falling! We are expecting temp of 77 on Thursday! The nights have cooled so nicely, though. And then also the holidays are quickly approaching....something else added to my "To Do" list! LOL
I'll be around to visit you soon! Thank you all for being so faithful in leaving me comments and sticking with me. I want to also thank those of you who have emailed me with little notes! It's so nice to be remembered when I have been such a poor blogger lately....I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart!
P.S. Does anyone know why Blogger won't allow me to separate my paragraphs??? I have to copy and paste everything into a Word document and space it there, and then copy and paste it all over again and place on my blog. Strange, huh? But it works!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
"Scooter's" Last Ride
My son had to let Scooter go yesterday. Her little heart had just worn out after 15 years. She had been suffering with a bad heart for just the last couple of months and was on 5 different meds for it. She was a wonderful little kitty and had a great life with her "Pops." She loved my son so much, and he loved her.
She was a little stray kitten he found outside a diner one night in Augusta, GA. The waitress told him that she'd been there about 5 or 6 days and that she had been bringing cat food from her home each day to feed her. She also told him that her husband, who owned a reptile shop, was considering the kitten for snake food. Well, that did it! My son asked if the kitty would be okay there til the next morning. So at 6am the next day, with a pet carrier and a little litter box, food and water dishes, he headed out on the 2-hour drive from his home back to Augusta to get this dear little kitten.
She made kitty #2 in his household. Scooter and Punky got along so well and played all the time. They were buddies....actually, sisters in their own little world. After my son took them home from my home on September 21st, they did get another trip to Florida. Scooter had a lot of miles on her! But she had her last ride yesterday and received that final injection at 4:20pm. This leaves us all with a heavy spot in our hearts, but we know that she is now all well and waiting and watching for her master so they can someday cross Rainbow Bridge together.
Below is what my vet gives to his clients when they lose a pet....
When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food and water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt and maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing: they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. Her bright eyes are intent; her eager body begins to quiver. Suddenly she begins to break away from the group, flying over the green grass, her legs carrying her faster and faster to you. YOU have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge......together, never again to be separated.'
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Some Good News plus a Fun Tag
Some good news! Punky's tumor is shrinking and is almost gone! She is back to eating on her own and seems to be enjoying life once again. We are hoping for another 4 months with her before she has to be put to sleep. The cancer will return, and when that happens again, we will say our goodbyes to her. She's been a tough little trooper! Her 'Pops' will be coming to get her and 'Scooter' the end of this week. Then they will be off to Florida again!
'Scooter' is doing better, too! She is eating much better and loves to walk around the house. She is weak yet, but now that she is eating much better, it's just a matter of time before she can really get around. We love them so much, so this is really good news to us!!!
Also, some other good news! I heard on TV weather this evening that we are in for some below normal temperatures! We will welcome them, that's for certain!!! The mornings are cooler now, but then it heats up during the day. We still have the humidity, so the AC is still running. I, myself, am waiting for those cool nights for better sleeping!
Also, I was tagged by Pam, and I just noticed that I have not done it yet. Sorry about that, Pam.....but here goes!
1. What were you doing ten years ago:
Well, I was just 8 days away from my final divorce court date . At that time, I was working at a large hotel as Administrative Office Manager, a job I thoroughly loved, until the place was sold! I had purchased a new 40-foot Fifth Wheel RV (complete with washer and dryer and dishwasher) and was living in it at a local campground in this area. I loved it, and had bought it with the thought that I would never have to pack up everything if I should ever decide to move again. Crazy, huh? But it was very roomy and had all the conveniences of a house. It had triple slides, and the living room opened to 15 feet wide, so I was quite comfortable in it. That Fall and Winter, I lived next door to Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus! No, I haven't lost it! I really did live next door to them! They were on contract at our local mall for the holiday season. I only lived in it about 7 months when we had a horrible ice storm, and my big awning came down, trapping me inside until the fire department got me out at 4am! Of course, I didn't leave, but at least I could get my door open once they removed the awning and my screen room. That was enough of RV living for me! 10 days later, I had moved back into the new apartment complex where I had previously lived. Then I bought a townhome in a new community, where I am today! I still have the RV...it is parked near Orlando, FL at this time.
2. Five things on my to do list for today: (or I should say tomorrow since it is too late to do much today now!)
1. Go to my daughter's home again to check on Buster and feed him. He had his 4th round of chemo this past Monday. He's on an appetite stimulant for 5 days, and he is hungry all the time!
2. Go to Hobby Lobby for fabric for some Christmas projects.
3. Make pizza crusts.
4. Clean house and work on my jobs
5. And naturally, care for my cats!
3. What is your favorite snack?
I really don't snack. If I did, it would probably be Ritz crackers and sharp cheddar cheese and a diet wild cherry pepsi OR maybe a yogurt.
4. If I were a millionaire, I would:
1. Donate money to help with the pet overpopulation and build catteries to save more cats. Dogs get priority at our shelter here, and the cats don't have much of a chance, especially the feral cats. They aren't even given the chance for adoption...they are put to sleep right away. I do understand that there aren't enough people to foster them and tame them, but they DO tame. I have tamed a LOT of them. Sick dogs receive medical care, whereas sick cats are just euthanized right away.
2. Give money and food to the poor.
3. Buy clothes for poor children so they feel equal to the other kids.
4. Make sure every child in our area has a wonderful Christmas.
5. Make sure everyone in our area is warm in winter and cool in summer!
5. Places I have lived:
1. Buffalo, NY
2. Costello, PA
3. Port Allegany, PA
4. Laurens, SC
5. Muncie, IN
6. Spartanburg, SC
7. Moore, SC
6. Five people I'm tagging:
1. Michelle
2. Shannon
3. Diane @ Diane's Place
4. Jessica
5. Sammy
There you have it! Have a great week!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Saturday Surprise!
George and Edy now
After they retired, George and Edy spent their winters in Florida and would always stop and spend some days with us on their way back north. George liked to walk alot, so Edy and I would head to the movies or go shopping. I have truly missed the fun times with this wonderful couple.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Happy Birthday, Dad!
He was born to Mary Agusta and Ephrem Robinson. His father left to find work logging when my dad was just 5 years old and never returned home. He died in Tupper Lake, NY and was buried there. We have no pictures of him at all. Below are a couple of pictures of Dad's mother.
My dad's mother, my Grandma Gustie
My dad's mother, my Grandma Gustie
Grandma had just the 2 sons, Milford and Maynard, who was my dad. She had quite a time trying to raise them on her own. She moved around and did housekeeping and finally an older gentleman by the name of Art Robbins took her and her sons in and gave them a home. In return, Grandma cooked and kept house for him. Art lived to the ripe old age of 93. In later years, Art became an invalid and unable to live alone, so my dad moved him into town and let him live in one of his rental cabins across from our hotel. My parents looked out for him right up until his death. My dad told me one time that Art had been like a father to him and his brother and was the only father figure he could ever remember. Art read the Bible all the time and said it was the best book he'd ever read. Without him, I don't know how Grandma could have ever fed and clothed those little boys and kept a roof over their heads. People were poor back in those days, and neighbors were always there to help one another. My dad grew up loving this wonderful old man just as if he had been his biological father.
Art Robbins
Below is a picture of my dad with his brother, Milford, and paternal grandmother. Dad is the smaller one of the two with the big grin on his face.
Milford, Grandma, Maynard (my dad)
Below is a picture of his maternal grandmother....
Grandma Graham
And below is my dad's uncle, his mother's brother. His name was George William Graham, and we called him Uncle Will. He was a deaf mute from the age of 5 when he fell off a bridge and broke both eardrums and damaged his voicebox. He attended special school in Philadelphia for the deaf where he learned to read and write and all the other things than normal children were taught in school. Dad also took care of him as he grew old. Uncle Will used to work in the stone quarries for my dad, so he had a steady income. He could work circles around the younger guys! He taught me sign language when I was a child and taught my little girl the hand alphabet and how to spell words with her hands when she was only 3 years old. He was always there for my dad and his brother, too, while they were growing up. Uncle Will was a sweet old man. He never married.
Uncle Will
This is a picture of Dad when he was a young lad in school....
Dad finished 8th grade only and later went on to work in the CCC Camp. I can't recall now what the letters stand for, but it was some kind of Conservation Corp. He said it made a man out of him in a hurry, as they worked hard there. Below is a picture of the CCC Camp. Looks mightly cold to me in the wintertime. They lived in barracks much like our servicemen, I guess. He used to tell stories about the mess hall, too.
Then later, he met my mother and they fell in love...
Young Sweethearts
They moved to Buffalo where they both worked for Curtiss Wright during the war, building airplanes in a factory. After the war, Dad decided to buy a business as he always said you never get ahead when you work for someone else. He wanted to be his own boss. So they bought the old hotel. They got their state liquor license and also started a restaurant. There were 2 gas pumps in front, too, plus a little country store inside the hotel. They also started boarding fishermen and hunters. Pic below:
Here is a picture of my dad taken for the first state liquor license. I think he grew up to be a good looking guy!
My dad had been married before and had 4 children by that marriage. Then he had my brother and me by my mom. He was the father of 6 children. I believe the only time all 6 of us had ever been in a room all at one time was at his funeral. I have a picture of the 6 of us that day but can't put my hands on it at the moment, wouldn't you know?!!!
Dad was a likable guy. He got his nickname from talking all the time. "Windy" was his nickname. He and Mom would receive mail with just Windy and Squeek on it and then the name of the town where we lived. Everyone knew them! He had the personality for running a bar and hotel. He loved it! It was hard work and long hours. Sundays were spent cleaning, mopping, and waxing those big floors. There was a shuffleboard room with tables set up in there for customers, too.
An afternoon with some friends.
L-R: ???, Roy Logue, ???, Ross Spear, Wormy Wolfanger, Dad
If anyone back home knows who the other 2 guys are, please let me know so I can add their names.
Below is a pic of a New Year's Eve celebration they held. They were young and having fun while making a living, too!
One day, Dad decided that he wanted to quarry stone out of the mountains. Mom went to work in a factory, and Grandma Jenny moved in to take care of us kids, and Dad went climbing the hills looking for stone. He had to uncover several mountaintops before actually finding a good quarry. It was quite costly to pay a bulldozing bill and then discover that the stone wasn't any good. If he found a good quarry, it could last a long time. They would work it til the stone was gone. Then on to open a new quarry. During the cold winters, the stone layers would be covered with hay or straw, then the dozer would push dirt over it, and the quarry would be closed until Spring.
The first 3 pics below show custom cut stone for patios and sidewalks. It is a true art to cut a big piece without breaking it down the middle or a corner snapping off. The rattlesnakes lived in these mountains, and they had to watch their step every minute! The snakes loved that warm stone to sun themselves on. The guys would kill one every now and then. My dad was a hard worker...he worked right alongside his men every day in the heat.
I remember when I was just out of second grade for the summer, my mom was working in a factory, so I had to go with my dad to the quarry every day. Grandma Jenny had her hands full without having to keep track of me every day. My brother was almost 4 years older so he could take care of himself pretty much. It was a good hour's drive one way. The days were hot and dusty, but lunchtime was always fun with my dad, and the workers would always have candy bars, cookies, and lollipops for me, too. I loved being with my dad.
The pic above shows the forklift needed to load the pallets of veneer stone onto the truck.
This pic shows the pallets of veneer stone strapped onto pallets, ready to be loaded and delivered to customers. He sold stone in the eastern states and also in Canada. He would make some of the trips himself, leaving at 3:30am and not getting home til close to midnight that night. Sometimes I would ride along with him, and sometimes Dutchess, our boxer dog, would ride with him. She absolutely LOVED my dad!!!! He was an animal lover, as was his mother, so you can see where I get my love for animals.
Here's another pic of Dad with Dutchess. Prior to coming to live with us, she had had a bad life, living on a 3-foot chain in a cold garage in PA, with not even a rug to lay on. The night we went to see her, it took my dad just long enough to get the words out of his mouth that yes, he would take her! She had a good life after that, a real cushy life! She had a real people bed to sleep in! She and Dad had such a bond.
This is the home Dad had custom built, using his own veneer stone. This was a blue-green colored stone. Once the stone is washed, this is what it looks like.
With the quarries closed for the winter, that was when we'd get our vacation. We'd head to Florida every year on December 20th, just as soon as hunting season was over and the hotel was all cleaned. One year they even put us kids in school there. It was fun having Christmas early at home and then having it all over again in Florida every year. Below is a pic of Mom and Dad together in 1958 in Florida...Dad looked sharp in his shades! They certainly earned this vacation every winter!
I have always said my dad was a saint. Anyone who could put up with this crew and take them on vacation HAD to be a saint! Notice my brother sticking his tongue out. LOL Yep, my dad was a saint, for sure!!!
Mom, Grandma Jenny, Jake and me
Coudersport Consistory, Coudersport, PA
When we had to relocate to South Carolina in 1984 and leave our parents behind, it was just heartbreaking. My folks came to SC every winter, sometimes staying for 3 months with us. The day they had to head back North was heartbreaking, as well, for all of us.
Mom and Dad ready to leave for home
I do believe this is my favorite picture of my folks together. It was given to me by my sister-in-law.
And this is my dad's final resting place. He'd be here in SC next to Mom, but the quote I was given was $15,000 plus another $8,000 for the mausoleum. Mom said she wanted to stay here and said it really didn't matter where they were buried, as their souls would be together and that the body is nothing more than a shell. Her words. He is there close to his mother and Uncle Will. There is a bulldozer engraved in the middle of the stone as Dad had his own and loved it, and also the masonic emblem is engraved on it, too.
This post has taken me hours to do, as it is now 5pm, and I started around 11am this morning. With tears flowing, I want to wish you a Happy Birthday, Dad! I miss you, and I love you so much!!! Rest in peace until we meet again.