Manassas

This was taken at the Manassas battlefield in the mid '60's when brother Don and his family came back to Virginia to visit. MaryBeth was a little girl with red shoes. I doubt that Jon had any thoughts that he would be participating in the 150th anniversary of the Battle at Manassas as he will be doing this weekend. It was the first major battle of the Civil War and many expected it to be a skirmish that would end the hostilities. Over 1,000 spectators went out from Washington, D. C. just to watch and were caught up in the retreat of the Union Soldiers. I have advised Jon to use caution in his reenactment activities since the weather is to be very hot. He doesn't have to be out in the heat "like a stonewall" as General Jackson of the Confederate Army was described. 

Well Above Average

Carolyn was proud of her new winter coat with a fur collar. On Thanksgiving morning 1964 we went to church and when we got home had a phone call from Dale that Aunt Dixie had died in her sleep the night before. Elaine and Jon caught the United 6:20 flight out of Friendship airport for Omaha. Elaine already had the turkey fixed in a paper bag which the other 3 kids and I enjoyed. Tim had basketball practice the next day and Carolyn spent time with Michelle while Iwas at work. On Saturday I took Carolyn to the Korvette store where she got a white wool sweater and I left 2 tires to be recapped. Elaine called that evening and said it was a nice funeral service for Dixie. I took the 3 kids and went to early church on Sunday where Carolyn was given a gold cross for being able to recite all 39 books of the Old Testament. For some reason, we just took it for granted that all of our Kids would be well above average.

5 on a par 4 isn't bad

You will  recognize that this picture was taken last fall and not this morning by the way we are dressed. But, would you believe that the same 5 of us had a 7:40 tee time this  morning which is the first time this year that the 5 of us have played together. Dale is teeing off on #4 at the Seward Country Club. Charlie and Eldy are waiting to hit, Ken is sitting in his cart and I took the picture. It was well that we played early today because the temperature hit 100 degrees with the heat index in the 110 range. There are very few ideal golfing days in Nebraska so that's just another one of the hazards. 

Two Boys and a Snow Horse

With the weather as hot as it has been, it seemed appropriate to put on a "cool" picture. This was taken up at our little house when Verlon was about 18 months old. We had a very heavy, wet snow and I built a framework of Orange crate and lath on which to pack the snow. I don't believe the snowhorse  lasted very long after pictures were taken but Verlon enjoyed the ride. Our neighbor, whose house is shown in the background lived alone and would demonstrate to the kids that though he was in his 70's, he could still stand on his head. 

Kid on the Keys

There is a lot more going on “behind the scenes” than what shows in this picture. Carolyn was about 16 months old and we were staying out at the grandparents house for a few days after Mother and a new baby (Jon) came home from the hospital. Her sense of humor and a bit of devilment shows through by her facial expression. She delighted in standing on the piano bench and setting down on the keys. She caught on quickly that the harder she sat down, the louder “music” she could make. For some reason she favored the keys at the lower end on the scale. What do you suppose the box of corn starch setting on the piano near the baby basket was used for??

Who are we to Judge

Elaine's Dad, Albert could not only turn the cream separator like no one else, and operate a thrashing machine, but he also excelled with other machines. Here he is cutting down a tree with a circular saw blade mounted on his Ford tractor. The blade could also be turned to cut vertically as well as horizontally as shown.

It never really worked as well as advertised but Albert never admitted it. The concept was the forerunner of saws that now also have an arm to hold the tree or log in place while being sawed. After he retired from the farm he operated this Motor Grader for the county maintaining roads. He liked his machinery and was an excellent operator. Perhaps his greatest virtue though fit in with our morning's scripture reading, Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43. While he openly expressed his opinion on machines, and reluctantly on policy issues, I don't recall him ever making disparaging remarks about individuals. He left those judgements to a higher level.

Just about Three

A little girl thats just about 3-years old can look and act pretty much like a lady when she is going with her Mother to a Bridal shower. Even when the shower is at the "B" town hall in Bee, Nebraska. It was for one of her favorite aunts and aunt Vivian is holding the door open for Mother and daughter.

But even dignified little girls don't have to be lady-like all of the time. After all, what is one to do if you don't like the old neighborhood cat setting on your front porch. Even at almost 3, you know better than to try to shoo it away with your hands, so the only reasonable thing to do is kick at it. (I wonder if a loving Mother was involved with the fancy shoe stringing and a matching green hair ribbon.)