Camp Neotez

Tonight Steve & I are going to the Neotez Dinner. I never went there as a camper (unless you count the family weekends) but I spent some time down there as a cook, counselor, and even a nurse one day. Camp Neotez is a great place to take pictues - everyone is relaxed and the scenery is great - and I have oodles of favorite pictures. I have tried to pick a few of my favorites of my kids - I have lots others to share later.
That's:
Jenny & Rachel.
Hannah, Sarah, Jennifer, & Becky
Stevie & Greg

End of March Birthdays

When I saw this bottom picture I thought how appropriate since Thursday is Edward & Paul's birthday. It's funny but I remember those two had fun being silly together at those old family get-togethers. Happy Birthday guys and a belated happy birthday to Robbie - who as a child refused to speak until he was ready and now speaks so fast I can't keep up with him.

Aunt Maude & Uncle Willard

I was thumbing through the weekend paper and I saw this article about unusual jobs. One of them was this mermaid at Florida's Weeki Wachee Springs - and I remembered I've seen that show - Aunt Maude & Uncle Willard took me there. The other picture is me and their son (my cousin) Bill Kendall. I remember Aunt Maude & Uncle Willard taking me on 3 trips - 2 to Florida and 1 to Michigan. I never really knew why I was the lucky one - was I just the right age at the right time or was I such a headache for mama that they offered to take me off her hands for a while? Either way, those trips were great fun for me and I've never forgotten them. In Florida we enjoyed a lot of time on the beach and they taught me how to play shuffleboard. I remember Uncle Willard introduced me to shrimp cocktail at this cafeteria we went to almost everyday. I think they let me get away with eating the shrimp and watermelon the whole trip. We usually stayed in St. Petersburg Beach but they did take me down to Miami once where we met up with Bill and his wife, Lorriane. I remember them taking me to see the Fountain Bleu Hotel in Miami because that was in a current James Bond movie.
I always enjoyed spending time with them and I don't ever remember them scolding me - not even when U. Willard & I broke a lamp in the motel room playing with a beachball. When they retired they moved out of St. Louis so my kids never really got to know them well before they died - but they were one of those dear sweet natured couples who loved to laugh and have a good time - and they loved kids. Memories of them always give me a quiet peaceful feeling.

Kitchen Remodeling

We are getting ready to do some kitchen remodeling - new granite countertops, new sink, and we already have the new lights - plus a bunch of holes in the walls where they needed to be wired. I was trying to remember back to our first kitchen on Friar Tuck when I found these pictures that give you an idea - everything was avacado green! Does it look like the 70's? Oh Yeah! - even Steve's outfit and my hair. On the other side of the kitchen we have Terri Ann, Sherri, and myself in the back row. Mama, Nancy, & Millie at the table. It really wasn't a bad kitchen even though it was small - at least I had a window by my sink back then. Oh well - I don't spend that much time at the sink anymore anyway.

High School Jobs

Steve & I don't go to Kentucky Fried Chicken very often but last night he had a hankering for some. As I was sitting there eating my meal I couldn't help but notice the kids who work there clowning around in the back and it reminded me that Sherri & Edward both use to work for KFC. Then I got to thinking about my first jobs - except for babysitting - I started working at 16 at Miss Hullings Cafeteria. I only worked there about a year and a half - but I had a lot of experiences there. In fact, I may have to do a series of blogs just on Miss Hullings. I started out at 75 cents an hour as a bus girl (cleaning tables), then I graduated to counter work and finally I worked as a cashier. When I quit I was up to $1.25 an hour. The next job I went to was a cashier for Bettendorf (now Schnucks) where I started out at $3.25 an hour - big jump. I know a lot of kids these days don't get those after-school and summer jobs because of all the other activities they have going on in their lives - but in a way it's kinda sad because they are missing out on a big learning experience. Not learing a skill usually - but learning how to deal with people. You have bosses to cope with, co-workers to have fun with, and customers to teach you the fine art of being patient and diplomatic (or tactful) in any number of difficult situations. Most kids didn't start working until they were 16 but I did know some guys who started out as newspaper boys when they were in about 7th grade. When I would leave high school to go catch a city bus for downtown I was with a lot of other kids who were doing the same thing. There were any number of jobs to be had - I had 2 friends (Pam & Janet) who worked at a candy store down the street from Miss Hullings. They learned how to wrap those boxes of candy without using scotch tape. I thought it might be kinda interesting to hear from some of you about other non-career jobs some of you might have had growing up so when I see some kid trying to get a job done I can smile and remember we were all there once.

Oklahoma Christian

Last night we kept a couple of girls from the OCU choir group and it made me start thinking about my one year (8 months to be exact) at the college. I don't know if they still do, but they worked on a trimester schedule then so we got out of school in April.
The pictures above are from way back then - I'm sure things have changed. Notice in the campus picture how the trees are all leaning - it was a VERY rare day that the wind wasn't constantly blowing there. You use to see all these girls with their 60's puffy hairdos and a thin headscarf wrapped around their entire head - I just let mine get blown around. I threw in the picture of me so you could have a good laugh at the 'fashion' of the time. I was actually just on campus for a visit (I visited at the beginning of the year for 2 years after I had left). The other two pictures are the kids I hung around with. The pj girls were my dorm friends - Claudia (1st from the left) also lived in St. Louis and we stayed in touch for awhile - she was actually a bridesmaid in my wedding. The other girls are Kris, Di, Glenda, & Sue. The picture of the boy & girls is Rex, Deb, & Donna (also called Duck for some reason) - they were my study carrol friends. (We were assigned certain study carrols for a place to study - yeah right!) The three of them were real tight and Rex & Deb got married - they were neat kids - wish I knew where they were now.
I only stayed there for one year because that's all I could afford. My parents grew up when it was a great accomplishment to stay in school through high school -which they both did. I guess maybe the depression had something to do with most of their peers dropping out early. When my older sister graduated high school it was common for a girl to get married or get a job - but between her and I there was the revolution of the 60's - and even though I was female I wanted to go to college. However, daddy didn't see it my way so I was on my own and I had never even heard of school loans.
I also can't help thinking about the dress code differences. You'll notice Deb & Donna are wearing dresses - anywhere on campus outside of the dorm a dress no shorter than an inch above the knee (Deb's is a little short there) was required except for gym class. The big problem was that this was the 60's and the hemlines were SHORT! Mom had to make a lot of my dresses cause it was near impossible to find a suitable length off the rack.
Oklahoma Christian was an experience for me that I'll never forget and I'm really glad I had - I only wish I had done a better job of keeping in touch with the people there -at least I will get to see them in heaven someday.

Happy Birthday to ME

I'm not sure it's such a good idea to blog about my birthday - but then again, why not?
I was born on March 14, 1951 - that was a loooong time ago! Mama always told me that there was a terrible ice storm the night they went to the hospital to deliver me - so when people start saying that spring is here - I always figure we have to get past March 14 to be sure. I don't really remember birthdays being that big a deal except mama would make your choice for dinner and dessert - mine was always banana pudding! There were very few kids that had parties back then so it was mostly just a simple family thing. At least until I got older and did a little celebrating sometimes with friends. This picture is from my 16th birthday - my first surprise party. We all know about my other surprise party (# 40) - and that everyone thinks I was angry. Although that is not really true - the whole truth is too complicated to explain - so think whatever you wish but I do wish I could quit hearing about it. My 16th birthday was lots of fun though and a real surprise. Cathy Lewis (now Cathy Topp) threw the party for me and I still have the charm bracelet I received from one of my friends.
Now I celebrate my birthday with my hubby & kids. This year Nate & I celebrated ours together - and we went out to dinner and had dessert (Becky's yum yum banana pudding!) The kids that don't leave town (Jen, Karl, Stevie, & Jessie) on my birthday (just teasing Becky & Nate) - decided I should have something on my actual birthday so we are doing dinner again - plus Miss Sue is going out to breakfast with me - sounds like a great birthday to me. Hope everyone else has a great day too!!

Two Birthday Boys

March 12 is the birthday of my nephew, David McCoy (often still fondly referred to as Baby David) and my son-in-law, Nate Kelley.
Hard to believe that David is old enough to be getting married this June - you'll have to bring Lindsey down to Reelfoot for the next family reunion so she can fish off the dock. (ha ha)
Nate and Becky have been married for over 3 years now and he has always tried to be good natured about Becky's "take our picture" moments - but as you can see, sometimes they both just like to ham it up a bit.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATE AND DAVID!! - hope it's a great day for you both!

Happy Birthday Big Brother

Tuesday, March 7, is my big (and older) brother's birthday. Joe is 7 years older than me so that should make him about 32 - right? These pictures are of course of Joe - (except I'm the little girl). The house is a picture of the house in Ridgley that he was born in - but it had been torn down the last time we went to the family reunion. I love the rare visits we get from Joe & Sandi and they always make for fun memories but I have a few memories of Joe that helped make me what I am today. I'm sure I must have been a real nuisance for an older brother - but except for the time I gave him and Nancy the mumps - I really don't remember him ever getting angry with me.
However, I do remember all the teasing he could dish out. When I was very young he was the one that was always trying to sit on my friend Roy (he was imaginary - but still!) or else he'd lock him outside and not let him in. I have a vivid memory of Joe laughing at me while I'm trying to open the back door he's holding closed. As I got older I can remember him walking in the door and just saying things like, "you look like you've been hit with the ugly stick." One of his favorite ways to antagonize me was to grab the phone when he knew I was waiting for a call and say, "City Morgue. You stab 'em - we slab 'em." Of course my caller would just hang up. I also remember a time when Jimmy and I were dying easter eggs and somehow when we weren't paying attention, Joe managed to write goofy things in white crayon on the eggs which showed up only after they were colored.
But for all his teasing, I always knew he really loved me. It's kinds like that old saying, "It's ok for me to tease her cause she's my sister, but you better not mess with her." I remember Joe was the one that scooped me up off the sidewalk when I split my head open and he was the one that chased those big mean birds out of my room. I have always known he's there for me even if it was only in thought. So what contribution has Joe made to my personality? He's given me the gift of how to laugh at myself and not take myself or anybody else too seriously . Tease me all you want -you might be able to make me blush but you will have a tough time making me mad -I've been trained by the best.

Joe, you're a wonderful big brother and I love you very much and I hope you have a FANTASTIC HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

The Well

I don't really know what it is about the well - but it's special. Maybe because most people in South St. Louis ( or any city) didn't have a well. Maybe because we would change the inside and outside of the house with paint, new furniture, new siding, new garage, different plants in the yard, etc., etc. - but the well was a constant. It was always just there. It was often a backdrop in our backyard pictures and we always talked about the well as if it was our own possession - I almost felt like we had deserted it when we left. This picture is me and my three favorite siblings in 1996 after we had emptied momma & daddy's house of all possessions and was getting it ready to sell. I don't know if the well was ever not filled in with dirt since we owned the house but that's how I always remember it. It was a good place to hide Easter eggs (just ask Sherri), momma grew rose moss in it a few years and it did great there, and as I already said, it was THE "picture" spot. There is one story about the well that I must tell. Steve is probably one of the most "city" people I have ever known - and even though I always lived in the city, I had enough 'country' family background that when we first started dating he thought I (or we) were probably slightly 'backwards'? I'm not sure if that is the right word - but Jimmy and I were able to convince him (very easily, I might add) that we kept a horse in our back yard. He knew we had a well and I guess he just thought 'why not a horse too?' We only mentioned it now and then and he never questioned that we might really have a horse. (I'm not sure why he never asked to see it - maybe he was always there at night). We didn't really lead him on too long but I blew it one day when I said something about our milk and - our cow. He asked about the cow - and I told him we kept it tied up - at the well- next to the horse. I couldn't help laughing at the look on his face and that he would actually believe all this and that's when he knew we had been messing with him. At lease the well was real! But I do miss the well - it's like a long lost friend.

Mama

Laverne Elizabeth Cloud was born on February 23, 1919 to Emma (McBride) & John Franklin Cloud in Tiptonville, Tennessee. She was the 8th and last child. She had 3 brothers and 4 sisters: Bess, Ruth, Claude, William, Mazie, Carl & Maude Lou. She graduated from Tiptonville High School in 1937 in a class of 33 students. She was married that same year, December 31, 1937, to James David McCoy by a Justice of the Peace in Fulton County Kentucky.
The above pictures are her Senior high school picture and the other is Mama and me.
Since her birthdate is this week I thought I'd do a post in Mama's honor.

Things I remember most about mama:

• Drying dishes while she washed – the best time to share the events of our day.

• She loved to read – she told me once we had to go to a different library because she had read everything at our local one.

• Her little ‘sermons’ – you know, “If you can’t say something nice then don’t say anything at all.”, “always look for the good in someone”, and “there is no excuse for being unkind.”

• When she was going out (usually to church)- bright red lipstick and a light spray of Evening in Paris.

• Her flowers – a big peony bush in front of the old garage and the spirea (sp?) bush by the front porch swing.

• Biscuits or cornbread with every dinner.

• Your favorite dessert for your birthday – mine was always banana pudding.

• A basically quiet humble person who could swing a mean paddle or hairbrush if you got out of line.

• Floyd Cramer’s “Last Date” – she always requested that song when Steve would play.

• The letters she would write while I was in college – they sometimes took me a few days to decipher but she wrote every week.

• Hugging her grandkids

Mama died February 25, 1990 at the age of 71. Her last visit to my house (two days before) was when she and daddy had just come from seeing “Driving Miss Daisy” for her birthday.
As they were leaving she turned to say goodbye and I had a very "strange feeling” hit me that this was a real goodbye and it was indeed the last time I saw her alive. I remember an overwhelming amount of people at the funeral – even with her gentle, quiet, unassuming personality, she was loved by many. Any memories of your own?

Vacations with Daddy

As I was growing up most of our vacations consisted of trips to Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee - but there were a few other trips. I remember once going down somewhere on the gulf. That was when Jimmy got stung by a jelly fish and also my first visit to New Orleans - if you could call it a visit. Daddy drove through and said he couldn't find a place to park so we just kept going. I also remember going to the Smoky Mountains - that was when I convinced Jimmy that their hamburgers were really possum roadkill - he didn't think that was funny. These pictures are from a trip I don't really remember but I've heard stories about. I must have been around 2 or 3 years old so Jimmy wasn't around yet - but we went up to Michigan to see some of mom's sisters (Bess & Ruth) and their families. Mom and Nancy have both told me this story and there is only one slight difference in their versions. We got up early (as usual - daddy liked to be on the road by 4 or 5am to beat the traffic) and got as far as a tank of gas would take us - probably pretty close to Chicago. Mom noticed dad was taking a long time paying the bill and was in a deep conversation with the gas station owner. She jokingly said, "he probably forgot his wallet." Well, she was right. This was back in the time when it was cash only - there were no credit cards. Dad had left his wallet sitting on the dresser at home and he convinced the guy that he was honest and would return with the cash. This is where the story differs. Mom or Joe told me (jokingly, I think) that daddy offered to leave the baby (me) behind as collataral - Nancy says she thinks it was her (the oldest) that he offered to leave behind. Anyway, no one was left. Dad got back in the car, drove straight back to St. Louis (no stops), pulled up in front of the house (no one else even got out of the car), went in and picked up his wallet, got back in the car, refilled his tank at the local gas station and went straight back to the other station to pay his first bill and refill again. Like I said, I don't remember any of this but I'm sure it was a memorable trip for the others.

Happy Valentines Day

In the late summer of 1969 I was getting ready for my freshman year of college at Oklahoma Christian. A few weeks before I left for school I had a couple of dates with Steve Haupt. He was a really nice guy with Christian values and he asked for my address before I left. He wrote me often and even called a few times - which was a big deal back then. We didn't even have phones in our dorm rooms - there was one phone for the whole hall and whoever happened to pick it up would yell your name down the hall - so everyone knew when you had a phone call. When Valentines Day rolled around I got a really big surprise - a card, candy, and flowers - all from Steve.


Little did I know that 36 years later I'd still be getting cards & flowers from him. (I told him to skip the candy for obvious reasons). My roses are gorgeous and non-fattening!
Hope everyone has a great Happy Valentines Day !

Variety Show

Last night was a fun Variety Show - and of course Becky, Jenny, & Steve were the best ones! All through the show I kept having little flash backs from other shows from years gone by. These days the girls usually bring tears to my eyes with their beautiful voices and excellent choice of songs - and although they did that once in awhile when they were younger (Becky actually had her 2nd grade teacher boo-hooing once) they usually had fun singing and choreographing with their friends like Rachel & Hannah.
And with Stevie, except for one time when he sang Davy Crockett - he almost always liked to be silly. I think the funniest time was when he played chopsticks - just look at the grin on his face! Let's just say that Steve had a new piano he could program and Stevie did a great job pretending he was doing it all. I laughed so hard I cried - he hammed it up perfectly.
And Nate - you were an excellent counter top last night. Your props reminded me of another picture I had of Stevie & Becky.
You guys did great and Steve you pulled off another fantastic show - thanks for some more memories to add to my collection.

Kindergarten

This is Becky getting on the bus her first day of Kindergarten. Looks like she's smiling and happy to go, right? Guess again. About two seconds after this picture was snapped she turned around and got off the bus. I took her by the hand and walked her back on the bus and all the way to a seat. Before I reached the door she was right behind me. We repeated this scenario a few more times before I finally convinced her she was going to have fun and I'd see her in a few hours.
But truthfully, I think I got off easy compared to how I behaved my first few days of Kindergarten. I don't believe it was really all my fault. After all, mama was in the hospital getting ready to deliver little brother Jimmy. Back in those days they always kept you 7 - 10 days and she was probably there a little longer because of her high blood pressure. And big brother Joe had to go and be the brainy one. Not only had he gotten a double promotion but he had to attend a different school for the "advanced" children. (The only thing I remember about first grade is that my teacher told me, "You're certainly not as smart as your big brother.") Anyway, back to Kindergarten. I'm guessing that daddy was the one that walked me up the front steps and into the classroom that first day. I don't remember what happened or even if I stayed - but I do remember crying and causing a big scene. I remember daddy paying some neighborhood boy to walk me to school the next day but I think he quit after one time because he couldn't get me through the gate to the schoolyard. I remember escaping at recess a few times (we only lived down the block from school) and I even remember a male teacher trying to pull me back into the gate but finally giving in and letting me go. I don't know what good it would have done anyway, I would have just left again when he let me go. I'm not sure how long it took for me to accept my fate and stay at school. But since mama was in the hospital and daddy had to work, sister Nancy (who was probably a senior in high school) had to stay home from classes because they never knew when I might show up at home. When I was older mama told me that one day daddy came home and found me in front of the house on my bike when I should have been in school. He said, "Mama is really disappointed in you." And they said my reply was, "If you wouldn't tell her then she would never know." Yeah, even though Becky was the most hesitant of my kids about going to school, I was lucky I didn't really get what I deserved.

Guess Who's Two Today!!

When I was a young mom, I was always fascinated and loved how God made each of my children so unique in their personalities. They all have different stong points and things that you can appreciate about that particular child. Yet, each of them has at one time or another reminded me that they are part of the 'clan'. It may be a facial expression, a way of talking, the way they stand or walk or just how they respond to a particular situation - I'll see myself, Steve, or one of our siblings or parents in that moment. I continue to enjoy watching them develop their personalities as adults - and now the next generation is in full swing for our family.
God has blessed me with two wonderful years of watching Spencer develop his own personality - and it is just so neat. He loves animals and is a good hugger. He says 'Thank you' and understands being gentle - and he is a very picky eater. Spencer is truly his own little person but I often see glimpses of Karl, Jenny, or maybe his Uncle Stevie from time to time.
In Psalm 128:56 it says, "and may you live to see your children's children." I pray for that blessing for myself and yet I know that if God has other plans and I die tomorrow, Spencer and my future grandchildren will be just fine with the wonderful parents they will have.
Spencer, you are such a delight and I love you very much - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

A Child, An Old Man, & A Donkey

I know I've had Jessie & Stevie on my mind alot the last few days and last night when some friends were voicing their varied but very strong opinions about certain subjects, I found myself tuning out and reaching back -again- to an old fable mama told me once.
I remember very well when I was planning my own wedding. Just like I knew I would get a job at 16, and if I wanted to go to college I would have to pay for it - I knew the wedding would be mostly my expense. In return, my parents treated me as an adult and respected my wishes for the wedding plans. However, there were others who were not so agreeable. I remember the day I took mama to the grocery store and on the way home I started unloading all my little trivial problems on her. She just listened for awhile and then she told me two things - and one was this fable that I fall back on from time to time when I feel storms brewing. You have probably heard it or one very similar - I'm sure I've told it to my kids, but who knows if they ever really listen (ha ha) - I've also repeated it to others who have been discouraged by unkind comments - I figure it never hurts to hear it again now and then:
There once was an old man, a child, and a donkey setting out on a journey. The old man took the child and placed him on the donkey and they started out. As they approached the first town people came out to watch them and began making comments - "Why does the child get to ride and that poor old man has to walk." So the old man set the child down and he rode the donkey and they went on to the next town. Again, people came out to watch them and made comments - "Why does the old man get to ride and that poor child has to walk." So the old man pulled the child up on the donkey with him and they rode into the next town. Once again, the people came out and the comments were, "Look at that poor donkey - he has to carry both an old man and a child." So the old man and the child climbed down and they both walked with their donkey into the next town. The people there came out and laughed and pointed and said, "Look at that stupid old man and child, walking when one of them could ride the donkey."
Of course, the moral is that it's impossible to please everyone so instead of stressing yourself out trying to - just ride out the storm and make your own choice. It doesn't really answer any questions but it's helpful to me to sometimes just remember that. It's like another of my favorite quotes "Sometimes the Lord calms the storm; more often He lets the storm rage and calms the child."

Stevie Made His Move

Notice anything different on Jessie's finger?? Tomorrow is Jessie's birthday so we were taking her out for dinner tonight. But First - Stevie proposed to Jessie and she said YES. For a little added surprise, Stevie asked her parents, Tom & Beth Reynolds, to come from Decautur, IL to join in the festivities. We are so happy to have Jessie as part of the family and we very much enjoyed meeting her parents. Ah yes, the excitement is just beginning.

The Ones That Didn't Get Away

Every summer during my childhood we would make at least one visit to Tennessee. We went to Tiptonville and Ridgley where Mama and Daddy had grown up. Actually Nancy and Joe had lived there until 1949 or 1950. We had relatives still living there then and my parents knew a lot of people - some of them may still be there. (I know when Nancy and I go to the family reunion it's not unusual to run into someone who will mention they knew our parents or other relatives.) We always stayed at the same place out on the lake (Reelfoot Lake). It only had three or four cabins and then one large place where we always stayed that was like a small house. I remember our cabin had a couple of bedrooms and a kitchen. The "office" where the owner lived was probably some kind of tavern/dance hall and when I would get underfoot in the mornings daddy would take me outside so mama could get things done. We would first go and skip stones on the lake but we often ended up at the owner's place so he and daddy could discuss old friends and fishing. Daddy always let me have a chocolate soda as long as I promised not to tell mama. Only once - Daddy took me in a boat out on the lake to fish. I probably could have gone more often but I refused to bait my own hook or to remove the fish once I caught them. These pictures show the great catch I had that one time - Daddy didn't catch any fish because he spent all his time baiting my hook and unhooking the fish I kept catching. How do you like that one huge fish?? Actually if you look at the top left corner of the picture you'll see part of an arm - Joe was up to his tricks even way back then and I thought it was a pretty clever idea he had! You can see the cabin we stayed in - can't imagine any of my children agreeing to such a 'vacation' spot - but I always had a great time!

The One That Got Away

1982 - Jenny was 6 years old and never been fishing. Anyone who knows her father already knows why - camping, fishing, & hunting are not his thing. So while on a trip to Minnesota to see Uncle Joe, who happened to have fishing gear and a large pond behind his house, Jenny got her first (and probably last) taste of fishing. When I look at these pictures - I have to chuckle. I'm sure you see nothing funny here but you have to know Uncle Joe to see the humor. My big brother Joe has always been a tease and has a wonderful witty humor that can keep the family in stitches on those rare occassions when he and Sandi come for a visit - and this picture depicts one of his more subtle and unintentional jokes. He was quick to agree that Jenny should get to fish and I was a little nervous about her with a fish hook. Then when she started whipping the line around in the air (I assume she had seen that somewhere?) I was more than nervous that one of us was going to get 'hooked'. Joe kinda laughed and quietly said to me - "Don't worry, I took the hook off the line." That calmed me greatly and at one point when Jenny was sure she had a fish on her line, I smiled at Joe and said, " I guess I don't have to worry about what she would do if she actually caught a fish." Joe said nothing for a few minutes, and then with his quiet little chuckle he said very 'matter of factly', "No, you wouldn't have to worry about that anyway - there's no fish in this pond."