church parking lot

When I was growing up our family attended a little country church two large country blocks down the road.

I wonder why they took this photo?

It could be because this is likely how the cars were parked every single Sunday.

Our car was either 1st or 2nd on the parking lot.

My mother was punctual.
I expect I inherited this from her.

It is the turquoise  '56 Chevy.

The other family...the Poetkers were either 1st or 2nd on the parking lot.

Their car is the white Ford Falcon.

I can't remember who owned the maroon...navy or green car.

They did not have a girl my age..

so it probably didn't matter.

I loved that little church.

I was baptized there as a teenager.

I was a candle lighter for two weddings in that church.

My girl friends and I raced around the church when we waited for our parents.

We picked little bits of boxwood off of the perfect square bushes.

We ate downstairs now and then and loved the aroma of pickles and coffee and fresh buns.

On occasion I would go home with Nancy or Shirley or they would come home with me...

and return for the evening service to go home with our parents.

I sang in the choir and learned to sing in harmony.

I watched the clock for both hands to point straight up...

so we could go.

I think of my Sunday School teachers through the years.

I remember...

Mrs. Wiebe, Mrs. Haak, Mrs Teichrob, Mrs. Peters, Mrs. Froese...

ladies that  loved Jesus and taught from the word of God.

They might wonder if any of it made an impact.

It did.

all for now..

throat drops

Have you ever bought something for old times sake?
I don't even have  a cough but when I spotted this package recently at the drug store...
I couldn't resist the soothing wild cherry throat drop from my childhood.

My parents rarely could afford to buy sweets of any kind but when a throat hurt they regularly called on the Smith Brothers to ease the discomfort.

I remember one late afternoon when I had been sent to bed with a fever.
My mom called my Dad at his work place....
asking for Throat Drops and the prescription from the Drug Store be picked up on his way home.
While I lay deep under the covers...
I learned the art of making those sweet throat drops last for hours.


Somethings are medicinal purely from a comfort stand point.
Don't you think?

family supper

Just as I think I'm fresh out of memory posts...

I find another photo to that takes me back to my childhood.

I think I must have been about five.

My oldest brother Ken at the top left corner looking at the camera married when I was seven...

so that is my scale to find a date.

I don't remember how my second oldest brother was given the opposite end of the table as my father....

but perhaps it was because he most certainly had the biggest muscles and never complained about food.

Look at the large photo above the china cabinet.

It is of my oldest two brothers...

Sweet boys that my mother was surely proud of.

Notice the photo beside that..

the smaller one.

That one is of the next two  sons that came before me.

Look at me...  (sounds rather narcissistic doesn't it?)

am I wearing an apron?

Go figure.

I'm sitting in a high chair with the table part swung back so that I could sit at the table.

Everyone of us sat in that high chair and when I had our own children...

they had their turns sitting there as well.

Beside me is the middle child...

my brother Bob.

He appears to be concerned with the amount of scalloped potato casserole being removed from the roasting pan.

He didn't have to worry.

Look across the table at my brother Gerry.

Look at his plate.

It seemed he didn't appreciate the meal...

and I think...

that was the reason for the composition.

(learning the importance of that in my photography reading).

What amazes me is how much more I see in the photo.

I see a mother...

exhausted.

I see home made bread...

to round out the meal.

I see stained melmac cups that had not seen a soak of bleach in some time.

I see a jar of Postum...(roasted barley beverage)

 remembering my mother never did drink coffee.

I see a jar of instant coffee...

which my dad drank with his supper meal..

every day.

I see it is winter..

because it is dark...

and there is plastic on the outside of the windows to keep the cold out.

I'm seeing that it was my job to set the table...

and I didn't do a very neat job.

I see a family that ate supper together...

every night.

It is February..

I'm off to find the pussy willows.

all for now..

Judy and Marg's party

Yesterday...

we took a day to celebrate Judy and Marg's Big Birthday.

Ellen came from across the line as far as my house...

and together Ellen, Anneliese and I  travelled to Harrison Hot Springs.

(Ellen and Kathy in photo)

When we arrived at the Copper Room..

there was a table set and the birthday girls clearly had arrived before us.

Look at those  little aprons.

We knew where our spot was...

if we knew the color combination of our apron.

 These girls...

know how to have fun...

and they know how to make us have fun too.

I tell you...

there were cameras pointing in every direction.

If one person takes a picture...

all of us do...

and it is hard to know where to look.

You would think we would have that part organized by now.

We missed the prairie girls...

and mentioned that more than once.

(Marg, Ellen, Kathy)

There were presents.

(Judy, Bev, Julie, Anneliese)

Who doesn't want to sit beside the birthday girl.

Judy...and Bev.

There is nothing sweeter than the perfect gift...

for the birthday girl.

If you know Marg...

you know she has cute shoes.

We talked our waiter into taking a picture.

Or eight.

I found a fascinator a few weeks ago and bought it for Ellen.

She is a mother of the bride.

I told her she doesn't have to wear it to the wedding...:)

After our lunch....

we went and put on our swim suits.

I am not sure if it was symbolic on purpose or not...

but we did not let go of each others towels...

and kept the lineup unbroken.

Once at the pools...

our fitness instructor pointed us in the direction of the pool...

and we did our fair share of laps....

bobbed in the hot pools.

Marg and Judy...

did not dissapoint us and provided us with a few more giggles.

Julie...

offered to sacrifice pool time for the job of photographer. 

After a few hours of relaxing in the mineral pools...

we had cake....

....and coffee.

Those girls ...

sure know how to throw a wonderful party...

and I was so happy they invited me.

all for now..