Life is like a Quilt

Grama Bagley enjoyed her life.  She was a happy person.  She loved simple things. 

 Clean sheets hanging on the clothes line, freshly baked bread, flowers in her garden, raspberries from her raspberry patch. 

 She always had a big quilt on in the living room of her old house.  

Her neighbors would stop by for a visit and stitch for a bit. 

 Their creations were wonderful..not always perfect, but that was the charm of quilting in those days.  It was about getting together with friends, making something with your own hands, and then giving it to someone you loved.  

Grama was something of an artist.  

She didn't paint or anything.  But she baked with an artistic hand, as well as those quilts that came out of her living room. 

 And oh..her garden.  It looked like a painting.  

Grama loved having her family around her and was always ready for a song.

  Her love of music, good food, and nature are ingrained in me, as well as her love of the gospel. 

How I admire the way she met her challenges and lived her life.  

I would  have loved my grama Adelila to be able to sit down with my two beautiful daughters.  Wouldn't Grama love to sit down with Abby in her quilting room?  She would marvel at her two huge long arm quilting machines!  

She wouldn't believe all the quilts Abby does for others.  

They would chat about fabrics, colors and designs.  How thrilled Grama would be in Abby's talent and work ethic. 

 Abby also inherited a great business head.  She's full of drive and persistence.  

She works so hard, but always puts her family first, which is what Grama always did. 

 Abby fills her heart with what's important and is done with the rest.   

Whitney reminds me of Grama in an artistic way. 

 Her love of nature and the way she sees beauty in all things.  

She moves with grace and is a natural mother. 

 When she teaches yoga, she transforms into a different person. 

 So self assured and in control of the situation she is in. 

When grama was instructing a cooking class she knew exactly what she was talking about and was very much the expert. 

 Just as Whitney is.  

Yet they have those mothering qualities that are so much the same.  

It is so interesting to me how these two girls could have so many things that remind me of their great grandmother, and yet they didn't know her at all.  

Whitney has a sentimental side to her that reminds me of Grama. 

 Here is a quote from Grama's journal describing how she fell when she was losing her home.

"I have become attached to this place.  I love the flowers, trees and shrubs we have struggled to raise from a veritable rock pile."  

Whitney would feel just this way.  I know.  

I am so grateful for my two girls.  For the kind of women they have become.  

I know there are many that have had a hand in teaching and influencing them.  But they are very much their own person.  

Lovely, kind, unselfish, talented, hardworking, so many attributes. 

 I know their grandmother would love to know them and be so proud, as would many others would.  

How blessed I am to have all of them in my life.

"Grandchildren, Sunshine to my Soul"

I was blessed with a heritage that continues to guide even as I grow older. 

 I am a grandmother now, and each day I think of my grandparents and the influence they had on me.  I loved being around them. 

 They taught me by their example.  

They were hard workers, they were funny, they were gardeners, they loved their families.  

They loved the gospel and taught me to love it too.

Nothing made my grandparents happier than when their grandchildren were around. 

We played in the orchard and among their flowers. 

 We sang and we were loved.  

We were taught values and what was right and wrong and why our pioneer ancestors came across the plains.

  We knew were we came from.

My parents continued that tradition. 

Showering great amounts of love onto their grandchildren. 

 They loved being with them.

 Showed them how to work how to play and enjoy life. 

 They too had strong testimonies that carried them through happy and sad times. 

 They would be proud of their posterity.

These are my darlings. 

 I try to be the grandmother like those who preceded me.  

It's a different world.  

Things happen so quickly. 

 I love these grandchildren so much and am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of their lives. 

 I hope I can influence them for good as my grandparents did. 

 The most important thing is to love them.  

That part I have down!!

"Grandchildren..Sunshine to my soul"

Stitching Through Time..Abby and Adelila

My grandmother, Ad's house always had a quilt set up in the living room.

 Often when I would go over she would be sitting around the quilt with her friends stitching and visiting. 

Sometimes we would sit underneath the quilt and listen to their laughter, their stories,  their voices. 

The stitching on those old quilts spoke of great talent, and also said a lot about the women who worked on them.  

 Sometimes my grandpa would even sit and stitch a little.   

I loved to wrap up in the warmth of those soft folds my grandma made for us with such loving hands.

I spend many of my days at my daughter, Abby's home.

  She has inherited this great talent.  The quilting bees are a thing of the past for her. 

 She has a giant computerized quilting machine in her basement, with stacks of fabric ready to be stitched together to form yet another beautiful quilt. 

 She has quilts sent to her from all over the country from people who want her to quilt them together. 

Her husband also helps with her quilting endeavors. 

 (whenever a computer is involved, he's there!)

Her boys play downstairs around her while she does her work.

(nothing changes)

Abby has even been in McCalls Quilting Magazine. 

 (Quilt on the bottom left..designed by Sarah Maxwell & Dolores Smith, Machine Quilted by Abby Latimer of Latimer Lane Quilting.)

As I wrap up in one of her exquisite creations, I am reminded of my dear Grandma Bagley. 

 How the two of them would have loved to sit around a quilt together and share ideas and their love of fabric and patterns.  

The thought warms my heart.

Thanksgiving

From the time I was small, I always loved Thanksgiving.  We spent our holiday at my grandmother's or in our home, where the table was set with lovely china and the aroma of turkey came from the kitchen. 

I loved setting the table, I loved the gleam of the silverware. I loved being with the family, having everyone sit down together.  I loved that my grandmothers and my mother, strived to make things nice for their families.  I especially am grateful for the way these people lived their lives.  They were all hardworking, loving people.  They loved their families and they loved the gospel.  They set an example for those that would follow. 

When our kids were little, we split our time between Jim's family and mine.  Each was equally nice.  I learned from Maude how to make Yams (the right way).  We were all having kids at the same time, so where ever we went for Thanksgiving it was crazy, with lots of noise, but lots of fun as the cousins grew up together.  I am grateful for parents and in-laws who loved us so.  Nothing made them happier than gathering their families together, and as I get older I understand the joy they felt when they got to have everybody together. 

As our children got older, I have had Thanksgiving in our home, most of the time.  We've done different things a few years, yet I still enjoy making the meal, setting the table and gathering everyone together.   

 

We are grateful to be having Thanksgiving with Ty and Melanie this year.  Just have to show up with a few dishes and enjoy the day.  Loving the day as always, remembering those that are gone, and enjoying those who surround me.
Happy Thanksgiving..Where ever you may be.

Being a Grandmother, Autumn Days, Grandkids

"I loved their home.  Everything smelled older, worn but safe; the food aroma had baked itself into the furniture." 

 

~Susan Strasberg

 

This is how I felt about my grandparents and their homes. 

 Both sets of grandparents lived close by and I visited them often. 

 I loved the feeling I had as I entered their home.  The homes were old and worn,

 but I felt safe and secure there. 

There were delicious smells and certain objects that stand out in my mind. 

 My Grandma Lundgren's old stove and her black phone in the hallway. 

I loved her big front yard with the roses that ran along the sides.

  Grandma Bagley's home had an old hand washing machine in the basement and a laundry shoot.  They had a huge garden and a fish pond. 

 

I am a different kind of grandmother.  I tend three of my grandchildren on a regular basis. 

 I sometimes worry that they will think of me as a babysitter rather than a grama,

 so I try hard to have fun, rather than discipline. 

 Plenty of hugs and loves, but I want them to learn from me as well. 

When we pick up Jake from school, Sam always points out the Temple, so whenever he sees it we start singing

"I love to see the Temple" 

 when he can't see it we stop..then when he sees it again, we start up again. 

 

Yesterday it was Veterans Day. 

 There were lots of flags waving as we drove along.  I explained to my young audience that their great grandfather had fought in a war to keep them free.

 Sam's reaction to this was

 "You've got to be kidding me!!!" 

 I said

"NO, I am not kidding!!!"  

 I told them, " That's why the flags were waving"

so, they started counting the flags. 

 

When we got home Mike had raked up a lovely pile of leaves..

he should have put them in bags and carted them away, because we had a lesson on how the leaves fall during the autumn..

 

Jake said, as he usually does 

"It's a beautiful fall day!"

 

And then the leaves got spread all over the yard!

 

Sam and Dylan love jumping in the leaves!!!

Wren came over..she wasn't so sure.

Jake likes the leaves,

 but would rather climb a tree.

 

 

So whatever kind of grandmother I am, my relationship with all of them is simple. 

 I don't know what they will remember about me, but I will remember days like these. 

The beauty of an autumn day.  Their smiling faces as they play and ask questions, and learn, their arms around my neck,

 and that I love them. 

Reflections..Grama B, Reunion with Uncle Mel

Grama Bagley loved the simple things in life. 

 She loved flowers, she loved baking and gardening, she loved music. 

 Most of all she loved her family. 

She loved summer when the Low and Bagley cousins came from out of town. 

 I think the reason we loved being together in her home was because we felt her love. 

We felt the security that comes from being together. 

 Grama didn't have much in the way of material things, she didn't give us much materially..but she gave us everything this world has to offer. 

She gave of herself.  She gave of her time, she gave us her love. 

 She passed on her many gifts, her sense of humor, her love of music, her love of quilting, her artistic abilities. 

 She had five amazing children and thirteen grandchildren who will always be grateful for the time and love she gave to us.

Dad and Uncle Mel got a lot of Grama's characteristics. 

 They loved music, they loved to get together and have a good party, laugh and joke.

  (I think the joking and teasing came from Grampa.) 

 When Uncle Mel, Aunt Barbara and their girls came to town we spent our days and nights at Grama's and Grampa's

Barbeques, singing and listening to Uncle Mel and Dad tell stories, laugh and try to one up each other.

  Again, it was that time spent with one another that cements a family together. 

 We may not see those cousins often.  Dad, mom, Aunt Barbara, Marie, Grama and Grampa are all gone now..but the memories will last. 

Uncle Mel invited us to Pinedale this past weekend. 

There were a lot of games, singing, fishing and good food. 

So much fun seeing our cousins and their children. 

 Uncle Mel, sitting in the midst of us all, was in charge, making sure we were participating, "who's marching the best?" he'd say 

 "sing that song one more time, a prize for the best singer." 

 said Uncle Mel

And of course, everybody marched and sang.  

 

Thank you  for the beautiful weekend.  For bringing our family together. 

 The world is so busy these days. 

 It is good to stop and realize that simple things like good food, singing, games,

spending time on a summer evening and being with family making memories is what it is all about.

 

Summer Evenings

 I talked to my Uncle Mel on the phone this afternoon. 

 I love it when he calls. 

It's as if my dad is calling..their voices are so similar. 

 We are looking forward to a family gathering in July. 

As I talked to him about his plans for the reunion my mind is flooded with memories of those summer days when I was young.

  I loved being at my grandma's house sitting in that screened  front porch when it was really hot outside. 

There was an enclosed back porch off the kitchen where she dried her fruit and had bushels of apples. 

Down the steep, old stairs and out the screen door and into the huge backyard you could run down into the orchard. 

 Grandma had beautiful flowers in her yard and Grandpa's corn and cherries were the best. 

 There was a big brick fireplace where we always barbequed and of course, the fishpond! 

 

Grandma and Grandpa enjoyed their lives. 

 They were happy people. 

 Grandma loved the simple things in life..clean sheets hanging on the clothes line,

 freshly baked bread, flowers in her garden, freshly picked raspberries,

 or birds singing in the trees. 

She loved having her family around her. 

 

As I sit in my garden on these hot summer evenings, 

I remember those days. 

 I remember my heritage,

 I remember how valiant my grandparents were..how they loved the gospel,

 how well they faced their challenges and lived their lives. 

 What an example they are to me. 

 By remembering them,

I am encouraged to live a better life.

Memorial Day

As I sat outside this evening, enjoying the beautiful night I started thinking. 

 I am so grateful for a few days to reflect on my heritage. 

To be able to think about those who came before and sacrificed so much that I am able to live in such comfortable circumstances. 

 I love history, love learning about ancestors and their lives. 

 I have thought a lot about those people who came across the plains as pioneers and others who crossed the ocean because they believed in the gospel and wanted a better life. 

I am so grateful for parents and grandparents who loved and taught me by their example.

I remember and pay tribute to all these loving family members this day. 

 My life has been blessed because of them.

Each time I go into my garden I think of Maude. 

She loved peonies, lilacs, snowballs..and anything else that grew. 

 My mom and both my grandmothers loved gardening and so I guess I have the dirt under my fingernails naturally. 

What a gift this is, because being outside with my plants gives me a great sense of peace.

Love the tradition of going to the cemetery to honor those who have gone on before. 

 What a beautiful and peaceful day it was yesterday to sit and remember those loved ones. 

To teach the little ones the importance of honoring those who have died for our freedom. 

"On this day for one brief moment, hear the silence fill the air

Think of those who walked beside us, now no longer there,

Then don't cry but hear their laughter, for their spirit lives inside

Let that mystic stream of memory fill our hearts with pride!

 

Make us humble, make us knowing, and accepting what is done

On this day for now, forever, make this nation one..

On this day for all the fallen, make this nation one."

 

~Charles Strouse

Happy Valentines Day

Just a few of those that have and continue to bring me joy. 

To my family, loved ones and friends...

Happy Valentines Day.

A Legacy of Love

With the passing of my Aunt Marie, I have had the opportunity to spend time with many relatives these past few days.  It has been nothing but a delight to have these loved ones in our home.  We have been laughing, sharing memories and becoming reacquainted.  Even though we go years without seeing one another, the family bond is strong and we take up as if it was yesterday, and the Low's and the Bagley's were coming to Grama's for their annual visit. 

As we gathered together to plan Marie's funeral, How grateful we all were that Aunt Jeanne and Uncle Mel took their places as our faithful leaders.  How we love them and are grateful they are with us.  They are reminders of a gentler more secure time, when we were young.  They, along with our parents, grandparents and Aunt Marie gave us a magical childhood.  The love of music that was instilled in us all was apparant as we prepared to sing for Marie's funeral.  "Marie's Choir" came through and I know she was there, leading us as she used to in one final family sing-a-long.

 

My cousin George played the bagpipes at the cemetery.  What a beautiful final touch.  How we appreciate him and this tribute for Marie.

 

 

And now, as we all go to our various homes, lives, children and grandchildren, I hope we can continue the great legacy of love that has been given to us.  That we teach our little ones the music, teach them of their great heritage,

 and most of all cherish one another. 

"The Heart of Christmas which is Love..."

Yesterday it was my Grandmother's birthday.  Our family (cousins, aunts, uncles) celebrated, as we usually do, getting together at Christmas time, because of this woman.  She taught us the meaning of family, of Christmas and of love.  She was just a little woman, simple in her needs, but so powerful in her example and her legacy. 

She lived into her nineties, always with a sweet smile, and such a funny sense of humor.  Little notes left to illustrate that wit.  She was never too busy for a visit, to write a letter to a granddaughter, to tell a story or two. 

 

My grandparents and my parents taught me by example that family was something to be cherished. Not just at Christmas, but all year.  Their time was given freely regardless of what was going on. And at Christmas, magic was in the air, and the love felt was as if a warm quilt had been wrapped around us. 

How grateful I am to have the opportunity to be around little ones.  To feel their little arms around my neck.  Whenever I want during our days, I ask, and am given "loves".  They are as much for me as for these precious children.  The world is so fast today.  It is more important than ever to stop and remember the love given and then pass it on.

 

"May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope;

The spirit of Christmas which is peace;

The heart of Christmas which is love."

 

~Ada V. Hendricks

Summertime Fun

It's been a week of fun around here.  The 4th of July was spent lounging around Abby's pool, except I really wouldn't use the word lounging with this bunch.  Jake and Sam love the water and it looks like our little Wren is going to be a water baby too!

Jim and I usually try to get to Logan to see the car show held over this weekend.  It's fun to go visit our old Utah State stomping grounds.  Jim loves to wander around and see all the cars.  Even Batman was there.

I like to watch Jim have fun and take pictures.  I even got a picture of Santa in red shorts!  Who knew he visited the car show in the summer??

Before we left Logan, we visited our old Trailer Court.  Sad to say, there is nothing left of our old home other than the field in the upper right hand corner.  Nothing left but lots of good memories of our first two children when they were tiny, the many friends we went through school with and all that goes with those years.  We decided to go the round about way home and visit Montpelier.  On the way we saw the lovely old Paris Idaho Tabernacle.  We then wandered the streets of Montpelier looking for John A. Bagley's home, (He was the attorney general of Idaho and entertained Teddy Roosevelt in this home.)  It is also where my Grandfather was born.  This was the only house that looked like the pictures.  We then went into a gas station and asked a lady if there was a historic district where we could find a large victorian home.  She said " oh, the Bagley mansion is the only one in town."  She also turned out to be a relative!  So we found the home.  All of Grampa's stories came to life.  Nice way to spend a Saturday.

To the Gardener, the Land is everything

After travelling backeast and being reminded of the history of our great nation..and being Memorial Day weekend, when we remember those who have fought so bravely to keep us free, I am writing some thoughts down.  I know many are discouraged by what goes on with politics these days, but that is not all that this country is about.  If you are interested, follow along.


On my Dad's side of the family I go back to 1630, when Anthony Colby sailed here on a ship named Confidence.  Governor John Winthrop was sailing on another ship at the same time.  On my mom's side, my grandfather came from Sweden when he was just eighteen years old to find a better life.  I have ancestors who heard about the Book of Mormon and because of their belief, travelled across the plains to the Salt Lake Valley.  They lost children and their beloved mother along the way, but never their faith.  My Swedish great-grandmother lost her family when she joined the LDS church in Sweden.  She came to Utah to be closer to others who had her same beliefs.  Yet, when she got here it was much harder than she imagined.  She didn't know the language, the customs, she didn't have work.  But she found work.  She learned the language and the customs, while incorporating her own Swedish traditions into her family life.  It is what you do when you come to America.  You become an American, while enriching America with all the beauties of your native land.  My mother and aunts always said, though this lovely woman went through many hardships, which included losing three babies, a husband leaving her after they immigrated, supporting her family on her own, she was always happy and cheerful.  She was a fun and strong woman to be around!

My parents were depression children.  I grew up hearing the stories of how they went without.  Yet for some reason, it didn't always sound totally doom and gloom.  I think it was because they both came from tight knit families who had a strong belief system.  They had a lot of faith and worked hard.  They stayed close together during those times and made it through.  They also had a sense of humor, which I feel is invaluable when going through life in general, let alone difficult times.  My dad remembers around 1930 that "his parents were going to lose their home.  The depression had hit hard, they lost almost all of their new furniture they had bought for their new house.  His parents tried to protect the children from the details so they were not made to worry.  My dad remembers how much fun the kids had after the furniture was all taken away.  The rooms were large and empty and the children went sliding through the house in socks, loving the space and wondering why their mother was sitting on the porch quietly crying."

My dad and his brother would walk by the Country Club after herding cows, hoping for a cadding job.  He said "if you ever got a 'loop' you'd earn one dollar.  It would take at least an hour to get over there, and a round took four hours.  The big deal was to get a ten cent tip.  With the dime you could get a hamburger and a drink, in the caddy yard.  If you got a hamburger and a drink and still had a buck to take home that was big money."  Later in life my dad was to build a world class golf course with Arnold Palmer in Parley's Canyon.  Every time I drive by that golf course I realize how he truly lived the American Dream.

My mom's family was full of girls with just one brother, living in a different part of town.  They too were a tight knit group.  Making clothes and passing them down to one another, working hard just to get by, always working and loving this country that had been so good to them.  After suffering those years during the depression they then had to endure the hardship of war.  Not just the deprivations of war, but the emotional wear and tear.  One grandmother lost a son at age eighteen from a heart ailment and a few years later sent her remaining two sons off to war.  I can't even imagine how she must have felt.  I sent two sons on missions at the same time.  Having them gone was harder than I can express.  They were relatively save, they were serving the Lord.  They were also in this country!  But to have one son die and then the others go halfway around the world to a war where they could die also.  She couldn't communicate with them except through letters that sometimes took months.  These were young boys!  My other grandmother had to watch as her daughters sent husbands, fiances' and boyfriends off,  and her only son.  So many never to return.  My dear Aunt Ginny married her sweetheart, three weeks later he was sent to the Pacific and lost at sea.  Of course back then this was a common story.  But this was my sweet aunt who lost her dear love.  I talk to her often.  She remarried.  It took her years to find the right man, but she did and has lived a happy life full of service and love. She is ninety one now. She is full of wisdom.  We were talking about this amazing country and the leaders we have now.  She told me she didn't like how people tore down the President.  She said, "I didn't vote for him, but once he became the President he became the office and I respect that,  I support that, we all need to give him that support.  He's doing an awfully hard job."  It may seem like an old fashioned idea, supporting the President, especially after some of the stunts past presidents have pulled, yet I think Aunt Ginny has it right.  A little support, a little old fashioned patriotism wouldn't hurt these days as we face the difficulties we are in and those to come.

~more to come

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

My grandmother made the best homemade chicken noodle soup.   It was one of my favorite meals, and she had many as she was a fabulous cook. 
Grama B's recipe:
Bring to a boil a whole chicken covered in water with some celery, carrots, onion, garlic, salt and pepper.  Let simmer for about two hours.
Let cool.  strain.  Struggle taking all the chicken off the bones (not her words) throw out the veggies.
Noodles
1 egg, 1/2 egg shell cream pinch of salt, 1 cup flour
mix and knead together
Roll out
cut in strips
let dry.
Put chicken and noodles in broth and let simmer for about an hour. 
 salt and pepper to taste.




Polly's Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

I have changed the recipe somewhat.  Things change.  I can't see any difference in the taste and it seems much easier.  First of all I cook boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  I still throw in all the veggies to make a rich broth.  But a little chicken broth from a can never hurt anything.  When the chicken is finished cooking, I let it cool and strain the broth, taking out the veggies. So easy to just cut up the chicken breast.  I then make my noodles just as Grama did, except I use milk instead of cream. I double, triple depending on how much soup I'm making.  I don't dry my noodles, just put them into the boiling broth as I cut them.  (with a pizza cutter).  Can't tell any difference in the taste.  I usually have to boil and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours.  Salt and pepper to taste.  I've never had a problem putting canned chicken broth in if I need more. 

Always tastes delicious!  

Enjoy!

Who we are.

I love to blog. It is the only way I would keep my journal current. I think all technology is fabulous. It helps me keep in touch. Helps to accomplish many things while doing lots of other things. I am grateful for computers and cell phones because my kids are able to work from home alot, with the help of all these gadgets, and be with their children. The only thing that's missing in all this is the beautiful art of handwriting. I was reading an article by Ann Cannon this morning. Her most valued Christmas gifts this year were letters from friends on lovely stationary in their own handwriting. As I read this it made me think. When my mom died, I wanted things that were her.  Her old wedding china, with the little pink roses. So many Sunday dinners and Thanksgivings served on those old dishes .Her portrait of grama Lundgren. But the things that became most precious were little notes found in her drawer, recipes, or letters in her handwriting. That familiar script, when receiving a letter, you knew right away it was from mom. I love the funny letters sent from dad with a goofy poem or advice on the page. Both grandmothers distinctive writing I hold dear and Grampa Bagley's love letters to Grama show what a romantic he was. Jim's architectural training is very apparant in his handwriting. It's who he is. Whitney's artsy side is all over her handwriting.

 Again, I am grateful for computers, for the quick email to a friend. I am in contact with so many that I would never communicate with. I keep in touch with friends and nieces through blogs, so I know about their kids and other activities. We can get a group together for a lunch or party in minutes and can I tell you how I love to Christmas shop online? We stay closer to family and friends because of all these new ways of communication. An occasional handwritten note will help remember these loved ones always. Our handwriting tells alot about who we are. I see a letter from someone I love and immediately am with that person and feel their presence. I love getting emails from those I love, but they are seldom saved and treasured,  I push delete and they are gone. I think I'll write a few letters today.

The Lundgren Family Christmas Party

Christmas on my mom's side was always a big deal.

 My grandparents came from Sweden and they made much of this special holiday.

They had seven children. Six girls and one boy.

So their extended family was large. Lots of cousins in every age group.

 In the summers we gathered at their home every Sunday afternoon and ran and played on their big lawn in the front yard.

It was surrounded by beautiful roses.

 I remember going with my mom and aunts to pick fruit with all the cousins in my grandpa's orchard in the late summer,

 so the mom's could all go home and can the delicious peaches and pears.

 Every year we had our annual Christmas Eve party.

A big dinner was served, then our nativity was performed.

 And finally, Santa arrived with presents for everyone. 

 From a child's memory it seemed as if the Nativity was a great production.

We had props, a backdrop, cardboard animals and fabulous costumes.

The year you got to be Mary was very special.

When you got a bit older, you got to be Santa Lucia and carry the tray of sweets to all in attendance with a wreath of candles on your head.

It all seemed magical.

The families have all grown up.

All of the grandchildren are now the grandparents.

But our Aunts who are still alive continue to instill in us a love of family,

 and we continue to get together twice a year.

Once at Christmas and once in the summer.

It is fun to relive those days long gone.

There are just a few of the "originals" left.

We love them dearly,

 and cling to them as they are our only reminder of those long ago days of our childhood.

Aunt Ruthie along with her husband my Uncle Allen were usually the producers and directors of the Nativity. Uncle Allen is gone, but Aunt Ruth at 91 is going strong.

I love and admire her along with Aunt Niece (above) 89,

and my sweet Aunt Ginnie (below) 91.

 Aunt Carol (not pictured) is my mom's youngest sister.

 So there are only the four of them left.

 They are all great women and I am grateful for their love, their example and their legacy.

The cousins-

 all grown up.

Marty and Dee -

the host's this year.

 Thanks so much for having us.

It was a great party.

SUMMER EVENING

Summers for me meant Grama and Grampa Bagley's house and our cousins coming to town.

We were the only one's who lived nearby, so it was fun when the rest of the family visited.

Grama and Grampa had a big back yard with a fish pond and a hugh garden in the back.

We would have barbeques there on those summer evenings, feasting on Grampa's home grown corn.

After, there was always singing.

 Singing under the stars.

 We learned so many old and funny songs back then.

 I don't know that my grandchildren would sit and sing through the evening under the stars,

but they've all heard those same songs as I've rocked each one of them to sleep.

Some things do get passed down.

All of my children and grandchildren are here for a few days.

I now know how grama must have felt when everyone was home.

I remember seeing her just sitting in her chair as we sang, gazing at everyone.

 I'm sure she was just taking it all in.

Loving the fact that all was well and that her family was together once again.

As I think about Grama I feel a sense of belonging and peace.

 I sat out in my garden tonight... just as the stars starting showing up in the sky,

I could almost hear the singing of long ago.

Those other children, who are now the grama's and grampa's.

We have a different, faster pace kind of fun when the kids come to town.

But there are still things that the older kids are all ready saying like, "I remember this, or that"

or "Grama can we have thinnies the very first morning?"

 Swimming at Abby's, barbeques in our backyard.

Different yet the same.

It doesn't really matter what you do, what traditions, what kind of fun, as long as it is together, building memories, so these grandchildren get that same sense of love, belonging and peace.

"Coming home, there is no corner of my mind unoccupied with memories.

What a lovely time it was.

I can watch Grampa as he comes toward me with his old hat and hoe,

and see Grama as she bends over her lilacs.

And for one fleeting moment, I am home, a child again."

D. Morgan

 (with a few changes by me)

MEMORIAL DAY~ A TIME TO REMEMBER

It's Memorial Day. 
 Usually on this day we would be visiting the very peaceful Mt Olivet and the not so peaceful Wasatch Lawns. 
 Cleaning up and bringing flowers to Leo, Maude, Jiggs and June.  
Remembering their love, the fun times we had with them and all they did for us. 
 Jim and I are two blessed people.  
We both had parents who loved family and would do anything for the family they had. 
 They were the happiest when surrounded by children and grandchildren.  
As we have been with these ballplayers this week, I can't help but think how much fun both Leo and Jiggs would have had watching each of these boys play. 
 As we sat around the table eating and all the boys continued playing in their yard, I can hear Maude and June laughing and commenting on how dear each one of the boys were.  
June and I would tell Maude how Hogan has her twinkling brown eyes.  
She would be thrilled. 
 Memorial Day is a time of remembering, not in a sad way, in a reflective happy way. 
 It is a time to stop and be grateful for those who gave their lives for our freedom.  
For me it is a time to remember those loved ones who have gone on before. 
 I might get a little teary, but mostly I am happy and grateful, for these are the people who made me who I am. 
 They are the ones who loved me unconditionally, who cared, who nourished, who taught, who sacrificed.  
So even though I am not there to put flowers on your grave, thank you to my parents, grandparents and all the greats who came before..
I love you.

FINE THOUGHTS HENRY DAVID

I was reading through a book of thoughts my mom gave my grama.  Grama was such a cute lady.  She would write comments here and there.  I came across this one today.  She must have liked it and I do too.
She wrote under Henry David Thoreau's name, "Fine thoughts Henry David".  When I see the handwriting of someone I loved who isn't around anymore I love it.  It's like getting a little note from them.  Grama and I used to exchange letters, even though we lived in the same city.  It was just a nice way of expressing our thoughts to each other.  So today when I saw this I thought, "thanks for the thought Grama,  I love you too."

Grandmothers

"Grandmothers have the time they never had as mothers - time to tell stories, time to hear secrets, time for cuddles."

Dr. M. DeVries

I had two such grandmothers. They always were happy to see me. My grandmother on my mom's side always liked to visit. She really seemed interested in my thoughts and what I was doing. When I got married and was living away for awhile, she and I would write letters to each other. I loved getting her little notes. She had such a funny sense of humor. My grandmother on my dad's side taught me to bake sugar cookies, carmels, and chicken noodle soup. She tried to teach me to knit, crochet and quilt. (Didn't take). But I loved spending time with her and feel that I inherited her love of gardening.

I get to spend lots of time with two of my grandkids, with another one joining this little group soon. I love watching these little ones grow. Not worrying about the household cares that I had when my own were small. Little Sam is getting to the point where he can actually, kind of, play with Jake. He watches everything his older brother does and wants to be right there in the middle of everything. I love being there, able to see them interact. I love to read them stories, hear their secrets and especially to give and recieve their cuddles. What could be better than that?