http://www.marthastewart.com/319036/sourdough-waffles
This is the recipe that I use for the most amazing waffles in the world.
I have a belgian waffle maker and that works great.
Plain greek yogurt, banana slices or strawberries with just a little drizzle of homemake maple syrup makes it a wonderful Sunday morning treat. I skipped last Sunday and the kids couldn't believe that I thought that was an ok thing to do.
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/sourdough-french-bread
This is what I use for bread, but I'm going to try Helen's and I'll let you know which I like better. This one is nice because it uses yeast and so you can get it done if a few hours instead of all day.
I am trying to make more bread so that we aren't eating store boughten bread anymore.
Good Luck and Enjoy.
Donna
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Vidal Blanc 2012
Lilly your last post was very inspiring. I have been listening to Wayne Dyer's "It's never crowded along the extra mile." It is alot of the same stuff in "Excuses Be Gone", but it's different and just helps remind me how I want to be.
Audible.com has some pretty good deals on books that you can listen to. I find that I can listen while I work and drive and it is really much easier then reading a book. I just don't have time for books, but can listen almost all day to something good for me. So give it a whirl if you have an ipod or something to listen on that you carry with you.
You all are amazing.
If you haven't already, become a follower of our blog so that you get an email each time we blog. That way you don't have to play catch up when you log in.
Thank and love,
Donna
You Are Amazing
As you are
Stronger than you know
More beautiful than you think
Worthier than you believe
More loved than you can ever imagine
Passionate about making a difference
Fiery when protecting those you love
Learning, Growing, Not alone
Warm, Giving, Generous,
Quirky, Sexy, Funny, Smart,
Flawed, Whole, Scared, Brave
And so, so, so, much more
Be Strong, Be Confident, Be You.
Copyright: Tia Spakles Singh, 2011
I was invited to spend a weekend at my AMAZING GENEROUS friend Kathlyn Jarmillo, Women's Empowerment Expo Event. WOW what an amazing weekend it was. It was so refreshing spending time with these positive, like-minded women. We all shared the same passion, SERVING OTHERS. When we truly care about people, and want to help, everything else will fall into place. I got to share my doTERRA products with these wonderful women. And they shared there gifts with me. We had AMAZING speakers. First Kathlyn gave us a note book and had us all write down statements to get us thinking. What do I hate about my business or life right now?
What is missing from my business or life right now?
What do I love about my business or life right not?
What it looks like is not important, what does my business or life look like right now?
She had us close our eyes and start drawing in our not book anything that came to mind.
How can I experience more Balance and Joy in my business and life right now?
Then Alice Hinckley, from Dallas TX, spoke on Networking like A CEO. She gave us formulas for Managing your finances, Manage yourselves, Manage your time and then Manage your team. It was very helpful. You could tell that Alice was a Great business woman and she reminded me of Donna. Alice is also a CPA.
Then Shelly (and I didn't get her last name or contact information(which i kicked myself for), had been on the show Shark Tank. You take a marketing idea in front of judges and they decide if they think your idea is marketable. Her idea was make a towel with a slit in the center, kids can put it over there head and dry off or change under it. If the judges like it then they invest however much with you so you can start your business. Well Shelly had Heart and Passion. She is a fire cracker, a go getter. Nothing was stopping her. Some of the judges didn't like her towel idea, but one did. She got the money she needed to start her business. She was on Oprah and now her towel is in every water park around the world. Shelly told us to write our life story of Gratitude. Start with Thank you and end with Thank you. Dream the dream and BELIEVE IT. People that you need to make things happen will show up in your life. Write a list, get quiet and believe it. Feel it with emotion. Envision checks coming in the mail. We feel unworthy of what we want. We are worthy, let it come. Get quiet and listen. Never look out side of yourself for anything. Her web site is Showno.com.
Then Mitra Ray, PH.D. spoke to us. Her book is Do you have the guts to be beautiful? She talked about nutrition and the importance of it. She was very inspiring. We are aging to fast because we are not getting the nutrients that we need. I'm ready to do a cleanse and eat better. Who's in with me? She does health retreats. Her next one is August 4-11, 2013. Check it out at DrMitraRay.com.I purchased her book. She was AMAZING.
Then Loren Slocum spoke to us. She worked for Anthony Robbins, the motivational speaker for years. Now she has written a couple of books. She told us Its not about skill, its about heart. You have to decide WHO AM I. How do You start your day. Start by saying as soon as you wake up. Today is going to be the Best Day of my LIFE AGAIN. Get emotionally ready for the day. Nobody can take parts of you away unless you give it away. It is a choice. Then she challenged us to make a list of I AM. I Am Loving. and write down everything you are and everything you want to become, and you read it every day and BELIEVE IT. She said make a list of the NON NEGOTIABLE like
Stay true to who I am
Help those who want to be helped
Be an Awesome roll model
Be the Real Deal
Add light to the world
Love my children
Love my Sisters
Love myself
Do something for ME everyday
and any others you might have.
Then show up everyday like you are the GREATEST.
We are here to share and we are here to share BIG.
To be a person your not is to waste the person you are.
God wants us to be happy, And Look at life as a GIFT.
Kathlyn and her family fed us a delicious lunch each day. I left there with my bucket overflowing.
I felt bad that my sisters were not there to share an AMAZING time with me. One of the ladies at the booth next to mine, her name is Diane, She reminded me of my sister Beth. I kept hugging her because i miss you Beth.
It is our time. I can feel it in my bones. God will put people in our path to help us write our story. Loren Slocum could be that person. She said she would help us.
Thoughts become things....so choose the good ones Mike Dooley Only think about what you want,you don't have time to worry. Let it come. Hugs and kisses Lilly
Friday, September 21, 2012
2012 Harvest
After...
We were only able to get about half of the off the vine before it started raining pretty good, so we decided to stop for the day. We will be working on it again tonight, but we can only get what we get tonight because they are falling off and the birds and bees are eating them up. But something is better then nothing, so we will get more off tonight and take them for processing tomorrow morning.
Then Saturday or Sunday we will pick the Petite Syrah and it will be a done deal. Then it is vineyard vacation time, even though we really should weed eat and make it look pretty before the winter sets in. We will see...
Happy Friday Everyone.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
OUR BODIES
I want to ask you all to commit to taking care of your GORGEOUS SELF'S. You know if you don't, no one will. I can't come around every day and make sure you all eat good and put good things in your mouth. An occasional glass of wine is ok on my list. Especially when Donna gets her grapes made into wine. Then its our duty to support her and drink her wine. I'm hoping its not as strong as last time. Wouldn't it be fun to go help Donna harvest her grapes? Can we squish them with our feet? I promise to wash me feet. That is definitely on my bucket list. So, I would like to encourage you all to get on doTERRA Life Long Vitality supplements. They have the oils in them and help get rid of the inflammation in our bodies. Inflammation causes stiffness, pain and a lot of other things. They can help fight the battle with Candida.If you have anxiety, depression, emotional problems, irrational fears, panic, quick anger, irritability, sleep disturbance, hyperactivity, low self-esteem, asthma, coughs, sinus problems, sore throat, thrush, bad breath, constipation, bloating, diarrhea, gas, heartburn, indigestion, nausea, food craving, food sensitivities, hypoglycemia, colic, acne, eczema psoriasis, skin infections, rash, athlete's foot, nail fungus, dandruff, trouble concentrating, brain fog, memory loss,headaches or migraines, PMS, cramps sexual problems, vaginal infections, cystitis, puffiness, infertility, allergies, chronic fatigue, sore muscles, stiffness, swollen joints, gout and weight gain. Oh and the lady we heard talked about Candida said they are finding studies that it is linked to cancer too. That about covers every issue anyone has. So the essential oils that are anti fungal are Lemon, Melaleuca, Oregano, Clove, Cinnamon, and Thyme. We have the GX assist and PB assist and Zendocrin that will help clean the five organs, Liver, Kidneys, Lungs, Colon, Lymph nodes, Blood and Skin. They work slow so you don't get an over load of toxins all at once. Then the hard part. The food we eat. Lets try to clean up our diets, get rid of processed food, cut down on sugar intake, bread consumption, cut out artificial sweetener, put in more vegetables. Then we have to exercise to stay strong. I'm soooooo proud of Donna for running half marathons. WOW, you go girl. It was extremely hard to wake up at 4am this morning, but that's the time I have to go to get my exercise in and then come home and have a few precious min to share with you and write our story. If we don't change something, nothing will change. That's my thoughts for the day. I love you all. Lilly
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Mrs. Bateman saved the Day
Hello sisters,
This story is about Donna and how much we treasured her and cared for her in our family. Donna was around 3 months old and so very precious to us. One summer day mother decided to leave us younger children home to tend her. I was 10, Ruth was 8, Beth was 7 and Lilly was 5. We were the only ones home. I do not know where everyone went. We had just lost our sweet sister Fara to a head injury and death was something we didn't talk about. Mother did not talk about Fara without leaving and walking out. Anyway back to the story. I was in charge and precious Donna started to cry. So I said, "Should we feed her?" Ruth said,"Yes, Beth and I will make her a bottle. So, Lilly sat by me and we started to sing a song to Donna to make her happy. She looked up at us and smiled a little but something was still wrong. When the bottle came she was still not happy. So we decided to walk outside and try to make her happy. Well, on the way out of the door, I tripped on a rug and on my way down I knew that I needed to hold on to her tight and not let her get hurt. I tried to take most of the fall on my arms but Donna rolled out of my arms. By, then she was screaming and we all started to cry with her. I said, What if she hit her head? O my goodness, we should take her down to Mrs. Bateman, she knows babies?" The little girls nodded their tear stained eyes and we started walking down to the neighbors to see if we had hurt our little baby sister. We were really frightened that we had killed her. Ruth and Beth ran ahead and knocked on the door and told Mrs. Bateman our dilemma. Lilly and I came in with Donna just screaming her head off. We were a scarred group of children. Well, dear Mrs. Bateman gathered Donna in her arms and sat in the rocker and looked Donna over. After her examination it was decided that she was wet and scarred because of the drop. Mrs. Bateman wrapped her up in a blanket and rocked and rocked her. We felt such a relief with Donna settling down that we were able to stop our sobbing. She told us to go out and find our favorite friends, her daughters, Danielle, and Ruth's friend. It was quite the experience. I don't remember how we got home, all I remember was being eternally grateful for Mrs. Bateman and her rocking chair.
Love you sisters,
Helen
This story is about Donna and how much we treasured her and cared for her in our family. Donna was around 3 months old and so very precious to us. One summer day mother decided to leave us younger children home to tend her. I was 10, Ruth was 8, Beth was 7 and Lilly was 5. We were the only ones home. I do not know where everyone went. We had just lost our sweet sister Fara to a head injury and death was something we didn't talk about. Mother did not talk about Fara without leaving and walking out. Anyway back to the story. I was in charge and precious Donna started to cry. So I said, "Should we feed her?" Ruth said,"Yes, Beth and I will make her a bottle. So, Lilly sat by me and we started to sing a song to Donna to make her happy. She looked up at us and smiled a little but something was still wrong. When the bottle came she was still not happy. So we decided to walk outside and try to make her happy. Well, on the way out of the door, I tripped on a rug and on my way down I knew that I needed to hold on to her tight and not let her get hurt. I tried to take most of the fall on my arms but Donna rolled out of my arms. By, then she was screaming and we all started to cry with her. I said, What if she hit her head? O my goodness, we should take her down to Mrs. Bateman, she knows babies?" The little girls nodded their tear stained eyes and we started walking down to the neighbors to see if we had hurt our little baby sister. We were really frightened that we had killed her. Ruth and Beth ran ahead and knocked on the door and told Mrs. Bateman our dilemma. Lilly and I came in with Donna just screaming her head off. We were a scarred group of children. Well, dear Mrs. Bateman gathered Donna in her arms and sat in the rocker and looked Donna over. After her examination it was decided that she was wet and scarred because of the drop. Mrs. Bateman wrapped her up in a blanket and rocked and rocked her. We felt such a relief with Donna settling down that we were able to stop our sobbing. She told us to go out and find our favorite friends, her daughters, Danielle, and Ruth's friend. It was quite the experience. I don't remember how we got home, all I remember was being eternally grateful for Mrs. Bateman and her rocking chair.
Love you sisters,
Helen
My Other Passion
Besides my sisters and my family, my other passion is to help people. I found the perfect way to do that through doTERRA essential oils.The dōTERRA Story
In the spring of 2008, a group of healthcare and business professionals who shared profound personal experiences of the life-enhancing benefits of essential oils came together with a common vision of bringing a new standard of therapeutic-grade essential oils to the world. They wanted something different that would appeal to all people, from those who knew nothing of essential oils to those who were considered the experts in the field. They asked themselves some defining questions-"What if we could provide the world with a new and powerful wellness alternative?" "What if we could provide this new level of wellness through a mainstream approach to essential oils?" "What if we could source, test, and manufacture a higher quality of essential oil more pure and more potent than any other oil available on the market today?" "What if we, in a most professional manner, could partner with major hospitals, doctors, scientists, and opinion leaders to provide the most compelling authentication of essential oils on the planet?"
They concluded that, with the hard work and commitment of others with a similar passion and vision, they could and would create a new paradigm for essential oils. With that conviction, they organized a company and named it dōTERRA, a Latin derivative meaning "Gift of the Earth." dōTERRA's first offering of 25 single oils and 10 oil blends were introduced for sale on April 25, 2008 to the acclaim of essential oil experts and product enthusiasts who immediately recognized the superior quality of dōTERRA's therapeutic-grade essential oils at first experience.
In addition to ongoing development of new essential oils and proprietary essential oil blends, dōTERRA's future product offerings will include nutrition, spa, and healthy living products based on essential oil technologies and a comprehensive wellness philosophy of nutrition, exercise, rest and stress management, reduction of toxic load, informed self-care, and proactive healthcare.
dōTERRA products are sold exclusively through Independent Product Consultants who, working from home, introduce, educate and sell dōTERRA products locally through person-to-person contact and globally through personalized web shopping sites.
Essentiallysassy is my business name. My web site is www.mydoterra.com/essentiallysassy
You can contact me at essentiallysassy@gmail.com 702-596-2025
We just got back from doTERRA convention that was in Salt Lake City, Ut. DoTERRA has great leadership. There were 7000 people there this year. DoTERRA is not quite 5 years old. They have over 200,000 consultants. Its growing like crazy. People helping people be more healthy using gifts from the earth. I love doTERRA because their oils are CPTG, certified pure therapeutic grade, which mean they have no pesticides or chemical in them and every one of there oils you can take internally. I love having and using the oils in my life. It makes me feel more empowered as a mother. When we have a health or emotional issue we use our oils. Talk to you later, time to go get my precious off to school. Lilly
Crazy Days with Father-Lilly's add on
Wow no wonder I'm messed up. I had to be older than 3. I don't remember falling off the table into his arms, but I do remember the roof. I thought that the roof we had to jump off of was the shed roof. It was sooooo high. We could see our whole yard. The roof of our house, all the animals, and our neighbors houses We were so high that Father seemed so small and so far away. Ruth and I left up there for what seemed like hours. Who went first? What did we say to each other? How did we talk ourselves into jumping? I remember calling for Mother, Mother, Mother, come help us, Father wont let us down. Where was she? Why wasn't she there when we needed her the most. Someone had to protect us from that MEAN man on the ground that didn't love us. He couldn't have loved us or he wouldn't have been so mean. I never loved him. I remember having to kiss him and hug him but I didn't do it out of love. I did it because it was expected of me. I started pretending when I was 3. I didn't see our Mother as courageous. I felt betrayed by her. For many years after I got married I always wondered why she didn't leave that terrible awful man. If she would have left, then I would have thought she was courageous. Helen and Beth, it took courage for you to leave your husbands. I thought you two were Very Courageous. Looking back on it now some 45 years later, because of all that she went through, she learned it did no good to fight with Wayne. He must have been alot insane like you said Helen. That was just the start of all the insane things he put us through. The moral of this story is you can't teach children to trust you by making them jump off tall buildings. Wow sisters if we can jump off tall buildings then we can do anything we put our minds to.
Lets go be AMAZING. Lilly
Lets go be AMAZING. Lilly
Monday, September 17, 2012
For the Love of Sisters
One of my Passions in life is my sisters.When I think of getting rich, My WHY is so that WE as sisters can travel and do what ever we want to. Stay in the Best Hotels, have sexy men wait on us, eat the best food, have sexy men massage us. Truly be pampered.
I have been thinking about you all lately.
Cheryl, I was three when you got married, so I don't remember you very well. We were not aloud to spend much time with you, but I do remember when you were trying to educate yourself and learn about the energy Field in our body's. You had alot to offer and I enjoyed visiting with you.
Janice, thank you for choosing our family to come to. You have such a sweet spirit and you have taught us all patience. You saved us from doing loads of dishes and laundry. You taught us compassion.
Kay, you have always been the sweetest sister. Always happy and serving others. I stayed with you for a week when I was about 13. One day I was not too sweet to your sweet little children, you took me aside and cussed me out for being mean to your babies. Thank you for standing up for you children.
Jelene, even though you were older than us younger girls, I don't feel the gap in years. You have spent time and energy with us and you have given and shared so much. We are better because of you.
Helen, thank you for setting an example for us. We didn't see it when we were little, but I see it know. You showed us how to act around Father so that we wouldn't be torchered more. Just give him what he wants, smiling girls, obedient girls, hard working girls, sweet singing girls. You showed the way but we didn't fallow. Your children at school are so lucky to have you. You are the Best Teacher they could ever have. Everyone that knows my sister Helen, Loves Her. You are an ANGEL.
Ruth, you were the stubborn one. You took the wrath and rage for all of us. Your spirit is so strong, He tryed to break you. Some how you survived, and look at you today. You are truly an AMAZING woman.
Beth, you were the favorite, quiet, hard working, always did what you were told, you learned early to just shut up and do it. You were my best friend, my only friend, we did amazing things together even if they were only in our made up minds. I had to push myself to keep up with you. Thank you for protecting me.
Donna, you are still so sweet and cute. In my younger days I didn't always like you. You took the attention away from me. You know its all about me. I was the most grateful for you when I graduated from high school and was getting on with my life. It gave our sweet Mother one last child to hang on to. You were truly a joy in Mothers life. Thank you for choosing to come to us.
WOW no wonder we are all AMAZING. We had each other to learn and grow with. We are who we are because of the experiences we have been through. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Love Lilly
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Our happy mother the band leader
This story is about a time that I remembered our mother being in her element and very happy and fulfilled. We were in Colorado City, AZ and Uncle Hammond asked her if she would organize a band for the high school. I don't know how that conversation went, but she said "Yes, I would be very happy to teach the band." So they started gathering instruments and assigning students. She would get up every morning bright and early and get the my older brothers and sisters up to do their chores, Bart, Keith and Kay, Jelene, Roger, and Lee. Her own children made up almost half the band and she was proud of them. She would then get dressed in her pretty clothes and come out of her bedroom looking so beautiful and excited to have a band. They would all walk to school every morning come rain or shine. She would have music in her bag and the rest of the family would have their instruments. It was close to a two mile walk all uphill to the high school. She was so loving and pretty to us little girls. It was then that I remember our mother happy and contented.
She would wake me up to help Janice get the rest of the little ones up and ready for school. Mother had already fixed the hot cereal so all Janice had to do was dish it up and sit us up to the table and eat. But first we had to do chores like sweep the floor and pick up our bedroom and of course get dressed before we were able to eat. We had little aprons that we would put on for eating and doing dishes. Our mother was very careful with our clothes and how they were kept.
What I remember most is when mother would have a performance she would let us little children come with everyone and we would watch all the big students set the chairs and all the music just right. The curtain went down and the anxiety was up thinking about our mother leading the band. We had all the confidence in her though because she handled everything with ease and determination. Then it was time for the curtain to come up, everyone started clapping and mother lifted her baton and the band started to play. What a proud moment for all of us. Mother was very happy helping all her students learn and love their instrument.
Thanks Mom for those memories.
Love you all,
Helen
She would wake me up to help Janice get the rest of the little ones up and ready for school. Mother had already fixed the hot cereal so all Janice had to do was dish it up and sit us up to the table and eat. But first we had to do chores like sweep the floor and pick up our bedroom and of course get dressed before we were able to eat. We had little aprons that we would put on for eating and doing dishes. Our mother was very careful with our clothes and how they were kept.
What I remember most is when mother would have a performance she would let us little children come with everyone and we would watch all the big students set the chairs and all the music just right. The curtain went down and the anxiety was up thinking about our mother leading the band. We had all the confidence in her though because she handled everything with ease and determination. Then it was time for the curtain to come up, everyone started clapping and mother lifted her baton and the band started to play. What a proud moment for all of us. Mother was very happy helping all her students learn and love their instrument.
Thanks Mom for those memories.
Love you all,
Helen
m-m-m-sourdoughbread thats healthy
Hello, sisters,
My kids always know when I have had a hard week. I bake.
A couple of weeks ago I got on the Internet and researched bread because I love it. After reading about sourdough bread, it sounded like something we should try, so I ordered a start from an Oregon feller that had the start in his family since 1847. The organization sent me a start and now we are making it. After reading on what they have done to wheat, we all could use the Red Turkey White or hard wheat organic flour. Their are no genetic changes with the wheat and no commercial yeast that causes health problems.
My school has had a particular hard week. We lost three positions at our school. I was placed in first grade because I am the new-be and my principal was having a time finding someone who could do the job. I am OK with it but its just a lot of work moving classrooms and leaving my students because we have grown accustomed to each other. O'well that life and I am glad to have a job.
So, what do I do when I get home, I bake bread. It is really easy using sourdough since the only ingredients are, water, honey, oil and good wheat or white red turkey flour and mix. Whats the hardest part is letting it rise for at least 3 to 4 hours to get a good fluffy bread. I get impatient and just want to bake it. Kathy (my friend from school) and her husband Balou came over just as I was getting it ready for baking. She really enjoyed the taste of it. Anyway, love you all and Jelene, great stories on our strong ancestors.
Love Helen
My kids always know when I have had a hard week. I bake.
A couple of weeks ago I got on the Internet and researched bread because I love it. After reading about sourdough bread, it sounded like something we should try, so I ordered a start from an Oregon feller that had the start in his family since 1847. The organization sent me a start and now we are making it. After reading on what they have done to wheat, we all could use the Red Turkey White or hard wheat organic flour. Their are no genetic changes with the wheat and no commercial yeast that causes health problems.
My school has had a particular hard week. We lost three positions at our school. I was placed in first grade because I am the new-be and my principal was having a time finding someone who could do the job. I am OK with it but its just a lot of work moving classrooms and leaving my students because we have grown accustomed to each other. O'well that life and I am glad to have a job.
So, what do I do when I get home, I bake bread. It is really easy using sourdough since the only ingredients are, water, honey, oil and good wheat or white red turkey flour and mix. Whats the hardest part is letting it rise for at least 3 to 4 hours to get a good fluffy bread. I get impatient and just want to bake it. Kathy (my friend from school) and her husband Balou came over just as I was getting it ready for baking. She really enjoyed the taste of it. Anyway, love you all and Jelene, great stories on our strong ancestors.
Love Helen
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Mother's compliments
I was chatting it up with my neighbor the other day and I was saying that I needed to be more like my Mother and be more positive. She looked at me and said, "You are the most up beat, positive person that I have ever met. I wish I was more like you." She told me that she comes over to sit in my swing and visit me because I bring her joy and make her feel happy. Funny, I never really thought I was that joyful. I guess I was just being what my sweet Mother taught me to be.
I have another friend that is completely enthralled by how much our Mother knew about herbs and healing naturally. I have been trying to eat a mostly plant based diet like Mother to see if I feel better. Not sure why I waited until she wasn't here to help me to actually listen to some of her ideas. I'll let you know the results. I haven't been truely great at it yet, but still working on it.
Not sure if you all can find this brand in your area, but I have found a really good brown rice. It's Brand name is Lundberg short grain brown rice. I buy it in the health food section of my grocery store. It says to cook it in a chicken broth and it makes it taste really good. Has a nutty favor and is yummy.
Am sitting here helping my son write down the music for the flute part to his Forrest Gump song so that he can get a flute to accompany him at church when he plays it. He is not that great at reading music, but picks it up by ear so quickly that is blows me away. I sat down with him and listened to it twice and he learned the whole last part of the song just that quick. I'll video when he plays it and put it on youtube so that you all can see it. It is amazing for a kid that doesn't know how to play the piano.
I wish I could play well enough to wake my family up with the piano each morning like our Mother did. I can not listen to any of her good songs without just tearing up. She was so good. I tear up all the time when I watch Reagan practice because I think she has what it takes to be as good as our Mother. She loves practicing and will play anytime she has a few minutes. She is improving so quickly, it's truely amazing.
I miss our Mother a lot lately.
I have another friend that is completely enthralled by how much our Mother knew about herbs and healing naturally. I have been trying to eat a mostly plant based diet like Mother to see if I feel better. Not sure why I waited until she wasn't here to help me to actually listen to some of her ideas. I'll let you know the results. I haven't been truely great at it yet, but still working on it.
Not sure if you all can find this brand in your area, but I have found a really good brown rice. It's Brand name is Lundberg short grain brown rice. I buy it in the health food section of my grocery store. It says to cook it in a chicken broth and it makes it taste really good. Has a nutty favor and is yummy.
Am sitting here helping my son write down the music for the flute part to his Forrest Gump song so that he can get a flute to accompany him at church when he plays it. He is not that great at reading music, but picks it up by ear so quickly that is blows me away. I sat down with him and listened to it twice and he learned the whole last part of the song just that quick. I'll video when he plays it and put it on youtube so that you all can see it. It is amazing for a kid that doesn't know how to play the piano.
I wish I could play well enough to wake my family up with the piano each morning like our Mother did. I can not listen to any of her good songs without just tearing up. She was so good. I tear up all the time when I watch Reagan practice because I think she has what it takes to be as good as our Mother. She loves practicing and will play anytime she has a few minutes. She is improving so quickly, it's truely amazing.
I miss our Mother a lot lately.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Idaho Is Home
Idaho Is Home
Elizabeth
shivered in the dark and pulled Nellie closer to her. They had made a
bed on top of the packed provisions in the back of the wagon. “I
guess it is a little softer than the bed of rocks under the wagon,
where Don Carlos and Deke are sleeping tonight,” she thought. Her
mind went next to her husband and his wives in Eden. Tears fell from her
eyes and onto the blanket. She wondered how many other wives
were being driven away from their families into the unknown and
alone. At least she was traveling with a wagon
train of families all headed north to Idaho. They were all kind to
her and her children. Thank goodness she had Don Carlos to help her
with the animals. What a good son he was.
They woke before
sunrise to the clatter of the pans in the camp next to them.
Elizabeth hurried to build a fire and cook the mush. Deke fed the
chickens still in their box nailed to the side of the wagon. After
morning prayer, the wagons pulled onto the trail, making a long
line headed North. About a week out on the trail they stopped to camp
for the night in Portneuf Canyon. Deke let the chickens out of their
box to scratch in the weeds and in the morning they were nowhere to
be found. Every other night they had roosted on the wagon and were
caught to go back into the box. Now they had no eggs to eat. When
they neared Robber Roost, west of Pocatello, the children were very
frightened. They had heard many stories about the robbers who were
rumored to be hiding there. When they crossed the Indian Reservation
at Fort Hall, near Blackfoot, they drove late into the night for fear
if they camped, the Indians would steal their horses.
Near Idaho Falls
they were met by Grandma Ellsworth. She told them to just follow the
river road up into Lewisville, where they were to settle. They moved
into a one room log house with a dirt floor and a dirt roof. It was
west of town close to the river. They later homesteaded this 160 acre
farm of choice land. They built a much better home here with two
large rooms.
Elizabeth was a
large strong woman and she worked hard along with her boys to clear the farm, to make it ready for cultivation. They lived a hard, but happy life and looked forward to better prospects and a brighter future.
As soon as they arrived in Idaho the boys got work digging potatoes for fiftey cents a day. They were glad for the work. The first winter they lived on potato soup. They had no meat that first winter. Don got heartburn so bad he thought he was going to die. They would have starved that first winter if it had not been for some kind friends and neighbors. Bishop Jardine and his good wife were especially good to them. One Day Sister Jardine told Deke to com over and get some milk after church. He took over a small three pint bucket, but soon she came from the kitchen with a large lard pail full of milk. When he got home he discovered that she had placed a half a pound of butter in the bottom of the pail. After the first harvest, things got a little better and they had more food to eat and better clothes. The boys made a few trips back to Utah to see their father and his families. But Elizabeth never went back to Utah. Don Carlos and Deke were always good to their mother and did all they could do to make life easier for her as she got older.
On March 4, 1891, Don Carlos married Mary Ann Gibbs and they lived in one room of their two room house for the first year. They were married for twenty-one years when Mary Ann became ill and died leaving 11 living children. Our Grandmother Lillie Isabelle was the oldest and left college to go back and help her father with the children.
As soon as they arrived in Idaho the boys got work digging potatoes for fiftey cents a day. They were glad for the work. The first winter they lived on potato soup. They had no meat that first winter. Don got heartburn so bad he thought he was going to die. They would have starved that first winter if it had not been for some kind friends and neighbors. Bishop Jardine and his good wife were especially good to them. One Day Sister Jardine told Deke to com over and get some milk after church. He took over a small three pint bucket, but soon she came from the kitchen with a large lard pail full of milk. When he got home he discovered that she had placed a half a pound of butter in the bottom of the pail. After the first harvest, things got a little better and they had more food to eat and better clothes. The boys made a few trips back to Utah to see their father and his families. But Elizabeth never went back to Utah. Don Carlos and Deke were always good to their mother and did all they could do to make life easier for her as she got older.
On March 4, 1891, Don Carlos married Mary Ann Gibbs and they lived in one room of their two room house for the first year. They were married for twenty-one years when Mary Ann became ill and died leaving 11 living children. Our Grandmother Lillie Isabelle was the oldest and left college to go back and help her father with the children.
Nellie married
John Albert Blomquist on January 26, 1895 and left home.
Deke fell in
love with a pretty girl who lived east of the school house, just
across the railroad tracks. Her folks were very active in the Church
and they didn't think Deke was religious enough, so they refused to
let her date Deke. She was devastated and everyone said she died soon
after of a broken heart. Deke never fell in love again.
Elizabeth was a
brave pioneer woman who raised her children to love the gospel. She
was admired by all her friends and neighbors for her courage. She
became ill and died on May 9, 1906, at the age of sixty-one. She was
buried in the Lewisville Cemetry.
This is the rest of Elizabeth Barnes story. Love, Jelene
Making Memories
Dear Sisters,
I had a great time at the reunion at the Ranch last weekend. It was a time of reflection and loving gratitude. I still have a hard time when I don't see Mother and Janice at the gate. I know I'm not going to hear her at the piano, playing one of her concert pieces ever again. But I pulled my car into the driveway and Janice and I ( I picked Janice up in Panaca and brought her out with me) unloaded our suitcases and took them upstairs to our rooms. Lee's Beth and Laura and the little kids were busy cleaning up the back patio. They had planted 3 nice oak trees and 1 elm, 2 up above and 2 down by the basketball hoop. Beth had already staked up some fences around them and they look beautiful. I sure hope they do well. They had planted fresh new flowers in mothers flower beds by the patio. They were so proud to show them off. We finished helping them clean up the yard and it really looked nice.
I think the Brothers really enjoyed themselves this year. We had a small group, probably only about fifty all together. We all sat around and listened to Keith tell his stories and of course we all interjected our own interpretation of the truth when he would let us. The auction was a huge success, even if there was only 5 bidders. (The rich ones with Jobs!!) We let the brothers and Helen and their kids bid away and ended up with $400 and they ended up with really, really over priced Junk!!! Everyone was happy to have donated so that we can have a fun reunion again next year.
Helen and I made a relay course for the underwear game and divided up 2 very reluctant teams. We made them climb into some very big granny panties and run the relay course, holding onto the panties for dear life.
Thanks to Brad and Lilly we had some yummy dutch oven chicken and potatoes for supper. Then we started a fire in the big pit on the patio and started singing. We sang all the rounds we could remember, dividing Keith's group to do the horns, Roger's group to do the trumpets, Helen's group to play the violins and my group to play the Clarinets! We sang all the state songs we could remember. Idaho, Utah, Nevada and California all got a song dedicated to them. So fun and then Janice yelled out, "Sugar In The Mornin". So we sang that one for her. Makes you wonder how many songs she knows. Probably all of them.
I have to tell you about the special treat I got to see Friday night. Sam, Ruleen and Alisha and family came out and had their tents all set up when I got back from going up to Lee's to use the phone for the last time!! How was I ever going to survive!! I mentioned to Lee that Ruleen and Family were up to the ranch setting up, and after he had fed Janice and I fresh cooked corn-on-the-cob, he got all the kids in the car and followed us home so he could visit with them a minute. They are real campers.. have all the gear..tents, stoves, lamps, port-a-potty, warm sleeping bags and blankets. We visited until dark and then walked back to the house. Emma walked over to the piano and started playing 'God Bless America'. Maggie, Beth, Laura, Ava and Page all gathered around the piano and started singing. I swallowed the lump in my throat and started singing alto. I knew if Lee saw even the glint of a tear, he would cry and then we would both be a mess. Lee sang baritone and we had ourselves a chorus. Watching Lee's family singing song after song together was so special and I couldn't get over the powerful, wonderful gift that Mother has given them. Thank you mother. Everyone of those darling girls lives will be forever blessed because of you. Just as ours have been. Hugs and Kisses, Jelene
I had a great time at the reunion at the Ranch last weekend. It was a time of reflection and loving gratitude. I still have a hard time when I don't see Mother and Janice at the gate. I know I'm not going to hear her at the piano, playing one of her concert pieces ever again. But I pulled my car into the driveway and Janice and I ( I picked Janice up in Panaca and brought her out with me) unloaded our suitcases and took them upstairs to our rooms. Lee's Beth and Laura and the little kids were busy cleaning up the back patio. They had planted 3 nice oak trees and 1 elm, 2 up above and 2 down by the basketball hoop. Beth had already staked up some fences around them and they look beautiful. I sure hope they do well. They had planted fresh new flowers in mothers flower beds by the patio. They were so proud to show them off. We finished helping them clean up the yard and it really looked nice.
I think the Brothers really enjoyed themselves this year. We had a small group, probably only about fifty all together. We all sat around and listened to Keith tell his stories and of course we all interjected our own interpretation of the truth when he would let us. The auction was a huge success, even if there was only 5 bidders. (The rich ones with Jobs!!) We let the brothers and Helen and their kids bid away and ended up with $400 and they ended up with really, really over priced Junk!!! Everyone was happy to have donated so that we can have a fun reunion again next year.
Helen and I made a relay course for the underwear game and divided up 2 very reluctant teams. We made them climb into some very big granny panties and run the relay course, holding onto the panties for dear life.
Thanks to Brad and Lilly we had some yummy dutch oven chicken and potatoes for supper. Then we started a fire in the big pit on the patio and started singing. We sang all the rounds we could remember, dividing Keith's group to do the horns, Roger's group to do the trumpets, Helen's group to play the violins and my group to play the Clarinets! We sang all the state songs we could remember. Idaho, Utah, Nevada and California all got a song dedicated to them. So fun and then Janice yelled out, "Sugar In The Mornin". So we sang that one for her. Makes you wonder how many songs she knows. Probably all of them.
I have to tell you about the special treat I got to see Friday night. Sam, Ruleen and Alisha and family came out and had their tents all set up when I got back from going up to Lee's to use the phone for the last time!! How was I ever going to survive!! I mentioned to Lee that Ruleen and Family were up to the ranch setting up, and after he had fed Janice and I fresh cooked corn-on-the-cob, he got all the kids in the car and followed us home so he could visit with them a minute. They are real campers.. have all the gear..tents, stoves, lamps, port-a-potty, warm sleeping bags and blankets. We visited until dark and then walked back to the house. Emma walked over to the piano and started playing 'God Bless America'. Maggie, Beth, Laura, Ava and Page all gathered around the piano and started singing. I swallowed the lump in my throat and started singing alto. I knew if Lee saw even the glint of a tear, he would cry and then we would both be a mess. Lee sang baritone and we had ourselves a chorus. Watching Lee's family singing song after song together was so special and I couldn't get over the powerful, wonderful gift that Mother has given them. Thank you mother. Everyone of those darling girls lives will be forever blessed because of you. Just as ours have been. Hugs and Kisses, Jelene
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Crazy days with Father
Hello Sisters,
I have a memory that we need to talk about. I cry every time I think about what our Father did to us little girls. I think it was a evil entity that Father had when he was mad a Mother. It is a time that our father went insane . Lilly, I believe was only two or three when this happened, so that means that Beth was four, Ruth was 6, Fara was 7 and I was 8. I don't remember much about the time of year but we could go outside without a coat on, so it may have been summer. Anyway it was evening and Father was not happy. He decided that we were not obeying him quick enough. He lined us up and gave us orders. He had us march in a line and then he went really crazy. He said, "children, I am going to have you stand on the table and you will fall off the table into my arms backwards, Ok." I remember just nodding my head and thinking to myself that, "I think He loves mother and I know that mother loves us so I hope that he will catch us." I was first to go and so I hopped up on the table and he said, "turn around and do not look at me, I will catch you." I took a big breath and just fell. Next in line was Fara, she did the same as I and just fell. But the next one in line was little Ruth. She started crying and got up to fall and turned to look. She could not do it. Father spanked her hard and then he got a blind fold and covered her eyes. Ruth fell this time and Beth then Lilly. We were all crying very quietly by then. He made us do this over and over. He told us that we were learning to trust him totally. Finally we were allowed to go to bed. But the torture was not over. The next morning we were all outside working and father got this idea that he needed to work us some more. He got a ladder and made us little girls get up on top of the roof of our house. He removed the ladder as he yelled up to us, "Ok you will stay up there until you jump down to me." We started crying and I told him that we were scared. He told us," You all need to trust me with your life because I am your Father." I thought to myself, "Well, I am not dead yet, so I will jump. Fara went next, but sister Ruth was not going to go so Beth went and it was Ruth and Lilly up on the roof. All I can remember is that it took them quite a while to finally jump. He would walk away for a while and then come back and ask them if they were ready. It was so sad for us little girls to know that all he had to do was not catch us and we would die. But we all survived that day. I think it was then that Father started driving truck. He never did that to us again.
I am sure that you all have had recall about this time. I had a time when I remember saying that same thing to myself. It was after my ex husband was mean to me I said, "Well, I am not dead yet, I guess I can stay."
Please add on to this if you want
Love you sisters, I still cry thinking of this time. I don't know where Mother was at that time. But I think that she had already learned that if she stayed out of the way and not fight with him, things didn't get as bad. We sure had a courageous and brave mother.
Helen
Wow no wonder I'm messed up. I had to be older than 3. I don't remember falling off the table into his arms, but I do remember the roof. I thought that the roof we had to jump off of was the shed roof. It was sooooo high. We could see our whole yard. The roof of our house, all the animals, and our neighbors houses We were so high that Father seemed so small and so far away. Ruth and I left up there for what seemed like hours. Who went first? What did we say to each other? How did we talk ourselves into jumping? I remember calling for Mother, Mother, Mother, come help us, Father wont let us down. Where was she? Why wasn't she there when we needed her the most. Someone had to protect us from that MEAN man on the ground that didn't love us. He couldn't have loved us or he wouldn't have been so mean. I never loved him. I remember having to kiss him and hug him but I didn't do it out of love. I did it because it was expected of me. I started pretending when I was 3. I didn't see our Mother as courageous. I felt betrayed by her. For many years after I got married I always wondered why she didn't leave that terrible awful man. If she would have left, then I would have thought she was courageous. Helen and Beth, it took courage for you to leave your husbands. I thought you two were Very Courageous. Looking back on it now some 45 years later, because of all that she went through, she learned it did no good to fight with Wayne. He must have been alot insane like you said Helen. That was just the start of all the insane things he put us through. The moral of this story is you cant teach children to trust you by making them jump off tall building. Wow sisters if we can jump of tall building then we can do anything we put our minds to. Lets go be AMAZING. Lilly
I have a memory that we need to talk about. I cry every time I think about what our Father did to us little girls. I think it was a evil entity that Father had when he was mad a Mother. It is a time that our father went insane . Lilly, I believe was only two or three when this happened, so that means that Beth was four, Ruth was 6, Fara was 7 and I was 8. I don't remember much about the time of year but we could go outside without a coat on, so it may have been summer. Anyway it was evening and Father was not happy. He decided that we were not obeying him quick enough. He lined us up and gave us orders. He had us march in a line and then he went really crazy. He said, "children, I am going to have you stand on the table and you will fall off the table into my arms backwards, Ok." I remember just nodding my head and thinking to myself that, "I think He loves mother and I know that mother loves us so I hope that he will catch us." I was first to go and so I hopped up on the table and he said, "turn around and do not look at me, I will catch you." I took a big breath and just fell. Next in line was Fara, she did the same as I and just fell. But the next one in line was little Ruth. She started crying and got up to fall and turned to look. She could not do it. Father spanked her hard and then he got a blind fold and covered her eyes. Ruth fell this time and Beth then Lilly. We were all crying very quietly by then. He made us do this over and over. He told us that we were learning to trust him totally. Finally we were allowed to go to bed. But the torture was not over. The next morning we were all outside working and father got this idea that he needed to work us some more. He got a ladder and made us little girls get up on top of the roof of our house. He removed the ladder as he yelled up to us, "Ok you will stay up there until you jump down to me." We started crying and I told him that we were scared. He told us," You all need to trust me with your life because I am your Father." I thought to myself, "Well, I am not dead yet, so I will jump. Fara went next, but sister Ruth was not going to go so Beth went and it was Ruth and Lilly up on the roof. All I can remember is that it took them quite a while to finally jump. He would walk away for a while and then come back and ask them if they were ready. It was so sad for us little girls to know that all he had to do was not catch us and we would die. But we all survived that day. I think it was then that Father started driving truck. He never did that to us again.
I am sure that you all have had recall about this time. I had a time when I remember saying that same thing to myself. It was after my ex husband was mean to me I said, "Well, I am not dead yet, I guess I can stay."
Please add on to this if you want
Love you sisters, I still cry thinking of this time. I don't know where Mother was at that time. But I think that she had already learned that if she stayed out of the way and not fight with him, things didn't get as bad. We sure had a courageous and brave mother.
Helen
Wow no wonder I'm messed up. I had to be older than 3. I don't remember falling off the table into his arms, but I do remember the roof. I thought that the roof we had to jump off of was the shed roof. It was sooooo high. We could see our whole yard. The roof of our house, all the animals, and our neighbors houses We were so high that Father seemed so small and so far away. Ruth and I left up there for what seemed like hours. Who went first? What did we say to each other? How did we talk ourselves into jumping? I remember calling for Mother, Mother, Mother, come help us, Father wont let us down. Where was she? Why wasn't she there when we needed her the most. Someone had to protect us from that MEAN man on the ground that didn't love us. He couldn't have loved us or he wouldn't have been so mean. I never loved him. I remember having to kiss him and hug him but I didn't do it out of love. I did it because it was expected of me. I started pretending when I was 3. I didn't see our Mother as courageous. I felt betrayed by her. For many years after I got married I always wondered why she didn't leave that terrible awful man. If she would have left, then I would have thought she was courageous. Helen and Beth, it took courage for you to leave your husbands. I thought you two were Very Courageous. Looking back on it now some 45 years later, because of all that she went through, she learned it did no good to fight with Wayne. He must have been alot insane like you said Helen. That was just the start of all the insane things he put us through. The moral of this story is you cant teach children to trust you by making them jump off tall building. Wow sisters if we can jump of tall building then we can do anything we put our minds to. Lets go be AMAZING. Lilly
Happy Days in 1965
The year was 1965 and we were living in Colorado City, AZ. Our home was almost completed. Our oldest brother Bart would take Keith, Roger and Lee, the younger boys out to Beryl Valley and bale hay week after week for money to help build our home. Also, our older sister Cheryl would work in St. George sewing sleeping bags to earn money. At home, mother raised chickens for eggs and Roger and Lee milked 2 cows every morning and night and anything that was extra we sold or gave away. We had a beautiful garden every year that mother and all of us would weed. She kept us all busy and life was good in our home. That summer Cheryl would get up really early around 5:00 A.M. to go to work. Beth got to sleep with Cheryl because she was lucky and little and needed her. We had one bedroom for nine girls, two sets of bunk beds and a little bed that us three (Helen, Fara, Ruth) little girls slept in. Lilly was still in the crib and slept in Mothers room. Some mornings I would hear Cheryl get up and I would go sit on her lap and she would share her food. Mother would be getting her breakfast and they would talk softly all the while. It was a special time that I really loved. After she left mother would play the piano for at least one hour each and every morning. She would always let one of us girls sit with her and turn the pages of her music. There were hundreds of notes on every page, but we all learned to follow along and turn the page at the right time so she wouldn't miss a beat. It was a special time and we thought we were pretty big to be able to turn mothers music pages for her. It was so wonderful waking up to music in the morning and hearing our mother do something that she loved so very much.
That first Autumn in our new home, Cheryl got married. She had gone to Father and Mother and said that she wanted to get married. Father went to Uncle Roy Johnson because he was in charge then, and asked if they could pray and find her a husband. Brother Johnson told Father that the priesthood would pray for revelation. The next Saturday, Father and Cheryl were called in and her future partner was brought in so that they could meet. The very next afternoon they were married. We all dressed up in our finest clothes and went up to Rulon Jeff's home and Cheryl was married to Hyrum Jeff, Rulon's son. It was a solemn ceremony. Father walked her into the room and placed her hand into Hyrum's hand and walked back to mother. They exchanged vows that they were told to say and kissed quickly. They hadn't even a had conversation, had not held hands yet and yet they were now married. I remember her coming to the house for the last time to get her suitcase and say good-bye to her family. It was so sad to have her go. She was like my second mom. I said to myself, "Why is she so happy to go? Maybe I didn’t love her enough." I felt that she was deserting me. She said good-bye and hugged us all. I remember mother was very sad after and went into her bedroom for a while. I ran out to the haystack and cried and cried. She was my friend. She saved me from Kay and Jelene when they would get mad at me. She shared her bed with me and let me sleep with her when I needed her. I was just lost without her.
It took us a few weeks to be happy again, but mother was not one to drag emotion out. We got right back to work. We all needed new clothes for the first day of school and life went on. This was our second school year in Colorado City. Mother had, Bart, Keith, Kay, Jelene, in high school and Roger, Lee, Helen, Fara, in grade school. We all walked to school and it was a busy time for our parents. You can add on to the story, Please.
love you all
Helen
That first Autumn in our new home, Cheryl got married. She had gone to Father and Mother and said that she wanted to get married. Father went to Uncle Roy Johnson because he was in charge then, and asked if they could pray and find her a husband. Brother Johnson told Father that the priesthood would pray for revelation. The next Saturday, Father and Cheryl were called in and her future partner was brought in so that they could meet. The very next afternoon they were married. We all dressed up in our finest clothes and went up to Rulon Jeff's home and Cheryl was married to Hyrum Jeff, Rulon's son. It was a solemn ceremony. Father walked her into the room and placed her hand into Hyrum's hand and walked back to mother. They exchanged vows that they were told to say and kissed quickly. They hadn't even a had conversation, had not held hands yet and yet they were now married. I remember her coming to the house for the last time to get her suitcase and say good-bye to her family. It was so sad to have her go. She was like my second mom. I said to myself, "Why is she so happy to go? Maybe I didn’t love her enough." I felt that she was deserting me. She said good-bye and hugged us all. I remember mother was very sad after and went into her bedroom for a while. I ran out to the haystack and cried and cried. She was my friend. She saved me from Kay and Jelene when they would get mad at me. She shared her bed with me and let me sleep with her when I needed her. I was just lost without her.
It took us a few weeks to be happy again, but mother was not one to drag emotion out. We got right back to work. We all needed new clothes for the first day of school and life went on. This was our second school year in Colorado City. Mother had, Bart, Keith, Kay, Jelene, in high school and Roger, Lee, Helen, Fara, in grade school. We all walked to school and it was a busy time for our parents. You can add on to the story, Please.
love you all
Helen
Three little girls miss Mother
We had lived in Colorado City for three years. We would go to church regularly and participated in every event. Mother really enjoyed being in this little town. But our father really loved to farm. He had lost a farm in Montiview, Idaho and the pain was still fresh. He found a farm out in Beryl Valley, Utah that needed a family. So that next summer we all went out there to live and farm. It was a broken down house and our mother made it our home. There was a giant well that pumped water into a reservoir right in the backyard it was quite a hill that encircled the water. Mother warned us about going by it because we did not know how to swim. The water ran through canals throughout the farm. We were growing alfalfa that summer and the older brothers were busy getting the fields watered. Us little kids would stay by the house and play, help with the house and mother. One day Lee decided to teach me how to ride a bike he said,"Helen get out here and I will have you ride down the hill.” He was the boss so I said, “Okay, but I don’t want to do this.” He had taken the only bike that we had, a 10 speed bike up to the top of the hill. Lee showed me how to get on and he rode it down the hill. He said,"its easy, just stay up and balance." He helped me straddle the bike and gave me a push. Well, needless to say I went down and fell at the bottom of the hill. I started crying because now I had scraped hands and knees. I did not ride a bike for a long while.
Most of the time us girls played dolls out under the trees by the side of the house and once a day we were allowed to watch T.V. Usually the show was "Leave it to Beaver" or "The Addams Family". We had a great summer.
That fall we all enrolled in the Colorado Elementary public school. Everyone was in school and all was going good. Then Father got a job up in the Idaho potato fields. He decided to take the older kids up to work. Fara, Ruth and I would stay and continue school. The only friends that my family trusted was the Blackmore’s. Father had met the Blackmore Family in Canada before they moved to Colorado City. They were a polygamist family. Harold Blackmore had married two sisters Gwen and Florence Williams. Mother took us aside and said,” Father and I have decided to have you go to school. We want you to stay with the Blackmores for just a while. The family must go to Idaho to harvest potatoes." Father said, “I will come and see you every few weeks. Okay?” I said, “ Good we get to go to school and see our teachers.” Father said, “yes you do.” We had no idea what we were getting into. Father took his little girls with our little suitcases over to their house. We were going to to live with them for sometime. I was in third grade, Fara was in second and Ruth was in first. Aunt Florence and Gwen met us at the door and welcomed us. Father walked us to the door, told us to be good then left. Aunt Gwen let us stay in a room by the kitchen. It had one large bed in it and a dresser. Each of us had a drawer to place our clothes. We didn’t want to take them out of the suitcase but we did. Aunt Gwen would get us up early in the morning so we could get ready for school. She had little aprons for us to put on while we did chores like sweep the floor and dust items. Aunt Florence would make us a little stack of pancakes with syrup then we would get ready for school. It was such a treat for us to have our own stack of pancakes. Breakfast time was a happy time.
That fall we all enrolled in the Colorado Elementary public school. Everyone was in school and all was going good. Then Father got a job up in the Idaho potato fields. He decided to take the older kids up to work. Fara, Ruth and I would stay and continue school. The only friends that my family trusted was the Blackmore’s. Father had met the Blackmore Family in Canada before they moved to Colorado City. They were a polygamist family. Harold Blackmore had married two sisters Gwen and Florence Williams. Mother took us aside and said,” Father and I have decided to have you go to school. We want you to stay with the Blackmores for just a while. The family must go to Idaho to harvest potatoes." Father said, “I will come and see you every few weeks. Okay?” I said, “ Good we get to go to school and see our teachers.” Father said, “yes you do.” We had no idea what we were getting into. Father took his little girls with our little suitcases over to their house. We were going to to live with them for sometime. I was in third grade, Fara was in second and Ruth was in first. Aunt Florence and Gwen met us at the door and welcomed us. Father walked us to the door, told us to be good then left. Aunt Gwen let us stay in a room by the kitchen. It had one large bed in it and a dresser. Each of us had a drawer to place our clothes. We didn’t want to take them out of the suitcase but we did. Aunt Gwen would get us up early in the morning so we could get ready for school. She had little aprons for us to put on while we did chores like sweep the floor and dust items. Aunt Florence would make us a little stack of pancakes with syrup then we would get ready for school. It was such a treat for us to have our own stack of pancakes. Breakfast time was a happy time.
Aunt Florence was a third grade teacher so she would take us with her. We would play quietly in her room before school. Our community school was making lunch for the kids that year and it was soup. All we brought from home was a slice of bread with butter. At times the soup was good but at times it had such a bad taste that you could hardly get it down. Our dear Aunt Florence would take home the leftovers from our school and then for supper many nights we would just warm up the soup. At times it was very hard to get down the second time around especially when it was split pea or Vegetables with Thyme. We were just little girls and it was a very hard time for us. We would get so homesick that we would cry at night and Ruth would pee her pants so I would cover it up and not let the Aunts know. One time at supper they had cauliflower /vegetables for supper. We had never had it and could not get it down. Ruth was very stubborn and would not eat it. “We can not eat this supper.” I said, Aunt Florence replied, “ In our home, our policy is waste not want not, and we live by it.” We just looked at them in fear. Fara and I tried to swallow some just so they would not get mad at us. I do believe we sat at the table for two hours while they cleaned up the kitchen trying to get us to eat the food. We were quietly crying, because we knew better than to make any noise. Finally, they let us go to bed and that night we all put our arms around each other and tried to sleep, we really felt abandoned by our family. It was about a month before our Father came to see us. We were so glad to see him, but he was not our mother. He left us once again with the news that in one month the family would be ready to come home. It seemed like it would never end. Aunt Gwen and Aunt Florence tried to help us out but when you only want your mother and family nothing can help. At last, we were reunited with our mother. She never let us out of her sight again at least not for more than a day. I'm sure it was as hard on her as it was on us.
Love Helen
Saturday, September 8, 2012
reunion 2012
I just want to thank Lilly and Brad for doing such a good job with the reunion this year. It was such a good time for everyone. Thanks Lilly for all the planning and work that you put into it. You are quite the planner and coordinator. Also, the food was wonderful and delicious because it was out in the mountain air.
Jelene had a big under wear relay race that was very hilarious but good for all the young children. But it was Edson and Bryan that really got it moving. They both put on quite a show and made us all laugh.
Bart mentioned that the whole atmosphere was very pleasant and he really enjoyed sharing the songs and visiting. We sang some old songs like Lida Rose with Uncle Bart, trios like Cherry Pink, Shanty Town. It was good having those memories and thinking about our parents. It was really nice have Ruleens' Family there with all those wonderful boys and Alicia's sweet little girl that was quite the climber. Lillian and Cindy came together along with Roselie and her sweet boyfriend in their pink camp house.
Jelene got cleaning out Jeremy's room and it was a mess. We barely made a dent because it was so bad. We had a big fire and burned and burned everything that could go out.
I think us girls need to have a place of our own at the ranch. It would be wonderful for our children and us to have and enjoy.
We missed all of you who could not make it this year. We love you all very much,
Helen
Jelene had a big under wear relay race that was very hilarious but good for all the young children. But it was Edson and Bryan that really got it moving. They both put on quite a show and made us all laugh.
Bart mentioned that the whole atmosphere was very pleasant and he really enjoyed sharing the songs and visiting. We sang some old songs like Lida Rose with Uncle Bart, trios like Cherry Pink, Shanty Town. It was good having those memories and thinking about our parents. It was really nice have Ruleens' Family there with all those wonderful boys and Alicia's sweet little girl that was quite the climber. Lillian and Cindy came together along with Roselie and her sweet boyfriend in their pink camp house.
Jelene got cleaning out Jeremy's room and it was a mess. We barely made a dent because it was so bad. We had a big fire and burned and burned everything that could go out.
I think us girls need to have a place of our own at the ranch. It would be wonderful for our children and us to have and enjoy.
We missed all of you who could not make it this year. We love you all very much,
Helen
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