1. We went up north to Boyne City a few weekends ago... honestly, I was not looking forward to another long drive up north... we went to spend the weekend with Derek's parents... not an eventful weekend... actually, it was chilly and I didn't feel well all day Saturday, so I stayed in bed most of the day (WTH is up with me, vacation, and not feeling well... anyway) the joy of the weekend was spending several hours in a car with Derek's grandma. We learned so much about her life during our chat on the way up north... we learned...
*she grew up in northwest Detroit on Briggs Street in a very nice home... 6 rooms downstairs... 5 rooms upstairs. That was quite a home during her childhood.
*Her father worked for the Detroit News and her family was lucky enough to never be touched by "The Depression" or any other financial downfall.
*Her father used to play card a lot with other men in the backroom of a local drugstore. He wasn't home a lot, which bothered her and her siblings (she has one sister named June who passed away in the early 80s and a brother named Billy who currently lives in the Carolinas). She remembers getting excited when her father would come home and take his shoes off at the door because that meant he was staying home for the evening (which wasn't often).
*She went the Mackenzie High School in Detroit. In middle school she was chosen for what would be the equivalent today of a Homecoming Queen. She told us how she wanted a new dress for the occasion, but her father insisted it wasn't necessary to spend the money on a new dress for such an occasion. Her mother surprised her by making her a yellow eyelet dress to wear the the event. Her father surprised her by coming to the event. She didn't expect him to be there because he hadn't shown any interest or pride in her winning this "crown." She was elated when she saw him.
*Grandma dated a man with a motorcycle. When he picked her up for dates her father would just cringe. She said she had a lot of fun riding on the back of that bike.
*As a young mother she used to grow a large, large garden and would can 500-600 cans of food per year. She talked about how exhausted she would be taking care of three children, cleaning a home and canning. "That was just what you did back then," she said.
*She and Derek's step-grandpa traveled to England for a month a few years after they were married. Derek's step-grandpa (Geoff) had family there and had been in the war over there. They went there without a plan! They visited relatives and places of battle. Grandpa Geoff was a medic in the army during the war. They traveled around the country with no particular plan. Amazing that she is Carol's mother! LOL!
*She talked about working in the factories during the war while all of the men were away.
Isn't she a beautiful lady? What a gift it was to have these conversations with her!
Isn't she a beautiful lady? What a gift it was to have these conversations with her!
2. I was able to get copies of pictures of my grandparents and me when I was little from my aunt. My maternal grandfather passed away when I was 7 and my maternal grandma died right before Derek and I got married. I basically lived with them until shortly after my grandfather died. After that I still visited often, but wasn't there quite as much. I used to travel everywhere with them. I would write their last name (Prieto) on my school papers and really loved being with them. Here are a few pictures:
3. I received my backdoor "wall stuff" in the mail. We painted the back door area and hung the "stuff." It looks great! I would love to share a picture, but my camera BROKE!! ahhh! Thankfully, I bought the replacement plan, but I have to mail it in AFTER they send me the package to send it in (which will be here at the earliest on Thursday) and then it takes up to TWO WEEKS to get it back! Ahhh! What will I do? I have my camera phone, which is better than nothing, but doesn't compete with my real camera! I will post a pic when I can!
Well, it's time to get ready for bed (sad, eh?). I want to start the year off right... going to bed at a decent hour... getting up and "doing" the treadmill each morning before work and making my lunch. Wish me luck! I hope I can do it... I need it badly! Happy "new" year everyone! Congrats to all of you moms out there that couldn't wait for this day to come! I'll think of you tomorrow if you think of me! LOL!
{Good Stuff} I received my back-to-school raise this past Friday. Now, this IS a perk of being a teacher... you always know when you are getting a raise and how much! That makes back-to-school a little sweeter. :)
1 comment:
So did you end up working out?
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