TBT: Dad's Dad's Family

Much has been written on here lately about my father's search through old photographs.  I happened to be sitting next to him when he found the two that I'm sharing today. I love these formal photos of my grandfather's family.

Dad's grandparents (my great-grandparents) were Chester and Idelle.  They had five sons and one daughter. Dad believes the birth order was Wilfred, Earl, Vernor, Arlene, Fred (my grandfather!), and Roland.

I hope that I have the names matched up properly in the captions.

Please note the rockin' hairdo sported by my grandfather!  :)

Back row (L to R): Earl, Fred (Grandpa!), Wilfred, Vernor, Roland
Front row (L to R): Arlene, Chester, Idelle

The five brothers.
(L to R):  Fred, Wilfred, Vernor, Earl, Roland

Dad 212: greek god (?) and a high-wheeler

(Note to my father: "Yes, posting the photos can be done!" Note to all others: "Enjoy Dad's post!" ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! The sun is trying to break through the clouds this morning. I believe it will succeed. No complaints on our summer weather. Seems to be pretty good. We have had good sunny days with some showers late in the day. Some showers have been violent. Even had a couple tornadoes touch down a few miles from home. No damage locally, but not true in other areas. Hope the tornadoes are over.

This past week I attempted to find a picture of moi from 50 years ago. It made me look as close to a "greek god" as possible for a body like mine. Well, I have searched and have not found the picture. Several family members doubt the photo ever existed. I promise you it did!

While desperately looking for the photo, I came across several (hundreds even) pictures taken in past years. I have two that I will have my editor post today. Not sure if it can be done.

This first picture shows me (in clamdiggers) and spouse probably about 54 years ago during our first year of marriage. I hope you can appreciate the slim upper-body that I had back then. This picture is as close to the "greek god" status that I was searching for. (If I ever find the other photo, I'll be sure and post it.)

 

This second picture shows me at age 12 on the first high-wheel bicycle that we owned. The picture was taken in front of our cottage at Old Orchard Beach. (The same bike is now hanging in a garage in Eureka, Illinois. It became Kim's as she rode it in several parades and demos "back when.")

Written top left: "Freddy 51"

 

I hope you enjoyed the photos!

Since I have agreed to not get too wordy this summer I will not put anything else in print today. Both my proofreader and editor will appreciate this.

Sooo....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Following Up: Bridge

A week ago I wrote that I was going to learn the game of Bridge.

I am happy to report that I actually did so!

But to clarify, I only read about the game. I didn't play it. This is somewhat understandable because I'd need to play with three other people that knew the game.

I would like to play, though, in order to experience the bidding process and the scoring. The play itself seems straightforward enough, but what I read about the scoring made my head spin! (Not literally.)

After I did my Bridge research, I finished reading "Cards on the Table" by Agatha Christie.

I am happy to report that my research did indeed help me understand the story better, especially when the suspects referred to who was the "dummy" for a particular hand.

And, no , they weren't talking about me!

The Endeavour Cliffhanger

Lew and I enjoy watching the Masterpiece Mystery series Endeavour on PBS.

The series stars British actor Shaun Evans as Detective Constable Endeavour Morse.  His boss, Detective Inspector Fred Thursday, is played by Roger Allam.  They have a good working rapport, which is a major part of the show's charm.

Season 2 just finished airing in the U.S.A. a week ago Sunday.  There were only four episodes.

The last episode ended with Endeavour sitting in jail, arrested for a crime he did not commit.  He was framed for this crime, and now we have to wait several months to find out what happens next. D.I. Thursday is also in the hospital suffering from a gunshot wound.  Will he survive?

I can barely stand the suspense.

Season 3, please hurry up!

A Beach Party; A Birthday Party

Kim, Joe, Kaelen, and Kelsey -- and we mustn't forget Cocoa! -- arrived on Tuesday just in time to attend Josh's final baseball game of the season.

The next morning a bunch of us went to the beach. Only one member of our beach party went in the ocean, and I must give him his due....

.... Joe asked if anyone wanted to go down to the water with him, but he had no takers. So he braved the trip on his own. We all watched him as he ran toward the ocean. I even hummed the "Chariots of Fire" theme song. (Kim commented she felt like she was watching a movie.) Joe reached the water and "frolicked" a bit before diving into the crashing waves. It was a moving scene. (End theme song.)

I spent the rest of the week eating sandwiches. My father had bought lunch meat and cheese. He didn't want it to go to waste, so I obliged. Everyone else helped, too.

Little Adam will be a year old this Tuesday! His party was today. Lew and I (a.k.a. Grampa and Tia) attended. I will end this post with some party photos for your viewing pleasure. :)

The Birthday Boy! I love how his eyes smile.

The Birthday Boy without the pacifier!

 

The Cake - Before.

The Cake - After.

One of Adam's gifts. Assembly (still) required!

 

For the Love of Chocolate

Writing Prompt:  Chocolate.

The best writing prompt ever!  Chocolate!

Anyone who has been a consistent reader of my blog knows how much I love chocolate!

I like dark chocolate the best.  I eat some every day.  I refer to it as my "heart medicine" as there are definite health benefits to eating dark chocolate.

Just the smell of chocolate makes me feel happy.  (I think there is a scientific reason for that phenomenon, too.)

Chocolate chip cookies.  Chocolate milkshakes.  Extreme chocolate ice cream.  Chocolate candy bars. Hot chocolate (with whipped cream).  I like it all.

I have typed the word "chocolate" so many times, the spelling doesn't even look right! Chocolate can do that to you, I guess.... It makes the world go crazy in a very good way.

And my five minutes are up.  Time flies when you're thinking about chocolate!

M.L., I've Got Your Number

Anyone walking into my parents' living room yesterday would have come across a floor filled with old photos, newspaper clippings, and scrapbooks.

My father was looking for one picture. Of himself.  Apparently looking like a "greek god."

He had told his grandchildren about this picture a couple days ago, so he was trying to prove its existence. Or perhaps he was trying to prove the existence of his one-time "greek god" status.  Maybe both.

Anyway, the picture remains "at large", so the search will have to be extended to all areas of the house at some point.

In the meantime, the following picture was discovered.  My mother had not made any claims regarding her youthful physical fitness, but she should have!

Dad wrote a telephone # and comment on the back.
"Mary Lou (what a Babe)"

Dad 211: Family Summer Vacation

(My beach outing: two hours. Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Another great summer day in the great Northeast. Enough about the weather!

Well, the Illinois clan is here in Maine and now they are at Pine Point Beach. The list of beachgoers is as follows: Tracy, Kim, Deb, Joe, Kaelen, Kelsey, Josh, and Josh's friend Katey. That leaves Zack home sleeping and Cocoa here with us at the revival of "Doggie Day Care". (We are trying to have Cocoa and Pepper free to roam under our roof. So far, so good. I'm not sure if Cocoa has spotted Pepper lying in the window.) Don't have a clue as to how long the beach outing will last. My guess is between two and three hours. Stay tuned!

For the past three summers around this time I have made repairs to my weathervane. As I look out today it seems I finally got it right last summer. The weathervane is working fine and shows no signs of getting stuck. So it looks like I will not tackle my "engineering miracle" project on the garage roof again. Whew! I'm very happy about this. I believe others are also!

The whole family (including the Illinois clan) was in attendance at Josh's playoff baseball game last night. His team lost, so they are done. Josh caught the whole game. He had two hits. His first hit drove in his team's only run. The second was a line drive over the leftfielder's head for a double; I believe this was the longest and hardest fair ball he hit this season. A good time was had by all.

We ate dinner after the game. Some of us had sandwiches right here at home. The rest went across the street to Ken's Place Restaurant. It doesn't get any better.

The conversations continued in our crowded domicile. I even told a story about my claim to fame as a basketball player while at Gordon College (where I met my spouse of 54 years). I will tell you the story at a later time.... The basketball story! Don't miss it!

Time to end this, sooo....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Bridge

As I mentioned yesterday, I plan to read all 66 mystery novels by Agatha Christie. So far I have read five. I am currently halfway through "Cards on the Table" (with Hercule Poirot).

The game of Bridge is fairly significant in this book. Here is what I know about Bridge:

1. It's a card game.
2. There are four players, I think.
3. My grandmother played it.

That's it. That's all I know.

I am enjoying the book, but I think my reading of it would be enhanced if I knew even a little bit about Bridge.

Interesting to me (and maybe to you?) is that learning the game of Bridge was already on a list of things that I want to do! (Reading Agatha Christie is also on this same list.)

So, here I go, off to learn the game of Bridge. And maybe I'll even start a Bridge club... complete with tea and crumpets!

My New Series Goal

Last summer I finished my quest to watch every single episode of the Perry Mason television series (the original show, not the later movies).

Lew and I recently finished watching the entire run of "Breaking Bad" on Netflix.

So readers of my blog may be wondering if I have a new goal in mind. (Perhaps you are not wondering, but I'm going to tell you about it anyway!)

My new goal is not as a viewer, but as a reader.

I want to read every one of Agatha Christie's mystery novels. From my extensive (ha!) research, I learned that she wrote 66 mystery novels. She also wrote short stories, plays, and (under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott) six romance novels.

I have a chronological list of the 66 titles. I'm not reading them in order, because I don't have them all yet. I have some in paperback and some on my Kindle. I'll look for more at the library.

I do have one title in hardcover. My friend Luanne gave it to me after she found it at a yard sale. The cover artwork is beautiful, so I have it facing out on my shelf. It encourages me whenever I look at it!

 

Celebrate Good Times

This past week (plus tomorrow) has seen its share of milestones and celebrations.

On Tuesday night Lew and I went to a retirement dinner for our dear friend, Judy, who has served for 15 years as the Executive Director at a local crisis pregnancy center. We had a lovely evening of honoring Judy and praising God for His goodness!

I spent Wednesday afternoon and early evening with my good buddy Carmen. We were celebrating the conclusion of our tenures as treasurer of our respective churches. (I had done it for four years, Carmen for 15!) We walked on the beach, ate Kentucky Fried Chicken for dinner (thanks, Dad!), and topped it all off with ice cream.

Today I finally finished reading "...And Ladies of the Club", a novel by Helen Hooven Santmyer. I enjoyed it, but I'm so glad to be done... 1176 pages!

And tomorrow? Well, July 20th is a significant day in our family! Tomorrow will be Debbie and Glen's 18th wedding anniversary. It is also Dad's 76th birthday. And Lew and I will be celebrating 14 years of marital bliss.

Happy Anniversary, Debbie and Glen!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy Anniversary, Sweetie!

There's Always Time for Dancing

Writing prompt:  When we were wee.

I just had dinner with a friend a few weeks ago, and we lamented that we had lost the sense of "childlike wonder."

What did we mean by that?

You know how everything new was exciting?  And just being alive (and awake!) was a reason to dance with abandon?  Oh, that was so long ago!

When did we lose that outlook on life, and how can we get it back?

It is so important to have little ones in our lives as we get older.  Those wee ones remind us that God's world is captivating, that there is joy in something as simple as a puddle after the rain, that twirling with your arms fully stretched out is fun -- and that it doesn't matter who sees you doing it.

When we were wee, we had an appreciation for simple gifts and pleasures.

And my five minutes are up....

Let's go jump in a puddle!  :)

Coming Soon: A Cousin Reunion

My sister Kim's family is scheduled to arrive on Monday.  Her girls are the only cousins that sister Debbie's boys have, so it will be fun to see them all together again!

In keeping with the theme of Throwback Thursday, I am sharing two "old" photos of the four cousins.

Love.   :)

 Based on the "2004" shirts, I'm guessing this was taken summer 2005.
L to R:  Kaelen, Josh, Zack, Kelsey

Three years later.... Summer 2008.
L to R:  Josh, Kaelen, Zack, Kelsey

Dad 210: The Rain in Maine

(Lew and I were driving during the heavy rain last night. Well, Lew was driving; I was his white-knuckled passenger! Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Enjoying a real damp morning. The sun shone bright early but the fog is now upon us. Supposed to have fairly constant rain today. If it happens, we are ready.

We survived a "severe storm warning" last evening. It was quite a lightning-thundering show with some very loud boomers. I might add that the rain was quite heavy at times. The experts tell us that the next few days are to be extremely comfortable and summer-like.

It seems Maine is becoming a mini tornado alley. Last evening the major networks stayed on air through the national news broadcasts to keep us updated with tornado warnings. None near the coast, but several were spotted in the central part of the state. Haven't heard of any serious damages, but have seen some pictures of trees uprooted and covering houses. Oh, the joy of summer weather.

We are in the last week of Josh's baseball schedule. Season hasn't been great, but it has been interesting and a good time was had by all.

Last night I watched the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Really enjoyed watching Derek Jeter in his final mid-summer classic. He got two hits and a several-minute standing ovation when taken out of the game in the fourth inning. A well-deserved tribute for a classy player. Very deserving gentleman!

Well, we're waiting upon the arrival of our Illinois family. Hopefully by this time next week they will be in Maine. Then the fun begins! We're ready!

Stay tuned! Sooo....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Early Bird

My big goal for the week is simply stated but hard to do:

Get out of bed earlier in the morning.

This is hard for me because I like to stay up late. In order to get up earlier, I also have to go to bed earlier. (Of course.)

I actually succeeded yesterday and today. But please don't pat me on the back yet. Two days in a row does not a habit make.

Due to my early rising, I have accomplished a lot the last two mornings. What a great feeling!

I do enjoy getting a good start on the day. :)

We Say Soccer, The Rest Say Football

The FIFA World Cup has been top news over the past few weeks. The tournament ended yesterday with a 1-0 win by Germany over Argentina for the championship.

I was glad Germany won the championship game by scoring an actual goal. It was nice the game didn't go to penalty kicks.

Argentina won its prior game (a semi-final) via penalty kicks. The score of that game was 0-0 after 90 minutes of regulation time. It was still 0-0 after the 30 minutes of extra time, at which point Lew asked, "Why do they bother running around like that for two hours? Why not go straight to the penalty kicks?"

The game announcers then said the TV coverage would go back to the studio panel for a few minutes; the panel would offer analysis of what had happened so far.

Lew offered his own analysis: "Nothing happened!"

Conclusion: Lew really likes watching football... American football, that is!

Vacation Happenings

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Lew has been on vacation this past week. The weather cooperated quite nicely! A brief rundown of the week:

Sunday (the 6th): We celebrated Verlie's 86th birthday!

Monday: We went on a beach outing with Emily, Eli, and Adam. This was followed by the eating of ice cream.

Tuesday: Lew played 9 holes of golf with his best buddy. I did laundry.

Wednesday: Breakfast at IHOP. (Yummy!) Lew completed his application for social security. :)

Thursday: Lew played 18 holes of golf with Glen, Josh, and Zack. It was a scramble -- Lew & Josh vs. Glen & Zack. They tied on holes won and they tied on number of strokes. The tie had to be broken, so....

Friday: 18 more holes. Same teams. It was not a tie. Glen & Zack were the initial winners, but the results changed after the scorecard math was reviewed! LOL!

Saturday (today): Lew and I spent a lovely day at the lakeside home of some wonderful friends. We ate, we gabbed, we floated. Good food, good friends, good time....

Good vacation!

An Audit in My Future?

Writing prompt: Real life.

Have you ever told someone a story that they didn't believe, so you insisted, "This happened in real life!"

"Real life" is not "made up", although sometimes things occur that seem too bizarre. Hence sayings like "Truth is stranger than fiction" and "You can't make this stuff up."

A recent example: the "missing" IRS e-mails.

The organization that requires us to keep meticulous records wants us to believe they "lost" a bunch of e-mail correspondence.

Seriously? They really expect us to believe them?

And, more to my point, I can't believe that in "real life" these IRS officials would even try something like this. A new low, even for them.

You can't make this stuff up!

(PostScript: With editing, this post took me more than five minutes. But the ideas were formulated in five minutes. I typed rather than dictated this week.)

TBT: Batgirls!

New Year's Eve, ringing in 2001:

Anne-Marie, Krista, me, and Ellen

 

Just a few months ago, having more fun than ever:

Can you match us up with the top photo? It shouldn't be too hard!

 

Dad 209: Lilacs and Strawberries

(I think my father is making fun of my cat in today's post. Enjoy reading it anyway! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Another beautiful summer day here in the Northeast. We've really had a nice stretch of summer weather. A bit muggy at times, but a shower later today is supposed to drop the dew point to a marvelous level for the remainder of the week.

I've had a busy morning. I should have written this earlier but I got involved in some outdoor tasks. First I went to our local recycling area to drop a truck load of brush -- $20 worth to be exact. You see, Lew trimmed up a bunch of bushes the other day, and my neighbor pulled an invasive plant out of our lilac trees. These lilac trees were bushes when we arrived here forty years ago. They have been attacked by an invasive plant over the past four or five years. My answer to this plant would be to cut down all the bushes. My neighbor doesn't want this to happen for privacy reasons. So I'll try to take care of all these plants so they don't meet a slow death as they get strangled. (Personally, I don't have a fondness for lilacs. I don't like their looks; I don't like their smell. I would rather they were all cut down and made into grass. Much easier to mow. But I'll do my best to keep them alive.)

Also did a little gardening today. Lew has about 10 strawberry plants he planted in our front lawn garden. Well today I weeded out the grass and watered and fertilized the plants. They actually have some berries on them! But I don't think they will be good for a shortcake this season. (Probably never.) While I weeded I was being watched by the eyes of Jerry, the huge cat. He watched me all the time I was in the yard as he was lying in the window against the screen. Believe me, he filled up the space. There was no extra room in the window.

Spent a little time spraying Roundup and replacing reflectors on our mailbox post. A real productive morning as I sit out here on Lew's porch writing this.

Now to my tuna with Pepper. We missed our Tuesday's tuna, so I must not miss another day this week.

Here I come, Pepper! Soo....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

So Busy....

When Lew is off work I do not tackle my to-do list all that well.

And why should I?

We're on vacation, baby!

(PostScript: We do have one "productive" task to complete this week, and that is to sign up Lew for social security payments. Sounds like fun to me!)

Social Media

I was chatting with a friend today about the growing significance of social media. It is really hard to believe how quickly it has all happened.

Although I don't participate much on some of these, I do have accounts on quite a few outlets -- for example, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Goodreads, and Pinterest. (Oh, the time one could waste!) And, of course, a blog is a form of social media, too. :)

I do enjoy many aspects of social media, but I don't want it to take the place of getting together with family and friends, face-to-face. This is something I know I need to do better at myself.

Signing off for tonight. Gotta check Facebook....

Fun With Family and Friends

My first "Summary Saturday" post.... Woohoo!

On Tuesday night I went to the beach with our house church group. (Lew stayed home to nurse his achy foot.) It was quite windy on the beach, but we stayed long enough to eat ice cream and watch kids play.

Adam eating -- and wearing -- his ice cream.

Eli had a great time playing in the sand.

 

Yesterday Lew and I joined Glen, Debbie, and the boys for an Independence Day cookout. We rode up with them to their family camp on Little Sebago Lake. Glen's parents, his sister, and my Aunt Debbie were also there. Lew and Zack went swimming. Lew was excited to try out his new dive mask and snorkel.

Zack (left) with his 6'2", 205-pound uncle.

 

We stopped in to see Matt, Eli, and Adam after breakfast this morning. (Emily was out with her mom and brother.) Eli wanted me to play "hide and seek" with him, so I did. Question: Is "hide and seek" supposed to be tiring? I was pooped afterward!

There is lots more fun ahead for us, because Lew is on vacation this coming week. Woohoo! It's time to once again sing The Vacation Song :

We're on vacation!
We're on vacation!
We're on vacation!
Everybody sing The Vacation Song!

It Would Not Be Prudent

Writing Prompt: What is something I would attempt if I knew I would not fail?

This question is more intriguing to me than its answer. Is it something that I know I would definitely fail at? Or is it something that I'm just afraid of doing?

Also does "failing" necessarily mean the opposite of "succeeding"? For example, a course grade of "F" would be failing, but would a grade of "D" be succeeding? (I think not!)

My gut response to this is something that I am afraid to do. Like skydiving. I fear doing this because the consequence of failing is drastic: death.

Another thing that came to mind would be writing that novel I've talked about so much. But failing at that is not a life-or-death situation.

Back to skydiving: I don't really want to try it. It doesn't appeal to me. But if I knew that I would not fail, I might do it just to say that I did. There is some satisfaction in that, I guess. And perhaps I would enjoy the scenery! Still, it's probably never going to happen.

However, I will attempt that novel.... Even though I might fail.

[I dictated this on my iPad. I talked ("wrote") for five minutes, then I went back and did some editing. Do I talk as clearly as I write? I guess I will learn that as I go along on these five-minute Fridays!]

Friends Forever

July 4th is not just Independence Day.

It is also Suzy's birthday. She would have been celebrating 51 years tomorrow.

I will never again see Suzy this side of Heaven, but I am grateful to God for the richness of knowing her and for the many happy memories!

Not only were we college roommates, but we also worked together for two years at a small Christian college in Sterling, Kansas. (Name of college? Sterling College!) This picture was taken shortly after I moved to Sterling in the summer of 1989.

Suzy and I, ready to take SC by storm!

Happy Birthday, Suzy! I miss you.

 

Dad 208: Kents Hill 1964 Reunion

(I was born during my parents' time at Kents Hill, and I am told my earliest babysitters were the people Dad mentions by name below. Enjoy his post! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Another hot, muggy day is on schedule for the Northeast. The third such day in a row. Two days ago was so hot I decided to install our air conditioner for the season. I'm sure it will come in handy.

A week ago Saturday I traveled to Kents Hill School. Spouse and I started our working married life at Kents Hill in the fall of 1961. We spent five years at Kents Hill; four of them were very enjoyable. (The last one not so much fun.) I taught math and coached basketball along with other private school duties. Spouse supervised in the dorm while serving as coach in various sports, enjoying an undefeated season with her archery team.

The reason for my return was to take advantage of a request from the graduating class of 1964. I met up with a couple other staff members, one of which I hadn't seen since 1966. My return was very enjoyable. I must admit I didn't recognize the campus. The new buildings and renovations were stunning. I'm sure many small colleges would enjoy such a setting. A good time was had by all.

Some of the Kents Hill 1964 class have been contributors to the school in its building program. The athletic building is named for Harold and Ted Alfond. Ted graduated in 1964 and quarterbacked an undefeated football team. He was also a member of our undefeated basketball team. There is a large building overlooking the ski hill and the name of that complex is for 1964 graduates Richard O'Connor and Joanne (Bass) O'Connor, who became a couple from their attending Kents Hill School. Students giving back is such a pleasure to observe. Fine people! I sure enjoyed my time spent with them 50 years later.

Interestingly enough I received another invitation to a 45th reunion. This was from the 1969 graduating class of Sanford High School. Sanford was my high school and I returned there to teach for four years in the late 60s. Regrettably, I will not be able to attend this reunion.

It seems I'm at the age where the classes look up all the surviving staff members to come to their reunions. The number of survivors seems to reduce itself rapidly. I'm happy to be available, even though I can't always show up at the events. Availability is wonderful!

Enough for now! Sooo.....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Blog Schedule

Over four months ago I wrote a post about new plans for this blog.

I have finally come up with this weekly schedule:

Sabbath Sunday. After posting daily for four and a half years, I am going to start taking Sunday's off from blogging. :-)

Media Monday. I enjoy sharing about books I've read, movies I've seen, and TV shows I watch. This could also include current news items... like sporting events!

To-do Tuesday. What am I up to? What do I have going on?

Derf Wednesday. Dad's day as guest blogger! (Sorry that "Derf" doesn't start with W, but there's really nothing I can do about it.)

Throwback Thursday. Self-explanatory. May not always be a photo; could be a reminiscent story.

Five-minute Friday. What can I write in only five minutes? I plan on using writing prompts, so you may get to read some crazy stuff!

Summary Saturday. A weekly wrap-up or an opportunity to further comment on something that struck me during the week.

Of course, the above can be superceded on any given day if necessary, especially if I have a great cat picture to share. (LOL!)