Wednesday, August 24, 2011

My Great Grandmother's Journal 1898



I have been such a bad blogger!
I've been having to actually work at my job 
and have just no time for blogging! 
humph! 


The other I was dusting, no I really was......
and my Great Grand Grandmothers journal caught my eye.



When I was young I would spend the night at my 
Grandparents house whenever I could.
Great memories, Gram let me watch Star Trek!
We would also sit on the patio and Grandpa would read to me from his Mother's Journal.
I loved it! 
 I would picture her and everything in my mind.




Here's some entries.


Diary beginning July 19, 1891
Miss Effie M. (Mae) Collins


She would have been 21 years old.


Sunday July 19 - at home  Oscar rode up in buggy 


Oscar would be my Great Grandfather, he would have been 22 years old.


February 
27.  Did big washing, baking, scrubbing etc.
Adda and Kate came down in pm.  Charlie stepped on a nail.


 29. no coal, no school, heavy snow all day 
worked on quilts


Effie Mae was a teacher.  
She writes on each day how many pupils were there.
Seven pupils today, nine pupils, 
can you even imagine a class that small!!


July 
17. Oscar went to Platte for hay, in eve went to town in wagon
I saw a balloon. Came back home 


18. at home all day Oscar cut oaks


19. Wash day   Helga came form me I went down for dinner. Then she came up we worked on quilts.  Uncles went to Hackberry 


20. Ironed all day and quilted
November 
6. home all day  Oscar making sled


7. At home all day  Oscar went hunting


8. went to church


9. in bed most of am   ironed and patched


10. at home all day  Oscar fixing sled  darned socks


11. in bed all am 


20. Oscar and I home all day


21. sick  went for Dr. baby born 5 o'clock pm 
Mother came 


22. wash day   Mother dressed baby


23.  baked bread, apple butter, Mother dressed baby


What!??  She just popped out a baby 
and went back to washing the next day!


Think about it .......no TV, no TIVO, no Housewives of ANYWHERE!
Not only that, but she walked back and fourth 
from the school she taught at.
Both ways in the snow
(OK I added the snow part, but there was snow, it was Iowa)
Sometimes Oscar was able to pick her up in a buggy.


There are entries were Oscar was calling on her 
and there was a chaperone!! 


I can't even imagine life back then.


Remember my dinning room photos.


Here is Effie Mae, Oscar and Lambert.


Here are all their children.
My Gramps is the baby in white.
Lambert is in back, he was the oldest.
 And in this picture, Oscar is in the middle of the back row.
That is his family.


I sure wish I could go back and talk to everybody!
How cool would that be!! 

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Where is Jane?

Wow I have been crazy busy.....
and not with my furniture stuff! 

Taking all that time off for vacation was not smart!
It took over a week to clean my desk!
Job security....... I guess

And last weekend we took my nephew to college!


I rode with him and his parents followed.
And I gotta tell ya, there are a few rap songs that I did enjoy!


The dorm and the essentials.......snowboard!

The Nephew and his roommate putting together dressers!


Now that was hilarious!!

Three hours later and one almost cut off thumb......
 The Bother in Law was injured early on!


Taylor Swift poster from Aunt Jane......
Hey The Roommate LOVED it!!


The good bye photo......

Me, The Nephew, My Sister

I think my Bother In Law was a little misty eyed....
he took the photo.......

I cried more than the parents did!!

I promise I'll be back soon!!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Mayan Southwestern Style / Vacation


The Boyfriend and I had a wonderful vacation at the 
Iberostar Tucan Resort in Cancun.

The view from our balcony!


Yep, need I say more!

We've been here before and for the price it is a great vacation place.
It's all inclusive, there is a jungle, a huge pool, several different restaurants and the
staff, could not be any nicer!!

Oh and there's the BEACH!  
Me at 6:30am, the sun just came up!
Heaven!!!!

My only complaint...........

The people of Cancun did not get the memo that 
Southwestern is DONE!

Mayan Southwestern, yes,
but it's still done.......

This is the view from the balcony looking in........

Huge room, lots of space!

But the pastel, the whole Southwestern thang is so over!


OK, so I don't get yelled at, if you live in a cabin, or maybe New Mexico,
Southwestern could still be used.


Iberostar Resort  People, hear me.......



We something new and exciting!

At least there wasn't one of these bad boys in the room!!





We did get these nice robes.....

And fresh flowers, every other day!


And the staff made these towel animals everyday.


I don't know who thought this up, 
or who had enough time on their hands to make up the 
art of Towel Animals.....

Look they even have eyes!


Cute?
You decide......

One afternoon when we came back from the beach there was 
a Towel Baby Head......with eyes and a mouth........

The Boyfriend dismantled it immediately and put the towels outside!
It was really creepy! 


And because I know how fun it is to look at other 
peoples vacation pictures....


Look at this cute little guy!




To give you some idea how small he was!




Here's The Boyfriend and I floating on our raft!






There were monkeys everywhere!



And for your listening and viewing pleasure


Me being Jane Goodall 






The Boyfriend said YELLED the 3rd one over and over......
and over and over and over...........