Never before published!

I'm sure I have photos that you all have never seen.  Even if you have seen these, perhaps they bring back pleasant memories and may even spawn more memories.  In order to remember things, I have read, we have to find one memory and concentrate on it and let other memories come back.  So practice this!  And when you do, write them down and share them with your Mama, who is a "Keeper of Memories"! 

This was taken at 1503 Rebecca St, Sioux City, Iowa, in the back yard at the foot of the tall wooden stairs.  Kristy and Erica are swimming in a poor man's swimming pool, lol!  The inflatable raft!  Well it did work good as there were handles on the side . . . and Erica is itty bitty to be in there at all.  If memory serves me right, that was a hot summer.  We didn't have air conditioning upstairs, only a fan in the window so this was our way of cooling off.  Perhaps at some point your dad put a window air conditioner in the west living room window. 

See what happens when I keep typing and remember, more memories come back.  At first, I would have argued that we NEVER had air conditioning upstairs at 1503.  You know, tho, we didn't need it much.  We had windows on all four sides of the house and some great shade trees.  I loved that upstairs apartment !  <3

The Omaha Zoo, about 1974.  Erica and her Nana.  : )

Actually, that is a Billy Goat!  This day was hot.  The temp was 100 degrees but Erica looks cool as a cucumber in the little sun dress.  We had a stroller but neither girl would sit in it very long. 

What a pretty Gramma you all had!  She was the best mother-in-law anyone could have invented!  Aren't these two young rascals precious?  This photo is taken in the "Klinefus" house, on the school grounds about 1984. 

I did not like this kitchen.  Well, it was big and that was okay.  I did like the bottom freezer on that refrigerator.  Do any of you remember that the freezer was a drawer on the bottom?  Do you remember we took out the old worn out linoleum and we lived on that old wooden subfloor?  I did like the arch between the kitchen and the dining room.  I did like the window above the kitchen sink, I could look out to the west side yard and see the redbud trees and the big shade trees and maybe catch a glimpse of a child riding a zip line down thru the yard! 

I have heard tales of children riding mattresses down the enclosed stairway and hitting the wall at the bottom???? remember there was one or two steps up then a quick left turn to go up the rest of the way?  Who can tell me more about this? 

This must have been fall 1975 or a very early warm spring of 1976 as I am expectant with Craig.  I sewed that maternity top and I loved it with my bell bottom pants!  This swing set was in our south yard.  Your dad had put up a little fence around the swing set.  Kristy is there swinging, just a blur!  Erica is sitting on the glider waiting for a push.  I don't know who lived in that white house behind us but the Weirs lived just to the left.  That is the Weir's garage.  Dad and I planted that tree, that is growing up between the camera and the Weirs' garage.  This is early spring, I have decided, because there is a Redbud blooming across the street. 

Ah ha!  Bare cheeks!  Bare babies!  Kristy and Erica, each in their own dish pan.  Would you have thought I would have had a dish pan for Tiffany, too?  I guess the milk jug of water was to refill the dish pans after the girls had splashed out all the water!  In the back of the photo, there is a stack of shingles.  Dad and Grampa and Gramps shingled the roof of this tall, big ol gabled house.  What an ambitious project!  But all these men were shinglers.  Born and bred.  Naturals. 

This is Himself's and my Wedding Reception at Gramps and Granny's.  We are sitting in front of the fireplace wall.  look at that 1970s TV!  Look at those 1970s clothes!  Look at those chrome and vinyl dining room chairs we are sitting on!  I would have been more comfortible in my smock, bell bottoms and my leather sandals!  With my colored sunglasses and maybe even a bandana around my head! 

Oh my gosh, we were young! 

Kristy, Erica, Craig

Kathy, Martha and ??? Paul?  Ralph? 

We were living in the "Helen Speed" house and these neighbor children lived just south of us.  Look at my bathing beauties!  Craig is to the right.  You were in the neighbor's yard as we didn't have a swing set until we got to the "Lobaugh" house.  I think.  Maybe not until we moved to the "Klinkefus" house?   This is the house Johanna came home to.  We weren't here long as I think Johanna learned to walk at the Lobaugh House.  Craig, was it Kathy's or Martha's pigtail you cut off?  Their Mom wasn't even irritated, that I could tell.  She was very gracious about the "hair cut". 

There!  You children see how easy this is?  Write down one memory . . . and let the others flow in!  I'll keep trying . . . if you will start!  Love, this episode, of "down memory lane".  Hope you did too!  Love, Ma

PS:  there'll be more pics of you, Johanna, and Craig.  And of you all!