Visit Back East

On Friday, October 24, I loaded my car up with clothes, computers, and sewing machine for my yearly winter visit with Trixie and her family in Arizona. I drove to Salt Lake where I visited for awhile with my sister Maria, and stayed overnight with my cousin Aartje Cluff. The next day I left my car in Riverton, Utah with Trixie's sister-in-law, Kliena. Kliena drove me to the airport where I boarded a flight to Hartford, Connecticut. Trixie (who had arrived a week earlier to help Kayla and the new baby) and Adam picked me up in Hartford, and we drove to Adam and Kayla's home in Thomaston, Connecticut.

In 1813 a man named Seth Thomas came to the Plymouth Hollow to manufacture clocks.

By 1856 Thomas was labeling his clocks with "Thomas Town."

He helped route the Naugatuck railroad through Plymouth Hollow,

linking us with the brass center at Waterbury.

On July 6,1875 Thomas Town became Thomaston in memory of Seth Thomas and the separation from Plymouth was confirmed by the State Legislature.

What a joy to visit with the Marbles. New Baby Gracie Ann was just 11 days old. The next day, Sunday was spent visiting, going to church (Adam is the Bishop) - taking lots of pictures.

Ellie - Adam - Gracie - Kayla - Emma

Four Generations
Trixie - Gracie - Aartje - Kayla

Emma was watching me knit, and when I told her I was making a little blanket for Gracie she looked at me with her big eyes and exclaimed, emphasising each word: "You're the very best grandma ever". I'm asking you, can it get any better than that?

Over the Hill

Today daughter no. 3 turned 50! So now she can officially join the Red Hat Society.
The founder of the society is Fullerton, California artist Sue Ellen Cooper, who in 1998 gave a friend a 55th birthday gift consisting of a red fedora she had bought a year earlier at a thrift store along with a copy of Jenny Joseph's poem:

Warning

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.

And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves

And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired

And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells

And run my stick along the public railings

And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain

And pick flowers in other people's gardens

And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat

And eat three pounds of sausages at a go

Or only bread and pickle for a week

And hoard pens and pencils and beer mats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry

And pay our rent and not swear in the street

And set a good example for the children.

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised

When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Jenny Joseph

Cooper repeated the gift on request several times, and eventually the group all bought purple outfits and held a tea party.
At first spreading by word of mouth, the Society received national publicity in 2000 through the magazine Romantic Homes and a feature in the Orange County Register that ran nationally. Cooper then established a "Hatquarters" to field the hundreds of e-mail requests for help starting chapters. She now serves as "Exalted Queen Mother", and has written two best-selling books about the Society.

Dutch Tradition when turning 50:
On your 50th birthday you are called Sarah or Abraham (depending on your sex)
When somebody turns 50 there is a saying that they have seen Abraham or Sarah. If it’s a man who turns 50 they say he has seen Abraham and when it’s a woman they say she has seen Sarah. To celebrate the 50th birthday of a person family members decorate the front yard of the house of this person as a surprise and put an Abraham or Sarah doll in their front yard. These dolls mostly represent something that the person in that specific case does. Like when somebody is a carpenter they dress up the Abraham doll as a carpenter.
The Sarah and Abraham tradition comes from the bible. Jesus said that he had seen Abraham. But that wasn’t possible because Abraham had already died. So then somebody asked him that if he wasn’t even 50 years old how could he have seen Abraham? So now Elaine is 50, old enough to have seen Sarah.

WWII Memories - Bedspread

In 1943/1944 food was severely rationed in the Netherlands - and there wasn't enough to go around. There was always the black market, of course - and the bartering system. Transportation was also restricted. A good place to go bartering for food was boating across the river Maas, and visiting the farmers - but you needed a legitimate reason to go there. My cousin Jan worked for the police department in Vlaardingen, and he somehow managed to get a permit for my aunt - stating she was a midwife.

Tante Jaan

She now could safely cross the river, carrying a small suitcase. By smiling sweetly at the german soldiers she managed to look like a real midwife, and so was able to get past the checking station.

She had a plan all worked out. Unraveling her prized cotton bedspread, she used the yarn to make socks -

which she then managed to trade for bread. Every week she would bring home two loaves of bread - traded for a pair of socks. This went on for quite a few weeks - keeping the hunger wolves away from our door. Finally, however, the time came when she took her last pair of socks. The bedspread was all used up. Telling the farmer's wife that this was probably the last time she could bring socks, the "boerderin" exclaimed: Oh, you know, this is working out so well - I've been making a bedspread by unraveling the socks you brought, and I'm just about done!

Hyder, Arizona - Ghost Town

Hyder is a ghost town and farming community in Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It and surrounding areas (such as "Sentinel" and "Agua Caliente") houses several different types of fish, shrimp, and other types of farms, one school (Sentinel Elementary School), and two gas stations/general markets..

During World War II it was the training spot of General Patton's desert forces. The nearby Agua Caliente also had a large hotel during this time.

Very little remains about the old camp, but veterans sometimes come back to visit this place.

Trixie making a purchase at the store. She lives about ten miles from the store, but does practically all her grocery shopping in Mesa or Phoenix. The Skousen children attend Sentinel Elementary (9 miles from home), and High School in Wellton (abt 60 miles from home).

Climate Adjustment

View of my backyard in Hyder

My backyard in Shelley

I have spent the last six winters in Arizona, with Trixie and her family. That way I get to spend some time with Trixie's and Phil's families (Phil lives in Gilbert, about 1 1/2 hours from Hyder) - and at the same time escape the Idaho winters. This year I came home a little too early, I'm afraid. Look at the contrast between the two places.

But it's really good to be home again - inspite of the weather.

Houseplants on Death Row

I’ve always had houseplants - lots of them. I can’t imagine a home without them. But you’d better not ever give a plant to three of my four daughters - because they will surely die! (The plants, not the daughters).

While I was in Arizona for the winter, Judy neglected my plants to the point of no return. Most of them were gone when I got home - only a few of them were still sorta alive - Judy thought maybe they could still be resurrected.

So off to the store to get a new supply. And from now on I’ll buy a few every week.

Marathon

Known for its breathtaking beauty, the red rock country of Sedona is host to one of the most inspiring and rugged marathon races. The third annual Sedona Marathon, held on February 9, 2008 had 1,687 runners from ages 4 to 78 participating in a marathon, half-marathon, and 5K. Participants came from around the world—Japan, Germany, Belgium, Canada, and 46 U.S. states.



The race was challenging both because of the altitude (4500 feet), and the route--half the course was on the dirt roads of Coconino National Forest. This is one of only two races in Arizona that is USATF (U.S. Track & Field) certified.

And guess who participated in this race? ARIANA!!

She ran the half-marathon as no. 623 and came in first in her age group, with a time of 1:58:46. Congratulations!

Ariana joins cousins Tara, Lisa, and Angela, who all ran full marathons in the past. (I got Angela's picture from her blog, and - sorry folks - I don't have pictures of Lisa and Tara).