So being the youngest has it's disadvantages

But I do remember some things. Gin Rummy and the air conditioner in the back room going full blast. Trying to catch the fan blades on the metal fan without cutting my fingers off. Eating on TV trays - it seemed so decadent :-). One time Mimi dumped out a big coin bank and told Diana and I we could keep whatever we could count. Give me a break - she was two years older. I was so worried about the loot she was counting, I could barely count to 10. Playing the piano or playing like we were playing the piano. The heat vent and straddling it in the winter until we got too hot to stand there anymore. Walking to Theta Pond and getting a wee bit too close to the swans. Watching couples "spoon" on the benches. The attic fan. Oh, it was terrific. Loud, scary, cool. And I was always wary of those closets under stairways. Someone told me there were monsters there (now who could have done that?), but they were not as bad as the monsters down in the basement at Mother B's and Daddy H's. And then there was that "garbage thing" sunk into the back patio. What was that?

More later. But I still want to find out about the years we don't know about.

A dozen rememberances

Well I was on the same path on your e-mails and will highlight some of the things I remember from age 1- 6 years old or so… little and big things.

Oh I went to Mesa Verde and saw a mountain lion but will post that later.

Episodic rambling and rememberings. Sorry, I tried to add this as a comment but it was too long. And I purposely left out any golf references as that is another whole post.

1. I remember the smells of Mim’s home .. more lately in Colorado. The big attic fan that they had upstairs… the whoosh when she turned it on and I would like to turn it on and off.. which of course drove her a little batty but she was OK with that. When we ate there, she did poached eggs and had butter on them.. Mimi was the ham, biscuits, pumpkin pie and "ice from the front of the refrigerator" grandmother; Mother Bernice was the tomato sandwich, fruit, yoguart and chicken grandmother.
   
2. Wheat bread was big, the coffee pot in her kitchen, I can smell it. And she would talk with that little click, click sound to make a point.
3. In the house they had little hide closets and Upton had the ‘latest cameras, gloves, hats, gadgets. I remember mowing their lawn with the first gas lawnmowers… one was a blade mower with a gas engine.. far to dangerous for a kid today. They had an electric one for a while but it was impractical. I am sure someone ran over the chord. I would mow the lawn and had to push it along the little hill and watch the flowers.
4. They had one of the first a.c.s and color tvs in town. They had that garage door (it started as a single garage and then they added on a double. With the buttons to open and close.
5. Mimi would take me walking in the dark around her neighborhood and we would stop at the Van Horns and the adults would talk in the dark late into the night in the back.
6. Once for no really known reason to me I stole a bike from a neighbors around the corner from Mimi and Papa. My only, well second only, attempt at a life of crime. I instantly ditched it and Mimi saw it all or a neighbor did. They talked with me in kindness. A few weeks later, Kelly and I both got new bikes—a red and green Schwinn from Papa.
7. In playing cards – mainly gin --Papa had his sayings. ‘Eighter from Decader, sweet Molly, and some others that are on the back of my mind right now. He used to smoke cigars but gave them up. He would fall asleep watching golf and snore, like Richard, like Kelly, like me….
8. We sued to spend te night on the roof above the TV room. Mimi would take out mattresses and we all slept outside. I remember hearing the oil wells in the distance and imagine they were monsters… dragons… coming to eat us. Also I was a star gazer then and loved the stars on her deck.
9. At Ward Buick, the cigar smells were stronger and you girls did not have to learn of the smells n the men’s bathroom where Papa’s cigars, Mr. Diggs pipe and Lysol was used to cover up other odors… including grease and Buick magazines.
10. As a kid Mary would take me fro rides to Chrystal Plunge… I ad a bad habit of throwing things about the car… Mary and I remembered that lately. She was really nice and never seemed to get angry.
11. A big, big thing was the new car showings. Then there were balloons and cake and free gifts and it was like a big party for the town. Then you gave away t-shirts and stuff with logos, you didn’t try to sell them. Then you saw ad smelled th new cars and the new model year….
12. Funny, I used to like to play the piano.. chopsticks and such at Mimi’s. She was pretty tolerant but there were occasions she would basically say, enough is enough. I never heard her play, nor anyone else there. But obviously someone taught me those songs. Heart and Soul, etc.

The older I get, the more I look on those years as truly wonderful. I just had lunch with a guy from a dysfunctional family. If we were, I did not know it. In Mimi and Papa’s home, it felt like post WWII and something akin to Ossie and Harriet… there was a quiet in it but more f solitude and spending the day there was one of relaxation. Oh yes, the phone downstairs and upstairs… and I remember Mimi talking on it. The number was 653 I the old days. Then 6653. I think The Glover’s was 2474. The sound of fans, the sound of solitude and quiet, reading a comic book or Life magazine, a kind of coolness from the trees and open widnows and breezes.. and Mimi’s smile and Upton’s soft gruffness that usually would break into a smile. And the stories… always stories..

Family history

Diana and I were talking about what we remember about Mother B and Daddy H - which is surprisingly little and we had conflicting remembrances - imagine that. So, we thought it would be a good idea to talk about what we know, what we think we know, and to maybe quiz Rhoda and Shirley again while we can. To that end, I am going to write both of them about what they know about Mother B's family, her younger days, how they really met, and so forth.

I was hoping Phil or Kelly would do the same with Mary about Mimi and her younger days and family. It's funny that it is both the grandmothers that we seem to know less about. But now that I think of it, I know a little about Wayne, and I know the family myths (which I blatantly repeat and believe on some level), but I don't know as much about them as I do the Wards.

What say you?

I had no idea that Phil was not the only published Ward

Well, I should not be surprised. I guess Diana and I had better get busy. Maybe it's time for me to gear up for the O'Henry Pun-Off next year.

On another note - had the flu or something for the past few days. My recommendation is avoid it if you can. Not fun, even if it gives you an excuse to sit around and read and play video games. But hopefully I am on the mend now.

I think sis Diana is being babysitter in the Florida Keys right now. Must be a hard life :-).

This is fun. Hope you all are enjoying it as much as I am. I will add Jeff today and see if we can talk him into a comment or two at least.

gift horse in the mouth

Thoroughbreds are spirited and feisty and fun
fast on the tracks they do run
look a gift horse in the mouth?
not if your from the south
cause they make good stew, soap and gum

(not sanctioned by PETA)

Playing the Ponies

Other than looking at a very nice sail boat, I was offered a thoroughbred horse for free today... IF I would stable him and take lessons to keep me from mistreating him ad killing myself.

I am contemplating it.
I am told the horse market ere is collapsing and owners will give away an animal rather than the glue factory or mistreat it.

I am also told writing is really good for your back.
Who told me?

Well the guy wanting me to take the horse of course.

The Devil Made Me do it but who made the kdog write it?

I, Phil the Younger Elder am the alter ego of Phil the Elder so don't blame him. However we have a very famous writer in our midst.. the Limerick King of the South. Since these are being passed around the Internet already, I thought I should share our spoils with the family.

Way to go, KDOG!! I will leave it to you to explain yourself and the poetic muses and the frame/contest that inspired and engulfed your mind:

Let Jean Wall out of jail?

I will not come up with her bail.

She is wily and mean,

A notorious fiend,

But only when cheap lies prevail.

Kelly Ward

Please let Jean out of jail.

I would gladly come up with her bail.

Not guilty, but pure

A saint, I assure –

Her heart as big as a whale.

Kelly Ward

Is anyone having a hard time commenting? Well I am... tell me the secret. I am logged in and all and obviously can post but not comment.

Ok Steph, I think I saw the problem. I was one layer away from posting... following the bottom links ad not the top ones.

It's not what we know r what we know we don't know that is the problem, it s being too damned smart and not knowing that we know nothing anyway.

This is a test from feeble Phil the Elder who just bought a used keyboard with 88 voices and whistles for his birthday. Chopsticks revised.

Oh I am on the trail f another sailboat. Anyone for a quick sail...

Phil

Phil the Elder and posting

I got an email from Phil the Elder that he had posted, but I don't see a post?? So, as often happens, I have to say "it's a mystery." Phil the Elder, when you are on the Blog site and logged in, look in the top right hand corner and see there is something that indicates that you can post. And then post. I will be waiting eagerly to see your addition. All of us are contributors so we can all post and comment.

Kdog, audio of jingle. Good question. I will do some research, but I may just have to make one. Hmmm.

Later folks.

audio link

Is it possible to get a recording of the famous "Trade with theTrading Wards" jingle to play as we open the Blog?

a

yada-yada

good to be with you...got up this morning feeling good...walked...coffee..saved deer..mowed yard...read criticisms of book club book for tonight...going to dentist...trade with the trading wards...yada, yada, yada

The beginning

So a friend of mine has a family blog and I wanted to try it. So here is the first posting. Maybe we can find out what we are all doing and avoid the "I thought I told you that - maybe I told Phil last time he called."

So what am I doing? Work is surprisingly busy. Jack has a new Miata so we have taken some short trips. We wanted to go see Kelly and Kathryn, but the 100+ heat has taken it's toll and we are not doing any more long trips (over 5 hours) this summer. (Sorry Kelly and Kathryn - but we are going to try to work something out later in the Fall when the weather makes top-down driving more alluring).

And I was not at first very happy with the recent Harry Potter movie, but after a good conversation with Trevor, I am re-evaluating my opinion. Go see Up if you haven't. My summer happy movie.

I think you are all able to add people if you think it is appropriate. Please do. I just wanted to get it started and hope it does not die a quiet death.