A simple black and white Easter picnic

Family memories weren’t always captured on film.

When I was growing up, we had an old box camera that was used very sparingly.  Film wasn’t cheap and developing it was even more expensive.  Sometimes a roll of film would last for many months (maybe even years).  I can almost count on one hand the number of family pictures taken when I was quite young.  While we spent a bit of time coordinating our outfits for our recent family picture, the few family photos I have from my childhood are definitely real,  spontaneous, candid, and not always very flattering (Yes, my hair is in curlers!).

While this snap shot isn’t really very clear or focused, it brings back some warm, happy memories for me.  (Unlike digital camera photos I didn’t have multiple pictures to choose from.)

Here are my thoughts as I study this picture:

♥ My parents look young, healthy, and kind of classy for a spring picnic.

♥ My hair was curled with little pink plastic curlers we called spoolies.  (This was a Saturday night ritual at our house, but I’m not sure why I’m the only one in curlers on this day.)  I would also bet I had a red mustache from the drink in my hand.  Awkward.

♥ Grandma Palmer, sitting on the back row, was always practical in her dress, with a scarf covering her head for warmth.

♥ It must have been a little chilly and I’m sure grandma insisted on Linda wearing the hat, while my sister Diane, standing in the back, looked cute without any jacket, hat, or curlers.  (They must have loved her more…..)

♥ We believed the hill behind us led to the home of a witch and we always delighted in climbing almost to the top before we ran down the hill screaming out for protection.  This park was in the tiny town of Smithfield, Utah.

♥  I’m thinking that Grandpa Palmer was the one taking the picture.  He was always the selfless one in the background and behind the scenes.

♥ I’m guessing that the picnic might have consisted of fried chicken, creamy potato salad, and maybe toasty hot cocoa in the thermos on the table (or red punch).

♥ Pretty sure we had a fun day!

♥ Too bad sister Julie hadn’t been born yet.

Sisters:  Linda, JoAnn, Diane

P.S.  Hair after the curlers…..I suspect my frown is from repressed curler humiliation memories.

P.S.  If you want to get your own set of spoolies they are still available.  Check out this link!  They even come with a 100% happiness and lifetime guarantee! (Smiles not always included.)

Some family time and a photo shoot

It is always fun to get the whole family together!

It is even more fun to actually get some pictures to prove it.

O.K. some might not actually enjoy the photo shoot part.

We were determined to get a family portrait taken while our daughter Heidi and her family were here visiting, but did I mention that we have nine grand children under the age of eight?

NINE!

That is a lot of wiggling, crying, trying to escape moments for a photographer to capture, while keeping the adults turned, smiling, and holding in stomachs, too.

We think Liz and Andrew’s college friend Katie did a great job!

 

We didn’t get all the grand kids in this picture (We tried!) but I love how it turned out.

Aubrey was a runner and we had to keep chasing after her, but she loved photo bombing this picture.

We are off for a little cousin time now, so I’ll post more later.

Have a great day!

JoAnn

 

Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff…and it’s all small stuff

Chapter 2:  Make Peace with imperfection

(Richard Carlson’s book, Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff…and it’s all small stuff)

(The beautiful Midway, Utah valley)

Since I haven’t mastered chapter 2 of this little book yet, I tend to make a lot of frustration for myself. 

I really envy people who can do their best job and then sit back and enjoy the journey- come what may.

I tend to over-think, over-plan, and then over-evaluate things.

Instead of celebrating my successes, I tend to focus on my short comings instead.

(In-law’s former cabin built by my husband and his family when we were first married and then later sold.)

We are having our whole family get together this weekend, and I’m so excited. (Yes, that is why I am up at this very late hour writing a blog post-I can’t sleep.)

Unfortunately, I didn’t get all my cleaning projects finished and I haven’t even planned all my menus yet (plus I’m out of energy).  We are going to take some family pictures and I still don’t know what I’m going to wear.

Can I blame school stress and end of the term busy work?

(The charming Homestead Resort)

I feel a bit out of control.

 

I know my family will all pitch in and help, and that nobody really even cares what did or didn’t get cleaned (Yes, the sheets are fresh and the bathrooms are sanitized!)

(The Midway Town Hall)

Will we have a perfect family reunion?

Probably not by some standards, but

I’m pretty sure we will make some good memories.

Perfection?

No, but I think I can live with it!

JoAnn

P.S.  I took these photos last fall and never posted them. The Midway area holds a lot of memories for our family.  We spent many summers working on the cabin and attended extended family reunions there.

 

Friday night dinner with friends….

Meet my cute piano students.

They are just as sweet as they are cute!

My husband and I were treated to delicious

home-cooked, authentic Mexican food tonight.

Our friends, the Sanchez family, invited us to dinner.

Yummy!

 

After we were stuffed with wonderful soup, chicken, refried beans, salad, and my favorite flan, were treated to a little entertainment as the girls each played a memorized song for us.

We love this family!

Watch out world, these girls are going to be famous some day!

Thank you Sanchez family!

JoAnn

P.S.  Perfect ending to a really long week!

Waiting around for some color…..

A few years ago I dragged my family out on a very cold February Saturday to a place called Wheeler Farm, hoping to see some signs of spring and a little color.

(My poor family thought I was nuts!)

We bundled up in our warm winter coats, hats, and gloves, and had ourselves a chilly picnic along side some equally restless looking animals.

 

Utah has had the mildest winter in many, many years.

“On the first Thursday in February Provo, Utah topped out at 70 degrees. Not only did this smash a daily record, but it was also the earliest in the calendar year it had reached 70 degrees in Provo in records dating to 1916. The previous earliest date was 19 days later, Feb. 24, 1995. Highs in the low 70s are average for Provo in early May.”

source

Some of our family living in New York and Vermont have faced record breaking snowfall this year.  They are still buried under many feet of snow.

Winter has really mixed things up this year,

but I’m still ready for some Spring.

How about you?

JoAnn

A little bragging….but Linda made me!

This is going to be one of those posts that I probably shouldn’t share…it involves a little bragging on my part, but my sister Linda said I had to (and I’m afraid of her-ha ha!).

Please feel free to log off at any time.  I know how people feel about those flowery Christmas newsletters that list all of your amazing, wonderful children and their multitalented accomplishments, as well as your success at the best work place in the universe, your perfect marriage to a six foot tall (and handsome, too) CEO, or a trophy wife if you are a male, and hint at your recently redecorated 5,000 square foot house.

Still with me?  At least you have been warned!

I feel hesitant to toot my own horn, so to speak, but on the other hand I do want to remember this, and it could have been written to any number of teachers who work with children. 

I always wonder what happens to those little people who pass through my classroom, but I seldom get to know. Many of my students move frequently and it is hard to stay in touch with them, so imagine my surprise when I received a message from a former student on Facebook tonight.

I’m setting the stage with a photo taken two years after this student was in my class, but one of the earliest I have on my computer.

Here goes:

Hi Ms. Clegg!
I have no idea if you would remember me or not, but I was in your third grade class back in 2001 at Redwood Elementary school. We held class in one of the portables behind the school building and there was a lot of construction going on with the new wing (new at the time).
I'm a student at BYU-Idaho now, getting ready to graduate with a BS in Child Development in a few semesters. I've been taking a family history class this semester and it has helped me reflect back on the people in my life who inspired me to find success.
I just wanted to get in touch with you and let you know that you are one of those people. I learned a lot from your class and from you personally. I remember that you were always an example of patience and kindness and that has stuck with me for the past 14 years. Haha! It's so weird to say that. It makes me feel old.
I hope all of those years have treated you well and that you’re still bright and happy. Thank you for being an inspiration to me and for all of the children you have taught before and after me.
Sincerely,
Megan (last name deleted for her privacy)

Guess I’ll go see who else I can find to share this with!

JoAnn

P.S.  #teacherpaydayswollenheadmoment

Grandma rewards….and consequences

I love being a grandma!

We got a late start in the grandparent business, but it was worth the wait.

We recently welcomed our NINTH grand child and she and her family will be here to visit in three (long) weeks.  We can’t wait.

Our oldest is only seven so it can be a wild party when they are all here at the same time!  Having adult grown up conversations involves using loud voices, frequent interruptions while trying to remember what you were talking about, and multi-tasking (often with a baby in your arms).  Kind of complicated, but always interesting.

We can’t believe how different each child is, and yet how much we love them all.

We received this fun note recently. 

We love doing puzzles, reading books, playing games, and cooking with them.  Recently we strung bead necklaces together.  Their comments as we play/work are priceless.

♥

Sometimes, being a grandma involves a few challenges.  Do you see the new towel rack in our tiny basement bathroom?  Hanging on the towel bar, our grandkids pulled it out of the wall, sheetrock and all.

It was an easy patch, and I like the new look better than the old.  I’d actually already been thinking that I wanted to change it- so this really was the nudge I needed.

Thanks, kid!

We often find things in new and original places after they have been here visiting.

Sometimes, we can’t find things at all.

We’ve learned to hunt in unlikely locations like the refrigerator, under the sofa, in the dishwasher, and in the toy cupboard.

When our children were little, our daughter Heidi and cousin Jon pulled up all the newly planted flowers in grandma’s flower bed.

(I’m hoping they thought they were helping.)

I guess it comes with the territory of being grand parents.  Are the inconveniences worth the joys of being a grand parent?

I wouldn’t trade my role for anything!

It’s kind of fun being the “spoiler” instead of the “disciplinarian”. 

Now I just need some good hugs.

Good thing we are having a family dinner tomorrow!

JoAnn

P.S.  Anyone have any motivational ideas for window washing?

#tiredoflookingthroughfilmyglass