MAY REUNION BAKER OREGON JULY 2009

We took a tour of our old house, where my folks lived for 52 years . It felt SO small! to have raised 7 kids in. It will always be "Grandma May's" house.

Mark heading down the
cellar. Narrow stairs,
scary as ever.

This is the living room now. What a change!

This used to be my Dad's office, with his big roll top desk. Now it is filled with a grand piano. The new owner plays at the Methodist church. A very nice lady to let us all go tromping through.




I don't know what happened to the first half of August, but it's past and gone. I was going to blog about the May reunion, but my photos got moved, and I can't get to them right now. So I'll tell you about the company we had this week .


One morning we woke to find 9 BIG cows in our pasture. Well, actually 3 of them were not that big, but we've never dealt with cows before. David said, "Don't worry, they won't get out."
Before long I looked out and there they went, starting out the side gate where Ivan drives in to mow our hay (we forgot that gate was down) so David jumped on his motorcycle and managed to round them up, but two made a left turn and got into the orchard.

On the motorcycle again into the orchard, they reluctantly went back where they belonged, but they wanted to stay by the apple tree. We tried to find the owner, called here and there and finally we learned they had come down from way up on the hill, where they had been pastured. They are logging up there, and probably left open a gate. So the owners were notified.

Next morning, they still hadn't come. I looked out the window, and three of them were in the back yard, grazing around, having a nice morning. Dee and I managed to get them back in. One place in the fence was wide, so we had tied a ladder there, and the cows had managed to push up on the ladder on one side, just enough to slip under.

It wasn't until noon that day (36 hours of freedom) that the owner finally came. He rounded them up with his horse, and with the help of his family, they drove them back up the hill where they belonged. To tell the truth, he had a lot of trouble, because they DID NOT want to leave our nice fresh pasture. But in the end, we said, "No more cows visiting please"



We had to put CARLO down last week , our border collie, who was getting old.

He got in a fight with some other animal (David says might have been a cougar)
and got lots of injury. We'd had him since he was a pup, and we're missing him.
But we know he's young and running around in doggie heaven.
2nd death of the week
We have two cats, one named Black Cat and one named Grey Cat.
They were "drop offs" which happens often here in the country.
Grey is beautiful and well-mannered and house trained,
but I don't like inside cats. They never got along too well together.
So Black Cat had been here maybe 14 years and was old, and she
lived mostly in the attic or the shop where David keeps his drums.
Two nights ago, he went out and Black Cat had climbed inside his bass drum
on top of the sheep skin rug inside, and just
died in his sleep. Now Grey Cat is the only one left
and already she kind of mopes around.
Dee says he's never having another dog
We'll see.
#

MY HANDSOME HUSBAND
LAST SUNDAY WHEN WE WERE
HEADING FOR CHURCH
DEE LOOKED SO GREAT
THAT I JUST HAD TO TAKE
HIS PICTURE
I AM SO GLAD THAT HE HAS
RECOVERED SO WELL FROM
THE SURGERY
I WOULD BE LOST WITHOUT HIM!

Align Right

DASCHE ALDRIDGE

in the car on the way leaving Grandma's house.

What a doll!


This boyREALLY liked Spaghetti
=

THE ALDRIDGES CAME!!!! This is what our basement looked like with beds chuck-a-bluck all over the floor for Ruth, Danny, and 6 kids.
They got here on July 15, we had six fun days including an overniter in Baker for the May family reunion (more about that later) Valencia, CA is just too far away

Faith....Dasche....Pearl....Charlotte
Emma ......Grampa...Jordan...Grandma

FROGS FOR THE 4TH
Did you know frogs are magic?
they can hop all over the place
and if they happen to get dirty
no-one makes them wash their face
and
they can sit outside in the mud
or jump into the middle of a puddle of water
and no on says "Go wash your hands"
I simply think someone ought-er
'cause
it isn't fair! frogs have four feet
and people just have two
nd they don't even have to put on shoes!
I think it's quite strange!
don't you?
THE FRIENDLY FROG
I went to the kitchen sink to get a drink
and what do you think?
I found a frog who was very green
It was the first frog I'd ever seen
on an August night
Do you think it's right that he came inside?
well. I nearly died!
but I let him stay , he was small anyway
On second thought I'd better not
what if he hopped around and fell right off the cupboard
and got lost down on the ground
on the kitchen carpet, which is brown and red
and colored flowered and sploshy
and IF my daddy walks bare-foot
my friendly frog will go squashy
You're right
I'd better put him out tonight
Ooooooooh!
Whoops-------too late!
Oh
there's a frog in grandma's kitchen, he's jumpin all over the place
the funniest thing I ever saw was the look on Grandma's face
she tried to catch him in a cup
She even tried to pick him up
(but he hopped away)
Oh, Grandma is scared of frogs
now isn't it strange
'cause she loves cat and dogs and even hogs
There's a frog in Grandma's kitchen
and I think he's here to stay

More photos from the fourth of July.












FROGS and FIREWORKS and the 4th of JULY

While Uncle Curt installed a new pump under the house, Krista and Colton had fun catching salamanders and frogs. Actually, just one of each, but....kept in a jar overnight, then put back under the stairs.


Krista also made the crust for rhubarb pie, and
some really yummy caramel brownies (sorry,
Krista, no photo)

They also replaced or washed all the
venetian blinds in the house, and put
the clean curtains back up. I had washed
them but just couldn't face the "putting
back up" part the day before.


As the day went on, Curt and Colton picked
out some fireworks, which Elaine picked up
later. She filled out a drawing contest, and
was amazed and surprised when they called to say

YOU WON FIRST PRIZE!

$200.00 PACKAGE OF FIREWORKS.

So needless to say, the day ended on a very high note, with watching the city display, then having one of their own, with Elaine taking great photos with her camera. A really nice week-end visit.

4th of JULY WEEK-END

Elaine and Curt came over with Krista and Colton for a few days. Along with all the fun, they managed to do a few jobs.

While Curt weeded the corn, Gramps
managed to spend some time on the
swing...swinging






The big job of the day was moving the furniture
in the front room. Six years ago, on our 50th
wedding anniversary, the kids put together a
memory quilt, and ever since then our plan
has been to hang it on the living room wall.
Finally we got it done!!



Other fun events were checking out the orchard,
with gramps mostly carrying the shears, and
sharing things he knows after 25 years of
orcharding.






POETRY FOR THE DAY
If this were my last day on earth, how would I spend my hours?
First I'd take myself outside and sit beside some flowers
and I would listen
and they'd tell me of before all time began
We were up in heaven and we all loved every man
Sitting in my garden there I'd soak up all the rays of warm and golden sunshine
to save up for cloudy cays
Then I'd need to find some children, they feel such joy when they sing
I'd put music injmy pocket
that's the best thing I could bring when I go back to
Father
sunshine and some joy and magic music
I could take along a happy little boy
Little boys are special 'cause they feel so good inside that even when they're dirty
their folks still fill with pride
And
I'd like to take my mother, 'cause I'd miss her every day
but if God asks, I'll go alone and here on earth she'd stay
and she can love all other little kids whose parents may be gone
to work, or school, or heaven
She can sing them a song
and then they'll feel like they're in heaven
Between song and joy above
The only thing we need is God
to wrap us in his love
Idea # 2
I was listening to a tape by Melvin Morse, a doctor who interviewed kids who had "near death" experiences. Fascinating things which I've known for a long time, but may be new to others.
He says 25 % of our brain, the front right lobe just above your ear, is what he calls the God spot, where we have a built-in part to communicate with God, once we figure out how to do it. Something which in time we can use or turn off at will.
In my study, I think it is the same body part that is awakened when we go through the process told in Alma of being born of the spirit. Seems like maybe science and religion will get together one of these day, and realize we can be in constant contact with heavenly beings if we just qualify through God's plan.
Another author says a similar thing. You can learn how to "click your amigdala" (which I think is the same spot) and be on a higher plane of knowledge and feeling. No wonder it's called THE MIGHTY CHANGE. What a difference we could make in the world if everyone could control parts of their body they don't even know are there.
The physical therapist yesterday massaged Dee's neck in the area just below the right ear, which he said can affect greatly the lower back, and also memory loss. Even he said it's amazing what we have in the body that we don't even know about. All things in god's creation are there for a reason, we just have to turn off the "logic thinking left brain" and learn to activate the right brain. Being bi-polar, I am all right brained, and it's a good place to be.

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