Square Dancing

On our float in the Ft. Madison Rodeo Parade - I am alemanding with Dick Ault and headed toward Ray right behind him.

If you have followed my blog, you know that Ray and I had a lot of  fun square dancing over the years.  Don't know how popular it is now, but back in the 50's - 80's there were many clubs and lots of people  allemanding left  all over the country.   Good people, good fun and good exercise were to be found on the dance floor.  Square dancing and card playing were our main sources of entertainment.  Ft. Madison, Iowa, was where we really started dancing in earnest.  When the Santa Fe consolidated the Illinois and Missouri Divisions and moved all of us to Iowa, eventually a square dance club was organized and Kenny Anderson, a caller from Burlington, Iowa, was brought in to teach us "western style" as opposed to "barn dancing".  The Burlington club had national callers come in and we went to a few of those dances.  I remember one caller, Bob Fisk, who was so personable and handsome he belonged in the movies.   What good friends we had dancing--lots of fun and lots and lots of laughing.  When we moved to the  Kansas City area, there was dancing on all levels - it started at club level and went to "challenge" which was like learning a drill.  We didn't get into that but did get to a more advanced level that was still fun and kept you on your toes.  If you messed up, you could mess everything up but usually someone steered you in the right direction.  In Kansas City, if you had the desire, you could have danced almost every night of the week - there were that many clubs.  Some of the great callers were there, also.  We also did round dancing, which I loved, and that was couple dancing in a circle to a routine danced to a certain song.   At Christmas time, there was a cute dance to Jingle Bell Rock and in that one you advanced to another partner each time a certain part of the dance came up.  Lots of line dancing, too, in between sets.  Gosh, I think I'm ready to get out my dancing shoes!!  Such nice memories.

Postcard Friendship Friday

Another postcard found in pictures that my mother-in-law had.  Sent from the Grand Canyon in Arizona in June of 1929.  My husband's Uncle Leon and Aunt Lillian sent the card to Leon's mother in Chillicothe.  I have been so surprised to find quite a few old postcards in the memorabilia that I have.   I also enjoy looking at those posted by the people out there who really are collectors and so knowledgeable on the subject.  Glad I found you.

Thanks to Beth at http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/ for hosting.  Happy PFF to all.

The Dionne Quintuplets

Here are pictures from the October 30, 1934, Peoria Star showing the Dionne quints who were born in Canada.  I was six years old and can remember hearing about their birth when I was staying overnight with my cousin, Barbara Jo, at her house in Peoria Heights. 




Just from the captions on these pictures and from bits and pieces I can remember over the years, those little girls were really exploited and I think their lives were affected so negatively from all the attention and being put on display as a tourist attraction, really.   They were the world's first surviving quints and were identical.  I have found a link that you might like to follow to read more about their births and lives.  http://www.suite101.com/content/the-dionne-quintuplets-a26819

 

 From these pictures, there was a private hospital built for them to live in. 

Doctor Dafoe who delivered the famous little girls (Yvonne, Cecile, Marie, Annette, and Emily) holds Yvonne.  Some of the items marketed for sale at the time were sets of five little baby dolls and later five little girl dolls.  I am sure there were paper dolls and many other things that little girls would want in the image of the quints.

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Here they are probably around five years old.    I found the copy of the old paper when I was going through the bin with all of the old pictures.  I also have copies of the landing on the moon, JFK's assasnation, and several other huge events.  Along with the historic stories, it is interesting to read the ads and other items in the old newspapers.  Thought you might enjoy this piece of the past from around 76 years ago.  (Click to enlarge)

Postcard Friendship Friday

 This is not a picture postcard, but it is a card that came from Camp Jayhawk near Topeka, Kansas in 1965 from our then 11 year old son,  Bill.   His fun personality was shining through even back then.  I love the way he addressed the card in the block letters.  Bill was always drawing and was and still is very talented along those lines.  I think in some of the older posts I have featured some of his early art featuring fellows with warts on their noses, big ears and cigarettes hanging from their mouths.  Spelling was not one of Bill's best subjects back then but that is  has improved vastly.   Bill was in the scouts for a long time and his dad was a neighborhood commissioner and was very active with the troup.  A great experience for both of them.  I think I have blogged about it earler so will say no more.  Fun card, though - hope you like it!(click to enlarge)

Thanks, Beth, at http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/  for hosting and Happy PFF.

Dan, Maggie and Friends on Western Trip in 1920

 Maggie Pearce and two friends in Portland, Oregon, many, many years ago.  Maggie as you may know from my earlier posts, are my grandparents on my mother's side. 

Here they are with the woman who, along with her husband, accompanied them on the trip out west from Peoria.  Again, I am amazed at the way they are so very dressed up for their traveling.  Maggie even had a fur stole and a lovely hat and Dan was in his suit, tie and a hat, also.  I imagine that might be their car they are standing by.

Here the are with the fellow that was with them on the trip and they are at Lake Louise, which I googled and it's in Canada.  What a long trip for the Pearces and their friends.  They are enjoying the snow here.

I am so glad they wrote on the front of their pictures!  Otherwise, I would not have a clue as to where they were or when.  Dan and his friend are wearing their topcoats  and Maggie is snuggled in her stole.   

Here is another picture that I have posted before that certainly was taken at the same time as the others in this post.  It fits so well I just have to repeat it - Snow flakes.  My grandfather is on a rock.  Click to enlarge

Postcard Friendship Friday

Back in 1973, our daughter was a sophomore at Kansas University and we were living in Newton, Kansas, just north of Wichita.  This was a postcard that she sent just before coming home a couple of weeks before  Thanksgiving.  I laugh at her mentioning the time of her departure for return to school depended on the "food".  What a difference in communication there is now compared to way back in the "old days"!   Glad I saved the card - I thought it was so very pretty.  Nice to run across little pieces of the past like this.   Go to

http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/  and check out more postcards at Beth's blog.  Happy PFF.

(Click to enlarge)

Granddaughters

My late husband and I were blessed with three granddaughters - such joy they brought to our lives and are still bringing to mine. This is Norah - married to Chad and living in Chicago. They were married a little over a year ago on Mackinac Island in Michigan. The entire family was there and it was such a great weekend.

This is Molly - she was just married to Doug in Portland, Oregon, a little over a month ago. The whole family was at the wedding and it was another wonderful weekend.

And this is Hannah who just graduated from Michigan this spring in three years and who will leave for Mozambique, Africa, next Monday morning for 27 months in the Peace Corps. Needless to say, this stirs up a mixture of emotions in all of us who love her so much - pride and happiness in her quest to make this happen, and sadness that she will be gone for so long and be so far away. I have written a post on my other blog http://funoldhag-carol.blogspot.com/ if you would like to read it. I have also put a link there to the blog that she will be keeping during this new and exciting time in her young life and she has put up her first post.

Even though these three beautiful young ladies don't go very far back into the past, they will carry things on into the future for all of us. I am so very proud of all of them.