Two Good Scouts

My husband and son, Ray and Bill, on our patio in Topeka, Kansas, back in the late 60's ready to go to a scout function.  Ray, who made Eagle Scout, was the neighborhood commissioner for Bill's troup at our church.  It was an active bunch with it's own campsite where they would head out hiking on the weekends sometimes.  Very good time in both of their lives.  The scouts really meant a lot to Ray since his father died when Ray was 12 so the men he was in contact with in the scouts were mentors and he valued their friendship and the interest they took in his life.  He even worked with a couple of them at the Santa Fe later on.   On a different note, I see there is a hat on the bench and I am wondering why and who it belongs to.  Surely Ray would not be wearing it with his uniform - both the guys have their scout caps in their belts.  One of life's unsolved mysteries!   Sorry about the flaw on the picture - I tried to remove it but was having no luck.  I would love to take some lessons in working on photos.  I can do some things but lots more that I would like to learn.   (Click to enlarge)

Choosing Jeans in 1961

I had the old Spiegel 1961 catalog out this morning and looked in the index for "jeans".  What amazes me about this old book is what it  does not have for sale that is out there for us now.  Here is the lone pair of jeans for misses.  Looks like more tailored, dressier pants were in order for leisure time and that jeans were for serious work.  I can remember wearing jeans but only around home. 



I would say these probably would be called "mom jeans" today, don't you think?  The price is right for sure.  (Click to enlarge)

Postcard Friendship Friday

An old postcard showing Multnomah Falls Near Portland,  Oregon, somewhere around 1920.  Our family was in Portland in August for the wedding of  Molly, my granddaughter, and Doug, my new grandson-in-law.  Some of the family took a little side trip for a hiking expedition to the falls  while we were there. 

The post card back describing the beautiful scene.


Isn't this gorgeous?   The back of the postcard shown next explains the rarity of this loveliness! 



 Thanks again, Beth, at http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/ for hosting this fun exchange.  Happy PFF.   (Click to enlarge)

My Mom and Four of Her Five Grandchildren

Here is a sweet picture of my mom, Nan, with four of her grandchildren.  Later there was a fifth cute little fellow added to the bunch when my brother married Dorothy and became a father to Mike. .  Sitting on the arms of the chair are my good looking little kids, Billy and Sherry.  The other cuties are Craig, on his grandma's lap, and Danny, on the floor.  They belong to my sister, Joanne.   Mike is about the same age as Dan and they both are a year or more younger than Bill.  Sherry is the oldest.  Dan is a grandfather to two little ones now - how the time flies by.  This was taken in 1959 and we were back in Chillicothe for a visit from Ft. Madison.   (Click to enlarge)

From Fashion Friday on Funoldhag

I have posted almost all of my really old family pictures (i.e., my mother and father's families)  here in Pieces of the Past.  I still have lots of our family and some of my childhood, but miss posting the ones in the early part of last century.   On my blog "Funoldhag" I feature a fashion show each Friday and there are pictures there that I am sure have never been on POTP.  The Pearces, my mom's family, took many pictures and I love looking at the old clothing and wondering where they were going and what they were doing.  So I plan to post those pictures here once in a while  and hopefully you will enjoy them.   I start out with my mom and me---------

What the well dressed mother and baby were wearing in 1928. Sitting on the "coping" of the frontyard of a pair of doting grandparents in Peoria, Illinois, were Nan and Carol. Nan is wearing a lovely banded cloche (I think that is what you call that hat) and pointed shoes with a strap. Her dress appears to be a silk or maybe rayon since it has a nice sheen. Carol, born when Nan was 34 and the first of three babies, is dressed in a frilly bonnet and dress with cute little booties. She also appears to be a very healthy, chubby little thing. (Click to enlarge)

PFF

In looking through and scanning some of the old pictures, I found this postcard showing a Santa Fe train after having crossed into Iowa over the Santa Swing Bridge heading for the depot at Ft. Madison.

The back of the card. 

This picture shows a train crossing on the underside of the bridge.  And above is where the autos crossed, passing by the toll booth which a few years ago cost $1.00 for autos entering Illinois and no charge for those heading into Iowa.  The swing section of the bridge is 525 feet long, one of the longest in the world.   If you go to http://www.johnweeks.com/river_mississippi/pagesB/umissB11.html  you can read more about the bridge and also see more pictures.  Happy PFF, everyone, and thanks to Beth of http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/ for hosting.  (Click to enlarge)

Square Dancing (cont'd)

I scanned several pictures the other day and for this post will add another picture from square dancing days in Ft. Madison, Iowa.  Here I am with my best fellow at a dance - someone must have said something very funny as I appear to be having a good laugh.   Probably Ray since it looks like he is still talking.  He's a good looking fellow, that's for sure, and looks great in his western shirt, tie and big belt buckle.  That is another of the dresses I made with yards and yards of rick rack aroud the tiers.  Wish I had that waistline now!   For PFF I have a Ft. Madison related post card that I found when going through pictures.so one more Ft. M post coming up.  (Click to enlarge)