Clarinet Comes Full Circle

I have been saving this old nickel clarinet for many, many years hoping to one day have it restored and begin to play it again. 

My first experience with the clarinet was in fifth grade band, which only lasted one week.  Everyone else had a fancy black one, with a sheik new case.  Fearful of being teased because of my metal horn and the masking taped edges of the case, I dropped out.  Yes, I regret it. 

 Recently, I took it to a music shop for a bid.  "These clarinets were junk, from the beginning." the repairman said, bursting my hopes of becoming a renown artist.  My thought to be priceless item, was nothing but a hunk of metal.  He went on, "Bugs loved the pads and ate them up, he pointed to the tiny skeletons in my blue lined case.  Oh, so that is what those little white things are. 

Perhaps not valuable to them, but my Dad once played this and so did I, for one week. 

Nick Nice and Hot But Not Now

Nick has a winter job doing snow removal.  On wintery snowy days, he can think about working at the nursery when he was nice and hot surrounded by lots of green.  Yeah!  He is thankful to have a job now. 

Grandma Park's Quilt

 Just over forty years ago Grandma Park made and presented this beautiful quilt to Allan and I for our wedding.  I loved red at the time, so the big red and pink flowers along with her lovingly hand quilted stitches has been a treasured item. 

 

We used it as our bedspread for many years, but eventually, it was replaced by several fancier styles.  They have all worn out or didn't fit our second-hand king size bed.   After tiring of a steel gray spread, I pulled out the old trusty quilt, which fit!  Notice the pink glow on the wall that says, Hey, welcome back!

The bright red leaves from our flowering pear trees out the bedroom windows make the cozy autumn reflection.   The rosy glow makes you feel Grandma Park is welcoming us with open arms upon entering the room.  Thank you Grandma. 

Facts From Down on the Farm

I went out to the old family farm this week to see a shed someone had taken down and carted off to his place to build a 'Pioneer village'.  We were happy to ablige him and the place looks better for it. 

He asked about some small buildings, too.  Here are a few I remember. 

 The 'Egg House' had thick walls and no window, to keep the inside cool for the storage of the eggs until we took them to market.  We also cleaned, sorted and boxed the eggs here as well.  I have many fond memories of awaking early every day to feed the chickens and gather the eggs before going to school.  Sometimes we had as many as seven large pens of chickens with up to 500 in each pen.

There is the 'Mash House' were we kept the chicken feed that was delivered monthly.  An opening in the top allowed an auger from the truck to shuttle the feed from his tank into the shed.  Mash was a mixture of ground corn, grain, nutrients and such to feed fowl and livestock.  I remember Dad saying it cost a lot when the Intermountain Farmer bill came, possibly several hundred dollars, which was a lot of money back then. 

We filled buckets full from the Mash House, then carried them to each chicken coop dumping it into long troughs.   

I have great memories of the chickens and being their caretaker.   If only I had appreciated the work more.  It is in maturity that we grow through our past experiences. 

The Crafty Cranes

Mom was always coming home from Relief Society meetings with beautiful homemade treasures to decorate our walls with.   

It made me want to go with her whenever there was a night out to create.  Consequently, I picked up her bug for handmade items.  Here is a scrapbook paper 'FALL' hanging I taught in a class recently.  Most of the siblings, cousins and neices all got that great give of Crane craftiness.  It not only is a blessing, but occassionally a curse with too much stuff and not enough walls/room to host it. 

Canning Supplies Now Collector's Cash

Running across this shelf of old canning bottles reminds me of our family canning days.  Memories of a hot house, boxes of fruit waiting to be  peeled, sliced and plopped into crystal clean, glass spheres.  A watery syrup filled in the spaces, and a teaspoon of salt was added.

Next a clean dish cloth wiped off the rim before a Kerr lid was carefully placed on top and metal ring twisted the contents closed.  The hot water bath awaited seven quart jars or only four two quart Mason ones.  These are two quart bottles in the picture stored away years ago forgotten and collecting dust.     These are definitely a collector's item now. 

Airing Our Laundry

When I saw this art exhibit at the Salt Palace, instantly was reminded of the 'old' days when weekly people's laundry was hung out to dry.  Everyone knew what day you washed, how often and what you wore.

Now a days the clothes pile up in the corner, hamper or laundry room then tossed in both the washer and dryer.  Folding or just pulling clean clothes out of the basket, no one sees the process until we wear it. 

Facebook is kind of like hanging our laundry out to dry for everyone to see.  We know when you get up, get mad, get even, get the girl/boy, date, baby, new car or whatever.

It can be fun, exciting, boring, frustrating or just plain annoying to see 'every tiny bit' of a person's personal life.  One of my friends said she ate a whole bucket of popcorn at the movie as she drown out her fears from an encounter.  Do I care?  Not about the popcorn. 
Another person posts every old black and white photo he comes across of every family member of his entire posterity.  No thanks.  It's a little too much for me.  I don't need your whole pie, just a taste.   

Fantastic Family Function

Fun Family Photo August 2013

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Birthday Wishes to MOM

This week is Mom's birthday.  I find that I am becoming more like her every year.  I speak to total strangers, horde more than I care to, am getting a bit on the selfish side, remember birthdays of to many people and eccentric in many of the same ways.  (Don't ask my husband if this is a fact.)

We are what we are and there is history that makes it happen. 

Here's wishing you a great birthday memory of Mom or Grandma or Grandma Great.  We love you!

When Abandoned Becomes Art Deco

 Why is it that old stuff really hits the spot, when one tends to get old also.   Memories of yesteryear of many a Sunday visiting our grand parents.  It didn't take long to get bored while they chatted away. We went off exploring or played hide and seek around their old sheds.    These fun times come flooding back and are tender experiences.

 

An old rusty cement mixer reminds me of my Dad's abandoned one in the side yard on the old farm.  I couldn't resist taking photos of these when out of state last month.   They were better than modern art deco to me.

6 Grads, 4 Babies, 2 Weddings, & a Reunion

This family has been busy and it won't stop, because there are some we may have missed or don't know about.

Graduates: 
  April 15-Brian - BYU Idaho -Bachelor
  April 26-Jory  - BYU - Master
  May 4 - Camille - Bachelor
                Allyson - Bachelor
                Stephen - Master
                Audrey - Associate
  June 1st - Makayla - High School

Weddings - Camille & James - May 17
Audrey & Ken - May 30

Babies:  Few photos but all precious angels and growing. 

Steffan - (Todd & Jessica) - April 12
Henry - (Jed & Breann) May 10
Alexandria - (Jim & Jen)
Baby - (Katie & Troy) October



  
A Move - Brian & Leah - May 16

A Missionary - Dean - Orlando Florida

An Actress - Emma - Willy Wonka - July 27

A Reunion - for the Park family-Tomorrow -June 8- Be there or be square. 

And Then Their Was Laundry

The Amish put us to shame when it comes to doing laundry.  Their clothes still hang outside on the line.  The farmhouse's second story window has a 100 plus foot rope clothes line.  It stretches all the way from the house on a pulley attached to the top of the barn's gable across the farmyard.  It is easy to see what day they do the washing.

 

As a girl we hung our wet laundry outside on a wire clothesline year round. When the snow was as high as an elephant's eye the pieces quickly froze. On windy days the wooden clothes pins, struggled to hold the wildy, whipping sheets and towels. The hot summer sun dried them in an instant.

After dryers became the norm, Mom wouldn't waste money on a perfectly good clothes line drying day. Eventually the electric or gas dryer won the battle. With help from the cities restrictive covenants, clotheslines became history.

Hurray to the Amish for keeping the tradition alive.

Crane Traits

I'm sure we all carry a little of our ancestors in our day to day actions, likes, and habits.  Here are a few I have that I equate to the Crane/Park lines:

I wiggle my toes - I always get little holes in my socks and shoes from wiggling my big toe. i used to wear toe socks, but stopped when I realized I was wearing out the big toe after just a few times of wearing them. I remember Grandma Crane constantly flexing her feet as she would be sitting down. I don't know if it cause he shoes to wear out faster or not.

I talk to myself - As far as I'm concerned this is normal and everyone does it, but my husband thinks I'm weird.  Grandma Crane did this, my mom does this, my sister does it and so do I, maybe its a girl thing.

I sleep through movies - The movie goes on and my body shuts down.  I remember Elaine talking about going to visit Jim's family.  They would ALL be around the TV with their eyes closed.  My mom is AWESOME as watching TV/movies with her eyes closed.  I fall asleep in just about any action movie. It is like the action is too much for my mind so it just shuts down.

I love peanut butter - I'm not sure where this stems from exactly, but I'm rather addicted it peanut butter.  At Camille and Audrey's wedding showers on Friday we got on the subject of peanut butter, and it seemed like there were many people that just LOVED peanut butter.  Earlier this year I was trying to limit my calorie intake, but couldn't give up my PB sandwich so I just starting eating half sandwiches.

I love to garden - I remember Grandma having an awesome garden.  I know my neighbor, Mike Park, also a Park descendant,  also has an awesome garden as do many of my aunts & uncles.  I guess for me this skipped a generation, or maybe it was the Magna soil that spoiled any attempt my mom made.

I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones I can think of right now.  What traits do you have?

Mom's Day

It's been two years since Mom passed away.  How time flies when you are busy.  Every time I see this jacket hanging in an out-of-the-way closet I think of her.  Last week I saw a little white curly topped, lady that reminded me of her. 
There really are many people that look very much alike.  I guess there are only so many styles of facial and hair there is definitely going to be some common traits.  Here's thinking of you Mom.  We love you!