Live from Tormville!

A horribly out of focus series of photos that I love so much

In my busy-ness, I nearly forgot to share these ones
and they just have to be shared, as out of focus as they are, because they'll help you understand why the three year old is so much more photographed then his siblings. 

And I think you should know that.  heh. 

I mean, if for no other reason than to know what I have to deal with here on a daily basis

To begin with, the little boys adore when their big brother walks through the door after school.  They tackle him, they climb all over him, they lock him in the bathroom and chase him around the circle and then land in a pile on the couch.  On this dark and dreary day - I thought I'd catch a picture.

The bottom two complied, and went on with what they were doing.  That top one?  He's a camera magnet.  He poses whenever it comes out.

Which is okay in some cases, but in others - I really would enjoy candids.  (This is where Allan has begun yelling help as the youngest has brought out the licking weapon)

And Brian is keeping that focus on the camera - and me?  I couldn't stop laughing, seriously, I was shaking with it. 

This is just so typical.  So our home.

And Brian, I said,  you know what?  I love you.

To which he answered - I love you too, mom - can I go play now??  

*********

Other stuff -

I have dentist today. wah.
It's snowing outside. Again.
15 degrees warmer than yesterday tho
Pa should be driving home from Chicago this afternoon - his one night trip turned into three.  He had to go buy underwear and socks last night
I know you wanted to know that
I'm feeling a bit more caught up
but I still have things that need knocking off the list
We're having meatballs for dinner
with mashed potatoes

time to make the coffee

be good

ps.  Cori - I answered your email but it bounced back to me.  ???

Bringing life to a story

My readers who have been around a bit will remember (and it wasn't really that long ago) the story I shared here (you'll have to read from the bottom entry to the top) by way of retyping in an old history/family tree that I had found at an antique store. 

I had shared that piece for several reasons.  One, because I found it so incredibly fascinating - full of details and descriptive writing - it was like reading a good book, it really mattered not at all that I had no clue who the people were.  And two, I hoped that perhaps somebody from the Ternes family might google a name within that text someday and happen upon it, for it belongs with them, such a wealth of information it contains.

Yesterday I heard from Marianne. Marianne is the granddaugher of George L. Ternes and she has been tracing her family history for years but had some blanks to fill in.  She had acquired the assistance of another family member who also does family research and as I had hoped, he found the entry on my blog.

Marianne gave me permission to share these few pictures and update a few things.

This is Hannah Mae Connelly (Ternes) and her children - George, Claire and Edna.  All three are still alive, in their 90's and doing well. 

And this is the little boy, George, who ended up at Pearl Harbor. Marianne shares that his boat was hit but he escaped injury.  The last paragraph in this entry talked about how George's Pearl Harbor experience left him at loose ends. Altho, now in rereading that entry - the author believed George to have taken his own life where Marianne shared that he's in his 90's and doing well - but perhaps instead it's the youngest, Lloyd, who is still living.  Now I wonder...

So there's that little bit more to the story - it really warmed my day.  Like David, Marianne's relative, had shared with me...it's like their ancestors are still communicating even tho so many of them have passed on.

I'll be mailing the piece to Marianne on Monday so she can enjoy having it in her hands to read that which belongs to her

I almost hate to be done

But alas, all good things and all that.  Here's the end of the story

     The information I have given you should give you a good start on your family tree. There are a few more interesting highlights I would like to give  you so you will know what a happy childhood we had.

     Holidays were always wonderful. The entire family would get together. That made for quite a crowd. We children would all be fed first and then turned loose to enjoy the day and each other while the grown ups had their dinner. Aunt Maggie often had Christmas dinner at her house because she had a very big house. She lived on Livernois Avenue and kept boarders. One of the Motormen or Conductors, who were her boarders would dress up as Santa and pass out the gifts. The only thing I didn't like about it was that Aunt Maggie put raisins in the turkey dressing. When we went to Aunt Maggie's for a visit she would always give us a striped bag with candy. The 4th of July was generally spent at Hickory Island and it was always a spectacular day. The relatives all gathered there in the morning and after lunch we were given all the sparklers and lady fingers we could handle. This helped us wear off the lunch and prepare for a very special dinner. After dinner our dads would set off the Roman candles and sky rockets and pinwheels and we would roast wienies and toast marshmallows at the bonfire on the beach. We had some wonderful times out there. We went to the Island as soon as school was out in the spring and stayed there until it was time to get new clothes for school again in the fall.

     Charles you couldn't possibly remember me because you saw me only two or three times. You stayed at my house when your grandmother died. I remember sending you back home with grandmother's silver, a check and a bag of candy Whey don't you bring  your family here for a vacation sometime? We would like to meet your wife and children and we'd like to really meet you. I knew you as a boy. I'd like to know something about the man. We have room and would be happy to have you.  Think about it.

and that's it. 

almost done....

continued from here

     Christmasses were wonderful times because we enjoyed them so. I remember way back to the days when we had lighted candles on the Christmas tree. Dad would light all the candles and then we would have a very few minutes to admire the glowing tree and then they had to be blown out. It was dangerous but it was beautiful. When we were older dad would send us to bed and about five minutes later he would ring the doorbell like mad and come to the foot of the stairs and yell at the top of his voice, "Kids, come on down Santa's been here" and of course we were ready. The secret is we went to bed with our slippers and robes on so we'd be ready. We had an early Christmas because dad just couldn't wait. No matter what else we got for Christmas there was sure to be a small but very heavy box for each of us. In it would be coins each wrapped singly. When we were young it was new pennies for me. Nickles for Orrin and dimes for Norman. For Mother and for us when we got older it became gold pieces. He was a good Dad, a successful man and a fine person. His weakness? The bottle. He amassed a fortune and then wasted it, but we never stopped loving him because sober or three sheets to the wind he was never mean or disagreeable to us.

     The little girl sitting helping to cover grandpa's torn pants is Della. Della married Daniel Connelly. They had five children Helen Taylor, Gladys Zimmer, Chester who married Kathleen Mulleavy, Delia Walker and Ruth Montagne. Helen and Hanley had three children Hanley, Mary Helen and James Danial. Gladys and Lynn had five children Diane, Patricia Ann, Daniel Joseph and Michael. Ruth and Arthur had four children Richard, Thomas, Larry and Mary Lou.

     Frederick was the youngest child and married Elizabeth Koselke. They had no  children but adopted a little girl they called Vera. Elizabeth died when Vera was still young but she objected very strongly to her father marrying again. She was only about fourteen but insisted that she could and and should run her father's house. She did not realize that her father needed a wife. Her father finally decided that he would marry Anne Dingeman and she tried to help Vera to find her way but it became more and more evident that Vera was incapable of sustaining normal relationships and had to be committed to an institution. Frederick, or Uncle Fred and Anne had one son Anthony my favorite cousin. Anthony married Marion Dettloff and they had six children Frederick, Daniel, William, Marie Ann, Michael and Judy Ann. Frederick and Daniel are married, William is enjoying life as a bachelor, Marie will graduate from High School in June and Michael and Judy are still in school

to be continued

Continuing the story.....

continued from here

     The second young man in the family picture is William Peter Ternes who married Elsie Gerstner and they had six children as near as I can find out. They were Evelyn who married a Monaghan boy, William who married Madelline Maillue whose father was a lawyer and her mother was an opera singer, Ruth, Joy Marion, Jack and Donald. Ruth was drowned out at the cottage on Hickory Island. She was about three years old. After William died Elsie married a Mr. Deacon and they had one more child called John P. Deacon.

     The lady is the back row is my favorite Aunt - Theresa whom we called Aunt Trace. She married Albert Bernard Carlen a musician and piano and organ tuner and repairer. They had four children, Lucille, Eugene, Dorothy and Bernard. Lucille married William McCleer, Eugene became a priest, Dorothy became a Monroe nun with the name of Sr. Claudia. Bernard married Frances Shulte, a nurse. They had four children, Marie Therese, Dorothy, Kathleen known as Kitty and James. Then they called the whole thing off and were divorced and Bernard married Rose somebody or other. I'm still working on that name too. Marie Therese married William D. Hopkinson and they had six children, Elizabeth Ann, Donald, Ann, Kathy, Amy and Patty. Dorothy married William Beers and moved to California. They have three children, William, Mark and Shawn. Kitty works for the social services in Detroit and has never married. James lives in California and his aunt doesn't know if he is married or not. The other man in the last row is Albert. Albert was a handsome confident man who was a very successful business man. He aand his three younger brothers, Frank, your great grandfather, William and George were in the coal and lumber business for a number of years. The company was called The Ternes Coal and Lumber Company which was quite normal. Albert married Maude Burke and had three sons. Arthur, Howard and Paul. Arthur married Laree but I do not know her last name yet. They were divorced and I believe he married again a girl by the name of Esper, another good old Dearborn name. I believe he had two children Dale and Donald but I do not know by which wife. Howard married a lovely girl with an odd first name. She was Steve Rooney. They had a daughter Burke. I think there were other children but I have not been able to track them down yet. Paul married Patricia O'Reille and they had three children, Paul, Patricia and Michael. About 1918 Aunt Maude died. I remember that very well because the boys stayed with us for a few days. Al later married Helen Reber and had one more daughter Alberta Ternes who married Bill Bent.

     The young woman sitting in the middle row is Margaret or Maggie as she was called. Maggie married Peter Neckel and this seems to have been a mismating if ever there was one. Margaret and Peter had three children, only one of whom Alice lived to grow up. The other two, Madeline and Alfred, died as children. Alice married Joseph Hammel and had six children Joseph, Robert, Margaret Kohlmeier La Salle Renelda Bonefant and Mary Alice Best. Next in line is Grandpa Ternes, your great great grandfather Anthony who, I understand was especially posed with his knees covered by hands to cover a hole in his pants. When he went into the photographer's studio he tripped and fell, tearing both his pant legs. Next to him sits Grandma Ternes who, by the looks of her must have been the authority figure in the family. I never knew her but Mother spoke highly of her and grandpa too, so there must have been some good to her. Then thee is Frank, your great grandfather. He was a handsome man, good, kind, and with a terrific sense of humor. We loved the stunts and tricks he used to pull on us.

to be continued - I figure it'll take about 2 more entries to wrap it all up. ;)

I haven't forgotten

continued from here.....

     In 1932 St. Charles church of Newport celebrated its 50th anniversary. The parishioners published a book telling about the early days of the church. Jerome Valade sent one to mother. The following is a quotation from that book. Look on your chart and you will find the names Valade- Loranger, Beckham.

     Louise just called and gave me three addresses for people who are named Ternes and live in Paris. One is a corsetier, one a furniture mover and one an automobile dealer I think.

     Louise called and gave me four Ternes businesses listed in the Paris telephone book. One is Ternes Immobiliers or furniture movers at 1 Rue Ne'va in the 8th districy.  Ternes Tapis Maquettes (Textiles 4 Rue Ville Bois 17th District Ternes neg a cious cions d'automobile  71 Boulevard Gouvion St Cyr; 7th District and Les Ternes Corsetts at 37 Avenue McMahon  17th District. I think I will try a little strategy on them all.  I will send them pictures of their name on the street signs of Dearborn and possibly one of the large grave marker in the cemetary. This may acoure a little curiousity in them and they may respond.

     Now, if you take the large family picture I will tell you about the people in it. There are three men and a woman in the back row.  They are George Ternes, William Ternes, Theresa Ternes and Albert Peter Ternes. In the middle row are Maggie, Anthony, the father of the group, Mary Horger Ternes, the mother of the group and Francis (Frank (+) Anthony Ternes, my foster father and your great grandfather. Seated on the floor are Della and Frederick.

     Let's start with Anthony, the father of the family. He is the son of Christian Ternes and Anna M (Schiller Ternes. Anthony was born on Feb. 22, 1843 and died on Feb. 28, 1904. Mary Ann (Horger Ternes was the daughter of John Horger and Margaret Meisel Horger. Mary Ann was born in 1847 and died Jan 21, 1904. The church records show that Anthony Ternes and Mary Ann Horger were married June 1868. Anthony's Father Christian Ternes was born in 1807 and died in 1881. His mother Anna Marie Schiller was born in 1808 and died on Dec. 25 1884.

     The first boy in the last row is George Ternes. George married May Connolly. They had four children, Edna who became a nun, George Junior was in the war and I believe was at Pearl Harbor. The experience left him sort of at loose ends but he finally married a beautiful young lady (I am still trying to find out her name) They were married just 30 days and she died with spinal meningitis. George was devestate by this tragedy and it was quite a while before he married again but he never could come to terms with the disasters in his life and he finally decided it wasn't worth trying to cope with it any longer so he chose his own time to die. Claire married James Martin and lives here in Dearborn. I do not have her children's names. And then there was Lloyd the youngest. I see him at church sometimes. He is a fine young man with a family and he runs the Ternes Paint Store right here in town. After May died Lucille Carlen kept home for George and his four children until George married again. He had four children and he married a Widow Marguerite Emback Schroeder who also had four children. They evened things up but made for quite a household.

to be continued

where was I?

continued from here

     What a delightful dream you have of Paris. When I read that I was reminded of Henry Van Dyke's poem, "America For Me" In describing London and Paris about half way through the poem he said, "Oh, London is a man's town, there's power in the air and Paris is a woman's town with flowers in her hair." Yes, I went to Paris. It was one of the stops of a 49 day tour of the continent.  We visited 7 countries and found them all fascinating. No doubt there have been many changes since that summer of 1954 but I still remember the highlights. It was like walking in a dream through places I never expected to see. I seemed always on the alert for fear I would waken in my bed at home. there were Motmartre, Maximes, Folies Bergers, Bois de Bologna, Saint Chapelle, the left bank, Notre Dame Cathedral, the palace of Versailles and the Louvr with its haunting Mona lisa. These things I remember vividly and would like to see again.

     Maybe I had better make another promise to myself. One of our assignments when I was in the eighth grade was to make a promise and write about it. Our Teacher was way ahead of her time and a wonderfully imaginative person. She said, "A promise made is a debt unpaid so make a promise to yourself and you will surely keep it"  Along with my classmates I very solemnly made twin promises to myself - first that I would be a school teacher and second that I would go to Paris some day. My teacher was right. I did keep my promises to myself. Seven years later I began a teaching career which lasted for 47 1/2 years but it took my 36 years to get to Paris. I made it and loved it just as I had expected I would. I stood on the sidewalk in Montmartre and hugged myself I was so delighted to be there. It was on the way back from the Bois de Bologne that I saw the street sign with Pont de Ternes on it. It is pronounced Tern but spelled Ternes. The people are French. The next day I passed up a luncheon at the Eiffel Tower to walk back toward the coq Hardee restaurant where we had lunch the day before in hope of finding that sign and taking a picture of it. I did find it. I hunted up a policeman or gendarme and asked him about it. My inexcusable French forced me to write my questions which he answered for me. He told me the area and the street were named for a very old family who lived there. I should have tried to locate someone named Ternes in the phone book or through the gendarmes. When I came home I learned from a cousin that some researcher had found out that one of the Ternes men who fought in the German army during the Franco Prussian was fell in love with a French girl, married her and settled down in France. You see there is some romance in our history.

     I think I am on the trail of something now. Louise, my cleaning lady, has a brother living in a suburb of Paris and she has written asking him to try and get me the pages of the Paris telephone book with the name Ternes on it. If I get them I shall try to communicate with some of them and see if they know where their family began.  My French is inadequate but I am sure someone will help me out.  How is your (end of side one - beep) French? Maybe you would like to write too.

     The Ternes family was German. Mother Ternes was part French. She lived in a French community, Newport, Michigan, and spoke French. During the first world this led to some rather lively discussions at the dinner table. I have often wondered what Mother would have said had she found out, as I have since I have been researching family trees that her family could well have been more Spanich than French. Dr. Valade, mother's grandfather traveled from Spain to Canada to Newport, Michigan. That Dr. Valade was your great, great, great grandfather.

     Mother's father was August Loranger and her mother was Mary Valade. Mary died and August Loranger married again. His second wife had children of her own and was not too happy to have little Madeline Laura at all. She reportedly treated her so badly that her Grandmother Valade took your Great grandmother to live with her. Thus she was raised with aunts and uncles. this was the reason Mother always felt so close to Clara Valade Beckham. They are aunt and niece but raised as sisters.

to be continued

continued

from here

     Dad, Mr. Ternes, died when I was about 27, by that time Norman had had two children, Jack and Patricia, and he himself had been terribly ill. He was hospitalized for about a year and the penalty for that prolonged illness was very harsh. He recovered but was addicted to the use of drugs. This plagued him for the rest of his life. Norman was a capable young man who worked for his Uncle George Ternes in the coal office in Dearborn. He was also an accomplished pianist and sometimes played in a dance group with his brother in law Hugh Jack.

     Orrin had married a beautiful and vivacious girl named Bernadine Cooper. Bernadine was a nurse. In time they had a fine young son named Charles, your father.

     In the covent sisters are given about 10 years in which to decide if the really want to make a permanent committment and take final vows. After Dad's death I decided it might be better if I went home first. When I came home Charles was a baby, Bernadine was working at her profession in a Detroit hospital and Orrin was, as usual, out of work. Things were just beginning to level off after the depression and jobs were scarse. Detroit had a waiting list of teachers two thousand long and preference was given to Michigan trained teachers. I had a college education two degrees and no work. I took part time jobs and housekeeping jobs - at the munificent sum of eight dollars a week and finally got back into a Catholic school in Wyandotte Michigan. Just about that time Orrin vanished from our lives. Where he went or why we never found out. Mother and I felt very sorry for Bernadine and Charles but I, especially hesitated to ask too many questions. I thought it was Bernadine's right to tell us what she chose. If your grandmother Perrin chooses she may tell you more. I know absolutely nothing about it. I am afraid I can not deal too kindly with your grandfather because I watched his mother's eyes change from incredulity to hope, to resignation and finally to despair. I've told you all this just to tell you that I don't know where your grandfather is or if he is alive or not. If he is alive he would be about 73 years old.

     Your great grandmother whom I call Mother Ternes was a beautiful, able, capable woman who seemed to bend but never break. Under great pressure she would often say, "Well, we'll just have to make the best of it", and she did. She was never mean or petty or critical. She had never learned how. Her greatest fault was that Orrin took advantage of this. She had a wonderful sense of humor and was willing to believe that everyone did the best he could.

     When the going was pretty rough we lost our home at 3775 Taylor and Mother and I moved out to the cottage at Hickory Island and stayed there until winter. We came back to the city and rented an apartment in Inkster and later found one in Dearborn. In 1938 Elmer and I were married and both our mothers came to live with us on Morrow Circle in East Dearborn. We each had a mother in law. It sounds like a strange household, I know, but it really wasn't. For us it was ideal. Neither of us had to worry about leaving our Mothers alone while we were at work, because each of them had a companion and a place to play house all day. they didn't have the major responsibility of running a house and they got along exceptionally well together. Elmer worked as assistant traffic manager of a major oil company with offices at Trenton, Michigan and I taught school in Dearborn. We were both secure in the knowledge that our mothers were not alone. I must admit that I was pretty badly spoiled. They both assured me that they had to have something to do all day and so they did the washing, ironing, dishes, dusting, mending and minor cleaning. They set the table, prepared the vegetables and let me do the shopping and the cooking. I couldn't have asked for more.

     The little autograph book accompanying this tape belonged to your great grandmother. In another nine years it will be one hundred years old. Please, cherish it as I have. I believe the earliest date in the book is 1887 and th latest 1891. The premium award sheet is dated 1895.

     The small pictures are of the cottage at Hickory Island and one of your great grandfather and me on the back porch on twelfth street. Your grandfather was almost cut off completely.

to be continued.....

Just after five in the morning

and I'm wide awake
the only one up
And yes....I totally get the irony.  I'm not laughing.

It's quiet, dark - my windows are covered in perspiration - it's been wicked humid the last couple days.  My thermometer is reading 74 degrees. 

I've already eaten a bowl of cereal.  I woke up hungry. 

Now what should I do? 
How 'bout I finish typing the story I started the other day
I'll begin just after that first paragraph I typed which ended ..... ready to smile look. 

     I hate to seem ungrateful, and I'm not, but I am still missing one picture.  There is no picture of your mother.  I'd appreciate some information too.  When and where your mother and dad were married would be a help.  I'd like your mother's maiden name too.  I need this information for my own research.  I like the picture of your father but I barely recognize the man because I keep thinking of a little boy about Peter's age.  I do have one picture of your father in which he looks about fifteen or sixteen years old.  I found it among mother's things, and it, like the other family pictures comes out once a year to hang on the Christmas tree and be admired. I shall have to make one of my picture ornaments for you. Each year the numerous little pill container ornaments with family pictures inside decorate the trees.  They make the tree quite the conversation piece.

     I am delighted to be able to use tapes.  Apparently my tongue gets less tired then my fingers do, though I do type this all out before I put it on tape. My memory is bad, you see, and like most old folks I tend to repeat myself ad infinitem. My typewriter is about to be hospitalized. I surely could not have made all these  mistakes by myself.

     If any family tree is shaken hard enough I am sure it will produce stories of heroes and horse thieves. Lives to be proud of, lives to imitate and some to regret. Your family tree, no doubt will be the same, so I think it is wise to remember that we are totally responsible for ourselves and our lives but we owe no debt to the past.

     I enjoy having someone to share the shaking of the tree with because your family was very important to me. First let me tell you who I am and you can decide what I am for yourself. I will be very truthful and tell you as much as I know as well as I know it.

     My name is Edith Mary Madeline Ternes Reynolds. I am your grandfather's adopted sister. I was introduced to the familly when I was four and a half years old. My mother had died giving birth to her fifth child. My parents rented a house from your great grandparents. My mother was pregnant and on her way to the Ternesses to pay the rent. She tripped on a broken sidewalk near their home. Mother Ternes told me she saw her and went out and put a pillow under her head and called for help. She was taken to the hospital and died that afternoon. She was only 26 years old. But that is another story, mine. I must take care not to digress too much but my family is involved deeply in yours.

     In the summer of 1911 I was taken by my aunt to a cottage on Hickory Island. I played in the water and on the beach with some other children until nap time. I was put down for a nap, when I awakened my aunt was gone and I found myself in a strange place without a single familiar face. At four and a half this can be a devistatingly traumatic experience. It was for me. Years later I came to terms with it and even wrote a poem about it. It was a little morbid, as I recall. I am a frustrated poet and write verses at the drop of a hat, so don't drop yours or I'll surely write about it. Two of the boys I played with before my world upended were Norman and Orrin, the two surviving children of the Ternes family. They had had five children, three of whom, Chester, Mildred and Edith had died in infancy of early childhood. It was to fill the void left by the two daughters that the Ternesses decided to adopt me. They changed my name from Freda Isobel Watson to Edith Mary Madeline Ternes. I found this out when I was taken to school in the fall. From the middle of summer until school time I wondered why no one ever called me. Everytime anyone spoke to me they called me Edith. I did not know who Edith was. This was very confusing to me because my name was Freda. No one ever called me and I never heard the name again.

     At that time our home was at 273 Twelfth Street. The house has since been torn down and there is a warehouse on the property. Even the name of the street has  been changed. It is now called Rosa Parks Boulevard. Dad Ternes was in the coal business at that time and had an office on the corner of Twelfth and Michigan Avenue. He later went into the real estate business and was a very successful builder and dealer. We moved from 12th street to Fifteenth Street in about 1918. Our house there is still standing. i shall try to get a picture of it for you. It should not be too difficult because my husband's sister eventually bought the house and lived there for many years. The number was originally 448 but when the numbers were changed it became 2668. We later moved to a smaller house at 3775 Taylor Avenue. Your grandmother Perrin will remember that house because she lived there with use for a time.

     Orrin, Charles father, and your grandfather was close to me in age and we spent much of our childhood together, when he entered his teens I became the kid sister who had to be bribed not to tell if he got into trouble at school and that sort of thing. This was often my source of income. That and washing the wire wheels and windshield on Norman's new car. Somehow we survived our teens and Norman married the very beautiful Ruth Poyntz Jack, daughter of Dr. Hugh Jack, a protestant minister. He was a fine man, and she a lovely girl but this rather upset the staunchly Catholic family - however they took it in stride. Her parents did not approve either but they had the reception at our home on Fifteenth and were married in St Boniface rectory. That was too bad. Her parents did not attend. Nowadays there would have been a dual ceremony and everyone would have been happier about it. Dad gave them a down payment on a home for a wedding present and they lived in Dearborn at 85 Adeline Avenue. The name of the street was eventually changed to Edison Avenue and the number to 22239.

     When I was nineteen years old I had to make a decision for myself. The Ternesses were very good to me and sent me to a school for young ladies. St. Joseph's Academy in Adrian, Michigan. I was in the eighth grade and very impressionable. The school was run by the Adrian Dominicans, and order of Catholic nuns whom I admired very much.  I still admire them. In my sophomore year of high school they sent me to St. Mary's Academy in Windsor, Ontario. Thereby hangs a tale which I shall tell you some other time.

     Like most teenagers I was sure I was destined to dedicate my life to saving the world or something equally dramatic so I entered the convent one month after my nineteenth birthday. This altered my living habits considerably and until the age of 28 I saw the family only once or twice a year and was allowed to visit home only three times in those nine and one half years so whatever happened in the family affected me very little. In order to avoid worrying me they told me only the good things. They never mentioned troubles very much. Much of the time I lived in or near Chicago and that was a very long way from home.

To be continued.  ;)

Five and a half feet long, double-spaced on both sides

So - a day later and still no regrets.  Phew. 

But I enjoyed a bit of irony last evening.  It crossed my mind that while I have no qualms at all about purging our wedding china, there are other things that I'll see at garage sales, antique stores and in the garage on junk picking day that have me all aghast and horrified, as in - I can't believe they are getting rid of that!!!

More often than not - it's quilts that have me coming to the rescue.

I have one that I use on our guest bed air mattress that is a beautiful hand pieced stained glass twin size quilt, completely finished.  I had found it my first year junk picking (it's an annual event the beginning of spring) and it was stuffed tightly into a box and completely black, like it had been on the outskirts of a fire. 

I threw it in the back of whatever vehicle we were using to collect treasures at that time and I brought it home and threw it in the wash.  I'm no expert at washing - and it came out just perfect.  Not a speck of black left on it, perfect condition.  Still floored that somehow tossed it out.

I remember purchasing another one at a yard sale before I was even married - it hung in our foyer for years, but came down when we thought we were moving and now it's in the linen closet.  I believe in using these things...so we do.  This one was a bit more fragile and I had asked the woman that was selling it, that really...you'd sell this?  And she said none of her girls wanted it.  Even then, I was stunned.

Incidentally - I never purchase china at garage sales.  LOL

And then theres this one that I found at the antique mall a few years ago - I was practically shaking with the excitement of a cool find

There are more than 18 hand embroidered pieces, all nursery rhymes.  Only a few of them aren't completed..and as luck would have it, I love hand embroidery. 


But what had me even more excited than these was this that came with it

Its 5 1/2 feet long, double spaced - typed on both sides and as neat as a pin.  Little backspace xxxxx's and all. 

And chock full of fascinating information - I enjoyed reading it and I have no clue who the people are.  I'll share some bits....

Dear Sofee;

I am sorry to be so late getting this tape to you but I have been very busy.  You were so right! The latest pictures look so different.  Each year makes changes in us all and the last two or three seem to have done such nice things for you and Peter.  Peter reminds me of his father when he was a little boy.  They both have that tantalizing getting ready to smile look.

Doesn't it just make you so curious about it all right from the first paragraph?  As I read on I can tell that the writer is obviously the one in the family that's trying to piece together the family tree and she both explains what information she is trying to gather and she shares other tidbits along the way, for instance...

If any family tree is shaken hard enough I am sure it will product stories of heroes and horse thieves. Lives to be proud of, lives to imitate and some to regret.  Your family tree, no doubt will be the same, so I think it is wise to remember that we are totally responsible for ourselves and our lives but we owe no debt to the past.

I love that!
And then the writer shares a bit of her own history and her name...

My name is Edith Mary Madeline Ternes Reynolds.  I am your grandfather's adopted sister.  I was introduced into the family when I was four and a half years old.  My mother had died giving birth to her fifth child.  My parents rented a house from your great grandparents. My mother was pregnant and on her way to the Ternesses to pay the rent.  She tripped on a broken sidewalk near their home. Mother Ternes told me she saw her and went out and put a pillow under her head and called for help.  She was taken to the hospital and died that afternoon. She was only 26 years old.

In the summer of 1911 I was taken by my aunt to a cottage on Hickory Island.  I played in the water and on the beach with some other children until nap time. I was put down for a nap, when I awakened my aunt was gone and I found myself in a strange place without a single familiar face.  At four and a half this can be a devistatingly traumatic experience.  It was for me.

Can you imagine??

She goes on to talk about how she was then adopted...how her name was changed from Freda to Edith and how confusing this was for her to be called a new name. 

She mentions home and addresses where people lived, how she joined the convent and so on.  And all this information is just on the first half of the front side of the muslin piece. 

I'm so glad I came along and rescued it.  I mean, seriously....;)

And if you ask real nice I might be persuaded to retype the whole thing.  Maybe....
What would really tickle me is if someone actually knew the people mentioned, if that whole small world thing came to play

Or if someone had an idea of what I could do with a long piece of interesting muslin typed on both sides