* I REMEMBER "TEA CUP TUESDAYS" & "TABLESCAPES! *

Hello All ~

I recently received a few pieces of china from a distant cousin. She said my *maternal grandma had given them to her years ago and now she thought I should have them. Wasn't that thoughtful of her?

(*These belonged to my grandma who lived in Greenfield, Iowa. I wrote about her and grandpa in my memoir and also other relatives who lived there. My childhood summer vacations there were some of the happiest times in my life.)

Fortunately the five pieces arrived from Iowa with no damage! Here are pictures and yes, I am already using them. No more putting away in cabinets to "save" and I don't have a china cabinet to display them in. So I will use them and enjoy them!

There are two small dessert plates. Two small bowls and one large bowl. There are a couple of funny looking spots on the larger bowl. Can you see them? Two small, tan circular thingys, with a black dot in the middle. I have no idea what would cause that! Do any of you? I don't mind it at all because they have been lovingly used for many years....And I love it that they all don't match!

These pretty dishes reminded me of the Tea Cup Tuesdays and Tablescapes I used to enjoy so much. I imagine there are many bloggers still doing them. At least I hope so. If anyone knows of any, please mention in my comments!

Thanks to you who continue to stop by and see if I'm still alive!

Y'all mean the world to me!

* MY COUNTDOWN TO THANKSGIVING - DAY 2 *

* Countdown to Thanksgiving *

 

 

 

I never spent Thanksgiving at my grandparents' home when I was a little girl. I'm sure it was because they lived hundreds of miles away from us and time just didn't allow it. I sometimes wished we could be there with them, and would go around our house singing the song in the You Tube video below:

 

 

 

And of course, my wishes also included the snow and the horse-drawn sleigh! 

 

 

 

 

"I suppose I will die never knowing what pumpkin pie tastes like when you have room for it." ~Robert Brault http://rbrault.blogspot.com/

 

(Ahh, my friend Robert Brault has written more amazing words of wit and wisdom than anyone else I know! His books can be purchased on Amazon.)



* A HOME IS GONE, BUT NOT THE MEMORIES *

This is a photo of my Grandma Louise & Grandpa Harl Dorsey on the left, and my Great Aunt Grace & Great Uncle Albert Foster on the right. (Louise & Grace were sisters.) It was taken near the side of my grandparents' house in Greenfield, Iowa. I still love that small town, and visit it often, where I spent magical vacations as a little girl during the 1950s and early '60s.

Greenfield, Iowa - 1950s

It's the only photo I could quickly locate, but hopefully I'll come across a few more later. I'm so terribly sad and have actually shed some tears, because I learned this past Tuesday, Sept 8th, that it BURNED DOWN. (No cause known at this time.) It had been bought, and sold, and rented over the years, and was in pretty bad shape, but I'd always dreamed of having enough money someday to buy it and renovate it back to the beauty and charm it displayed all those years ago.

I wrote about these four lovely ancestors in several chapters of my memoir, "From Pigtails to Chin Hairs," and how much they meant to me. The following is the last paragraph in the chapter, "A Timeless Journey."

       The furniture, pictures on the walls, and old-fashioned knick-knacks were always the same: crocheted doilies here and there, roller shades on the windows, white sheets on the beds that smelled like sunshine, and Grandma’s quilt with the little, yellow sunbonnets on it. This was a place where time stood still—no matter how long between visits—and always surrounded me with feelings of love, comfort, and home.

The next time I visit Greenfield, I think it will be difficult to not drive along SW 2nd Street, the way I've always done before, looking for that familiar home, but I'm also sure it would be very depressing to see an empty lot. Only time will tell.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

The Ronald and I stopped by to see some of our grand-kiddos early yesterday evening. They wanted to show off their Halloween costumes before they went out Trick-or-Treating.

One of the youngest guys gave me lots of attention and hugs, which I of course accepted with glee, and gave back to him in return. As I leaned down toward his cute crew cut hair, I inhaled a lovely smelling shampoo.

I told him how wonderful his hair smelled and asked what kind of shampoo did his mom use on it? Since he's a little guy, I couldn't quite understand him the first time, and I thought he said, "Cake shampoo!"

So, I teased him a little and said, "Cake shampoo?? Your mom uses cake shampoo on your hair??" And he just fell over giggling. I said, "Oh, it's not called that? Please tell me again what you said."

Still giggling, he managed to look back up at me and said, "Pink shampoo!"

"Oh, pink shampoo," I said as I laughed along with him.

Cake, Pink....they both sounded a lot alike coming from his angelic little mouth.

I think that'll be one of those little stories I remember for a long time, and maybe, hopefully he will, too.

** Flying in a 1946 Piper Cub **

Anyone who knows me very well, knows that the thought of me flying in a tiny, 2-seater 1946 Piper Cub prop plane, would be totally unbelievable! BUT, during my visit to the RAGBRAI Event in Greenfield, Iowa, I thought it sounded like a fun, adventurous thing to do!! As you can see by the photo, the pilot is helping me into my seat, in the front of the plane.....no right side door or window....and he sat directly behind me, somehow controlling the plane!

We flew around the town of Greenfield, population 2100, for about 20 minutes. We saw many of the bicyclists riding into town, plus some of the support crews in their campers, buses, etc. I was also able to pick out the house my grandma and grandpa lived in all those years ago when I visited as a young child!!

It was absolutely amazing and I can't wait to do it again!

(I'm also ready for those hot-air balloon rides and wild roller coasters!!)