The Old Valise

Good Friday morning to you!   Have you been watching the Olympics?  I am glued to the telly.  How about that Michael Phelps?  And The Flying Squirrel, Gabby, the US Gymnast?  Wow.  I am especially enjoying the beach vollyball, and springboard and platform diving.  Those Chinese are something else in the diving!!!   I have enjoyed watching it all. Rowing, swimming, gymnastics, diving, volleyball.  I don't want it to end. 
This has been a hot and muggy week for the most part.  I have not done too much outside.  I do my chores early in the morning, and go out in the evening, after the sun has begun to set, to do my yard chores.   My garden is  slowing down now.  I am still harvesting lots of tomatoes, green onions, peppers, eggplant, and basil.  Last night we ate the most delicious cantaloupe from the garden.  But today those vines will be pulled.

My sweet friend Jeni has been keeping us supplied with beautiful figs from her garden.

This same friend recently introduced me, and our knitting group to this amazing snack!!!

Apparently, this can only be found at Costco.  And only for a short period of time each year!  It is called Chicago mix, and it is a blend of caramel corn and cheese popped corn.  Who would ever think that this combo would taste good?  But it does....oh my...it does!!!!

It's like CRACK!!!!    You can't get enough!!  Crackcorn!!!!  Jeni brought me another bag of it last week!!!!  I don't shop at Costco much, but I plan to go this weekend to see if there is any left.  If you shop there, and see it....I hope you pick up a bag or 10.  It is THAT good!!!!
The other day when I got out the old suitcase of  photos, it really got me thinking.

I so wish, that we had gone through these photos, long ago, WITH the members of our family that still knew who was in each of these pictures, taken so many years ago.  We do know who most are, but some of these beautiful pictures will remain a mystery.  Like this one.  I have always been told that we have Cherokee in our family, somewhere on my Mom's father's side.  These photos show several Indian people with a man that is in many of the other family photos.  But who he is exactly, we are not sure?

Be sure to label your photos with as much information as you can.  Someday, someone will very much appreciate that you took the time.
I ran across a few from my Dad's family. 

My Dad was born when his two sisters were 11 and 16.  They all doted on him.  His Mom passed away when he was only 18 years old.  His sisters were more like Mom's to him.  His oldest sister, Connie, was always my favorite Aunt.  She never had children, and she did a lot for me and my brothers.  We loved to go stay with her.  In the photos of her with my Dad, you can see how much she dearly loved him.  I love the clothing she wore!!!!!  So stylish!!!!  I would love to have a dress just like this!!!

She was quite a little dancer when she was a little girl.  I love these photos of her in her tulle skirt and ballet slippers.

I have these very ballet shoes, along with her teeny tiny gloves she wore, in my possession too.  I think I will take those, and these photos, and have a shadow box made. 
 The following photo is one of my Dad's Aunt Emma and Uncle Ed.  They owned a bakery in Los Angeles. 

Look at that cash register!!!  I have a flour sak from their bakery, and it is matted and framed, and used to hang in my kitchen.  It no longer matches my colors, but I think I will dig it out and hang it back up anyway.
My Dad always had horses, and chickens and such.  He loved to putter outside, and water his yards, just like I do.  I take after him in this way, very much.  If only I could have a few goats and a miniature horse or two!!!!

Oh my gosh, he was cute!!!!!
I have often thought that Gennifer's youngest daughter Claire, looks alot like me when I was a little girl.  I did find a couple pictures of me that I think show the resemblance. But I am still looking for one in particular where I think the resemblance is amazing!  I believe this was my Kindergarten school photo.

I also found this gem.  My Mom made this dress for me.  I remember being in a fashion show in this dress, and this was at my cousins wedding, I think????   Mom???  The pictures says 1968, so I was 8 yrs. old. 

This old valise holds a lot of history for our family.

It's overwhelming really.  Once you start to dig into your family history.  Oh how I would love to do some research and find out more about these people....all of these people, the ones we knew and remember, and also the ones we don't.

Were they close?  Did they fight?  Did they share bedrooms?  Did they farm, did they have a car?  Did they quilt? Were they ever hungry?  What illness did they suffer?  The hardships must have been many. 
But there is so much we will never know about so many of these people, whose secrets remain locked in the old "valise" with the taped handle.

 XO  Kris