My cousin Carl Rehbein was always involved in a responsible activity. I love this photo because even at a young age...Carl was being responsible. I was probably wondering what shade of eye shadow matched my dress or some such nonsense. With all that's going on in the world...whatever happened to those responsible Civil Air Patrol citizens....and don't you just love the word ELKRIDGE. Too cool Carl...and thank you for helping keep us safe.
a cousin thinks that we all should get together soon. let's plan something.....
The other day at work I was talking about Granddaddy Al. Granddaddy Al was my mother's husband (so not a Resau). My mom, always a stickler for who and how we were always related to anymore once said...Al is the best grandfather a girl could ever have. It's true. I still remember the twinkle in his eye when he would could Becky, Linda and Linda, Becky. and of course he did it with Chip and Lester...and we would always fall for it. Al was a cook I guess in the army and nothing he liked better (and of course Grandmother Lenz would have never complained either) when all seven of us would pile into a car on Sunday and come over to the Rockville house for dinner. Big kettles would be on the stove, the biggest turkey, or the biggest ham...whatever Al felt like fixing...and of course there would be all the side dishes. Then after dinner he'd wrangle Becky and me into showing him how we knew how to do dishes.."you girls don't know how to do dishes do you? do you know where a man could get some help?" and of course while at home we'd almost kill each other doing dishes...al had us scrubbing pots and laughing the whole time. Then there was ice cream. My favorite memory of Al is when he sent me down for ice cream. They had this big chest freezer in the basement and I opened it and looked for vanilla ice cream. I could see these other blocks of ice cream...but no vanilla. So i came upstairs and said there was no ice cream. Al just started to laugh. So i explained to him that we always had just vanilla ice cream (my dad likes things simple) and Al asked me if i had ever had strawberry or chocolate ice cream and i said no. So we went down to the basement and he brought up probably 10 cartons of ice cream, got a big bowl and put a scoop of each flavor in the bowl. I liked strawberry best. Every year there after, my birthday....my own carton of strawberry ice cream! Later in life mom showed me a thank you note he had saved that I had written him. Dear Granddaddy Owl.....explains it all doesn't it.
This picture shows all of me, Becky, brother's Lester and Chip on the living room floor of our Hanover house. That's Granddaddy Al holding Mike McGee...hard to tell which of us kids is having more fun eh?
It was about 9:30pm, Friday night, hot, summer. We were all sitting at the dining room table. The kids were drawing and reading and the parents and granny were listening to the baseball game on the radio, orioles, top of 8th inning. Andy Etchebarren had just batted. (Not sure that I'm spelling that right, nor does it really matter but I always liked that name). Ice tea glasses were leaving puddles of water on the oil cloth. Dad who always was making a list of things for us to do was talking about digging potatoes and pulling tomatoes in the morning before we would go to the carnival. Granny said, "Clyde, that's night time talk. No way you are going to get those kids to get all that done before you go to the parade." Dad sort of rolled his shoulder and looked up from his list with just one side of his face and smiled. "Those kids will want to go to that parade, we'll get a lot done in the morning." Sure enough in the morning we were running between the potato patch and the tomato patch. New potatoes in the bushel baskets, tomatoes being laid on the wagon. The air was hot and damp (later known as high humidity) but we had a parade to go to. Later sitting on the curb waiting for the police car to drive up to signal the start of the parade, we all sat quiet and limp. I thought to myself. I'd better learn to listen for the phrase Night Time Talk.
This is the final photo in the envelope. I love this photo because it's a sweet picture of mom, dad and Lester. It's at the front steps of Liz's childhood home. I loved that home...and always loved coming to visit there. I always remembered the door with the long shutters...but i had forgot about the bricks. Aren't the steps and sidewalk wonderful...so welcoming...
This picture is January 1977... obviously not a winter photo from Minnesota.
So thank you Liz for these photos, these chapters. Sometimes it's the moments you weren't there that you treasure. And yes, I made a cup of coffee....that will be me sitting back and enjoying the photos, imagining the visits and having a sip of java.
I left home for college in 1969 and by January 1973 I was married and headed to Minnesota to live. During those years my parents sold the 2.5 acre homestead in Hanover and had moved to Sharpsburg Maryland to 50 acres. Here my brothers had their middle school, high school years. While I visited, I was never familar with the home or the area. I missed these years with my brothers. I had forgot how young they were, or the fact that mom had taken a job to help pay for the loan on the farm. (Mom had rarely worked while I grew up...how different my brother's teen years were to mine). In this photo, my youngest brother Lester, Liz's mom, Aunt Elizabeth and mom (in her nursing home uniform) pose for a photo. Someone is working in the garden in the back. How do I know this photo is from July 1973. The very faint date mark on the back of the photo....otherwise I would have just had to guess.
Last week was a long week at work. Well every week is a long week at work...in it's own way..but then that's work. I came home to letters from everyone...and a small envelope from cousin liz. She had sent me recently a gift certificate for starbucks...and I thought oh my...see must think i live for coffee. I do but that's another chapter or coffee blog. Inside were three pictures...all from times in my life when I wasn't there, or wasn't involved! So I have no memories of these photos, instead they are like puzzle pieces to my life. Pieces I didn't know I was missing...
This one is dad, young, I am thinking before WW2. There are two young gals in the background on the road. I don't know where the picture is taken. I chuckle. Even then Dad liked his jackets and his hats!
This picture is how I remember Christmas. Oh we had the tree and Santa and church and such but the very best part of the holiday was the visits of the cousins! Grandmother Resau (Granny) lived with us and so each holiday all of my dad's brothers and sisters would come on different nights (sometimes the same night as here) and what fun it was getting ready for their visit. I suspect mom kept as mum as long as she could because I was the event planner and dish getter outer of all times...and here is a photo from one of those gatherings.
There was Uncle Ed, Aunt Esther (dad's sister) their children Carl and Eileen
There was Uncle Howard,(dad's brother) Aunt Elizabeth, their children Jim, Tom, Liz Anne
This picture front row - Liz Anne
My sister Becky tucked behind Liz, me and Eileen
That's Aunt Elizabeth behind Liz Anne, Aunt Esther, Tom and my dad Clyde
Then leaning on the doorway is my mom, Granny, Uncle Howard, Carl and behind Carl Uncle Ed.
This picture is taken in the living room in our Hanover house.
Liz and I looked at this photo this summer and we decided her brother Jim was the photographer...good job Jim! Becky was always shy...and I suspect she hid on purpose. But Liz and I think there are some more pictures taken...and so we are looking for one with Becky and or Jim.
For many years, until I left for college this was how Christmas was at our house. The gathering of friends and family on almost everyday between Christmas and New Years....and I loved it!
Every winter, as the cold weather begins, I remember this. Dad built us an outdoor ice rink one year and I would come home from school every day and skate. I just loved the rink. I have joked over the years that I was just sure that if I practiced everyday...and at this point probably staying up and maybe crossing corners was the limit of my skills..but I was sure I would make it to the Olympics. Mom let me believe it and showed me school figures. Of course I would only half pay attention and then want to skate around the rink in my imagination. Still it was great fun!
This is probably a holiday - could be Thanksgiving. Here are cousin Mary, me and Becky (sporting that stylish apron) thankful for a little gathering, probably no food...but in our hearts we were glad to be together. Isn't that what Thanksgiving is really about! And as I've said before here is cousin Mary, always ready to join in the fun with us. Mary can you tell, is this your house? I can't tell. And I'm wondering Mary if perhaps your mom took this photo...we had no color photos until mid 60s...my mom had a black and white camera that worked outside! Happy Thanksgiving to all.