from the days of youth

I have included a list of super cool places to visit in blogland. When you have the dishes and windows washed go ahead and sit down for a read. Oh heck...I will write you a permission slip excusing you from all that...read them as soon as you get the urge. The dishes and windows will wait for you. They always do.

In the meantime, this post is about me and

my cousin Barry.

December 1963. Barry, me, and my other cousin Jeff.

We are known in the family as the "1963 Gang" and we are the genealogist captains too!

Don't you LOVE the apron in the background? All the vintage seekers

KILL for aprons like that today!

Easter 1964. Barry and me at my house. I think he must have needed a button fussed with. How 'bout the major chub on my legs and that terrible bow on my head?!Easter 1966. Me with Barry at Grandma Bubble's house.

1966. Barry, me and Barry's brother John.

My other cousins may leave a comment saying where this was photographed.

Grandpa's 65th birthday 1969 at Barry's house.

Me, Barry, Grandpa, Barry's brother John, and my uncle (Barry and John's Dad).

See my "turkey apron"? That's a whole other story for another time!

1971.

Me on my First Communion day with Barry at my house.

You can view more photos of Amy and Barry~~ the blue eyed blondes

by clicking here and here.

Barry was the best D. J. that any wedding could ask for when it was my day.

He cued up "Amy" by Pure Prairie League.

For the first dance he made sure to fill the request for "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton.

Thanks for being a great cousin!!

"Fantasy Family"

Here we go.

1. I don't know these people, I'll bet they were kind and wonderful.
2. I make it all up, no ill will is intended.

Fred and Josiah are brothers.

Their Ma never kept it a secret that they couldn't call the same man "Pa".

Neither man was around to help with the rearin' of the young 'uns. One was a no good drunk until he was shot dead in a dispute over some horses.

The other was always gone away to the next town (Ma never was real sure why). When he was gone longer than usual during one trip, Ma sent the boys out along the river path to look for signs of trouble. Pa's horse had returned home without him. They discovered Josiah's Pa's lifeless body. A bear, they think.

Ma was a strong woman in mind and body and she saw clear that these two would grow up respectable and all.

These two boys helped their Ma with all that was needed around the farm. Choppin' , plowin', repairin' the leaky soddy roof; what ever was needin' attention was done with no complaints.

It was a lucky day, back in the hot summer months, when Josiah woke up just in time to shoot the rattle snake that was slitherin' down through the dry, tangled turf roof -- right over Ma's bed!! Fred reminisced about the time, years ago, he found a rattler tucked cozy away in the folds of the new finished quilt Ma had at the foot of her rope bed. Fred had killed that one with the hatchet. Quite a feat for a boy of just 8 years.

Ma is worried now.

Fred is leavin' next week for the war. He tells Ma not to fret or fuss. He dreams of seein' new places.

Josiah is movin' farther North to the Dakotas; visions of a new exciting life. He says when he gets settled in he'll come back for Ma. He tells Ma about the talk of a big town with a Hotel and a Bank, and a big, beautiful, General Merchandise store where she could have a choice of 2 colors of material to make a dress.

Ma is a strong woman of mind and body but her body is older now and less able. She worries how she will manage without the boys' help. She swore she would never bring another husband into her home. She reckons she'll have to change her ways of thinkin'. After all, the widower Jenkens is a right fine man.

This is the only picture made of Fred and Josiah's Ma. It was made a year ago, last Autumn.
About the same time, when the widower Jenkens came to help with the harvestin' he saw that picture.
"She is a handsome woman!", the widower Jenkens told Fred when he saw the picture.
"She cleans up right nice!"