The Landscape of Childhood

 "The landscape of one's childhood is more vibrant than any other."

"My soul is sky; my heart is soil."

"Remember your first everything."

You Can't Take It With You

I've been trying to get my children and grandchildren to take some of my 'treasures' if there are things they'd like to have. When Deise and Dominique were here last weekend they did choose a few small items.

And one large one -

Deise and Zach took the large painting that had hung in Mom's house.

It was painted by one of her Illinois cousins, Donald Gray. 

When he died in 1984, his sister Gladys invited Mom and her sisters to choose a painting of his. This is the one Mom chose.

After Mom died the painting came to me.

And now it hangs in the living room at Deise and Zach's.

It makes me very happy that it stays in the family. A small part of the Illnois connections remains.

Donald's father, Roy Xavior Gray, was a first cousin of my grandfather, Joseph Rufus Ridnour. Their mothers, Josephine Mauderly Gray (Aunt Josie) and Katherine Mauderly Ridnour (my Great-grandmother) were sisters.

Don's mother, Nellie, and my grandmother Delphia, cousins by marriage, were also very good friends. Trips back and forth between the two families happened on a regular basis and included trips to Illinois made by my family when I was young.

When Donald brought his mother to visit we would go down to Grandma & Grandpa's to see them, too. When my sister, cousin Janet and I were teens, we talked Don into taking us to town and scooping the loop just so we could be seen in his new, bright yellow, Mercury convertible.  

I even made a trip to Illinois with my children in 1975 to bring Grandma Delphia home from Nellie & Don's after one of her visits. We stayed overnight in Plainville and then drove back to Iowa the next day. I wonder if they remember that. I know I still fondly recall my Illinois connections.

Eldest Grandson and Great-Grandson

 

That's my eldest grandson Brock on the left and his son, my eldest great-grandson Ridge on the right.

Look a lot alike, don't they? But as they've aged, they look less alike.

Have you ever noticed how some grandsons look more like their grandfathers than their fathers as they get older? That's true of my father and one of his grandsons as well as with my brother and one of his grandsons.

My son Douglas (Brock's father)

And Doug's grandson, Ridge. 

Douglas, high school.

Ridge, high school. 

Do you see the resemblances between grandfather, Doug, and grandson, Ridge? 

In their teen years Doug and Ridge look more alike than Ridge and Brock.

Maybe it isn't even the similiarities of their looks. It may be that, even though I've rarely seen Ridge and don't know what he's like, I imagine that his and Doug's senses of humor are comparable.

I know what my son's is like......

.....and judging from this picture of Ridge, I believe his sense of humor could be very much like Douglas'.

Ridge on the ridge - could he be any more droll than that?

Ridge was a year old before I got to meet him in person. Over the years I've only seen him a handful of times. I wish I could have seen him more often and known him better.

I hope he and his Grandpa Douglas get to know one another.

Farewell Watcher in the Woods

 

I don't remember how long we had lived here before I noticed one of the trees along the fence line looked to me like a deer head. 

I named it "The Watcher in the Woods" and imagined it looked over and looked out for all the little critters coming and going.

Yesterday - just yesterday - I looked over at that tree and said to Bud - "I'm afraid that tree is going to go down before long and there won't be a watcher in the woods anymore".

Sadly, when I went out this morning and looked in that direction, I discovered that I was right, it didn't last much longer - the wind took it down in the night.

I can't decide for sure, is the dark spot below the stripped bark what remains of the eye? 

Regardless, I'm sorry to see my fancifully named creation come to an end. At least the falling limb missed the chickens.

Better news is that a white egret was back at the pond for a short time this morning.

I have seen one here every few years. Perhaps it comes every year but I just don't catch sight of it. It never stays long.

And they got the floating goose nest back on the pond a couple days ago.

Mama goose has already taken up residence. How many goslings will there be this year?

Great-grandson Henri Oliver was two years old yesterday. His birthday party was this afternoon but we didn't go. (I wasn't up to it.) I believe he was sharing the day with his 91 year old Great-grandpa Pete.

Granddaughter Dominique and her husband Ian came to visit us for awhile this morning. Then awhile later her sister Deise and her husband Zach showed up, too. It was a great visit with them before they left for Henri's & Pete's birthday party.

Another surprise! In all my years of seeing a once in awhile egret, I had never seen two at a time until this afternoon.

"Like the egret by the water's edge, patience brings its own rewards."

"Where the egret alights, blessings are sure to follow."

Perhaps the Watcher in the Woods is still there after all. 

Happy Easter eve. 🌷🐣🌝

April Showers Bring May Flowers

We had very little snow this past winter.  Moisture is needed and we're finally getting rain as well as fog. 

It's always surprising how quickly the greening shows in the willows and the grass, though it doesn't show well in this photo.

Recently I came across a poem I had copied years ago.

Rainy Song By Max Eastman (1883-1969)

Down the dripping pathway dancing through the rain,
Brown eyes of beauty, laugh to me again!

Eyes full of starlight, moist over fire,
Full of young wonder, touch my desire!

O like a brown bird, like a bird's flight,
Run through the rain drops lithely and light.

Body like a gypsy, like a wild queen,
Slim brown dress to slip through the green --

The little leaves hold you as soft as a child,
The little path loves you, the path that runs wild.

Who would not love you, seeing you move,
Warm-eyed and beautiful through the green grove?

Let the rain kiss you, trickle through your hair,
Laugh if my fingers mingle with it there,

Laugh if my cheek too is misty and drips --
Wetness is tender -- laugh on my lips

The happy sweet laughter of love without pain,
Young love, the strong love, burning in the rain.

All Roads Lead Through Ripon?

Family history has long been an interest of mine. I've posted many blogs about family connections and how we are related on both sides of my immediate family as well as grandparents, great-grandparents, great-great etc. etc. I find it totally fascinating, but then, if we go back far enough.....

My great-great-grandparents, Catherine McDonnaugh and William Lynam, were born in Ireland. Separately they both arrived and lived in Ripon, WI. Catherine in 1832 and William much earlier if family lore is correct. They met and were married in Ripon, Wisconsin on April 19, 1856. (Soon to be 170 years ago.) They moved to Ohio and lived there until coming to Adams County Iowa in 1878 settling north of Brooks.

Great-great-grandfather George W. Gravett was born in Clark County in 1842. His wife, Malinda Jane Cecil, was born in Indiana. I do not have their family trees back to any European countries. George and Malinda were married January 1, 1863 also in Ripon, WI. Their daughter Nancy Gravett married Barney Lynam and had four children including my grandpa George Lynam.

So how did it happen that these Lynam ancestors met and married in Ripon, WI? Was it the Las Vegas of the day in the 1800's? As an aside, or footnote if you will, I also learned that the Republican party got its start in Ripon in 1854 when the Whig and Free Soil parties dissolved and formed the new 'Republican' party electing as their first president, Abraham Lincoln.

Back to the family history and moving one state to the west and almost parallel to Ripon is Austin, MN where on February 25, 1870, my great-great-grandmother, Agnes Hull married John Richardson. Their only child, Flora Viola Richardson, became my great-grandmother, married to Lemuel Duncan (May 25, 1889) and parents of my grandmother Bessie married to George Lynam (November 15, 1914).

It boggled my mind when my son-in-law Ken became interested in family history and learned that he was a ninth cousin of ..... Flora Viola Richardson! As I said, if we go back far enough..... 

(Ken was born and grew up in Minnesota though he and Kari now live in Oregon.)

March '26 Books Read

 Eight books read in March for a first quarter total of 23 books.

I have to admit, going back and reading Nora Roberts books again has been a pleasure. The above five are: The Collector, Legacy, Tribute, Shelter In Place and The Villa. Her story plots and place settings are so interesting and varied.

the Forgotten Garden and the Distant Hours are Kate Morton books that I read ten or more years ago. I decided to go back and read them again realizing that I most likely would not remember everything about them and could/would enjoy them all over again. I was right.

Sanctuary was another Nora Roberts book read this month. I'm sure some more NR books will show up on next month's list. 

In the meantime, Spring has arrived. The goose nest was put back on the pond today. The resident pair have been looking for it. Now they can begin preparing for this year's goslings.