My eldest child is 61 years old today. I haven't posted about him on his birthday since 2017, so it's about time I featured him again. That post on his 55th birthday was about thankfulness after he had survived cancer.
This picture of the two of us was taken Mother's Day Weekend in 2014 in Adel. He's been giving me a hanging planter for Mother's Day for years. And this photo of the two of us is a favorite.
There are so many memories and photos of our years together. It is hard to decide what to include.
In that process I found many I haven't used before and scanned them to my computer. Therefore, most of the post will feature those of younger years.
Doug's third birthday was celebrated with both sets of grandparents Betty and Chuck Botkin on the left; Ruth and Louis Lynam on the right and Great-grandma Ridnour in between. Our friends Roger and Darlene were there, too, with their son Michael.
That is when Doug got his first dog, Mimi. She was a constant and true friend, one from a litter my sister-in-law's parents' dog whelped.
Note those ears of corn in 'farmer' Doug's wagon.
Another picture of these two inseparable buddies. This one when Mimi was a little younger.
Time and storage took a toll on these photos but they are still clear enough to tell a story.
Other photos that fared better have already been used in previous posts - most notably the ones of Doug and his cat.
Doug got his first swing set when we lived there. A very nice one with swings, a glider and a slide. As I recall it cost around $40 which was a big expenditure for us in those days.
We couldn't take it when he and I moved to Mt. Vernon so I sold it to a cousin of mine for $30 - though I never did get the money for it.
As I recall there was an old chicken house behind the swing set.
Not long ago Douglas shared one of the poems he wrote as an adult.
It mentioned something about a bridge, and though I had read the poem before, I hadn't realized the bridge he obliquely referred to was a little one I had built across a ditch northwest of the barn.
Now if I could just add his poem to this picture.
But look at the holes in his pajama feet and knees. He was either very hard on his clothes or we couldn't afford new jammies.
After a few months in an apartment in Corning, Douglas and I moved across the state to Mount Vernon, Iowa. My new job in nearby Lisbon paid more than I had ever earned before.
We loved exploring the area. Palisades Kepler State Park was just outside town and favorite place to go.
Stone City was another picturesque little town.
It was famous for its limestone quarries and many buildings constructed from the limestone.
Grant Wood also painted some famous pictures there.
Doug wasn't thrilled about sitting so close to the dam.
But seemed a little more comfortable standing near it.
At the time I was only concerned about taking some cute photos. But when I look at these now I can only wonder what on earth I was thinking! What would I have done if he fell in!
After a few months we left Mt. Vernon and moved to Cedar Rapids until June, 1968, after I remarried and we moved to Des Moines for a year and Doug completed first grade.
May 30, 1969 we moved to an acreage between Clive and Grimes.
No longer was it just the two of us, there were four. In addition to a step-father, Doug got a little sister on May 31, 1969.
He also got a big old barn to play in. Eventually it was torn down which was a blow to his fun, but it helped a little that the wood was used to construct the Carpenter's Shop at Living History Farms.
Christmas 1971 a guitar for Douglas, a doll for Kari and a baby brother for both of them - and then we were five.
Until 1974 when it was just me and my three children living on the acreage through May, 1978 when we moved back home to SW Iowa.
Doug celebrating his 11th birthday.
The nine years we spent living here were some of the best, but there were heartaches. Doug lost his beloved Mimi.
When she was replaced by a little border collie I let Doug name her. He was taking French in school at the time. The new pup's name was Nadette.
An older Mimi when we lived near Grimes.
Douglas finished high school in Corning, graduating early in January 1980, so he could move back to Perry to live with his Dad and attend DMACC.
While there he met and married then divorced.
Bud he ended up with a sweet son, Brock. Here the two are pictured with another of Doug's dogs, Bernie.
This is Douglas on his 50th birthday. I gave him a treasure chest of 'gold' dollars and a treasure map with "X marks the spot". He got a kick out of that
He has visited St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands several times, even going there to help rebuild after a hurricane. I think he would retire there if he could.
One of my favorite photos of my son is this one I took of him at the Minnesota Renaissance Faire several years ago. 'Duggan' has embraced his Scottish roots though this isn't quite the Duncan plaid.
Most of this post has been about his early years which were the ones that formed our mother/son relationship and were probably the most emotional of our lives together.
If I hadn't had him with me while we 'grew up together' I don't know what I would have done. Here's to a few more good years with you my son. 💕
No comments:
Post a Comment