This picture reminds me of my Grandpa…..Dinnie B Stinnett

On a 40 ac cotton farm about 4 miles east of Earlimart, California there stood a  Mulberry tree with no grass under it. But there was a old steel framed cot. That cot was under the tree almost year round. I sat on that old bed with my Grandpa and sometimes fell asleep there.

Grandpa came to California when my Dad was a boy. He was one of the many that came from Oklahoma during the Great Depression of the 30’s. My Dad almost died of Dust Pneumonia while they were trying to hang onto there home.

“The Call to California” a light shinning through the dust.The illness and poverty that hung over so many was heading to California with not much more than a hope and a prayer.

They did everything they could to make money. Worked for pennies, but was grateful for a chance, a possibility to do better in a country that was under a dark cloud of poverty. Grandpa knew how to grow cotton, I am sure he could have done well growing most anything. But cotton was King and Grandpa found himself growing it, harvesting and his family were now Share croppers in California. And they also worked in the grapes, cutting them and thin working in the fruit shed. I remember the strange looking knife that was used to cut the grapes.The house they lived in was old long before they lived in it. At night when the moon was bright you could see the light through the cracks in the wall. We slept under mosque nets. “ could have thrown a cat through the walls was something I heard more than once. But I loved every minute in the old house.

I was always scared to death of Outhouses, and I did everything I could to stay out of that place. Dad would tell Mama to bring a roll of toilet paper when we were going to the farm. I guess grandpa thought that it was just good enough to use old books, newspaper, anything but a roll of toilet paper.

Going back and forth from southern California to Grandpa and Grandma’s farm was normal. Driving through fog, unbearable heat in old cars. Going over the Grape Vine with steam coming from the engine more than once. I remember my Mama sitting on the hood of the car during Tully fog giving Dad directions, you didn’t dare stop. Dad with a great big spot light. I must say that I was almost always scared when my Dad was driving.  

Grandpa had a cat that he called cat. He was never going to love that cat, but with time he was very fond of him. He was dropped off on the farm as a baby. Grandpa would show us all the tricks that he could do and would say he was the smartest cat he ever heard of.He made little toys out of wooden spools and twine. So when I saw this picture, all the thoughts of being under that tree came rushing in.

I remember cleaning off that old cot because the Mulberries would fall on it, leaving a blue stain. Grandma had a old wool and cotton quilt that she made.It stayed on the cot and Grandpa had a old pillow without a pillow case that he would lay his head on and take a short nap after lunch sometimes.He would put his old felt hat over his face sometimes. Of course he was only resting his eyes, and that old cat would lay at his feet and have a little cat nap with him.

Memories today of my time under the Mulberry tree when I was a kid in Earlimart, California.

Saying good-bye to a tree!

I know this is going to sound weird, we had to have our hundred year old tree cut down. We loved that tree. It shaded our house from the hot sun. It was beautiful. It was 5 feet wide.

We called it Woody.

Since it was right next to the house and more than a hundred feet tall, we realized that in a high wind it could drop a very large branch on our house. This winter large bark was coming off the tree, so we had someone come look at Woody and they told us it was dyeing. That we should have it removed.

I love trees, they air so beautiful. We had three other trees trimmed also.

When they cut Woody down it shook this house to the core.

 

 

Happy Thursday:)

Well it is Thursday

and I am off to my knitting class. I will turn this shawl in today. I am going to start a throw for my Great Granddaughter this week. She will not be 2 until June 10th. I thought it could be for when she is riding in the car. Her Mommy is really into pink so it will probably be in some way Pink.

I need to go look at all you have done. Our electric was off till 7:00 last night. We had trees trimmed and one removed. I will share later.

Have a great day. The sun is shinning here and the sky is so blue.

         Hugs!!!!

When will the hate stop?

I tried not to post anything about this. But I saw this picture this morning and my heart went into my stomach.

Growing up in southern California there were many fears for a child.

The Bomb that could come from Russia that meant we had to drop to the floor under our desk at school and cover our head with our arms and hands.  You had to know where your local Bomb shelter was. Ours was about 4 miles from our house. Some people built their own.As kids we just knew we would die, how would Mama find me? Add to that the Big One! The earth quake that would find us dead and floating into the ocean.

I wanted more for my kids, and grandkids. I wanted them to wake to a new day without fear of the unknown. But here we are on this day with tears, prayers and hope that somehow this would all end.

We go to church and talk about the love of God, What has happened to the love of life, the love of each other near and far?

I am sad.

 

Knitting….a Newbie

Yep! I am hooked.

This is what I have been doing. I wanted to learn something new.I have so much to learn, but the gals in my class are wonderful.They all share little hints of how to do it a easier way or a better way. And we all talk non stop. So now I have balls of yarn rolling across the floor often Finley is in twined in yarn. Today it was blue, the other day it was peach. He likes to set on my lap while I knit. “But would rather I did not knit!!!”

As you can see,I am still working on this one. I will share when it is done. Have a great day:)

A bit about the 1920s...
-The Economy was booming- living standards and spending rose.
-They were a time of relief after the devastation of WW1, peace, relaxation and discovery.
- Known as the Roaring 20's - flappers lifestyle was fun, free and flirty
- Popular music included Jazz such as Bix Beiderbecke, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong & King Oliver
-The Film industry was rapidly growing- silent films featuring charlie chaplin, buster keaton, harry langdon, laurel and hardy and harold lloyd were very popular.
- Some women were 'flappers' they smoked, drank and were hedonistic- they often had cropped, bobbed hair, wore heavy makeup, short dresses and danced the popular dances such as The Charleston, Shimmy & Bunny Hug
- Sadly the Great Depression swept across the states in the 1930s as a result of the 1929 stock market crash on Wall St , the partying lifestyle of the flapper could not survive in the same way as it had in the twenties.
- Although the 1920s are long gone, I firmly believe that they were a fabulous time and the spirit of the flapper remains in society today- women were liberated in the 1920s and so for that I must thank the flappers of the roaring 20's they are a fine example of free and independant women.
-The 1920s looked so much fun, I don't think they'll ever be forgotton.

It’s The Berries

The 1920's was, for 8 years and 3/4 of 1929, a very happy decade. The last 1/4 was the Stock Market Crash that could have started the Great Depression that lasted straight through the 1930' s, not ending until mid-1940. A war started before 1920, and a war broke out in 1929. Although it was called the Great Depression, people killed others, killed themselves, became homeless, and became penniless. Actually, the eight years of happiness might have felt like a small vacation to a person who lived during the time.

The little bags are done…..

These little bags will be at the Mother/ Daughter dinner at the church we go to. I made 210 bags. That was the count of the people coming. Now I can clean up my living room. I will take them to my knitting class on Thursday. The bags are for a Journal that will go in each bag along with all that will be needed to follow the theme of the Dinner.

     Proverbs 31

Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

The journal will be a way to remember the night. There will be all that they need to make it their own within the little bag.

I am proud of the Bracelets and the bags,It gave me joy to be apart of this special evening.

I have neglected all of you while I worked on this project. I will catch up in the next couple of days.

     Love, Mary

Where there is a Will, there is away.

LB our Beagle will be 9 years old in May. He is a wonderful pet, a faithful friend. This past year he has decided life is really good when you lick the sofa. We covered the whole sofa in canvas for awhile, it made my life miserable, so we decided to put it only on the area that he could lay on on the sofa. And at night he would sleep in the entry room.Gated! All was going well until I decided he was doing really well and left him  sleep on his place on the sofa.I found him under the canvas at 4:30 this morning.I took this picture to show Arney what he had done. We had to laugh:) So now he will be going back to the entry room at night. I must say he is determined!!!!

Have a wonderful Easter!!! Mary

Eye much better, Bracelets are done…there are 212.

Life is just a bowl of Cherries…..

Now to make the bags for the dinner. They are for a booklet that will be used like a small scrapbook about the topic of this evening. I have started them. but still have miles of sewing to do before they are done.

It feels good to put the beads away, I know there are beads under the sofa, under the chairs, and under the cushions on my sofa.

Life is just a bowl of Cherries, so live and laugh at it all.

I am tired!!!!!

Busy hands healing eye

My eye is getting well, and I am staying busy. Our church has a Mother/Daughter dinner. This is something done every year at this time. I am making little bags that I will share later and bracelets. 210 Bracelets. Yep, I have been and continue to be chasing Beads all over my house, I drop them constantly. I may not want to do a bead project for the rest of my life. My count today is 165, and counting. And the Bracelets are Pearls and pink.

I haven’t been on my blog much, so I have to go take a peek at what you are doing. Thinking of you on this cloudy afternoon. Hugs, Mary