Do you remember the Micky Mouse Club & American Bandstand?

I wonder how many kids learned to dance from watching and dancing to American Bandstand? I didn't start collecting records until I was 14, that was when I could babysit. My Dad was a Elvis fan, so my first album was GI Blues. Dad bought it for me, but it was really for him. My Dad was only 32 when I was 14. It was a big year at our house. My Mother had my baby brother. Sharon my sister was 7 years old. My Mother loved Bandstand too. I wanted to dance on the show! At that time my cousin Gloria and my friend Judy Sportsman were my dance partners. At school dances I was a little shy, but after a couple of songs I could have danced all night. My husband went to the same school I did. I thought he was really good looking with his blue eyes and very light blond flat top. He would walk behind me going home from school sometimes and flirt with me. He liked my long red hair. I knew he was always with a new girl and I thought that was terrible. He was a grade ahead of me, so he and his friends ruled the school.

It could be fun to Doddle a Pee Chee folder....I will ! Just take this photo and see what you come up with. Just for fun.

After school during the week I would watch first Micky Mouse Club. And then American Bandstand. It was the best TV to me. Everyone I knew loved Annette. Two days a week 7 of us would meet before school...6th grade and get hot biscuits in Kathy garage. She had the record player in the garage and she would turn it up full blast and we would do the dance on Micky Mouse club. Why did we do this? Just because it was very cool to be like them. No, we never danced for anyone but ourselves. We were all really good friends and it was our little club. I loved 6th grade, Mr. Marr was a very handsome teacher, we all had a crush on him. And we thought he liked the second grade teacher who was very pretty. I think back to this time with fond memories, everything was peaceful and the days were long. Southern California was warm and sunny. At least it seemed that way to me. In looking back I find this to be my truth...if you had a pee-chee folder, gum, friends, and a cute boy to look at, life was good. Oh ya, a cool Dad that had a great car! Baby blue Cadillac...smell that leather!

Do You Remember This?

I remember our Good Humor man when I was a kid living in Southern California. We would hear him a couple of block away, just enough time to collect money from usually my Dad. And of course we all got one. Sometimes there were 6 or 8 kids standing on the sidewalk waiting for the big moment, what kind do I want this time? He also had some Bubble Gum and Candy that were cold from being in the cooler. Almost every day he came by, but not always did we get to have this little treat. In the hot summer sun of Southern California, there was joy in the melody that played as he went from block to block bringing sweet cold Ice Cream.
I am feeling much better. All this medication has kicked in. I have been working on the Mother~Daughter Teddy Bear Tea, I haven't done as much as I should have so I will be hitting it hard the next few days.

While trying to get well, I am going through pictures.

The year is Thanksgiving 1964 at my Parents house in Placerville, California. We lived in Bellflower, California. I was a horrible student....now I know that I had ADD, but there was no such thing or condition known as this. Arney had graduated in 1963 and had been working with his father in construction. We didn't join the Hippie movement, and were just two people having a life that we believed in. Although we were very strong in the protesting of the Vietnam War. Arney didn't get his papers till 1972 and he had broke his leg, he almost lost his leg. And by then we were getting ready for our third child. Trevor three, Cory 2 1/2 and Jenny born January while Arney was still trying to get well from the leg. My Mother always loved to cook for Thanksgiving as we were growing up, we had a large gathering. Both sets of my Grandparents were there, it was the best of times and the worst of times. People we knew almost all our life where getting killed in the war, or taking all kinds of drugs and doing things I would have never dreamed of. Arney is 6 months older than me, we were just to kids doing the best we could in a very unfriendly time. Loved the Music of this time, but hated why they had to be written.

Man's best friend

Almost every evening no matter what the hour, Arney gives his babies as he calls them a small treat. These are our Beagle's and they are always hungry....it is part of their nature. Mattie Anne has bad back legs, surgery helped but Arthritis sat in. LB, for Little Beagle is fine, he is our scout, he does Mattie"s Running and she does the barking. It works for them. They are our little friends. Baxter is a very tiny male cat. He sleeps most of the day and wants out at night. We think he has a gang and he is the leader. He has used a few of his 9 lives fighting. Baxter is not going to be pushed around by Mattie Anne and LB, nor will they deal with him...they live in harmony based on the chain of command. Mattie is the boss, LB is the protector and scout, Baxter is a talker and can tell long wonderful stories. He demands his time for petting. And takes great pride in the fact that he can get in high places. We have squirrel's and they tease the dogs like crazy...they get fed year round. Sense I haven't been really doing much, I thought I would share our little friends. Arney says we are cheap labor for them.

Mattie is the food hound....see that toque, Arney gave them a cracker with peanut butter on it.

eye opening

Yesterday was really good. I have been struggling with my sinus for more years than I want to think about. I have had really good care and not so good. You go to the Doctor, they look up my nose it looks awful and they give me antibiotic's a spray of some kind and off I go. Never having long term lack of infection. I have gone to specialist on my young years that give me weekly shots trying to build up my immunity, and you Begin to realize there is always something else....each season bring discomfort in one way or another. I had never been scoped. And that was emotional for me to see into my nose, and shocking. I started crying because it was a real eye opener. He couldn't even get where he wanted to go because I was a train wreck in there. In two weeks I get a CT scan. He was really nice and let me know that I was going to get well. He put me on Prednisone and a strong antibiotic, so that I could start getting well and to get my swelling and infection out of the way so he can truly see what is going on. I am grateful!

Sinus Center 3:15

Now this is art.....right! I have had problems with my sinus for years. But with a little care and good meds I have found relief. I have been on three antibiotic's sense late December, nothing helps. So after complaining and trying to just get over it, get on with it, I still feel awful. So this afternoon I am going to the Sinus Center. That is all they take care of. It has been recommended to me by those that have had it with my nose. I have been told about this scope, it looks like fun....and I am sure it will be just fine...Yikes! Whom ever painted this picture is really good, but I like the face with skin over the top of all this stuff....
I will let you know how it all turns out....

Mother/Daughter Teddy Bear Tea

Click on picture to make larger.

This is what I have been working on. I made each little bag. There are 31. Each of the charms are different. There is a Bear on one side and Tea things on the other. At each table someone will have a maker of some kind on their tea packet. The person that gets the marker will get one of these as a gift. I am not done yet, but I am sick with some kind of bug...sore throat, ears and just feeling bad all over. I did what I could today, but I am heading to the sofa for the rest of the afternoon.

Steven "Cory Evans"

Cory is my redheaded son.....a wonderful man and friend. Cory was a handful, he had his own mind and a quick temper. He was a little love and the favorite of my Mother. His Uncle Buddy as we called him also had Redhair and blue eyes, this was my Mother's brother. My Husband Arney is Irish and Welsh . Cory looks like his father but has my redhair. Family names on Arney's side of the family are (Evans )is Welsh, Neely, Godwin. Cory wants to go to see where his family came from one day and since he travels a lot, I think it will happen. Cory has shades of green eyes. Cory Married Kristie Rast who is a mix of mainly German. So we cover the map as a whole family. We have the picture of Ulan Evans the Great Grandfather of Arney. I see Arney, Cory and Jenny in him also. a really beautiful man. So now you know I have some history for today, and we are proud of our history. I should set down and write some of the knowledge we have for our Grandchildren. I think we should look at where we come from now and then. I think if you know things like this, you can figure out who is the story teller, the baker, the ones who are thinkers and those who work with their hands, the dreamers and the tender spirits. Green Day!

Great Great Grandpa Joseph Miller & Great Great Grandma Perice Durbin Miller

As the story goes GG Grandpa Joseph Miller was shot in his own yard......I am not able to share why right now because I have buried the information somewhere. If I get more on this I will share it.

This is my Great Great Grandmother Perice Durbin.....and I am not sure who the child is, I have to ask my sister Sharon, I think she knows. So this is my Irish Great Great Grandmother. These two pictures above are the parents of John Miller.

Great Grandmother & Grandfather

Now that I have searched and found this picture. My Aunt's decided to join the picture of Great Grandma Vennie P Miller and Great Grandpa John Miller. My Mother hated that they did this because the picture of Great Grandpa John Miller was done many years after Vennie P. Davis Miller had past away. So this is the Great Grandmother that I was told I looked allot like. I hope I have this right now. She died after having all these children, and Grandpa lived to be 90 years young. He traveled allot in his Golden years, visiting all his children and staying awhile with each one. I remember him with great affection. My cousin Carolyn and I spent allot of time with him as kids. He would take us to the corner market and buy us a candy bar and RC cola. It was at a time when the bottles were really big. I would take my time with both the candy and the cola. It had to last, it was not often you had this kind of treat. He sounded so much like a English man out of a movie. He loved us very much. I remember walking down the road barefooted on the hot tar....I never wore shoes if I didn't have too. I was so blessed to have had almost all my Grandparents alive at the same time. I will never forget these day

Something special

I went to my first meeting this evening....I along with another lady from our church.We are doing the decorating for our yearly Mother Daughter banquet. The theme will be come to a "Teddy Bear Tea Party" It is a honor to be asked. We will have around 200 plus coming to this event. So you know what I am going to be doing. This dinner/tea will be April 27....so I have allot to do and the time will pass very quickly. I will share what I am doing with you as I get things together. I love that it will be Victorian....my head is spinning!

Birthday Party

I took so many pictures of the family, but this is Summit's day and I picked out these to tell his little story. Jenny is lighting the candles, she is my only daughter and best friend. He is a very special boy, he gives us so much love. It was a very special day. I found myself thinking of the day he turned one. He has a wonderful heart, a love that spreads to friends, and family. They live in a small town, I think everyone knows the Nell's. It is snowing like crazy...all is white.