First Vacations

As we've been reminiscing about previous trips with Mother, it occurred to me that we don't know very much about Mother's first vacations.  I've seen pictures and hopefully can post some soon.  I'm excited about taking a trip with my sisters and asked Aunt Allyne to write a few words about early trips with her sisters.

She writes:

I'm excited about the trip.  I know you all are going to have a great time...I think Norma's first vacation was when Aunt Nellie and Uncle Walter lived in Pittsburg, and they came for her. She spent a week with them.  I think she was barely four.  I guess it was the next Christmas she got a doll.  She put one of the dresses she had packed for that trip on the doll, and it wore the dress a long time.

The next trip was the trip to Nashville, Tennessee to the Grand Ol' Opry.  This was after she finished high school and a year at Kilgore Junior College.  James got her a job working for Jimmy Shepherd Abstract office which was in the county clerk's office.  She first bought the dark green 1939 Dodge I had bought when I worked at the Telephone Office.  Then, she traded it in on a new Plymouth, also dark green, and we all began saving money to go to the Grand Ol' Opry in Norma's new car!

Maeva was fifteen months old when we made this trip.  We bought a large ice chest to keep food in.  Mama made a big cake.  We would get food at a grocery store and stop at road side parks to eat.  Once, it was raining at lunch time, and we parked under a bridge they were building.

When we got to the Mississippi river, they were building a new bridge and the only way across was by barge.  The last barge of the day had just left.  We had to take a ninety mile detour to the nearest bridge.  The road was very crooked so we were late to our reserved motel.

They had rented our $8.50 rooms so we had to find others.  Cheapest we could find was $16.50.  We hadn't included in our plans.  We had reserved rooms for every night and budgeted our food and gas, Opry ticket et cetera to the penny, and this meant making a new budget.  We had little overhead but what if something else happened we hadn't included in our plans?  Lots of fun things and such a great trip!

The trip when Ava got on Lynn's husband was to South Dakota.  That was the one when James asked the Motel Clerk if she had a "swimming hole".  Jack laughed so many times about how funny that girl looked!  The motel where we stayed the night before didn't have a swimming pool, and that was Maeva and Ava's main conversation all that day.  James was going to be sure they had a swimming pool!

I've spent many hours through the years thinking about how great those trips were, and I just hope and pray the New York trip will be just as much fun.

Much love,
Aunt Allyne

Statue of Liberty Outfit

So, I have been in the process of deciding what on earth I am going to wear in New York City!    I don't know if any of you have used Polyvore.com before, but it is so fun and SO addicting!!! I have put together this outfit.  These are actually items I have already (well, not exact pieces, just very similar) and plan to wear this to the Statue of Liberty.  The bracelet and earrings I do not have, I just needed pieces to fill in the open spots!  I am open to thoughts or suggestions on the outfit. Meredith, Mallory and Macy....I want to see your outfits!

Statue of Liberty Outfit by kristin7801 featuring oversized sunglasses

STEFFEN SCHRAUT silk top
€170 - veryeickhoff.com

Moschino Cheap Chic short sleeve tee
£80 - harveynichols.com

Windsmoor knit top
£79 - debenhams.com

Miss Selfridge skinny fit jeans
$68 - missselfridge.com

Aerosoles peep toe espadrille wedge
$69 - piperlime.gap.com

Fiorelli white shoulder bag
£39 - debenhams.com

Plastic jewelry
$16 - modcloth.com

Roberta Chiarella sparkle jewelry
$68 - maxandchloe.com

Blue scarve
target.com

Mango oversized sunglasses
£23 - mango.com

Lancôme shimmer eyeshadow
$18 - macys.com

Lancôme face makeup
$39 - nordstrom.com

Where the Green Grass Grows All Around

Thinking about trips and family has brought a lot of memories to mind. One, of which, I would like to share with you. (But please, don't hurt me for getting this song stuck in your head.)  I'm sure by glancing down at the lyrics you all know where this post is headed.  All of my life I've been driving either from Gilmer to Littlefield/Lubbock or vise versa to visit grandparents,  aunts, and cousins, or whoever else would give me individualized attention. Riding with Mamaw and Granddaddy, we always        listened to the yellow cassette tape with this very popular song. Plus, if I remember correctly, Kristin was also very fond                    of the cassette tape when she was young, too. We also listened to the tape some on the way to Catfish                                                 Village, until Michael, or some other bah-hum-bug adult made us turn it off.                                                                               So here's a little refresher in case anyone forgot! "Where the Green Grass Grows All Around" There once was a tree(There once was a tree) A pretty little tree(A pretty little tree) The prettiest little tree(The prettiest little tree) That you ever did see(That you ever did see) Oh, the tree in a hole And the hole in the ground And the green grass grew all around, all around And the green grass grew all around Now on this tree (Now on this tree) There was a limb (There was a limb) The prettiest little limb (The prettiest little limb) That you ever did see(That you ever did see) Oh, the limb on the tree, A and the tree in a hole And the hole in the ground And the green grass grew all around, all around And the green grass grew all around Now on this limb (Now on this limb) There was a branch (There was a branch) The prettiest little branch (The prettiest little branch) That you ever did see(That you ever did see) Oh, the branch on the limb, And the limb on the tree, And the tree in a hole And the hole in the ground And the green grass grew all around, all around And the green grass grew all around Now on this branch (Now on this branch) There was a bough (There was a bough) The prettiest little bough (The prettiest little bough) That you ever did see(That you ever did see) Oh, the bough on the branch,  And the branch on the limb, And the limb on the tree, and the tree in a hole And the hole in the ground And the green grass grew all around, all around And the green grass grew all around Now on this bough (Now on this bough) There was a twig (There was a twig) The prettiest little twig (The prettiest little twig) That you ever did see(That you ever did see) Oh, the twig on the bough, And the bough on the branch,  And the branch on the limb, And the limb on the tree, and the tree in a hole And the hole in the ground And the green grass grew all around, all around And the green grass grew all around Now on this twig (Now on this twig) There was a leaf (There was a leaf) The prettiest little leaf (The prettiest little leaf) That you ever did see(That you ever did see) Oh, the leaf on the twig, And the twig on the bough, And the bough on the branch,  And the branch on the limb, And the limb on the tree, and the tree in a hole And the hole in the ground And the green grass grew all around, all around And the green grass grew all around Now on this leaf (Now on this leaf) There was a nest (There was a nest) The prettiest little nest (The prettiest little nest) That you ever did see(That you ever did see) Oh, the nest on the leaf, And the leaf on the twig, And the twig on the bough, And the bough on the branch,  And the branch on the limb, And the limb on the tree, and the tree in a hole And the hole in the ground And the green grass grew all around, all around And the green grass grew all around Now in this nest (Now in this nest) There was a bird (There was a bird) The prettiest little bird (The prettiest little bird) That you ever did see(That you ever did see) Oh, the bird in the nest, And the nest on the leaf, And the leaf on the twig, And the twig on the bough, And the bough on the branch,  And the branch on the limb, And the limb on the tree, and the tree in a hole And the hole in the ground And the green grass grew all around, all around And the green grass grew all around Now on this bird (Now in this bird) There was a feather (There was a feather) The prettiest little feather (The prettiest little feather) That you ever did see(That you ever did see) Oh, the feather on the bird, And the bird in the nest, And the nest on the leaf, And the leaf on the twig, And the twig on the bough, And the bough on the branch,  And the branch on the limb, And the limb on the tree, and the tree in a hole And the hole in the ground And the green grass grew all around, all around And the green grass grew all around Now on this feather (Now in this feather) There was a flea (There was a flea) The prettiest little flea (The prettiest little flea) That you ever did see(That you ever did see) Oh, the flea on the feather, And the feather on the bird, And the bird in the nest, And the nest on the leaf, And the leaf on the twig, And the twig on the bough, And the bough on the branch,  And the branch on the limb, And the limb on the tree, and the tree in a hole And the hole in the ground And the green grass grew all around, all around And the green grass grew all around

Luggage

 

 

No wheels on my luggage from seventy-four,

so I might need some help thru the security door!

Who will volunteer to help me maneuver

Leave them at home – why no, never!

My little piggy wants to go too

But he’s afraid we’ll leave him at the zoo…

So I win the prize for the brightest bags

and perhaps the ugliest pig tags

To join the celebration – we just can’t wait

To the plane, the subway, the taxi we won’t be late!

Top of the Rock

Mother asked me the other day, “Just what is this Rock?” Well, I decided to do some research on the man it was named after…John D. Rockefeller

He was born in Richmond, New York on July 8th, 1939 – just 144 years before KK. Later he moved to Cleveland, Ohio.  He grew up in a modest family home. His mother was very religious and disciplined and taught her children to work, to save, and to give to charities. Mr. Rockefeller started his own business before he was 20 years old and later with his brother and others,  began the Standard Oil Company.  He was a devoted Northern Baptist and Rockefeller adhered to a strict abstinence of tobacco and alcohol throughout his life. He was the first American billionaire and was considered by some to be the wealthiest man ever. According to Forbes, he was worth 318.3 billion.

 

From the “Top of the Rock”

Mallory's Piggy Bank

 I am finally posting my piggy bank pictures that Aunt Ava, Kristin, and Meredith have been begging for me to post for about a week now. So here they are.

Bags I Love

With exactly a month until Mother's birthday and less than a month until the big trip, it's time to start thinking where we're going to pack all those clothes.  I am not getting a new bag for this trip so this is just sort of a dreamy post.  I'll be taking our biggest bag and just sharing with Jackson in hopes that the luggage will be more manageable since I won't have Bill along to help.  I guess Mother could carry my bags for me.  But then that wouldn't be much of a birthday would it?  Anyway here are some pictures of bags I like.

I saw luggage like this today at Pen and Company.  I have one piece of Jon Hart luggage.  It's about eight years old.  I like it for its durability.

Pottery Barn is always a crowd pleaser.  And this is on sale!

Finally, Vera Bradley.  So pretty and feminine.  Perfect for a girl's getaway to New York City!

Ok, KK. You're next.  Show off your new bag.