My Dad, My Hero

   I adore my dad.  There are probably a million reasons why.  He is one of the kindest, most generous, thoughtful people I know.  This week when Veterans' Day rolled around, I posted a picture of him during his military service on my Facebook page.  My dad is a Vietnam veteran and I am so proud of his service there, even though he'd rather of been anywhere else at the time.  He served with Co. D 1/502nd Infantry of the 101st Airborne in the Army in 1970 & '71.  On that Facebook post, I had a really great discussion with a friend of mine who is also a Vietnam vet & it made me think of all the stories Dad would tell me about his time in 'Nam.  There was a period when I was young where he would tell me bedtime stories of all the good things - jumping out of airplanes, everyday camp life, marching through the jungle, etc... all the kid friendly things.  One story in particular was about one of the guys taking a picture of some of his 'Nam buddies.  The guy's brother made it into a poster with the title "The Dirty Dozen" & sent it back to the guy.  When it got to be too much to carry around, he was going to get rid of it, but Dad said he'd take it on but eventually he gave it up too.  Oh, how I'd love to see that picture!  I thought it would be fun to find it for Dad too.
   I wanted to start a quest on the internet to see if I could look up some of the guys in the troop & find a copy of that picture! I got my mom to dig out Dad's old pictures from Vietnam.  The quest eventually turned from one to find a picture to one of wanting to share his pictures.  While scouring the message boards that are out there for reconnecting veterans, I saw a post that said that one guy was looking for pictures because he hadn't had a camera when he was over there.  Dad had so many great shots of the guys in his group, now my quest is to see if I can find them so they can have some pictures they might not have.
  I've started a Facebook page dedicated to his group and I'll be posting a sampling pictures of each of the guys.  So far, I've found these names amongst the pictures: Tom Claunch, Sean Hurst or Hersch, "Davy" Crockett, Greg Clifton, Herb Collins, Bert Kriese, Ed Cobos, Richard "Bear" Sugamele, Wayne Sorrell, George Hinyer, Dave Trotter, Robert Gomez, Mike McNeary, and numerous others that are named with nicknames or just first or last names.
  My historian part of me has never gotten off on modern history, but I'm starting to warm up to the idea;) 

Drop me a note if you know any of those guys:)

A Grandmother's Hope

   In order to prepare for a most likely lean Christmas season, I am making most of our gifts.  One project I'm doing involves needlepoint. I am not a crafty person.  It is good for me that God blessed me with a daughter who LOVES all things crafty because it forces me to cultivate that part of me. 
   When I was about Mookie's age (9), my Grandma Murray tried so hard to get me interested in embroidering a dish towel.  That side of my family is into any kind of sewing arts big time.  There was hardly a time we would get together for a family gathering that someone wouldn't have some kind of project in hand.  The walls at my Grandparents' house displayed wonderful pieces that were done by my grandmothers, aunts, mom and cousins.  They were lovely!
   I remember Grandma letting me pick out my pattern, showing me how to do the stitches like it was yesterday (this is one of my most vibrant childhood memories).  She tried so hard to get me going on it.  She'd keep it at her house and mention getting it out each time I'd visit (to which most of the time I'd decline).  She'd brag to her friends about how small and even my stitches were, how similar they were to her mother's.  And what happened to my first dishtowel?  It is still unfinished in a box in the attic.  My poor grandma!  It pains me that I didn't take a greater interest then.
  Yesterday when I picked out my pattern, it all came rushing back.  It was like I could hear my grandma re-telling all the instructions she laid out for me more than 25 years ago.  Each poke of the needle & drag of the floss brings back sweet memories of a grandma I miss so dearly even though she's been gone 17 years.  It also makes it very, very obvious to me too that no matter if your child is interested in what you are doing together it's the time taken and encouragement and trying to impart something that you enjoy in a non-pushy manner that matters.  It sticks. 

Guess Who?: Atchison

My Atchison batch + some tintypes:

W. Babberger - photographer

Conklin - photographer

Hill - photographer

J. C. Hill - photographer

Possibly a Beeson or Locker. J. M. Munn - photographer

Kleckner - photographer

Kleckner - photographer

Most likely children of Philo Mauzey.  McLeod - photographer

My tintypes:

I sincerely hope that this is my
gggg-grandma Charity Beeson (b. 1803),
but I don't know

Guess Who?: St. Joseph & Unknowns

If you see anyone you know, drop me a note! :)

J. T. Needles, St. Joseph, MO - photographer

Uhlman, St. Joseph, MO - photographer

Probably Albert Isaacs (son of Amos & Ally),
taken by H. S. Stovall, Weatherby, MO

The following pics are totally unmarked:(

postcard picture

Guess Who?: St. Joe & Atchison

These are a series of other unknowns.  Some I think I have figured out, and I can narrow down the family branch on the St. Joeseph ones, but I need to know who they are! Let me know if you can help:)

no photographer's mark,
but he looks very similar to a picture
I have of the sons of
Amos and Ally Isaacs of St. Joseph, MO

Memorial photograph.
I'm thinking this is Samuel Isaacs,
 son of Amos and Ally Isaacs

Thinking this is Ally Jane (Judah) Isaacs,
the resemblance to Ally's daughter Addie is striking

J. S. Saurman, St. Joseph - photographer

Speculating that this is either Levi or Samuel Judah,
brothers of Ally Jane (Judah) Isaacs

The only one in this post from Atchison,
he has similar features, so I included him

J. W. Souder, St. Joseph, MO - photographer

W. J. Rea, St. Joseph, MO - photographer

Field Trip Friday: Homecoming

  Starting off on our trip this morning and the gas station attendant in town asked if we were going to the parade today.  "Parade?", I asked her.  "For homecoming", was the reply.  One of those things we homeschoolers are out of touch with.  I've been seeing all the fun pictures of my friends' kiddos dressed for spirit week, but hadn't given the homecoming parade a second thought.  We were off on our own "homecoming", just a different way. 
  My parents, Ducky and Gigi, own a piece of land that my great-grandparents farmed and lived on.  On its edge is a gravel bar on the Neosho River that they like to go and take their trailer to and stay at for a week or so periodically. They were there this week, so we went to hang out with them.  The gravel bar is just a magical place.  Several miles outside of a small town called LeRoy, down a small field road, surrounded by fields of corn and soybeans.  It is the ultimate place for the kids to explore nature.
  

off to look for shells

The kids love scouring the river banks for mussel shells.  Today they were using the shells to line "caves" that they were digging into the gravel bar.

One bonus that they found was a bison horn on the banks!  The kids have their Daddy's eyes:)  They were so excited.  I am always wary of taking home the gooey things that they find from the gravel bar, but they are always so thrilled at all their finds:)

Mookie & Shorty playing with the stomp rocket

One of the favorite things today was Ducky and Gigi's stomp rocket.  Even Shorty got in on this one - and he loved it (didn't do too bad with it either!)

It's always so hard tearing ourselves away.  Luckily we'll be back in a couple of weeks!

Ducky & Shorty

Pit Stop!

I was thinking back on today and our wild flat traveler inspired field trip (in lieu of our "field trip Friday" this week), and Guido from the movie Cars's voice came into my head "Pit Stop!!".  Yep, that's pretty much how it was:)

We were dying to see my folks after our big vacation, and when we found out they were going to be in Topeka, we planned a lunch date.  Funny thing is that all three of us adults had the same eating establishment in mind, we're weird, what can I say?

Just in case, I brought our new flat travelers with us.  Since we were close to downtown, I suggested a trip to the state capital.  Ducky had an appointment later in the afternoon he had to be at, so it would be a quick trip.  With Shorty in need of a nap, I knew that wouldn't be a problem. 

It was a super fast trip, but we got to see all the important parts that were open to the public: the murals and statues, the House and Senate chambers, the old Supreme Court, the door to the Governor's office, and most importantly a ride in the cage elevator! :)

House Chamber

Supreme Court

I had never been in any of the chambers before - so cool!  My favorite was the House chamber, it had a flyer describing different items of note. 

I totally love the John Stuart Curry mural of John Brown.  It is just so powerful, it really captures the imagination of what he must have been like and the volatility of that time period.

So, I am so glad that its free to tour the capital, because our "pit stop" lasted 1/2 hour.  It was a quick one, but since we had been there previously we didn't feel too badly, plus we got to see some new areas!  Shorty slept all the way home and then some:)