Families of the Lounge

[Big Man]

This is the only image I have of probably the only person in my growing years who loved me without asking...
"what's in it for me ? "

You are fortunate to have had a Grandmother like that. My own Grandmother, at the age of 101 while on her death bead, called me over and told me, "I've loved you more than my own children." That is an inheritance that can never be taken away.

 

[Babydoll]

My daughter started another series of ballet classes yesterday. She's growing up so fast.

 

[dh66]

That is definitely one sassy kid. My daughter just got her ears pierced this weekend, and I swear she aged ten years in ten minutes.

2jakes I don't know what to say, except maybe thanks for making me take a minute to think about my own grandmother. She's a long time gone and I miss her.

 

[2jakes]

2jakes I don't know what to say, except maybe thanks for making me take a minute to think about my own grandmother. She's a long time gone and I miss her.

I know exactly what you're feeling...and Big Man in the above post put it nicely...

"That is an inheritance that can never be taken away" ...I like that...

 

[Babydoll]

That is definitely one sassy kid. My daughter just got her ears pierced this weekend, and I swear she aged ten years in ten minutes.

We set some milestones for Lily: toenail polish at 5 (still sucks fingers, so no fingernail polish), ears pierced at 10 (her choice, old enough to be responsible for after-care), and very minimal make up at 13. We want her to be a kid while she's a kid.

And the sass factor with this one? Omygosh. We are in such trouble when she actually hits teen years.

 

[Babydoll]

Her first time getting to stay up late enough to go out and watch fireworks (2.5 hours after bedtime). She was so excited!

 

[Big Man]

As we were sitting in the front room after Sunday dinner today, my granddaughter, Mackenna, pulled up the footstool, sat down and said, "Granddaddy, let's talk."

I said, "what about?"

Mackenna said, "it doesn't matter, I just want to talk with you."

So we sat there and talked for the longest time about all the "old stories" like when the kitchen window fell on the cat when my Dad was just a boy, or the flying squirrel my Dad had whose name was "Chappy", or when my aunt Hazel killed a possum in the middle of the night when it was trying to get after the chickens. Hard to beat a Sunday afternoon like that.

 

[dh66]

Those old stories are where a lot of good memories come from Granddaddy. I can still remember some my own Granddad told me when I was little.
You are truly blessed Big Man.

 

[Big Man]

Those old stories are where a lot of good memories come from Granddaddy. I can still remember some my own Granddad told me when I was little.
You are truly blessed Big Man.

I grew up hearing stories that went as far back as my g-g-g-g grandfather being captured by the Indians in 1774. That was a fantastic story, as my great grandfather heard it from his great grandfather (the one captured by the Indians) himself. I've told all the "old family stories" to all my grandchildren, but only one of them (the one in the photo above) seems to hang on my every word. I guess she and I are a lot alike in that respect. I remember just about everything I was told by the elder generation of the family, but my sister who heard the same stories would be hard pressed to recall her great grandparents' names.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

My Grandmother Brown raised me telling me stories of my GrandFather coming to Indiana by covered wagon from Wilkesboro NC. Her life growing up as a farm girl in Lebanon,Ind. and attending classes in a one room school house called 'Bell school'. Her favorite teacher's name was Mrs. Bannan. She related many family stories to me in my youth that I memorized and actually seemed to become imbedded in my soul. During my high school years she was placed in a nursing home with a form of dementia. A few years later I left for the army (on the way to Viet Nam). I wrote her a letter relating many of those stories and sent it to the nursing home. Much to my surprise she wrote me back a wonderful legible letter thanking me for remembering memories that meant so much to her. The care givers at the home said that she was thrilled to get my letter and insisted to have paper and a pen to write me back. I still have that letter after all these years in the 'Brown" family album tucked behind her photo and I even still remember all of Grandma's stories as if she told me all of them again yesterday. I miss her dearly..but,you know.I've carried a little bit of her with me all throughout my life and also related family stories to my children and Grandchildren. Some of them even seemed in awe listening to them..and I have found out they actually have carried that tradition on to their children. To some of us those old family stories have meant so much. My twenty year old Son (named after me..my Father and Great Grandfather) has heard all the stories and knows them by heart. He reminds me so much of my Father and Grandparents that went before. Folks that,unfortunately,he never knew.
HD

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Adam Page Brown
High School Grad 2012

 

[Big Man]

My Grandmother Brown raised me telling me stories of my GrandFather coming to Indiana by covered wagon from Wilkesboro NC ...

Having been to Wilkesboro many times, I can see why they were eager to leave.

Seriously though, family stories like these are treasures. Passing them along to the next generation is so very important, because once they are lost they can never be reclaimed. My grandmother, who I loved dearly, died at the ripe old age of 101 (and was active and productive right up until her last few days). When she died, my Dad said, "as long as we remember her, she will never really be gone." My little granddaughter, who was born more than 30 years after my grandmother passed, talks about "Maw" as if she knew her and just saw her yesterday.

 

[Babydoll]

Interesting to read about sharing family stories. I've been planning my family reunion for the past 18 months. IT is this weekend. This is the first one we've had since my Grannie and her sister passed. They were the last of 8 siblings born to immigrant Norwegian parents. I've planned this reunion around remembering our loved ones and sharing all sorts of family history/stories. We're recording the stories because we don't want them lost to time. I suspect I will do quite a bit of laughing and crying during the history portion.

We're also doing a version of The Amazing Race, but with the pit stops being locations that are significant to our family history in the small fishing village (pop. 350) that my great-grandfather settled in when he moved here in 1884. And we're doing a sandcastle contest, with the winning team taking home the prize of the coveted Viking helmet. It's been the prize for the past 35 years, and with it go bragging rights. The contest will be in the back yard (which is the beach) of the small family home that my great grandparents, my Grannie, my mom, my aunts, and even up to now have Hansen relatives living in it. That is 130 years of Hansens in one house. I can only imagine what has happened in that home.

It should be a fun weekend!

 

[Babydoll]

Reunion was a huge success! Perfect weather (sunny, no clouds) for being at the beach. My daughter and one of her third cousins played in the bedroom that was my Grannie's (Lily's GGMa), and swam in the back yard beach where Gran and my mom swam as little girls. It was such a fun time.

Sandcastle contest went well. We didn't have as many participants in years past, but they had a lot of fun working together - most of them for the first time as we did a random draw for teams. They were assigned winning sculptures from past reunions to re-create.

The winner was a VW bug:

They got to take home the viking helmet.

Second place was an elephant:

We also had a viking ship:

And a dragon:

So glad my time of planning the reunion is done. I'm almost giddy to pass the torch along to the next group.

 

[dh66]

Looks like a great time!

 

[1mach1]

 

[dh66]

Great shot Harv. You have a great looking family.

 

[1mach1]

Great shot Harv. You have a great looking family.

Thank you, Dale!

 

[JennyLou]

This is my family! The first picture is on my fiancé and I. The next two are our "children" Springfield and Penny who are considered part of our family.

 

[dh66]

You guys look great!
I can remember (barely) the days when we only had "kids" like that....