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Tuesday, May 17, 2016

The weather and thinking back

We should have left the TV off this morning, but we didn't. It's a habit. Get that first cup of coffee and with the other hand pick up the remote control and turn on the local news and weather. It was the weather forecast I could have done without...the prediction of rain and thunderstorms, today through next Monday. That's right, through next Monday. The weatherman had that little smirk on his face too when he told us, like he enjoyed ruining our days.


One last Iris has opened and it can be our sunshine today! Try taking the shine out of this beauty Mr. Weatherman!

As a child, I remember loving the rain. That was back when folks kept their windows open in the summertime. I loved sitting near an open window watching the rain come down, making pools of water in the yard. Wading in puddles of water in a grassy yard feels different than wading in mud in the ditches. We begged mama to let us play in the rain and occasionally she did. We waded barefoot in mud puddles and I can remember mama yelling to us in that pleading sort of voice to "get out of those mud puddles, you're going to get worms!"

and here are the three of us along about the time we played in the rain and walked in the mud...


Shelby was the oldest and the ring leader! Mama had rolled Shelby's hair on pieces of paper sack the night before this picture was taken. That's why she looks so pretty.


then that's me on my tricycle. That's the very tricycle that I was on one sunny day, riding across the front yard as fast as my bare feet could pedal when the front wheel came off and I fell, hard. Crying I was, all the way to mama.

Mama made our dresses back then. I used to love standing behind the sewing machine watching mama sew, and probably asking her questions. If there was enough fabric left over, mama made my doll a dress too.


and then here's Jackie the youngest of us three.

It was several years then before our youngest brother Randall was born. Jackie was eleven when Randall came along.



While I'm at it, here's an old picture of mama and daddy back when they were young.

Talking about windows being open in the summer, back before everybody had air conditioners...I remember too, mama and us kids being in town or somewhere and it coming a big rain...I can just see us scrambling to get home and mama saying, "Lord, every window in the house is open and I bet it's raining in!" 

Guess I had better get up from here and get busy. Poppy will be home in about thirty minutes.

Love,
Henny











41 comments:

  1. How lovely to reminisce about your past, you obviously have some wonderful childhood memories.

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  2. When you mention wading in rain puddles, it made me remember playing in the irrigation when we got the water to our yards in Phoenix. The water came from the lakes dammed on the Salt River, then down the canals, and eventually to the ditches that served the citrus groves and neighborhoods. You had to sign up for your water, and if you forgot to open your valve on the right day and time, it flooded some other place and a fine could be assessed. Sometimes there might be fish, frogs, or "other creatures" in the water, but it was great to cool off in it when the temperatures were over 100*!

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    1. That is amazing Pam. I can picture how that would look and the fun it would have been on those hot days. I love your profile picture!

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  3. What a beautiful Iris!! I loved playing in the rain when I was a kid:) Sweet old photos!

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  4. Laughed at the statement of getting worms from walking in puddles. I can so clearly hear my mother saying we had to get home because the windows were up. Those were the days.

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    1. I know! Can we really get worms from wading in muddy water. Maybe hook worm? I need to look that up.

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  5. Your sweet memories sound a lot like some of mine...sweet photos too! I do love the rain, always have, but we are also under a similar forecast as yours. Now that we have our front porch, I love sitting out there while it rains. Life certainly was different back then and I yearn to be able to back to those simpler times quite often. It's always fun to reminisce :)

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    1. Oh Debbie, I feel the same about going back to the simpler times. Of course, I would not be enjoying my blogging friends, would I? :)

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  6. Beautiful Iris! Lovely old photos:) It sounds like you are in for a lot of rain:(

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    1. Thank you Karen. We have had over two inches and it is just now Wednesday morning.

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  7. Oh, that Iris is such a beauty. What a colour! :) I was never a rain lover but I love a good thunder storm. We have had rain the last few days and are now heading into days of sunshine. I'll bottle some up and send it to you. ;-)Hugs to all. An extra for Smokey.

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    1. Thank you! By the end of the week I'm sure we will need a bottle of sunshine. Ole Smokey will get that hug! :)

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  8. We also have many days of rain in the forecast but I must say, we do need it. I hope it comes down gently and doesn't plaster all my flowers on to the ground.
    I loved the rain too, when I was a kid. I'd sit in our pick-up and hear it drumming on the roof.
    Your Iris is so lovely. I have never seen a yellow one with a streak of red. So unusual.

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    1. I had forgotten about sitting in a vehicle when it's raining. That is so cozy. I prefer a gentle rain too and so far that's what we have had. Last week we had a hard rain that beat down the Iris. I love this yellow Iris too and wish I had more.

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  9. Good memories from when you were a kid. Kids on farms and rural areas had lots of fun . We lived a more carefree life like leave the windows open when we went to town.

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    1. Thank you Red. I probably spend too much time thinking about the past!

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  10. Henny I could listen to your 'story-telling' for hours on end :)
    My mum once wrapped my long hair in 'rags' strips of old cotton sheets, when I went to school the next day, all the girls loved the ringlets, but all the boys made fun of me, so I dunked my head under the cold water tap, and right there and then, I was back to straight hair.
    I always like rain. The kind of rain that is gentle, not the gully-washer kind.
    Your childhood memories make me think you were a happy family growing up.
    Hugs,'
    ~Jo

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    1. I wanted to tell you, your Iris is a beautiful color. And those pictures of your mum and dad, and brother and sister are such a treasure ! Thank you for sharing them with us.
      ~Jo

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    2. Thank you Jo. And it embarrasses me to read back over my posts. Your hair was probably beautiful! I can just see it. There was nothing in school as bad as being picked on by the silly boys! I will never forget the time one of the cute boys grabbed the Fudgsicle I was eating and slapped it right against the side of my face. Of course, they all laughed. Wish I had more than one of the yellow Iris. Thank you!

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  11. What a lovely little trip down memory lane with you!
    We have a lot of rain, most of it cold. Summer rain does trigger pleasant memories.

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    1. I don't remember ever having this much rain, and it started back in the fall. Things could be worse though.

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  12. Aww I love this. I also loved playing in the rain! So much fun! Love you!

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    1. Thank you Vicki. I know you are like me when it comes to old family pictures and thinking about old times. Love You!

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  13. I'm usually pretty good about keeping the TV turned off now.

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    1. Wish we could break the habit of turning the TV on first thing!

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  14. I had a tricycle, red with a white basket on the front and a white bag behind the seat. I remember sobbing when I outgrew it. It went to my sister and then onto a gaggle of cousins but I always thought of it as mine. We get plenty of rainy days but I regard them as crafting days and make the most of them.

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    1. That is so sweet Pam. I must have worn my tricycle completely out. Maybe it was a hand-me-down too. I going to think like you today and try to get some sewing projects started, while it is raining.

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  15. I still keep my windows open all summer long, although my allergies tell me not to! I love watching a good rainstorm from inside....

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    1. Oh, and being in the mountains you probably can. It must be so nice there in the summer...and year round!

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  16. Love the pictures! We're getting the rain through Monday too. Got 3 1/2 inches yesterday. We keep our windows open until it hits 80º in the house, then we shut things up and turn on the air conditioner.

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  17. Rain makes for a nice cozy feeling inside no matter what time of the year it is. This time of year though I really like rain because then I don't feel guilty for not being out in the yard getting all the spring yard work done and ready for summer. Not only that, new plants just put in and transplants really take advantage of it and settle in nicely.

    I especially like the "smell" of rain. Just before it starts coming down where you are there is this wonderful fragrance blowing in on the breeze. I guess it's really the smell of "wet dirt" but is surely does smell great.

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    1. Hey Vic! I didn't think to mention the smell of rain! I love that too, especially when it has been several days without rain. There is just something about that smell. Kinda of like the smell of a new born puppy, hard to explain, but I love it.

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  18. I love to watch the rain and smell the freshness. I am so grateful for air conditioners but I would love to leave my windows open at night. It gets too humid here to do that though. Love the photos of your family. I had a tricycle like that. I loved it! Hope you do get some sunshine amongst the rain.

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    1. We get a lot of that humid weather too, but I'm sure not as much you do in Florida. Thank you Melanie.

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  19. I love when you share your memories with us. I'm old enough to remember doing all those things too. Only I wore hand me down t-shirts of my two older brothers and am glad there aren't many pictures of that.

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    1. I appreciate that Sharon. You were probably adorable in your brother's shirts. Both my brothers were younger and Shelby was always, as mama used to say, rough on her clothes, always tearing the pockets out. :) Probably not much to hand down to me.

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  20. What a lovely post. Your memories bought back memories of my own. Times were sweet back then, not that they are not sweet now, just different. One of Steve and my favorite things to do, is sit out on the porch when it's raining. The air smells so good and staying dry under the roof as the rain pours down all around us is just cozy and a happy thing to do.
    As a child I loved walking through mud puddles and squeezing mud up between my toes . . . oh, the simple pleasures of childhood :)
    Love your photos.
    Connie :)

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    1. Thank you Connie. Times were sweet back then. I think you and Steve sound like the sweetest couple!

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