Remembering my parents' birthdays in November

Both of my parents had birthdays in November - my dad on 10 Nov 1907 and my mom on 29 Nov 1914.

1962 at the Ft. Worth Stock Show

Here are some of my favorite blogs about them... I know, I should be past the bringing up old memorials and memories stuff - I think it has to do with catching up with my Christmas cards list persons this year. I have not sent any for two years.

Plus, I have an new external hard drive, that I will collect and back-up every photo and text document onto, a 1TB size - I am already calling it the "MotherShip". I just got tired of wondering where certain files were, and where did I save that photo - in which collection - well, you get the picture?? When I was a military spouse and PCS (permanent change of station) time came, I could just reorganize stuff into a new home. Looking back, I have been in this house for nearly 17 years.


back to the review...

** from Becky about Don Cox's 100th birthday party http://randomlyoddbits.blogspot.com/2007/11/cowboy-memorial-bloopers.html

**from Sue at the time of Gram's passing in February 2008 - http://suerichardson.blogspot.com/2008/02/gone-to-be-with-her-cowboy.html

**from Sue about her memorial service http://suerichardson.blogspot.com/2008/08/grams-memorial-service.html I love being reminded of her friends and the family members who came to Sheridan


My nieces Chris and Katy blogged about them too...

Twenty Years?

Good grief! Has it really been 20 years since the Berlin Wall came down? I remember the news unfolding while watching AFN (Armed Forces Network TV) while living in Heidelberg, Germany that fall of 1989. Six months later, Sue and I drove to Berlin, just before we went home to the States. People were still visiting the Wall and taking home chunks of it. Us too.

Great hair, Sue...

Lois Ann at Check Point Charlie before crossing into East Berlin.

See, still people writing on the Wall six months later

In the meantime, Becky was going to college in Sheridan, Wyoming. Gram let her drive the old gold Chevy pick up around the Sheridan cemetery. In fact here is part of a letter from Gram....



“Dear Ones, (from Gram’s house, 30 Sept 1989)
I’ve just given Becky her first Driver’s lesson. This is Sat. morning, and we just had GrandDad’s waffles – and she didn’t have any special plans for today, so we went to a couple of garage sales, didn’t buy anything – then I wanted to take her to the cemetery. I told her I wanted to take her before we were suddenly in the trauma of a funeral. So after I took a couple of pictures and west into some family background, I told her I’d let her drive. We had the old Chevy pickup – and what an ideal place… lots of little roads branching off and places to back-up – and she didn’t knock over any tombstones. We may go up there again.” “ You’d have laughed to see that old gold pick up jerking and stopping and starting up at the cemetery. Love from us all, Gram”.

feeding the goats 26 Sept 2009

When I went to visit David's family in September, Aimee took me to vist Cox Farm, a harvest time kids adventure outing, about 20 minutes from her home in Northern Virginia


How about a hayride into the Haunted Forest?

Very exciting slides - don't forget the gunny (burlap) sack so you can slide like crazy

Now where did that peacock go?

I should remember how to milk a cow - I was doing it at the age of six, when my dad took my mom from the D Ranch, north of Morcroft Wyoming, to Sheridan to deliver that sister Elizabeth.

Newly hatched baby chicks under a warming lamp

Couldn't resist the sign - Oh yes, I am A Cox Girl

Feeding the goats consists of "goat food" (pellets, grain, etc>) in an ice cream cone - easy for a child or Grammie to hold onto - and easy for the baby goats to grab, chomp on, supposedly without eating the kid fingers. The little brown and white goat sure knows the drill - took the whole cone and ran off with it stuck in his mouth.




this may be what they mean when they say " as happy as a pig in poo..."

Later that trip... a visit to the MacGregor library collection at the University of Baltimore. Standing with me is Aiden Faust, archivist, and Tom Hollowak, director of Special Collections. They monitor and care for over 100 separate collections housed there.Did I mention a side trip to Baltimore's Inner Harbor and the enticing Nessie paddle boats just outside the window at Cheesecake Factory? You don't need to be psychic to understand the real drawing card :-). There is nothing mediocre on their menu.

the vacation look

Here are a few photos....

Our plan worked, we met up in Newark and climbed on the plane ... hold hands and stay together

Jane at the Old Parish Church in Govan, a visit to John McGregor and Annie Lang

How is this for 100 BP (British pounds) per night? but the rail station, the taxies, the food , the underground, the bus trip to Skye are all within a block. Wonderful A/C. The older travelers like their creature comforts, you understand.

Hogwarts anyone?

What is wrong with this picture? You will have to read the small print on the two buildings to understand this one

The Way We Were....... in 2003

"My bags are packed, I'm ready to go..." so sang John Denver years ago. Here are Jane and I on our Scotland trip 6 years ago:



"...leavin' on a jet plane..."
at Culloden battlefield near Inverness. Highlanders' lives changed forever after that battle in April 1745.

watching for Nessie at Loch Ness

Hail to the Chief Sir Malcolm! he is fabulous...

ready for a very formal banquet at Stirling Castle when we acknowledged Sir Malcolm MacGregor of MacGregor as our hereditary Chief.

Jane is preparing to do a "rubbing" of our ancestors' grave stone at Govan's Old Parish Church on the south side of the Clyde River in Glasgow

home again, home again, rigetty jig - LOL - no 50# limit on luggage in those days

I have a bunch more images, but let's start with these....

First pickin's

Let's see, Sunday night, a steak sounds good, I wonder if anything is ready in the garden?

The pumpkins, potatoes and squash act like they are on steroids.

Wow! Look at these...

Yummy - there are supper veggies....

Even the formerly sick-looking hollyhocks are blooming too..

And just in time for me to leave for Scotland -I better let the neighbors know :-) so they can come get some squash and tomatoes while I am gone.

When Pigs Fly.....

One of my favorite activities to do every summer is to go watch (and listen) to the hot air balloons launch at Provo's Freedom Festival every 4th of July. It was one of Gram's favorite too. So I bet you can tell already where this post is going...

Jane and I enjoyed pancakes.

And now I am off to Cokeville for more fun .....