Farewell Sweet Maggie

My step-grandma passed away April 28, 2013 after a long decline from Alzheimer's disease.  She came into our lives in 1991 when she and my grandpa married.  It was a second marriage for each of them, and it was much needed companionship.  She was a brilliant cook, often just cooking by instinct rather than from a recipe.  She also sewed without using patterns.  

The sad thing was that I never really got close to her until after she began to decline.  She wasn't a mean woman, just not the squishy milk-and-cookies kind of grandma.  She didn't want us to sit on the floor, roughhouse in the back yard.  I chock that up to the time she was born and raised in and not any form of malice or spite.  She loved us in her own way and we loved her back in ours.  

I will keep the sweet moments of dancing with her in the living room while Ella Fitzgerald serenaded us.  Giggling over the cute, silly things she said.  Kissing her utterly adorable nose!  

How much she loved my Grandpa.  

Mary Margaret Nightser Labouy Wildi 

1922-2013

There was a viewing, and many dear friends from the neighborhood she and my grandpa lived in came to pay their respects.  

My mother and neighborhood friend admiring Maggie's dress.

Mr. Parker and his sweet Mama!

Viewings can be weird for people.  Some people, like my fiancee find them morbid and weird.  This turned out to be a wonderful time with family and friends.  We told the best "Maggie Stories" and laughed until we cried.  It was wonderful.  We celebrated that she wasn't in pain any more, that she was at peace at last.

Maggie and her Georgie <3 p="">

Silent Mamas

Mother's Day was, until three years ago, a day of celebrating my mother and looking forwards to the day I can be a mama too.  It wasn't until I endured, suffered, experienced loosing my own tiny little baby that I came to think about the mothers who don't show any outward signs of being a mama.  And I want to acknowledge them too.

This would have been my third mother's day, and then my child's third birthday.  It still is my third mother's day, and I'm kissing my little one in my heart.

This is my mother, and the mother of four children.  She also lost a little one, and waited eight long years before she and my Dad welcomed me into the world.  Aslan, the cat in the picture above, was her other baby and I am sure helped fill the void in her heart, at least until I came along!  

Heehee.  Sorry, buddy.

Arasmus is my Aslan.  My snuggle buddy until such a time as I have children or am able to get a puppy.  

Celebrate the Mamas, and then take a quiet moment to send comfort to those whose time will come.  Send them love and peace.

Morrison - Part Three

Our last few days in Morrison saw a frenzy of cleaning and small flurries of sorting the last few piles.  

Socks were scrubbed in the sink and hung up to try and "dry" despite the humidity.

We settled on pizza for dinner, followed by delicious Whitey's Ice Cream, which is on par with Husky's in West Seattle or Tillamook.

One evening we took a drive after supper, pausing at the house that is always decorated (in some way or another) for Halloween.

We said hello to my Grandpa George and Grammie Lou, nibbling some salmon and cornbread in their honors.

Garden Plain Cemetary provided a gorgeous view of the sunset over cornfields.

A quick jaunt over the mighty Mississippi River found us in Fulton, Iowa and I took a gander at their windmill.  It was built by Dutch artisans who had settled in the country.

Finally the movers came to pack up furniture and boxes we had scrounged up from around Morrison.  Empty packing boxes are difficult to be gotten.

Ralph was found visiting us girls in the downstairs bathroom.  I didn't squish him, instead trapped him in a tumbler and deposited him amongst the peonies.  I hope he forgives me for squashing his brother!

Deer Scott was dismounted and packed up ready to head off to his new home in Seattle.  The movers got a good chuckle out of his oddness.

On Friday, Mom's birthday, we went to the local museum to view Anna Hanford's wedding dress which we pleaded to have a look at.  I was hoping to merely look at it safely in the box, however the docents at the museum went above and beyond the call of duty.  They put the dress on a mannequin, brought out other garments that were donated by the family, AND they bought a cake!  It really was too much, but we were grateful and delighted to spend the time with them.

The dress

Me and my namesake's wedding dress!

Three generations of Wildi Girls!

The sad thing about being in the midwest was how much people needed it to rain.  Farmers were in the midst of a drought which threatened the success of their corn crops.  The soy crops seemed okay, but the corn was in a waiting period to see if it would survive or must be ploughed over.  There are three kinds of corn crop; field corn, sweet corn, and seed corn.  Field corn is animal feed, sweet corn is for people to eat, and seed corn is carefully irrigated to preserve next season's crop.  Seed corn will always survive because it must.  Field corn and sweet corn don't get such careful preservation.  It was fascinating for this City Mouse to be reminded that some people succeed or fail by their crops.  

In order to move a large roll top desk I had to remove one piece of door moulding.  It was very cleverly done with the hallway joint appearing to be mitered and the inside appearing to butt up against each other.  Before I replaced it, we decided to write a message on the interior.  

The Kentfield-Wildi Home

Filled with Family and Love

1918-2012

We enjoy leaving little notes as much as we love to find them.  I found it very fitting.

On Sunday Ann and Aunt Marion went off to church before Mum and I left for the airport.

Pictures were snapped in front of the Ginko, as per tradition.

We departed, leaving Karin to mind the house.  It was a funny feeling, knowing that I would probably never be back and it felt like this was the first time I had ever been.  I am so happy the house will be filled with laughter and a new family.  As if it will be able to shake off some dust and be a home again. Someday, should we find ourselves in Morrison, I am sure we will pause to visit the House on Grape Street but for now we say farewell, and thanks for all the memories!

Morrison - Part Two

The rest of our days consisted of cleaning out all of the places we could find (or think of) in the attic, basement, second & first floors.  Up around 7:30 and in bed sometime around 1:30 am because of the heat.  Work until it was time for lunch and giggle at how we were all eating like farmhands.  Work makes you hungry!  In between cleaning were moments of beautiful discovery, such as this letter from Levi Handford dated September 14th, 1795.  1795 people!!  That is the oldest thing I have ever held in my two (clean *ahem*) hands.  Wowza.

Enormous Ledgers 

(It was as big as a two-year old child!)

Family photos & tintypes

Sunday we went to church.  My mom and I attended the Presbyterian church and then walked over to Ann & Aunt Marion's to have cake and coffee.

The County Farm Bureau was once the Fallout Shelter

We think it's very cute that Ann attends the Church of St. Anne.

Waiting in the beautiful garden beside St. Anne's.

After church there was a jaunt to the Morrison Museum where bits of family history can be found such as this High School portrait of Aunt Marion.

The football team from 1915 and a Shia Lebeouf look-a-like!

I put coins on the rail road tracks.  I know you're not supposed to do that, but when in Morrison, do as the Wildi girls do.  It's a rite of passage.

Great Grandpa Carl's work room in the basement.

Tired and happy toes at the end of a long, good day!

Dear Scott.  This was shot by a family member and stuffed.  My Uncle Scott wanted it so we took to calling it "Deer Scott".  

In the cool of the evening we gals could be found lounging and chatting on the front porch of Grape St House.  Since we had to do a Radon Test (closed windows and doors for 48 hours!) it was the only place with a cool breeze.  Apparently the neighbors found our lounging on the front porch to be amazing.  Aunt Marion hadn't sat out there once in the 25 years she lived at Grape St.!

The 92 year old Ginko Tree that was planted the day Aunt Marion was born.

The Sun Room

The fabulous bricks that make up the front porch.  These bricks can be found in remnants of sidewalks around the house and I was sorely temped to wiggle a lone one free and take it home.  But I resisted.

Aunt Margarete was affectionately referred to as our "German Cleaning Lady."  Originally from Germany, she found Grandpa Carl a delight to chat with since he was raised speaking German in the home.  Aunt Margarete cleaned the kitchen and made us lunches while we hauled dusty everything out to the dumpster.  We gals all aspired to clean things as well as she, but never quite got the hang of it.

Do not be fooled by the seeming solemnity of this picture, Margarete is quick with a giggle or a conspiratorial wink.  She is darling and I enjoyed every moment with her.

Some of the sunsets were gloriously orange and this picture had to be filtered to get the accurate colour!  It was amazing.

All of the fire hydrants in Morrison are silver.

The Sauer (correct spelling Miss Editor?) House across the street.

To finish this edition of Morrison I leave you with a collection of photos, family and otherwise. 

There was an empty frame hanging on the back of the garage door, so we filled it with this charming little lady.  There was debate as to whether she was a boy or a girl.  I like girl.

Great Grandma Martha.

I believe this is my namesake, Anna Handford Kentfield, but I could be mistaken.  

My Editor will let me know.

Martha, a lady, and Carl out for a canoe ride.

Aunt Marion and Uncle Bob circa 1953

I believe this was a prom dress of Aunt Marion's.  Very cute!

We ended at Dairy Queen one night for salad and ice cream.  Mom found they had Mini-Blizzards (on the right) and I got a small (left).  It was very nummy, I can't remember the last time I had a Blizzard.

Ta for now my dears!  Third installment to come soon and once I finish editing the videos I took there will be "Movies from Morrison"!  Whee!

xoxo,

Anna