Amanuensis Monday - Voice From the Past Part 5

Grandma Helen's stories, still are bringing me so much joy.  Here is another one for you!

"Life in the U.S. Editor

Miracle in a Sand Storm

     We lived in a small mining town in Nevada.  About one hundred miles from Reno.  We had been to Reno to do our shopping.  On the way home I could see a sandstorm ahead of us.  Cars were coming out of it, so I thought it couldn't be to bad.  We had one hill that had a drop off close to the highway.  And that's were the sand storm was.  We got almost to the top when it hit us.  The wind was blowing so hard that it was blowing sand in thru the rubber of the closed wing window, right into my left eye.  I couldn't see out of it.  Then it was like some one had painted the windows black.  We couldn't see anything.  I couldn't stop, there were cars behind us.  But I was more afraid of going on.  I heard myself saying (Oh God help us).  All at once it was like a great hand scooped out the sand around us.  If I had gone about a foot more, we would have gone over.  It was like we were in a pocket.  I got the car turned and got going.  The pocket stayed with us till we were out of the storm.  All the way out we could see the sand fill in behind us.  I drove about ten miles before I pulled over and stopped, and just sat there.  One of the kid's said "Mom your hair is white! dad won't know you.)  I looked in the mirror and it was white.  But it was from the sand that came through the wing window.  Everyone had come up with a reason for the pocket.  But no one will ever make me believe it was anything but a miracle!

March 19, 1979"

Amanuensis Monday - A Voice From the Past Part 4

Here is another of my Grandma Helen's stories...hope you enjoy this one!

"Special Day
Life in the U.S. Editor

     I woke knowing my dad was telling me to get dressed in a hurry, and to be quiet.  It was still dark and not a sound, except for my dad going back down stairs.  I had waited so long for this day, I couldn't believe it was here.  I was dressed and downstairs in record time.
     Dad and I set out hand in hand.  And in my heart I was sure he was the best dad in the world.  We were on our way to the railroad yards.  Because today the circus was coming to town.  Going to the circus or seeing the parade, was great fun.  But to see them unload and set up the circus, was without a doubt the best thing, that could happen to a nine year old.
     By the time we got there, the train was already coming in.  If you have never been around when the circus comes in and sets up, you have missed something special.  It's like the whole world has come to life at the same time.  Everyone has a job, and gets right to it.
     The elphants do most of the hard work.  But it didn't seem that hard to them.
     While I was watching the elphants, my dad was talking to one of the men.  And the next thing I knew, we were in the cook tent having breakfast.
     I went home with the memory of the warmest people I can remember.  And in my pocket, four tickets to the circus.  One for dad, mom, my sister, and myself.
     If you remember the year 1936, you can understand what a great gift the four tickets were.
March 12, 1979"

Amanuensis Monday - A Voice From the Past Part 3

"Red
     We were staying at a hotel in Reno, where Red Skelton was appearing in the casino dinning room.
     The morning of his apperance, we stopped to check out.  There was a man standing there, talking to to the girls behind the desk.  As he turned to go, I saw his face, to my surprise it was Red himself.  And being the smart person that I am, I pointed my finger at him and said "Hey your Red Skeleton!" And this gray haired man changed with a smile to a little boy, and said "That's me."
     We talked and found him to be a warm and friendly person.  We walked outside with him, where a man was waiting for him with a golf cart.  He was there to take Red from the hotel to the casino.  There was a sign on the front of the cart that read, "Look Out Ahead Here Comes Red".  He got in and they took off.  To late, I remembered I hadn't ask for his autograph.
March 12, 79"

Picture from Madame Pickwick Blog

     For more information on Red Skelton visit his website at: Red Skelton.

Treasure Chest Thursday - A Voice From the Past Part 2

Here is another story written by my Grandma Helen about her life.  These really do mean so much to me! Makes me feel like I am wrapped up in her arms again. 

" Life in the U.S.
The Birthday Cake
     I woke feeling that the day was special.  I couldn't think why?  Then I realized it was May 13th, my husband's birthday.  But more than that he would be coming home.  He had been sick and couldn't work for sometime.  He had gone to work a week ago in another town.  Had it only been a week?
     I could hear the kids moving around, and knew by the happy sounds they remembered too.
     All the time I was getting them off to school, I was thinking about a birthday cake.  Lloyd had been out of work a long time and there wasn't anything to make a cake with.  No matter how bad things had been, we always managed a birthday cake.  And the kids were sure I could do it for Dad.
     We were setting the table for dinner, when we heard the car, and Lloyd was home.  The poor man had five kids and one wife all over him.  When I saw his happy face, I knew everything would be alright.  It didn't matter if the dinner was slim and we didn't have a cake.  We were all together again.
     After dinner we cleared the table and I told everyone to set back down.  I went back to the kitchen for a bowl of jello, I had put 38 candles in.  But I made the mistake of lighting the candle's in the kitchen.  As I walked into the dining room, candles were going every which way.  And when Lloyd tried to blow them out, they went everywhere.  We all laughed till tears ran down our faces, and the candle's melted into the jello.  Lloyd said it was the very best birthday cake he ever had.
March 8, 1979"

Treasure Chest Thursday - A Voice From the Past Part 1

I don't ask for presents for my birthday, anniversary or Christmas, for the simple fact that the price of being a genealogist can get pretty spendy.  And luckily I have a pretty awesome husband, who lets me chase all my leads no matter the cost.  We take trips to visit family so I can do more research, or to go to some obscure archive.  There are ways to do this "job" cheaper but I find that for the amount of work I do (as I help anyone who needs it) it is worth the cost.  And it brings me fountains of joy, so he gladly pays the cost.  What a man!!

The days when I open the mailbox to find something I have ordered...like a death certificate, how morbid right!?, it's like Christmas to me. I look forward to days like that...makes me feel like a kid again. :)

But two days ago I got the BEST gift ever!  I have gotten a lot of things that have brought me to tears and made me extremely happy but nothing compares to the present I got the other day.

My Grandma Helen (Burrows) Timbrel started writing some stories of times that meant a lot to her, in March of 1979.  My Aunt Tina found this notebook, made copies and put them into the mail for me.

One of my biggest regrets is that I didn't write down any of my Grandma & Grandpa's stories.  Every visit to see them we got at least one story if not two or three.  I loved it!! But being as young as I was, it never occurred to me that someday I would get old and start forgetting all those stories.  I am going to take time this weekend and start writing down the ones I remember....they are few.

But what a great thing it was to sit and read these stories that were written in my Grandma's own handwriting and in her own words.  I cried through almost all of them, even the funny ones.  Not sad tears but tears of joy, longing and love.  I may not be able to remember the sound of my Grandma's voice but I sure could her telling her stories.

Over the next few weeks, I am going to put her stories here for all to love and enjoy.  Hope they mean as much to you, as they do to me.

"Life in U.S."

"I sometimes think we have lost something fine and good, when it comes to pride in our county and flag.  I remember my Dad taking me down to the train depot, one cold winter evening.  There were hundred's of people there.  We couldn't get any where near the depot.  We could hear a train coming, and all the people started yelling.  I was eight years old and couldn't understand what was happening.  My Dad picked me up and put me on his shoulders.  I could just see a man standing on the platform of the train.  When my Dad put me down, he said with tears in his eyes. Now remember you have seen the president of the United States.  There are a lot of us who can never say that.  For he himself could not see because of all the people.  So to this day, I say with pride, I saw Franklin Delano Roosevelt the president of the United States.
March 2, 1979"

Using Social Media for Yesterday's Throwback Thursday

What is "throwback thursday" you ask....well it is a hashtag link to photo's or posts on social media sites used to talk about things or people from yesteryear.  Let me explain that a little bit more.

Social Media is a wonderful, beautiful thing if used properly.  One way that social media is used for the good, is in bringing families together while they reminisce over the "old days".  If you have signed up for Facebook, then I am sure you have come across the countless pages that are genealogy related.  But have you found any pertaining to your hometown, if not go look.  For example, there is a group called "You know your from Gabbs when..." it is for all who have a connection to Gabbs, NV (my hometown).  You can post your photo's that pertain to Gabbs, or add a post with information on past and current events or people. It is a great way for all to share their memories about a wonderful place. 

Someone posted a photo of my Dad standing with some of the other member in the community, that I had never seen before.  You never know, you might see a photo of you parents or grandparents when they were younger and if you don't have very many photo's that might be an awesome find.  I was also recently contacted by someone that used to live next door to my Grandparents and she said she used to watch their dog for them.  The things you might learn are endless.

Instagram is a new form of social media.  It is a picture editing app, that most can find on on their smartphones.  You can connect with your friends and share your photo's once you have edited them.  You can also share your edited photo's on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and a couple other sites. 

One thing I love about Instagram is that it first let me connect to my nephew as he was teaching his ol' aunt how to use it.  And second it introduced me to the world of hashtags.  Which is pretty cool but if you like keeping your photo's private then best not to use a hashtag.  I don't hashtag any photo's that have my children in them for privacy issues. Hashtags are when you want to link your post with a certain word or words, i.e. throwbackthursday.  You add the # symbol and then the word/s.  So when tagging a photo for throwback thursday in the description part of the photo I would just add #throwbackthursday, with no spaces.  Then once  you publish the photo you can click on the hashtag and follow it others that have posted photo's using the same hashtag.  You can also use hashtags to link a status update or twitter post. 

I use two specific hashtags on a regular basis, one is #throwbackthursday and #flashbackfriday.  I did a photo for each of these a few weeks ago, and my family loved it! I didn't realize how much till the next Thursday when my little sister text me to see if I was going to post pictures again. Ummm...yeah wow! She will listen to me when I want to talk about family history but sometimes I can see her eyes glaze over...common enough.  But I was so happy when she wanted more.  And then she started adding her own photo's! Yes, she has become an active participant in my weekly addition of photo's...isn't that great!

This is my photo for throwback Thursday- Grandma & Grandpa Timbrel's plates

Pat & Nick Adamson sitting using the plates

Jessica Adamson...and another photo of the plates

Robert Adamson using the plates

Like I have said before, I don't have a lot of memories of my childhood (bad memory and all that) but I do remember these plates.  What a silly thing to remember.  But it is one of my memories so it is precious to me. And it sure did make my aunt happy when she seen it.  She couldn't believe that I had the plates.  Love that what started as way to post some of my older photo's has gotten my family talking and enjoying learning about their family. 

Matrilineal Monday - My Grandma's

Today I have been thinking a lot of my Grandmother's and their Mother's....I spent the day in the kitchen canning 17 jars of chicken for our food storage.  Well what does canning have to do with your Grandmother's you ask?!?!  Good question :)  I keep wondering if my Grandmother's canned at all.  It may seem like a silly thing to you but it goes back to what I have been talking about in some of my older posts about putting ourselves in the same footsteps as our ancestors.

I know that my Grandma Wavel Adamson canned, as I can remember eating her canned pears and peaches.  Did she learn about canning from her Mother, Bertie Pattee? I think I will call my Dad tomorrow and ask that very question.

In today's world, some women would be offended at the thought of spending their day in the kitchen with an older family member.  Why that is positively medieval...right? To do such a domestic chore as canning and spending the day learning such a chore from someone so much older. Young people sometimes find spending time with the older members of their families a dull and dreary day.  How sad that way of thinking makes me.  I quite look forward to the times I have teaching my own daughter and someday hopefully my granddaughters (WAY...way in the future) the things I have learned and spending time talking together.

I am currently teaching myself how to can.  I have resources such as books, internet and the occasional advice from friends.  And while I find this new education very satisfying.  How much more special it would have been to have a Grandmother around to teach me. 

I know that my Grandma Adamson canned...but what about my Grandma Timbrel, Helen (Burrows) Timbrel.  And if so did she learn from her mother Elma... Chances are that they probably did do a little canning but to what extent? As I work around the kitchen I always wonder these things.  Oh to be older and have more memories.  I wish I could have learned at the knees of these beautiful ladies.  So please if you have these types of memories treasure them and think of them often, they live on inside you. :) And if your of the older generations, share your knowledge (even if it's not in the kitchen) with the younger generations...no matter how much they resist...someday they will treasure those memories.

So thankful I still have the chance to make memories with my own Mother...last fall she helped me when I was learning how to make freezer jam.  And she is always up for learning when it comes to canning.  I think she spent most of her time with her Grandma Elma at the sewing machine. When she was very young, she would make all her own clothing. They did a lot of sewing together.  What precious memories she has of those times.

Now go make memories either with your grandchildren or with your grandmother...depending on where you are in your life... :) And treasure each and every moment...because life is beautiful and so very short.

The only picture I have of both my Grandmother's together Wavel G. Adamson, Helen M. Timbrel

Tombstone Tuesday: Helen & Lloyd Timbrel

Well, I decided since I have been talking a lot about how much I miss my Grandma & Grandpa Timbrel I decided to post some pictures of there final resting place for those cousins that are too far away to visit....I bet they miss them just as much as I do.

My Grandparents decided they didn't want to be buried but cremated instead and their ashes spread in one the their favorite valley's, Gabbs Valley.  My cousin had a baby daughter who also passed shortly after they did and so she has a marker their with them, but out of respect I won't post her name or any information.  Although, I think of her ofter too.  We all know that she is with our Grandparents in Heaven, just waiting on all us down here.

The first photo is a bit blurry but shows their first markers (over the years they have gotten new ones).  The second was taken Jan 2011 with their new markers.  And the third one was taken July 2012.  The last one is a view of the valley beyond Gabbs Valley....home.

Jan 2011 Courtesy: Charity Brown

July 2012

Gabbs Valley July 2012

Wordless Wednesday: Grandma & Grandpa Timbrel

This is how I will always remember my Grandma & Grandpa.  I have just been missing them a lot lately.  Love you guys and can't wait to introduce you to my little family someday....

Treasure Chest Thursday!

On the 25th of August 1995 my Grandparents, Lloyd & Helen Timbrel, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary (a great goal for Theron & I).  My Mother, Sandy, and her siblings had worked together before hand to make them a wonderful gift that they would treasure because it came from the heart.  Each of my Grandparents children made their own squares, then my Aunt Dolores put the blanket together and quilted it.  The result the most beautiful blanket.

Helen & Lloyd looking over their beautiful gift.

This was taken today

Near the center of the blanket is their wedding photo and marriage license.

I was 15 when I wrote this.

When I went to visit my wonderful aunt, she was prompted to give this blanket to me.  She felt that it would be truly treasured with me.  And it is! I feel so honored that out of all the grandchildren, I should be the one to end up with it.  Thank you!