Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Wondering about my early childhood and my grandpa.

My last two blog postings of things in my past have got me wondering about things even further back in my past.  So, this morning I got out an old box of pictures and started going through them.  About a third of the way through the box I came across some pictures of me when I was quite young.

This first picture is of my grandpa (my Mother's Dad) holding me.  He was the one that worked as an engineer on the PRR.  I just love and cherish this picture.  He was a great man!!  By the way, do you see the down-spout on the corner of the house that takes water from the roof gutters and stores it in a wooden rain barrel?  I remember that one of the things they used rain water for was to wash their hair.  They had multiple rain barrels.  This great man lived until I was grown up and on my own.


OK, let's go back a little further in time.  This next picture is of me getting a little sun.  Since I see suspenders on the fellow in the background, I will assume it is my Grandpa who always wore suspenders.

 

Since both sets of my grandparents lived along the Allegheny River, (my Dad's parents lived in Foxburg and my Mom's parents, where these pictures were taken, lived in Phillipston) it would be good if I knew how to swim.  So, this last picture is me practicing my swimming style:
 
 
In case I haven't mentioned it before, I had the best childhood (except for some illnesses) that anyone could possibly have.  Why?  Because I had the greatest parents and grandparents in the world!!  I was just so lucky to be born into such great families.  Now, you all have a great day today, you hear?

18 comments:

  1. How fortunate you were to have so much family. And especially fortunate to have photos... and you even know who's in those pictures. I grew up having only 1 grandmother... the rest were gone before I was born.

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    1. Yes, I have been blessed for sure. I count my blessing every day.

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  2. You sure were a cute little thing! I remember so well my mom's parents and visiting them on the farm every year. I feel lucky myself.

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    1. I was cute, just don't know what ever happened to me. Not so cute anymore, that is for sure.

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    2. I'd say "handsome" now. You don't want to be cute any more!

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  3. I have a pic of my mom's dad holding me about the same age. My fav g/parent. He lived here the last 6 years, 80-86, and ooo how much I enjoyed that. I would go by and ask him wanna go with me? and he'd pick up his
    hat and be ready to go....One time he went with me out of town to my dentist, and later told Mom the fence posts looked like a picket fence, hahahaha, but never said a word to me about it..

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    1. I had a motorcycle and he also made the comment,,next thing you know i'd be flying over,,,lololol

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    2. Glad you have good memories of your Grandad.

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  4. Replies
    1. What do you mean. "were"?!?! You mean I ain't cute now (grin).

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  5. I wonder what the small metal can sitting on the chair was used for? Ashes from the coal stove?, kitchen scraps for compost or animals? It's in front of that little oak tree that was about 100 feet tall the last time I saw it. Always enjoy the picture, D.D.

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    1. I don't know. Next time I see him I will ask him. . .

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  6. aw, jeeeeez, Dizzy... just loved this post... and aren't you adorable! HAHaaaa ... little ol bitty baby boy!

    I remember the downspouts and barrels ... I'm glad you realize how lucky you were to have such a great family...

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    1. I had fun writing it and finding old pictures to scan. I juat love the one where my Grandpa is holding me and pointing at the camera. And yes I know I was and am lucky.

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  7. You were very lucky to have had both sets of grandparents.

    My parents had me late in life so I never got to meet my paternal grandfather and my maternal grandparents were older and lived far away.

    I guess I am lucky that they paid attention to me the few times I visited them since they had so many grandchildren. The only reason they did so was because my mother was their favorite child even though they would never admit it publicly...all her siblings knew that.

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    1. I was pretty young when my fraternal grandparents passed, but not my maternal ones. My Dad, the last born, was quite a bit younger than his siblings. In fact, I was about the same age as his sister's daughter's kids. The once I knew as cousins where children of my cousins.

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  8. Dizzy -
    We in Texas seem to know our families more, don't we? I was fortunate enough to know 3 great grandparents (as in my parents' grandparents) as well as my own grandmothers and 1 grandfather and numerous great-uncles and great-aunts. And now, with Big Bubba Hermit Jim delving into our family trees on both sides, I have more names to add to mine and mom's DAR family ribbons.

    Sad to say, my own children don't have these experiences and memories, and the pictures I'm going through now will not mean much to them at all.....

    Thanks for sharing yours..

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    1. It is sad but true. The memory of people only exists as long as there is someone alive to remember them.

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