Category Archives: flashback

Photo Hunt-Written

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I have shown this before, but it is fun to see how I use to write back in 1967. That’s the school in the photo. We went to one of two elementary schoolse and attended here for Kindergarten, 2nd and 3rd grade. It’s an administration building now. I remember the seesaws were popular and I remember singing Mockingbird (before James Taylor and Carly Simon did). I’m still in touch with a few members of my Kindergarten class.

History from Wikipedia about the Upper Providence school district:

Formal education began when local Quaker, James Turner, left money in his 1787 will to establish Blue Hill School near Chapel and Providence Roads. The Union Library on Sycamore Mill Road opened in 1813 and had over eight hundred volumes by 1843. Sandy Bank School opened in 1836, and was rebuilt 1905 and enlarged in 1926. Lower Banks School opened in 1872. The Rose Tree Union School District was established in 1947.

Sean it’s 24 on the 24th!

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So happy to have a ‘big’ son (my mom and grandmom described sons that way). Can’t believe he’s hit 24 already. So now that the Phillies have lost, he can root on the Eagles like he did when he was 3-4 months old.
Hope to take a daytrip for a nice brunch, but need to get our act together early and out the door. We did it a few weeks ago.
Happy, birthday dear Sean!

Photo Hunt-Orange

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Handblown pumpkins and gourds, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

I have 338 photos on Flickr tagged with the word ‘orange’. This one is a few years old, but I loved these glass pumpkins. They still sell a few in the gift shop at Longwood Gardens, but they are quite pricey.
And speaking of Longwood, I was scanning old photos as I want to return them to their rightful owner and I found this one of my mom back in 1948 near the main fountain garden-I’m going by the chairs. I love this photo of her.
Mom at Longwood Gardens-1948

Update-My uncle finally got in a room after spending an entire day in the ER. He walked and ate a bit, but is still very weak.

A bit behind-will be playing catch up

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On Friday Sean took me to get my driver’s license photo done about 18 miles away. After that, we headed down a road and before you knew it, we were in Lancaster! Such gorgeous countryside and the leaves are just starting to change. We passed a narrow, but long field on the stretch of Rt. 30 we were on and the Amish were harvesting pumpkins. Sean said the sign said they were only $1. : )
We mainly went to a few stores in a new shopping center. A Christmas Tree Shoppe had just opened and it was jam packed. Then we went to a Kohl’s next door where I found some slacks that fit so well I bought them in gray and black! When we were checking out, a pregnant Amish lady was there with her two little girls, a sight you don’t see too often. I guess as long as they aren’t using the electric, it’s ok to do a little shopping. It looked like the mom was buying those polar fleece blankets. The children were just staring, so they weren’t use to being in a modern store like that. I admire their spirit and duty, but I am sure it would make more sense to just get with the times. Those buggies can’t be safe to travel in on the busy roads in that area. The children were a bit odd looking, I hate to say that, but I am sure cousins are marrying cousins. Anyway, we went across the street and had a nice Fuddruckers burger and then went to the Gap store where Sean picked out a couple of things for his birthday on the 24th when he will be 24! Can’t believe that.
So I didn’t do my collage yet for Friday or Saturday or as a matter of fact for today either but the day is still young!
Saturday night we met up with some of my former classmates a few towns over. We had some cancel out because of the Phillies play-offs which was on at the bar/restaurant we went anyway. There was a young crowd, Sean likes to go here and we ran into him and his friend when we leaving. When I saw my two pals both named John D., I got a double bear hugs. : ) I hadn’t seen the one John for about 23 yrs. We went out to an outdoor area which wasn’t that cold and it was pleasant to chat until they turned on the surround sound and we couldn’t hear each other. We even asked if the speaker could be turned down which they didn’t do. Our lady pals showed up a bit later and we only stayed another hour which was torture on our ears. It was nice to see those who showed up.
I got up this morning and made breakfast and then felt a piece come out of my tooth that was just repaired. It is feeling a bit rough, so I need to get it checked out. Probably the dentist fooling with it caused it to become weak in other areas. I hope it’s a freebie repair.
Off to the grocery store soon-lucky me. It gets harder to go the older I get!

Domestic Goddess II

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Well of course I will do more than one domestic goddess collage! This was pretty easy as I had this gorgeous scrapbook paper with 4 different vintage style ladies and chose the lady with the blue ribbon. I gave her a crown and surrounded her with some dictionary definitions and called it a day.
Next was the remembrance ATC for a Facebook group I am in. ‘The Day of the Dead’ is celebrated in mainly Mexico and by many Latin Americans. I had a difficult time picking someone! I almost did Ben Franklin, but he’s been a subject of mine many times. I chose John Kennedy, Jr. as he was a bit younger than me and a week older than my brother. We sort of grew up together with Caroline-same hairstyles and clothes. When he passed at age 38, I had a hard time digesting that and still find it hard to believe he’s been gone over 11 yrs. He would have been 50 in November.
Remembrance ATC card for FB group-JFK, Jr.
Then I found some sweet matted frames that my ATCs fit into. Only $1! I hope they get more in at the store.
Found frames for ATCs!
Yes, went out on a terrible rainy day to ship off packages. One was for eBay (have sold some stuff of Sean’s that he didn’t need) and an autumn exchange for a pal. I will show you what I made her when she tells me she got it. It cost more to ship than to make!
Tomorrow will be made up of howling wind. One reason I shipped things off today.

The 50’s

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I am a ‘sort of’ child of the 50s, though I was born when it was going to end 7 weeks later.
I started this collage with the retro style paper and then the search began for images to go with it. I am trying not to get online to search for things, but use what I have and what I have printed out already. The Tower Theater is probably known to Tina Fey and Todd Rundgren alike as it’s located near where they grew up in Upper Darby, PA. I lived near here for a few years and have been once in 2006 to see James Taylor. I picked it for the retro cars. Then I found the kids from a 1951 book and someone sent me the mom in the apron. I remember watching Red Skelton in the 60s, though he started with a number of shows in the 50s. The blue car is a Peugeot from 1957!
I found this 1959 holiday cookbook from a small church flea market we went to on Saturday. I may have it already. ; )
BH&G Holiday Cookbook 1959
We drove down to Lowes to get some topsoil and gravel for around the house and I snapped a photo of our town’s fairly new firehouse. They ask for lots of $$ every year.
Avondale Firehouse

Photo Hunt-Letters

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5th grade gift , originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

When I was in 5th grade, about 1970, my teacher’s fiance was a cartoonist (on the side I think). Every week for about 20 odd weeks, he would make each of us a drawing with a little help from Miss Brown about the person he was doing the cartoon for. I remember waiting ‘forever’ for this one. I was very pleased with what it said too. And it was written in all block ‘letters’. Pretty cute! And I will say Miss B. was one of the sweetest teachers I ever had.

Flower head and fun finds

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Flower head 4" x 4" collage, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

I told Bri I was going to find my collage piece out of my box of scraps. I had scanned the perfume ad from an advertising book of my mom’s. Someone made me the paper on her right. I just filled in the rest with similar colors and interesting shapes.

Today I ran some errands and also gave the van a little workout to see how the transmission is holding up. My mechanic brother told me it had a leak way underneath. I drove about 30 miles today and it was ok, though runs a bit rough. I went to the TD Bank and cashed in coins. I guessed within a $1.99 and won a small prize of chapstick. I know that our little can in the kitchen holds between $50-55 and I took out $5 for the kitty. Then I dropped off stuff at the Goodwill. I just can’t seem to get up energy for a yard sale this year. Maybe in the spring. I drove to the thrift store about 10 miles away and found some goodies!
Here are two:
Newly found Mushrooms
The mushrooms flanking the fabric pumpkin (which I found in a bag in the basement!).
This pretty light aqua candy dish (guess I have a collection now!)
Light blue candy dish
These itty bitty Salt and Pepper shakers:
2" tall corn on the cob S&P shakers
And these awesome shot glasses and I think highball glasses for 33 cents each.
High Ball glasses?
I need to tidy up my table again and add these! I plan to use the shot glasses for soup or dessert which seems to be all the vogue now.
Tomorrow it is going to rain like crazy-I canceled my dental appointment. I want to start to switch my summer clothes out as I am running out of clothes to wear and I won’t be doing tank tops anymore.
Hoping to stay safe and dry and wish my guys could too.
And how cute is this collage of my Sean at 7 months?
Seanie boy Age 7 months
I remember he had just started to sit up and was so proud of himself. He had the biggest toothless smile. : )

M is for Ma

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I was trying to get a few things done around the house today and my collages had to wait until after dinner. Boy was I tired from our little outing last night! Mom said she got about 10 birthday cards which made her happy.
So this is my mom when she was about 14. It’s not the clearest photo, but there is something I like about it, maybe because she looks like her mom here. I was looking at a book I have called ‘Scraps’ and the ladies made a alphabet book using an old dictionary. I have an old one and they didn’t have the word ‘mom’ just ‘ma’-go figure!
The one for today is called ‘Sisters’. I’ve used the image of my Grandmom and her older sister before, but this is tinted a bit mauve. I love this photo as they both are so adorable. I didn’t get to know Ethel, the little girl on the right as she passed from pneumonia at age 7. The tree is a button.

Sisters 4" x 4" Collage

You’ve come a long way baby

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My mom Jeanne as a babe, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

My grandparents could not have picked the worst time to have child #2 as 1930 makes my mom a Depression baby. Her brother is 7 years older than her. I’ve heard all about what they would have to eat, like mashed potatoes on bread every night- times were indeed difficult. My mom was so sweet, her own maternal grandfather wanted to adopt her! She was a thin little girl and has never weighed much over 130 at her heaviest as an adult. Her parents would try to get her to drink milk and the glasses would get lined up on the table and she’d take one sip. She has never had a hearty appetite-well for junk food and chocolate maybe! : )
Mom has a lovely soprano singing voice and she sang in church and in school many times. I haven’t heard her sing lately though, it may have to do with her hearing issue. I’m wondering if we even have one recording of her beautiful voice!
Mom has always loved clothes too. She never bought full price and even wore thrift shop clothes, but always looked so ‘put together’ for work. When I was about 18 or so, I made her a salmon pink dress with white polka dots and she wore it a lot. I was so pleased to have made it for her.
She has a big, generous heart, maybe too generous for her own good sometimes. She so much rather give than receive (me too!). She enjoys travel, but just around these parts. When she was a young bride, she lived in San Francisco for the good part of a year but missed her family too much. She never went out west again.
I am so glad to be able to make her happy by taking her on trips or little outings and dinner. She feels like she may have missed out on things in her life. I feel she could have remarried if she really wanted to. She said she didn’t want to impose a step father on us, but maybe that is someone we all needed in our lives-a male figure besides her brother.
Life for mom at 80 isn’t a bed of roses, but as long as she has her sight and can read and watch tv, I think she’s pretty happy. And she loves her family in her own special way too.
Happy Birthday Mom!

The Almost Birthday girl!