Mr. Lincoln Came Home With Me

I survived the Fundraiser and boy am I pooped!

It went well, we did better than expected in our live auction!

I even got a early birthday present!

A friend of mine is well known nationally for her gourd designs.

Several years ago Enesco even bought some of her designs.

At my Christmas party she told me she had the perfect 

Gourd to make Abe Lincoln out of!

he is so big, I had trouble finding a place to put him

here he is hanging out at the Fundraiser

and the REAL Mr. Lincoln was in town to visit his family and friends in A
Coles County, so he dropped by.

Another talented person brought something for us to use for signage
She made sandwich boards out of pallet's
She put handles on them, stained them like barn wood.
how smart!

we used this one out front.
My friend Brenda

Look what Brenda made for the Fundraiser...this came home with me too!
The twins sang happy birthday to me "happy birthday to you, happy birthday  to you, this gourd and board are for you, happy birthday to you!"

They are such a hoot!

we ended the night at Dairy Queen
I had a peanut buster parfait
it brought a tear to my eye, the first one I ever had was the night of
my High School awards night when I won so many things my Mom
was actually embarrassed!
I thought it was a night to celebrate again.

Sorry I have been MIA
miss you all.

Autumn Is Here

Oh beautiful Autumn is here.........

The stores are decorated and the smell of pumpkin candles!

But what am I doing?

Not decorating  DARN!

We had on of our Fundraisers yesterday for the Riot event.

So I spent Friday and Saturday helping to set it up, and I learned alot.

good trial run for next weekend.

We set up a table to sell our tee shirts

cousin Fred even joined in to help me!

The group sponsoring us was thrilled, they said they had the biggest crowd they had in years and the silent auction they have went well to.

Of course I picked up some goodies myself

I got a 1928 print and it stamped on the back Marshall Fields 

I left it there so I have to go pick it up.

You know how I love Remember me cups

I paid $6

shoe mold, had to it says St. Louis only $4

I hope our auction goes well next week

We have high end items and we are going to do 15 in a live auction and baskets and gift certificates in a silent auction.

One of the antique dealers donated a beautiful birch maple bench

it retails for $500 and is circa 1870

Wish I had some place to put it.

and someone donated a Lalique plate!

I had the antique dealer verify it and yes it is signed

I have only seen these on the antique road show

a signed painting from a local artist

So this is where I have been!
I miss visiting with you, so I apologize.
I go back to work 3 days, then back to 1515 for the auction next week.
Then just 3 more days to work and I am on vacation for 2 weeks in October, so I hope I can decorate then. But I still will be busy with planning........we are going to be in
EIU Homecoming parade!
I haven't been in a parade since High School band.

Tell me what you think of our donated auction items!

Ann

There May Be Something In Those Old Letters....

Do you have some old letters at your house?

Written to a deceased relative by another relative you don't know?

They probably do not mean a thing to you.

At the reunion I met a new cousin, Lois from Arizona.

She had never been to the reunion before, but her brother had been coming for several years.

It was a delight to get to know her.

Her Great Great Grandfather and My Great Great Grandmother were siblings.

When she got home she sent me a email.

"I found some letters Annie Galbreath had written to my Grandmother in the 1940's, 

would you like them?"

YES!!!

As you may know my Great Aunt Annie was the keeper of our history and my cousin has given me all her letters, pictures and diaries which we have been scanning.

Aunt Annie 

I am in awe of what she accomplished with just a pen and paper.

We know about our family today because of her.

And here is her 2nd cousin Frank and his wife Greta who she wrote to

these are Lois Grandparents

Lois told me I probably would not learn anything new? 

I was so excited I could not wait to read them.

They start in 1940 before the war, they end in 1945 when the boys are coming home.

It started as writing a letter to learn about family history.

But over the years it turned into a friendship.

They lived about 40 miles from each other but with war rationed gas it might as well of been 400 miles. But they did visit with each other in person.

What did I learn? A great deal. I learned when my Dad was drafted all he wrote about was how much he missed going to school. I did not know he wanted to go to the University of Illinois and would of if he had not gotten drafted in HS and left after graduation.

I also read about how they talked about information they got from another family member.

That person, I just met her Grandson at the reunion this year.

I found out that my family had been in touch with some family in Tennessee, going back to the 1780's.

They talked about the 1767 family bible. They talked about a distant cousin who died in Singapore when he was a Missionary, and that my Aunt had a oil painting of him? 

Where is it? She also had letters he wrote from Singapore in 1838 to the family.

He had written asking about a slave named Phyllis, remembering her under the Walnut tree.

I had someone from the University of Georgia contact me about Phyllis and I did a great deal of research and her there was information about her in a letter in 1941.

So Lois I am so glad you came to Illinois

and so glad you sent me those letters.

See there was something in those old letters.........

alot!

But even better some 70 years later we are all still together.

Family

Who Has Walked Through Here?

Do you live in a older house with a original door?

My house built in 1903 has a newer door,

but at 1515 it is the original door from 1896

it is oval glass with some ornate trim

As my cousin said on FB one day with a picture on the porch

"amazing when you think of the people who have passed through there"

She was so right.

I wonder about the first time my Grandparents walked through that door?

April 21, 1926

Or the last time they passed through that door.

I know all 4 of my Great Grandparents passed through that door.

The door was opened to greet guest at Christmas, for my Great Grandparents 50th Anniversary,

as my Dad left for WWII, to welcome him back home, to greet friends, to greet strangers and for my Aunt's weddings.

Oh if that door could talk.....

when I bought the house in 2009 I could not wait to take the old blinds off the door,

oops I did not realize my Grandmother had put them up.

But I like the open look.

That is me on my sweet Uncle Don's lap.

Most of all I love to see someone come through the door who has not been there since my Grandparents live there.

I am so glad it is the same ole door

So, who has passed through your door?

We Labored a Little on Labor Day

Mr. and I went to 1515 for the Labor Day weekend

but our usual "Labor Day Crew" was missing?

I think they must of been tired of yearly weekend where we work

on 1515 to make sure is is ready to go for another year!

want a look?

When we got there...they were having a wedding across the street!

A large Chalkboard welcoming everyone

the backyard was set up for the reception

I took the pictures with my i phone, did not want to be to intrusive!

But we watch the guest arrive and after we got back from dinner

we could sit on the front porch and listen to the band play.

Very relaxing.

The next day Mr. was busy...painting.

the front steps were peeling

do you remember when he painted it 2 years ago?

the pink primer in 2011

the area behind the shelf above the shelf had gotten ripped

he repainted all of it!

I was busy cleaning out drawers and rearranging since my cousin brought

my Grandmother Hoosier cabinet, I have more space.

This looks better here then above the stove where they use to fly out and hit us in the head!

this cabinet all the paint had worn off from everyone hanging their towels,

repainted!

But the best was...

Mr wanted to repaint the cabinets and with a gloss

I had someone else paint them the first time and their was no gloss 

and difficult to clean

My Christmas Pyrex storage is exposed!!

Looks so much better, he even repainted the window area

So clean and bright no chips or stains.

even the back door got new paint!

But there was time for relaxing

Cousin Fred wanted to host the usual

"Friday night gang" 

for a cookout at his house.

The Friday night gang, is the twins, their neighbors (and my auction partner) and her sister and husband. When I am home cousin Fred and I join the gang on Friday nights.

I had not had dinner at Fred's since his wife passed away.

Get ready to see his gorgeous home!

Living room

Living room looking out on the screened in porch where we had dinner

his grand piano makes this room look so "GRAND"

I forgot to talk him into playing for us!

Fred in this kitchen

I told him he looked like he was hosting a cooking show

He was a great host

He had burgers, green beans, tomato's and corn on the cob

Of course we all brought things

I took a avocado and blue cheese dip, see my red Pyrex bowl on the left?

he has a pond a a huge wrap around deck

Man time!

cousin Susan with Mr. or "my boyfriend" as she refers to him as

sisters Bev and Cheryl (my auction partner)

Fred says "Come get it!"

summer time!

Mr and I took a table by ourselves over looking the pond

candlelight even.

and we ended the weekend with a 

Andy Griffith marathon!

How can you not laugh at one of my favorite ones

when the goat ate the dynamite

Hope your holiday was good.

Thinking of my dear cousin Bob who died that weekend

His visitation is today in Colorado.

Say a prayer for his wife Judy.