Snow

On a March 2004 visit to see my mother in Ironwood, MI, she and my stepdad took me to Lake Superior. This picture was taken from the shore, and it shows cliffs and hills of ice and snow all piled up along the shore. I walked out onto the ice (to my mother's terror and screaming that I come back) and saw caves on the other side of these hills, formed from the piled up sheets of ice that were several feet thick. It was beautiful and amazing. Someday I'd like to explore there again.
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Laundry

Children imitate their parents and older kids. I know two little girls, the younger of whom follows her big sister around, almost every step, and copies everything the older girl does. In this picture I was learning how to do something my mother did often, but hardly anybody does it anymore. It's almost an outdated skill.

Another thing I like about this picture is what it shows about the informality of playclothes that was perfectly acceptable back then. (My mother would never have allowed me outdoors in something considered inappropriate.)

Great-grandparents #1

My maternal grandfather's parents were Carl and Johanna. They came from Sweden. When my mother and her twin sister were born, Johanna took care of them for about a month while my grandmother was hospitalized with childbed fever. I once saw a picture of me standing next to my great-grandfather; I looked like I was about 6, but I don't remember him. Johanna died before I was born.

 

My nana

It is unclear where my maternal grandmother was born, but she was raised in a convent orphanage after her parents lived and died in Santiago de Cuba. The family was wealthy, and to be accepted in the higher ranks of society, they said they were from Spain. Her parents or just her father may have been, but her maternal grandmother, according to Nana's baptismal record, was a citizen of Cuba.

Elena Rosa went to northern Wisconsin with her sister and brother-in-law at the age of 17. She raised her daughters alone after she was widowed, and she worked very hard and long hours to do it. She was very strict, and she was angry more often than not with her grandchildren because of her perception that they were noisy, lazy, disobedient, and sassy.

Elena in the center, between her twin daughters.

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Grandpa from Sweden

Carl Swanson, born in Sweden in 1885, immigrated to Iron Belt, WI with his family when he was 7. He married Elena Rosa (from Cuba), and they had a pair of redheaded twin girls. Carl was a loving, gentle husband and father, but unfortunately, was killed in a mine explosion in 1925. He looks pretty young in this picture. I was told he had red hair.

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Grandpa

My grandfather, Matthias Rajala, was born in 1888 in Finland. He immigrated to Ironwood, MI when he was 18, married Ida, fathered a daughter (who died at 3 days old), then 7 sons, and was killed in 1927 (age 39) when his horse drawn sled was hit by a car. My father never talked about him to me, but I heard from cousins that he was not a kind man.

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Birthdays

My mother loved to celebrate birthdays. Until we were 10 or 12, my brother and I had birthday parties without fail. We invited all our playmates, and everyone got all dressed up in something special. We'd play games, usually outside. Then we would usually go inside and the honoree would open presents. Next, we'd all sit at the table, sing Happy Birthday when the cake came in, and eat birthday cake and ice cream with Cool-Aid. And then everyone went home, often with a little paper basket of candy. Even after we were less interested in this sort of party, our birthdays were always special days. Thanks, Mom! (This is my second birthday--I'm the shortest girl.)

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L. M. Boston

In 1975 I took a month-long UWSP class in England on children's literature. We visited many places, such as Beatrice Potter's home. I was a school librarian and was entranced by a series of books set in Green Knowe, by L.M. Boston. One feature of the trip was to be a visit to her home and land, on which Green Knowe was based, and that was the main reason I chose to take the class. But just before we went there, she told us she could only take a few of us; she was 80 and felt unable to handle large groups. Our class had a drawing. I was unlucky in the drawing, but one of the chosen who didn't much very care about going very kindly gave me her slot. I was very grateful and really thrilled to go. This picture is Lucy Boston on the left and our teacher, Lee Bernd, on the right.

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Cousin from Cuba

When I was in elementary school my mother's first cousin, who was about 20 at the time, came to the United States from Cuba, and he lived with us for several months. My mother spoke just a little Spanish and Alex spoke no English at first. The first time it snowed, Alex was really excited and went out in it, without a coat. Later, he played in the snow for quite a while with my little brother. Alex joined the U.S. army and fought in Korea. When he came back he worked as a waiter for many years, married, and had children. I lost track of him, but I know he passed away pretty long ago. Here he is, the first  day he saw snow.

See my blog Pix and Memories (http://pixmemories.blogspot.com/)

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Stonehenge

Jill and Beth, England, 1974. At that time you were still allowed to walk among the stones and touch them.

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Summer home

 

This is where we lived one summer, at Broad Creek Boy Scout Camp, where Bill worked as quartermaster. This two room cabin (sitting room and bedroom) had screen walls on 3 sides with canvas that could be rolled down at night. Beth was 13 months old when we moved in. Toilets were up the hill, showers and laundry across the valley, and we ate at the mess hall with the rest of the staff. Wearing protective clothing, I tore up all the poison ivy in front of the cabin, in an area about 20' x 20'. The peace, beauty, and time with each other and the rest of the staff made it a wonderful and memorable summer.

Five Generations

Clockwise from Noah, about 1 month old; Monica (mother); Beth (grandmother); Lynn (great-grandmother); Laura (great-great-grandmother). That was in 2000.