Hi all. Summer is actually here which we welcomed with a picnic under the gazebo with the baby grape leaves hinting at full shade and the citronella candles lit for me to chase away the few bugs that are about. It was in the low 70s, a virtual heat wave here, after the 50s that we have been in lately.
I want to get your phone number, Kristen. Be sure to post it when you have one, if that is good.
And Anne, I have enjoyed reading your new postings and memories and plans for the Hill Country. My largest memories there, of course, which Kermit shares, I'm sure, are of Aunt Azalee's house and summer play with David and Donald, and the trip we went on to a relative's farm where bees were raised, where we overindulged in the honey and heat and fun, and needed to return to Austin with towels in our laps in case the honey flowed the wrong direction. And then a concert that I remember on the river there with blankets and snacks and the beautiful music and twilight sun.
Our news here is that Vonnie has a date for her knee replacement: July 5. So preparation with pre exercises and paperwork and all are moving along. Being mobile again will be a total boon.
I hope that the move for the Dunns and that the travel for the Robbins is going well and that all is enjoyed. Pretty soon, when we travel south, we will have places to stay galore as we trek around seeing everyone. Hint, hint.
I've been watching the news on the oil spill in the Gulf, and it brings up both memories of Galveston and Thibodaux and Grand Isle picnics and at the same time worry for the clean up and how long it might take. I want the Gulf to be as it is in my memory when I return. I've told Vonnie all about Gaido's Restaurant in Galveston, and now we have added your Italian place, the BuccodeBicca(I lose the name) to our list of places to go.
Ken, my favorite antique car is the Lamborghini, but I have only seen one in real life. Most I have seen only on paper. Seeing all the cars must have been a treat. Coming home from town yesterday afternoon, we passed about 20-30 older, spiffed up Thunderbirds, many of them convertables, that must have been on a drive on Chuckanut Drive and then through Fairhaven. We thought of you and the cars on your trip.
Well, rain and rust here today. Good summer. Llew and Vonnie
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Saturday, June 05, 2010
To NC and Back
Here it is Saturday night and we are in a NC motel with "iffy" wireless satellite. Mountain in NC are gorgeous. Wireless satellite in mountains is not so gorgeous. I have heard it is this way, but did not know how frustrating it could be to type a little, or reply to an email, or print a little, and then lose the connection. No telling how long I will be online tonight due to the sporadic connection.
Ken cousin Ruthie's husband enjoyed his 90th birthday party today at a friend's car renovation garage out in the country where they restore peoples high end cars and race three Mercedes: #1 and #2 (better than #1--Ha! Ha!) and a third Mercedes that is diesel. There are all other kinds of cars in there also: Lambroghini, Lotus, Porche, Ferrari, Mercedes truck that has a mower on the back. I'll share the photos on Picasa later if their is enough connection power this evening. There were about 20 people there for a lasagna dinner and birthday cake. Richard and Ruth's daughter Peggy, husband Ron, and Bear (giant pure bred German Shepherd were also there, driving from NW of Chicago.
We will begin our way home Sunday morning and head west on I-40 through Knoxville and head north some to go to Jacksboro, county seat of Campbell County, TN, where our Hollingsworth great-great grandfather James Daniel Hollingsworth and his family lived in the 1800s.
In Albany, Clinton County, KY on Friday, I found papers such as a will, land records, and guardianship papers for James Porter Hollingsworth's family who lived there in the late 1800s before moving to Fannin County, TX in the 1890s.
Ken is enjoying the end of the 6 hours of the Watkins Glen, NY Race. I'll try to print a little more so I will be prepared for the Campbell County, TN Courthouse. It is mostly important to have all the Hollingsworth surname ancestors, their children, their siblings, and their spouses' surnamed ancestors, their children, and their siblings, their birth dates, death dates, and any dates possible when they lived in the county being research before their family migrated to the next place. Sometimes it can be complicated, and sometimes it is hard to find what you would like to find.
Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend , and will have a safe week. Love, Linda
Ken cousin Ruthie's husband enjoyed his 90th birthday party today at a friend's car renovation garage out in the country where they restore peoples high end cars and race three Mercedes: #1 and #2 (better than #1--Ha! Ha!) and a third Mercedes that is diesel. There are all other kinds of cars in there also: Lambroghini, Lotus, Porche, Ferrari, Mercedes truck that has a mower on the back. I'll share the photos on Picasa later if their is enough connection power this evening. There were about 20 people there for a lasagna dinner and birthday cake. Richard and Ruth's daughter Peggy, husband Ron, and Bear (giant pure bred German Shepherd were also there, driving from NW of Chicago.
We will begin our way home Sunday morning and head west on I-40 through Knoxville and head north some to go to Jacksboro, county seat of Campbell County, TN, where our Hollingsworth great-great grandfather James Daniel Hollingsworth and his family lived in the 1800s.
In Albany, Clinton County, KY on Friday, I found papers such as a will, land records, and guardianship papers for James Porter Hollingsworth's family who lived there in the late 1800s before moving to Fannin County, TX in the 1890s.
Ken is enjoying the end of the 6 hours of the Watkins Glen, NY Race. I'll try to print a little more so I will be prepared for the Campbell County, TN Courthouse. It is mostly important to have all the Hollingsworth surname ancestors, their children, their siblings, and their spouses' surnamed ancestors, their children, and their siblings, their birth dates, death dates, and any dates possible when they lived in the county being research before their family migrated to the next place. Sometimes it can be complicated, and sometimes it is hard to find what you would like to find.
Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend , and will have a safe week. Love, Linda
Thursday, June 03, 2010
from CA
Well, now that I've FINALLY been able to get back on the blog (thanks to Llew), I don't really have that much to say. Nothing much is happening here in SoCAL; we went to see Robin Hood last weekend -- great advernture movie, not to mention Russell Crowe was just as hunky as he always is! I read Linda's posts (always so descriptive about who, what and where they're going or been). We also love The Closer and have been watching since the beginning. I do wish they'd rename the cat from "kitty" though! We also like Saving Grace, but this is its last season. Since we've gotten cable, it's like a whole new world -- Kermit is in 7th heaven with all the business and sports shows that are on and I'm now attached to the Disney and Hallmark channels. I spend most weekends catching us on the shows we've recorded during the week. Do you guys get Two and a Half Men with Charlie Sheen? It is hilarious! A little frisky for the kids, though. Hopefully, this weekend we can go see the Prince of Persia -- also another adventure (non-thinking) movie. A couple of my attorneys gave me AMC movie gift certificates for Christmas and birthday and we've done very well with them.
Now I only have two years left til retirement -- I wish I could find a retirement clock which was popular a few years ago; you just put in the date to retire and it wound down to that point. Maybe it's better I don't have one; it's bad enough for me to go online and look at the houses in Texas and their floor plans. Unless we win the lottery, I guess I'm stuck with the two years!
Sorry to rattle on like this; it just starts spewing out uncontrollably. Too bad I couldn't write novels!! Hope everyone is doing ok and hope to hear from anyone soon. Chow (couldn't remember how to spell it in Italian!
Love, Anne
Now I only have two years left til retirement -- I wish I could find a retirement clock which was popular a few years ago; you just put in the date to retire and it wound down to that point. Maybe it's better I don't have one; it's bad enough for me to go online and look at the houses in Texas and their floor plans. Unless we win the lottery, I guess I'm stuck with the two years!
Sorry to rattle on like this; it just starts spewing out uncontrollably. Too bad I couldn't write novels!! Hope everyone is doing ok and hope to hear from anyone soon. Chow (couldn't remember how to spell it in Italian!
Love, Anne
Monday, May 31, 2010
Linda and Ken Headiing Out for TN, NC, TN again, KY, and Home
We will pack soon and leave for a trip to Tryon, NC to visit Ken's cousin Ruthie and Richie Boehning. They live outside of town in a beautiful wooded area with a back screened in porch that looks off into the valley below of their second story. Ruthie introduced me to The Closer and I have been hooked ever since. In her youth, Ruthie was quite a singer, and went to Hollywood to train as a starlet. Richie was in World War II and loves old cars. What is it, Chuck? He has three fancy ones in his garage, and I am to take pictures of them.
On the way we will stay with Clell (That's L.C. for Leonard Clell) and Sue Miller. Clell and his first wife were next door neighbors in Memphis and best friends with Ken, Pat, Chuck, Warren, and Nancy. Sue is Clell's second wife and she is so wonderful. I love both of their Mississippi accents and both are very gracious. We went to Branson last year with Kristen and Matthew and met Clell and Sue for a '40s big band weekend. This last fall we went on a cruise with them and Teri and Chuck that was very enjoyable. Sue is a retired librarian at the college level so we have a lot in common as far as our occupations go.
We will also stay with Martha Brown, one of Ken's co-workers at Agrico. She is so lovely and we enjoyed staying with her also last year in March. When Martha Martin Brown was single she used to take care of the Miller and Robbins kids when their parents went out. Martha is a widow after being married for quite a few years. She is a devout Catholic and does many positive things for her church.
This week Colton spent several days with us and helped Ken and me with jobs around our lot, in the hangar, and with me on the porches. Thanks, Colton! His parents, John and Elizabeth, John's brother Shaun, and Colton's brother Lewis came to pick up Colton and we went out to eat at Tater Junction.
Friday evening late Teri and Chuck arrived to spend a couple of nights with us. Chuck and Ken went to Ranger, TX for an air show and get together for our AAA group. Teri and went shopping and she found some things she liked. We have been eatiing out "a lot" lately and have brought home leftovers which I have frozen to use when we return home from our trip. Yesterday was at Babe's. Today we went to Cosco and Sam's and ate in the kitchen at Buca di Beppo. We brought home some leftovers including the green apple gorgonzola salad that many in our family like. Ken ate the rest of that this evening for his dinner.
I'll tell you later about coming back through Kentucky and Tennessee to different places from our going to NC.
I guess that's about all for now, except to say we love you, and hope everyone had a good Memorial Day weekend and will have a good and safe week. I forgot that there is no spell check here so please overlook any spelling errors.
On the way we will stay with Clell (That's L.C. for Leonard Clell) and Sue Miller. Clell and his first wife were next door neighbors in Memphis and best friends with Ken, Pat, Chuck, Warren, and Nancy. Sue is Clell's second wife and she is so wonderful. I love both of their Mississippi accents and both are very gracious. We went to Branson last year with Kristen and Matthew and met Clell and Sue for a '40s big band weekend. This last fall we went on a cruise with them and Teri and Chuck that was very enjoyable. Sue is a retired librarian at the college level so we have a lot in common as far as our occupations go.
We will also stay with Martha Brown, one of Ken's co-workers at Agrico. She is so lovely and we enjoyed staying with her also last year in March. When Martha Martin Brown was single she used to take care of the Miller and Robbins kids when their parents went out. Martha is a widow after being married for quite a few years. She is a devout Catholic and does many positive things for her church.
This week Colton spent several days with us and helped Ken and me with jobs around our lot, in the hangar, and with me on the porches. Thanks, Colton! His parents, John and Elizabeth, John's brother Shaun, and Colton's brother Lewis came to pick up Colton and we went out to eat at Tater Junction.
Friday evening late Teri and Chuck arrived to spend a couple of nights with us. Chuck and Ken went to Ranger, TX for an air show and get together for our AAA group. Teri and went shopping and she found some things she liked. We have been eatiing out "a lot" lately and have brought home leftovers which I have frozen to use when we return home from our trip. Yesterday was at Babe's. Today we went to Cosco and Sam's and ate in the kitchen at Buca di Beppo. We brought home some leftovers including the green apple gorgonzola salad that many in our family like. Ken ate the rest of that this evening for his dinner.
I'll tell you later about coming back through Kentucky and Tennessee to different places from our going to NC.
I guess that's about all for now, except to say we love you, and hope everyone had a good Memorial Day weekend and will have a good and safe week. I forgot that there is no spell check here so please overlook any spelling errors.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Moving Yet Again
Hello to all! As I write this, two very nice gentlemen are busily toting our belongings out to a truck. Later this afternoon we will head up to our new house on the northwest side of Houston. This will be the first of two moving days. Matt & I still have one week left of school so we will stay here for one more week then move the rest of the stuff next weekend. Steve has already started his new job in Brenham at Valmont Industries. He likes it very much and is making a better salary, so we are happy! I will still teach at Alief Learning Center next year. The alternative setting seems to suit me. It gets pretty rough the last two months of school, but August to April is pretty tame, so I have signed up for at least 1 more year.
Matt is excited about starting 2nd grade at his new school. We have already made a tour of the playground. Our new address will be: 12138 Canyon Arbor Way, Houston, TX 77095. It's a nice 2 story house on a cul-de-sac with a great back patio and backyard.
It seems like we move all the time, but for me, as long as it's in Texas and not clear across the country, I'm okay with it! It will be closer to family, albeit not by much, but every little bit helps!
I am extremely excited to have my 1st summer off after teaching a year! I have so much planned. Cleaning out closets, scrapbooking, making sure Matt is well-prepared for 2nd grade, and so much more. Who knows if it will all get done, but I'm gonna give it my best shot!
Well, I have to go for now... little bits and pieces is how I seem to be operating for now...
Matt is excited about starting 2nd grade at his new school. We have already made a tour of the playground. Our new address will be: 12138 Canyon Arbor Way, Houston, TX 77095. It's a nice 2 story house on a cul-de-sac with a great back patio and backyard.
It seems like we move all the time, but for me, as long as it's in Texas and not clear across the country, I'm okay with it! It will be closer to family, albeit not by much, but every little bit helps!
I am extremely excited to have my 1st summer off after teaching a year! I have so much planned. Cleaning out closets, scrapbooking, making sure Matt is well-prepared for 2nd grade, and so much more. Who knows if it will all get done, but I'm gonna give it my best shot!
Well, I have to go for now... little bits and pieces is how I seem to be operating for now...
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Spring, 2010, in Bellingham - Llew
To carry on my spring checking in here tradition, we are enjoying an early bloom of our gardens here having had very warm and dry weather (for the rusting Washingtonians) in February and March. The last few days, however, have reintroduced the winter that left early, with rain and below average coolness. Today it was 54 for a high, whereas generally it is in the mid to high 60s, and when I moved out here in the 70s, it even got a high as in the 80s this time of year. Amazing.
I have been watching the happenings in the Gulf of Mexico and wishing that it begins to get cleaned up and handled better some time soon. I watch the maps and am especially concerned about Thibodaux, where I lived, and Houma where friends live now, and Grand Isle, where I even saw one of my former students at Nicholl's State University on a new report.
We are planning to stay close to Bellingham most of the summer, with a couple of trips near by to see some Shakespeare plays, one in Vancouver, British Columbia, that combines all the material on the character Falstaff, from the Henry histories and the comedy "The Merry Wives of Windsor" into a single production on the one character. A friend from Phoenix, Arizona will be visiting when we travel up to see it, and to see Canada, also. There will be additional plays out at Lake Padden here and down at a theater in Mount Vernon that we enjoy and where I inevitably see former students who are now in their 30s and 40s from Burlington days. They always have fond memories of the classes and of me which somewhat makes me wonder if time doesn't indeed erase all flaws. Seeing them is an enjoyment, and reconnecting through them with a host of others in conversation and news.
Vonnie is scheduled for her knee replacement either the week before or the week after Julyn 4th, and we are really, really happy about that. Soon, she will be active and walking once more. My own knee replacement (actually, only 1/2 of the knee) was several years ago by the same doctor, and has been perfect and such a huge relief. He's an excellent surgeon, and we are lucky to have him here in Bellingham.
At some point, after we are both fully mobile, we will be traveling south and hope to see many of you. We seem to be on the seeing relatives in Texas and Oklahoma on the 10 or 15 or even 40 year plan. But we are looking forward.
I have been watching the happenings in the Gulf of Mexico and wishing that it begins to get cleaned up and handled better some time soon. I watch the maps and am especially concerned about Thibodaux, where I lived, and Houma where friends live now, and Grand Isle, where I even saw one of my former students at Nicholl's State University on a new report.
We are planning to stay close to Bellingham most of the summer, with a couple of trips near by to see some Shakespeare plays, one in Vancouver, British Columbia, that combines all the material on the character Falstaff, from the Henry histories and the comedy "The Merry Wives of Windsor" into a single production on the one character. A friend from Phoenix, Arizona will be visiting when we travel up to see it, and to see Canada, also. There will be additional plays out at Lake Padden here and down at a theater in Mount Vernon that we enjoy and where I inevitably see former students who are now in their 30s and 40s from Burlington days. They always have fond memories of the classes and of me which somewhat makes me wonder if time doesn't indeed erase all flaws. Seeing them is an enjoyment, and reconnecting through them with a host of others in conversation and news.
Vonnie is scheduled for her knee replacement either the week before or the week after Julyn 4th, and we are really, really happy about that. Soon, she will be active and walking once more. My own knee replacement (actually, only 1/2 of the knee) was several years ago by the same doctor, and has been perfect and such a huge relief. He's an excellent surgeon, and we are lucky to have him here in Bellingham.
At some point, after we are both fully mobile, we will be traveling south and hope to see many of you. We seem to be on the seeing relatives in Texas and Oklahoma on the 10 or 15 or even 40 year plan. But we are looking forward.
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Trip to Houston, March 26-April 3, 2010
HI! Family,
I am beginning a new blog entry in the KenLinFamily as it will create a memory for me and Ken. I wish I could go back and recreate all the wonderful memories that I have not expressed in this way, but since I haven't, I will have to enjoy those memories in my head.. A blog memory is creating family history. This will still be only for family members to receive. It is not a public blog like http://www.hollingsworthrobbinsfamilytree.blogspot.com/ is.
We drove to Clear Lake City, really Houston, Texas, as Clear Lake City is a large area with their own CLISD (Clear Lake Independent School District), churches, housing additions with home associations and swimming pools, but I don't think it has its own city government. I know the police force is part of the Houston, Texas PD. Our drive takes about 5+ hours as it is almost 300 miles and we litterally drive through two busy cities, Fort Worth (I-35W) and Houston (I-45). It doesn't seem to matter when we go through those cities anymore. There are always slowdowns, no matter what time of day we go.
Friday night we attended Matthew's Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet at the CLC Presbyterian Church. Sunday we attended their CLC United Methodist Church's Palm Sunday service. Monday Kristen and Steve went to work, but Matthew had a day off due to teacher inservice in his district. We three went to the Downtown Aquarium, went through the live fish and animal exibits, rode the ferris wheel and the carousel. In the afternoon we drove to Kemah to meet our genealogy friend, Irene Ashe, for a late lunch.
Matthew is in 6-7 year old CLC baseball. He is very good. During two games he caught the ball on first to get someone out, and made several bases himself after batting. Steve is an assistant coach and Kristen brought treats for all the players at the second game.
Tuesday I went to the Houston's Clayton Genealogy Library and learned out to find out about Ken's cousins' dad's first marriage from Catholic Church records, his naturalization papers, and a newspaper article that mentions about 100+ men who joined a veteran's group after the Civil War in Anderson County, Texas. Ken went to the Hobby Aviation Museum in the old Hobby terminal.
Wednesday we drove to Galveston and I dropped Ken off at the Lone Star Aviation Museum and I went to the Texas History Center on the third floor of Galveston's Rosenberg Library. I learned more about the 50s when my family lived in Galveston and copied photographs of our church, the old San Jacinto Elementary School, the City Auditorium where we went to an elementary school art exhibit, and the Pleasure Pier where I heard the San Antonio Symphony with Victor Allesandro play Leroy Anderson's "The Typewriter" with a real typewriter as an instrument. The Pleasure Pier has changed over the years and has been most recently a hotel out over the Gulf that is still visibly destroyed after Hurrican Ike. I took photos of Victor Neal's home where Llew and I used to walk the nine blocks to his home down Sealy Street to 1003 from 1920. Ken and I went to lunch at Gaido's, a special place for our family in the 50s and in its 99th year of operation. They have pretty scrumptious seafood. I enjoyed fried shrmip for memories' sake and Ken had his favorite grilled scallops.
Friday all three of Kristen's family had the day off for Good Friday and we went back to Galveston. We enjoyed a paddlewheel boat ride from Moody Gardens around Offet's Bayou, toured the Moody Mansion which has an interesting history, and ate again at Gaido's. I had my favorite: grilled salmon and Ken repeated his favorite: grilled scallops.
We enjoyed being with our Houston daughter and family. We packed up Saturday morning, drove our 6+ hours with stops in Houston for Ken, and arrived home about 7 pm. Our mailbox was full, our sewer system is working fine, and we are glad to be home.
Wed
I am beginning a new blog entry in the KenLinFamily as it will create a memory for me and Ken. I wish I could go back and recreate all the wonderful memories that I have not expressed in this way, but since I haven't, I will have to enjoy those memories in my head.. A blog memory is creating family history. This will still be only for family members to receive. It is not a public blog like http://www.hollingsworthrobbinsfamilytree.blogspot.com/ is.
We drove to Clear Lake City, really Houston, Texas, as Clear Lake City is a large area with their own CLISD (Clear Lake Independent School District), churches, housing additions with home associations and swimming pools, but I don't think it has its own city government. I know the police force is part of the Houston, Texas PD. Our drive takes about 5+ hours as it is almost 300 miles and we litterally drive through two busy cities, Fort Worth (I-35W) and Houston (I-45). It doesn't seem to matter when we go through those cities anymore. There are always slowdowns, no matter what time of day we go.
Friday night we attended Matthew's Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet at the CLC Presbyterian Church. Sunday we attended their CLC United Methodist Church's Palm Sunday service. Monday Kristen and Steve went to work, but Matthew had a day off due to teacher inservice in his district. We three went to the Downtown Aquarium, went through the live fish and animal exibits, rode the ferris wheel and the carousel. In the afternoon we drove to Kemah to meet our genealogy friend, Irene Ashe, for a late lunch.
Matthew is in 6-7 year old CLC baseball. He is very good. During two games he caught the ball on first to get someone out, and made several bases himself after batting. Steve is an assistant coach and Kristen brought treats for all the players at the second game.
Tuesday I went to the Houston's Clayton Genealogy Library and learned out to find out about Ken's cousins' dad's first marriage from Catholic Church records, his naturalization papers, and a newspaper article that mentions about 100+ men who joined a veteran's group after the Civil War in Anderson County, Texas. Ken went to the Hobby Aviation Museum in the old Hobby terminal.
Wednesday we drove to Galveston and I dropped Ken off at the Lone Star Aviation Museum and I went to the Texas History Center on the third floor of Galveston's Rosenberg Library. I learned more about the 50s when my family lived in Galveston and copied photographs of our church, the old San Jacinto Elementary School, the City Auditorium where we went to an elementary school art exhibit, and the Pleasure Pier where I heard the San Antonio Symphony with Victor Allesandro play Leroy Anderson's "The Typewriter" with a real typewriter as an instrument. The Pleasure Pier has changed over the years and has been most recently a hotel out over the Gulf that is still visibly destroyed after Hurrican Ike. I took photos of Victor Neal's home where Llew and I used to walk the nine blocks to his home down Sealy Street to 1003 from 1920. Ken and I went to lunch at Gaido's, a special place for our family in the 50s and in its 99th year of operation. They have pretty scrumptious seafood. I enjoyed fried shrmip for memories' sake and Ken had his favorite grilled scallops.
Friday all three of Kristen's family had the day off for Good Friday and we went back to Galveston. We enjoyed a paddlewheel boat ride from Moody Gardens around Offet's Bayou, toured the Moody Mansion which has an interesting history, and ate again at Gaido's. I had my favorite: grilled salmon and Ken repeated his favorite: grilled scallops.
We enjoyed being with our Houston daughter and family. We packed up Saturday morning, drove our 6+ hours with stops in Houston for Ken, and arrived home about 7 pm. Our mailbox was full, our sewer system is working fine, and we are glad to be home.
Wed
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