Happy Birthday Makayla

Gran and Pappys Love you we love you we love you we love you!

We can't wait until next week when you and Izzy come to visit.. Pappys has a WHOLE lot of plans for your visit.

Happy Birthday honey!

Gran

The Wall

The moving wall arrived in Buckeye this week, at Verrado (a master planned community here in Buckeye) High School. Paul went to see it in CA several years ago and wanted to see it again. It wasn't quite as big as the wall he saw in Orange Co and didn't include the casualties from 65-67. There were other war dead remembered, including the thousands we've lost in Iraq and Afghanistan. Paul's orders were changed 5 days before he was leaving for Vietnam in a political move by Nixon. He along with 5,000 other men had their orders changed from Vietnam to Germany. My brother went, my brother in law went. 

Paul doesn't want me posting his feelings about this on my blog and I'll respect his wishes... I'll post my own thoughts.

Walking by the wall, looking at all the names, and thinking of the 58,000 dead young men, the children they never had, the grand children they never had was a bit overwhelming and brought back a lot of memories along with my own tears. What a waste of life.

I came of age during the war. The back ground music of my life was also the background music of the war. Listening to those songs yesterday, looking at the dates on the wall, My senior prom, my graduation date. While I was growing up and experiencing high school, these boys were dying.  I can still see my mother saying goodbye to my brother during a rainstorm at El Toro, the week before Christmas in 1967. That memory was burned into my brain and as a mother, I wondered how she got through that day and the next 18 months. My father didn't say much during this time; but in the days before 24/7 news, dinners consisted of Walter Concrite (sp) Chet and David, etc. as though by watching as much of the war news as he could, my dad would keep my brother alive. In the spirit of full disclosure, let me say that we were republicans and I believed that crap about the domino effect... I felt guilty being a girl.. Safe from the draft.. My brother volunteered. So did Paul.

Today we say thank you to young men in Uniform; my husband talks about getting out of uniform as soon as possible when on leave, not wanting the abuse of the "Peaceful" war protesters. A friend was spit on at an airport, interrupting his first meeting with his 12 month old daughter. Hearing the words baby killer, butchers were not uncommon at airports. Seemed to me people would go to airports JUST to do that.

Peaceful? Not to me.

I believe those years and the years that followed were dark days for America, whether we believed in the war or not, we treated our Vietnam war veterans horribly. I was glad in the 80's when Jane Fonda finally had to give up her tour of American malls with her work out clothes, I think because the war veterans for the first time I was aware of, fought back and demonstrated at every mall. I was struck yesterday, with the understanding that while Americans were ignoring their plight, "putting the war behind us", Our veterans were taking care of each other when possible.

On a strange note (to me anyway), On a sign with myths and facts about Vietnam,I read,  1,072,000 young men served in Vietnam, over 13,000,00 in the 2000 census claimed to have served "in country".. Now I wonder, why so many who did serve don't talk about it, feeling shamed by their fellow countrymen so many years ago (John Kerry), and so many MORE who did not serve, talk about it all the time..

 

Sorry to be political, though it really isn't political to me. It's the indecency of the way we treated young men (boys some of them) who's only sin was joining the military (or being drafted).

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog today.

The Elusive Family Photo

For most of my adult life, I'm been in search of a family photo. Over the years, we've had a lot of attempts. This first one was taken on Easter 1960 in Torrance California by a family friend. It's the only one I know of, taken of all the Welstead kids with Dad. Every Easter and Christmas, Dad would get one of mom and us kids - either on the stairs or on the bridge in front. This is one of only three photos that I know of, of  the "Entire" Welstead clan.

The family grew by 17 new people before my parents died in 1998.

Family is fluid, growing and shrinking with each new marriage or divorce, the birth of children, then grand children, the death of family members. I've learned in my quest for the perfect family photo is that 1. Paul wouldn't go to a professional studio for years - (in fairness - it was expensive) so most of our family photo efforts involved Paul and the kids. I've added three by marriage kids and one is no longer a part of the family. I've decided to ask "significant others" to stand at the side of photos, making it easier to eliminate them when the time comes.... We'll see.  I thought I'd share a few attempts at family photos with you.

This one is from Knox Log ride in the late 80's or early 90's. It's not really a family photo since Rob wasn't there. but I found it in my search and it made me laugh so I'm posting it.

This one I used for our Christmas Card in 1998 Paul would go along with a prof photo in Tombstone.... Go figure

Christmas cards were almost late in 1999. I got this family photo at our family christmas Party at Kathie's.

This family photo was taken at Lyndsey's wedding so I could use it for our Christmas Card in 2004.  Some of you may notice there's an extra child in the front next to Madi.. That is my beautiful niece Brianne. One of the worse things you can do is ask a child to get out of a picture. I sent Christmas Cards out that year with an extra grand daughter on them!  Since this was taken, the guy on the right is no longer part of  "our family". I can't delete him without deleting Sabby and that I WONT do.  Just an observation... No one notice Paul's sunglasses and two.. Weddings aren't really all that great a place for family photos.. Who dresses up like that on a regular basis.

This was a lame attempt on Christmas 2004. The kids are cute, Paul, Victor and I am missing. Several family members have their eyes closed.

Here's an infamous one.. Sun Spots KILL a picture; My sister Kathie took 50 and only a few came out.. What is so hard about getting 13 people to look at the camera at the same time.. You'll notice... It's NOT just the kids looking around. On a great note, Rex made it into this one.

This one is a favorite of mine; and includes all of our grand kids.

Here's another favorite.. Sophie's changed a lot though.

Some day I will post all of our Bella Union background photos from Tombstone. This  one is a favorite one from 1998.

There are more of course. Several I took of all four kids over the years. I've had a LOT of tries at getting all the grand kids together, most of them not so good.. (collages maybe?)  Maybe I'm late to the table, but I've finally learned that families, like our family photos are fluid - growing and shrinking over the decades of a "family's existence"; then splitting off into new branches.. I'm not on drugs (don't think) but it's boggling my mind today and I thought I'd share it.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog today.

April Spring is here

Spring Flowers on the side of I 10

Now is the season, to sadly put away my favorite clothes. Jeans, Sweaters and my boots and pull out the summer stuff. It's too hot for jeans in AZ beginning sometime in April-May through September. I want to go find some lightweight and cheap summer type skirts and shirts.. Then I remember my weight and how'd I'd look in them... Sooooo, I guess I'll just sadly put away my winter clothes ... except until July .. for trips to Southern California where it's very cool at night.  heavy sigh...

That's the sound of me bracing for 4-5 months of 100+ temps...

I know many people still have snow in their yards.. But I'll sigh heavily and pout anyway.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog today.

April 1st... What a GREAT DAY

April Fools Day... For me, at least for the last 28 years... doesn't mean Practical Jokes, It's Lyndsey Annemarie's (Annie Ree)'s birthday. When you were two you told my boss to shut up, now your kids are telling you. Makayla has your love of drama, the wizard of oz and many TV shows you two share together. It's also like being in the room with you again on Christmas Morning with her excitement at hers and everyone elses gifts. Izabella has your precociousness and I like to call her Gran's Revenge! Sophie has your stubbornness and your beautiful smile. 

My April Fools Day Baby and such a big part of my life's joy. Happy Birthday honey.

Love Mom