Gus

This is Gus, the family dashound. We had Gus a really long time and later a mate for him, Suzie. Gus and Suzie had multiple litters of puppies. I don't remember what happened to Suzie but Gus lasted well into my late teens!

I remember being told that Gus had died and I just assumed he died of old age. I didn't find out until a couple years ago that he accidentally was hit in the head from flying debris. Seems Greg was cleaning out the yard, tossed some concrete over his shoulder and opps, Gus was behind him. He was blind and really old, lived a great life and was laid to rest in my grandfathers garden. Apparently Greg always felt some guilt over Gus's accident but he really saved old Gus many old doggy hardships. It was just one of those things.

Many cats and dogs followed Gus but he was the one pet we always connected with our childhood.

Santa came!

On this Christmas morning our folks forgot to fill the stockings and later when we found them full, they told us an elf slid under the door to do it while we weren't looking. Maybe Greg didn't buy it but I did. Christmas mornings Greg would always drag me out of bed at 3:00am to see what Santa brought us.....the folks too which I'm sure thrilled them.

When we were teenagers, Mom would joke that we would never admit to her that there was no Santa for fear Christmas morning would stop. There probably was some truth to that !

Greg never stopped believing in Santa and kept the spirit of those Christmas mornings all his life!

Manners

By todays standards our parents were really strict! We were expected to be well behaved and when we weren't we did get punished. There were no "til the count of three", "time outs", bribes or any question about what would happen if we did something wrong. Good manners were a really big deal to our folks. We were taught very early to have good table manners and to sit perfectly quiet and still in church. Children were to be seen, not heard and you never interrupted when adults were talking. At meals, the napkin went in your lap and you did not talk while eatting or chew with your mouth open!

You might think we had good manners out of fear of punishment but the truth is, our folks would always praise us for our good behavior. It meant everything to us to make them proud.

I remember when this photo was taken. All of my grandfathers great grandchildren were sitting on the couch and floor around him for a group picture. Alot of squirming was going on but Greg was sitting perfectly still for this historic picture. You can't see me, I was at the other end of the couch with my fingers in my mouth......at least one of us had perfect manners that day !

This is Greg with our Granny McEntyre, he was the first grandchild and only grandson.
We only remember Granny and Granpappy living in one house. We knew every room, every drawer and every hiding place. It had a furnace in the floor of the hallway that we would stand on to get warm until the soles of our shoes would melt and an enormous old fashioned bath tub and a screen door with a wooden thread spool nailed at a height we could reach to go in and out.
Granny kept Eskimo pies in the freezer for the four of the grandkids and made rootbeer floats in brown barrel glasses with wooden handles. I still have one of the original glasses just to remember those floats!
It was a place we always felt loved, welcome and at home. From Granpappy's lava soap and whiskers which he would rub against our faces to make us squeel, to Granny's giving us the priviledge ( and yes it was a treat) of ironing hankies and pillow cases. To mud pies and jumping off the roof ( sorry we talked you into that cousin Suz....I think you broke something?), to Sunday lunches and watermelon in the backyard. It was like a novel you read today and say " that couldn't have really happened, no one grew up that way" .......we did.

Big bro, little sis

We were always Greg and Debbie, it just went together. We were together in almost every childhood experience. I learned alot from Greg like what to do as well as what not to do ! It was like he paved the road to make my growing up a little easier. I saw him get in trouble for things and I learned not to do that ! He also taught me to play war, shoot marbles, jump off the roof, walk the tile fence, build a fort, throw a snow ball, ride a bike, sled at lightening speeds and ultimately go off the jump at the end of the run. We snow skiied together, played baseball with the neighboor kids, climbed trees, waded in creeks, explored the forest, caught horny toads, explored caves, got in trouble and shared in rewards. A trip to Dairy Queen for being good in church or an afternoon stuck in our rooms for not coming home from one of our treks in the woods on time. It wasn't always good, there was alot of "he did it" or "she did it"....we both got in trouble anyway!! Partners in crime, teammates, playmates, friends,...............always little sis, big bro.

Belated Easter Post

Growing up this was our typical Easter. Dressed up in our best dress, always with an Easter bonnet and Greg looking dapper as well! The top left picture was taken at our Granparents McEntyre's house, seated are Susan, Greg, Connie, and Debbie ( me). The picture by the pool was taken in our Grandparents Rumbaugh's backyard. Left to right are Debbie, Greg, cousins Billie, Kathy, Steve and Brenda. The color picture was again taken at the McEntyres with Connie, baby Susan, Greg holding her and me.

Easter for us always started with us waking up to eggs hidden all over the house. These were the colored ones we left for the Easter bunny to hide and the old fashioned candy eggs and always a chocolate bunny in the basket. Then it was dressing up in our finery and heading to church. Afterwards we would change clothes and head to the grandparents for the traditional ham. We would hide and refind all our eggs at both grandparents but at the McEntyres Greg was the unofficial bunny and would hide them for us girls to look for over and over. It is a wonder any of them were fit to eat after that.

Alot of family, food, and good times !

Earliest Chrismtas family picture

This is the earliest family photo I have, taken at my grandmothers house at Christmas time. I am guessing that we are about seven and four years old here. Christmas at my Grandparents Rumbaugh's house can only be described as controlled chaos. The house was full, the presents abundant and the tree huge with bubble lights that amazed us.
Christmas was a huge occasion at the Rumbaugh's. There literally were so many relatives, including great aunts and uncles, that presents filled the room. The kids always sat at the kitchen table leaving the dining room formality to the adults. The food, homemade and fabulous. Laughter, fun and memorable.
In contrast, Christmas at my other grandparents house was simpler but equally as memorable. On Christmas Eve Greg, myself and cousins Connie and Susan always went carolling in the neighboorhood and were invited in for cookies. Then Mom would play the very old upright piano and we would sing carols, my grandad adding his bass voice and Mom her beautiful soprano.
They had a small house but Greg and I loved going there. Metal Christmas tree in the window with the rotating color lights to made it change colors, ribbon candy always in the dish and music....lots of music.
What I've described sounds so Norman Rockwall, but it really was that way. We were so blessed to have all our relatives in one place so these kinds of holidays were possible. From the smaller home for the holidays memories of the McEntyre's to the more formal and huge occasion at the Rumbaugh's, Greg and I were given the background that gave us the desire to always create Christmas for our families that we had. What was missing was that simpler time when all the family lived in one place and everyone was together for the holidays. Where there were bubble lights, metal Christmas trees and ribbon candy. Oh and where you could send the kids out to go door to door carolling!!