While at the reunion I asked different individuals for suggestions on topics that I cover in this family blog. Stephanie suggested that I tell you about an experience that she and Brandon had. This occurred in the house in Jerome. These two cousins found some 'adult' magazines in the blue bathroom (the bathroom in the main hallway). They showed them to Grandma.
Whose magazines were they?
What did Grandma do?
What were Stephanie and Brandon doing TOGETHER in the blue bathroom?
What were they looking for when they found these magazine which probably weren't just laying on the counter?
Where else did Stephanie and Brandon casually SEARCH while in the Jerome house?
Such mysteries . . .
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Guess what?
I found the photos I was looking for and couldn't find this morning. I just gave up too quickly (that and OLD brain that can't remember).
Look at how close this car came to the house! I should have also mentioned in my post that I think Dad was the one most tramatized in this accident. First, he was most run over by the car and then he watched as he thought the car was going to go right into his house!
There was an accident . . .
There was an accident in front of our house on Addison on a regular basis. Usually it involved one of our parked vehicles. Addison was always a busy street and was (or became) a highway for traffic entering and leaving the city to the east.
The first accident I remember happened on a weekend night. I don't think it was later than 9:00 p.m. and I don't remember the sound or the reaction of any of us in the house. What I do remember was the two couples nervously exiting their banged up car. It must have been summer because I remember the cotton frock one of the women was wearing. All four of the occupants were unhurt but very preoccupied. One of the men was handling a brown paper bag that concealed contents that could have been several beer cans. He quietly left the group of us and walked down the street past a clump of bushes and shrubs. Soon he returned empty handed and shortly after that the police arrived. I don't ever remember discussing this event with the family but we must have for me to have any idea what they were trying to conceal. And I don't think they were charged with drinking and driving. I'm not sure what year this might have been because I don't remember how old I was. Siblings, do you remember this accident? Can you provide any other details?
The second accident I'd recount is very memorable because of the photos that were taken. I've looked for but can't locate them. Did someone get these when we distributed family photos when we gathered for Pat's 50th birthday?
This accident happened when I was eight and I'm thinking it was early 1959. It was winter because we had snow and ice in our front yard. Dad was going back to work after dinner. He was driving the Swift and Company red pick-up (a Ford?). It was dark outside, probably about 7:00 p.m. As he went to climb in the driver's side he saw a car careening down the street and headed right for him! He jumped out of the way just as the car slammed into the back of the pick-up and knocked it further down the street. The car then went up over the curb, onto the sidewalk and front lawn of our house. It slid on the ice and came to a full stop less than an inch from the front wall of our house. A guardian angel was protecting our house!
The photos showed the neighborhood out in full force. All the young men -- Lawrence, Charles, Mike Victor and Jon Kelker were documented checking out the seriously damaged vehicle.
And I believe this driver was charged with driving while intoxicated. What I remember is that he was quite incapacitated and could not have convinced the police otherwise.
This accident was significant to me because I was asleep on the other side of the wall that the car almost went through. I had been sick and mother had given me some liquid medicine -- I don't remember what it was suppose to do but I do remember that the recommended dose was 1 teaspoon and by mistake mother gave me 1 tablespoon. As a result I slept for a very long time. That is what I was doing in mother and dad's bedroom, and in their bed -- sleeping off the over-dose of medicine.
All of our neighbors had garages and drive-ways. We didn't. We parked on the street for almost 20 years. Finally, and I do believe it was because of the number of accidents that occurred with people hitting our cars, a portion of the fence in the backyard was taken down and we'd park on the back lawn. We had an alley that gave us vehicle access to the back of the house.
How many accidents were there over the years?
The first accident I remember happened on a weekend night. I don't think it was later than 9:00 p.m. and I don't remember the sound or the reaction of any of us in the house. What I do remember was the two couples nervously exiting their banged up car. It must have been summer because I remember the cotton frock one of the women was wearing. All four of the occupants were unhurt but very preoccupied. One of the men was handling a brown paper bag that concealed contents that could have been several beer cans. He quietly left the group of us and walked down the street past a clump of bushes and shrubs. Soon he returned empty handed and shortly after that the police arrived. I don't ever remember discussing this event with the family but we must have for me to have any idea what they were trying to conceal. And I don't think they were charged with drinking and driving. I'm not sure what year this might have been because I don't remember how old I was. Siblings, do you remember this accident? Can you provide any other details?
The second accident I'd recount is very memorable because of the photos that were taken. I've looked for but can't locate them. Did someone get these when we distributed family photos when we gathered for Pat's 50th birthday?
This accident happened when I was eight and I'm thinking it was early 1959. It was winter because we had snow and ice in our front yard. Dad was going back to work after dinner. He was driving the Swift and Company red pick-up (a Ford?). It was dark outside, probably about 7:00 p.m. As he went to climb in the driver's side he saw a car careening down the street and headed right for him! He jumped out of the way just as the car slammed into the back of the pick-up and knocked it further down the street. The car then went up over the curb, onto the sidewalk and front lawn of our house. It slid on the ice and came to a full stop less than an inch from the front wall of our house. A guardian angel was protecting our house!
The photos showed the neighborhood out in full force. All the young men -- Lawrence, Charles, Mike Victor and Jon Kelker were documented checking out the seriously damaged vehicle.
And I believe this driver was charged with driving while intoxicated. What I remember is that he was quite incapacitated and could not have convinced the police otherwise.
This accident was significant to me because I was asleep on the other side of the wall that the car almost went through. I had been sick and mother had given me some liquid medicine -- I don't remember what it was suppose to do but I do remember that the recommended dose was 1 teaspoon and by mistake mother gave me 1 tablespoon. As a result I slept for a very long time. That is what I was doing in mother and dad's bedroom, and in their bed -- sleeping off the over-dose of medicine.
All of our neighbors had garages and drive-ways. We didn't. We parked on the street for almost 20 years. Finally, and I do believe it was because of the number of accidents that occurred with people hitting our cars, a portion of the fence in the backyard was taken down and we'd park on the back lawn. We had an alley that gave us vehicle access to the back of the house.
How many accidents were there over the years?
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Siblings Meeting, July 27th, 2009
Sibling Meeting, Armga Family Reunion, July 27, 2009
The siblings want to thank Stephanie for her fine job of organizing and making the 2009 Reunion a reality. We note the challenge it is to single-handedly plan a reunion. We recognize that there is no one quite like Stephanie and we are so glad that she is a part of OUR family.
We discussed at length our history of reunions, the purpose of our family reunion and the concerns and different perspectives that have been brought to light regarding when and how the family will gather. Among the siblings we found there to be a variety of ideas and opinions, but we were all in agreement that the purpose of the reunion is to strengthen our family ties, help cousins and their children get to know one another, honor our beloved parents, Larry and Betty, and focus on what it means to be an Armga (even if that is not your family name). We were in agreement that sensitivity should be used in determining the dates of the reunion so that the most number of family may attend. When possible, a full weekend should be included in the planning. We also were in full agreement that we will continue to focus the reunion around the 27th of July in honor of our father and because we’ve experienced how difficult it is to find a mutually satisfactory date if one is not designated for future reunions. We want to continue to meet in Stanley, Idaho because of the great memories the Stanley Basin has for us, because it is so beautiful (and sometimes cool) and the location has worked well as a gathering spot for our family.
We decided that for all future reunions we will have both a chair and a co-chair. Cherie agreed to chair the 2011 reunion and Carol volunteered to be her co-chair. They will announce the date and specifics of the reunion and make sure it is fun and memorable. Look for announcements in your email and snail mail.
Love ya!
The siblings want to thank Stephanie for her fine job of organizing and making the 2009 Reunion a reality. We note the challenge it is to single-handedly plan a reunion. We recognize that there is no one quite like Stephanie and we are so glad that she is a part of OUR family.
We discussed at length our history of reunions, the purpose of our family reunion and the concerns and different perspectives that have been brought to light regarding when and how the family will gather. Among the siblings we found there to be a variety of ideas and opinions, but we were all in agreement that the purpose of the reunion is to strengthen our family ties, help cousins and their children get to know one another, honor our beloved parents, Larry and Betty, and focus on what it means to be an Armga (even if that is not your family name). We were in agreement that sensitivity should be used in determining the dates of the reunion so that the most number of family may attend. When possible, a full weekend should be included in the planning. We also were in full agreement that we will continue to focus the reunion around the 27th of July in honor of our father and because we’ve experienced how difficult it is to find a mutually satisfactory date if one is not designated for future reunions. We want to continue to meet in Stanley, Idaho because of the great memories the Stanley Basin has for us, because it is so beautiful (and sometimes cool) and the location has worked well as a gathering spot for our family.
We decided that for all future reunions we will have both a chair and a co-chair. Cherie agreed to chair the 2011 reunion and Carol volunteered to be her co-chair. They will announce the date and specifics of the reunion and make sure it is fun and memorable. Look for announcements in your email and snail mail.
Love ya!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Stars Over Redfish
The Armga Family Reunion has come and gone -- again. It was wonderful. I love my family. Stephanie did a great job of corralling us and getting us to do some things together.
A very special highlight of the reunion was going out with Brandon on his boat on Saturday night. We left the dock just as it was getting dark and he took us (a boat load of mostly cousins) out to the middle of the lake. Then he killed the engine and we sat and soaked in the stillness and enveloping darkness. Bit by bit the night got darker and we could begin to see more and more stars. We saw the International Space Station/Space Shuttle go zooming across the horizon. We saw too many to count satellites. Brianne (with help from others) pointed out some of the major constellations. We talked about the beautiful sky and decided in the future we should spend some time learning together about the stars. We talked about UFOs and intelligent life. Cherie scared us really well with her story of the possible UFO near Albion, Idaho. Jordan and Joshua were not sure they wanted to hear about aliens!
It was so awesome to be able to see so many stars. I loved the absolute quiet (well, when we weren't all talking and joking) that we felt. Thanks Brandon and thanks Brianne for a very memorable experience at the reunion.
A very special highlight of the reunion was going out with Brandon on his boat on Saturday night. We left the dock just as it was getting dark and he took us (a boat load of mostly cousins) out to the middle of the lake. Then he killed the engine and we sat and soaked in the stillness and enveloping darkness. Bit by bit the night got darker and we could begin to see more and more stars. We saw the International Space Station/Space Shuttle go zooming across the horizon. We saw too many to count satellites. Brianne (with help from others) pointed out some of the major constellations. We talked about the beautiful sky and decided in the future we should spend some time learning together about the stars. We talked about UFOs and intelligent life. Cherie scared us really well with her story of the possible UFO near Albion, Idaho. Jordan and Joshua were not sure they wanted to hear about aliens!
It was so awesome to be able to see so many stars. I loved the absolute quiet (well, when we weren't all talking and joking) that we felt. Thanks Brandon and thanks Brianne for a very memorable experience at the reunion.
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