As I have mentioned before, my memory is pretty hazy about some things - like dates! And I have been notorious over the years about not putting dates on the back of photos. So I have to look for clues that tell me when a picture was taken. (If you find errors, feel free to comment and set the record straight. Otherwise, my "revisionist" history will go forth!)
I know for a fact that Betsy was born in 1973, so this would have been her first birthday - since she doesn't look like a two-year old! And our birthdays are a day apart, so sometimes we celebrated together! (Like this time, in the Bountiful Park - the one by the pool.) And do you recognize that table cloth?? I still have it!!
I know for a fact that Betsy was born in 1973, so this would have been her first birthday - since she doesn't look like a two-year old! And our birthdays are a day apart, so sometimes we celebrated together! (Like this time, in the Bountiful Park - the one by the pool.) And do you recognize that table cloth?? I still have it!!
When I asked Dad what was significant about 1974, he said, "Well, that's the year I went into business for myself." I don't have any photos of him on the job site, so this photo of him with our Model A will have to do. We hauled that around for years!! I don't think we ever drove it anywhere. We towed it home from Hyrum, Utah when I was pregnant with Bonny - boy, now that's a story too! One we tell when we're driving around Logan! Or when we meet someone from Logan!
Richard came home from his mission in 1974 and stopped off in SLC to see us - this is the back stoop of the famous Rock House in Centerville. Orignally, the house had included a barbershop - and this was the door people used to go to it. We used it as a T.V. room.
I'm thinking this was at Alice's house, because I don't recognize the bedspread.
I'm pretty sure this family shot is early 1974 - if not, it's close. I was into matching dresses. I actually made Harry a romper out of the same material and it was really cute, but everyone thought he was a girl when he wore it! So instead he has his very cool faux-leisure suit - at least it was corduroy and not polyester - but it did have bell bottom pants!
Now here's some real polyester - Bonny's leisure suit was made by Grandma Clayton, and inspite of the look on her face, she really enjoyed wearing it. Harry had a shirt to match Dad's - and Grandma Clayton had made those too. You all recognize the couch! and my shirt was one I bought in France when I went to school there - I would wear it and feel continental!
It would have been summer when we visited - and this may not even be 1974, but it's one of my fav shots of Bonny and Dad.
Doesn't this shot of Pop and little Harry make you think of Porter??
This makes me think of Porter too!
I hesitate to start including cousins for fear I will slight someone by leaving them out - but if I remember it and I have a picture I can find, I will probably include it! (so if you want to be included in this "history" send me a date and a photo!)This is Grandma Clayton with baby Michael - we visited with them when we came down that summer in 1974.
This 4 generation shot has been published before, but it bears repeating. My goodness but we all look so young!
I think this is someone's birthday - maybe Harry's - Alice was pregnant with Erika. Notice the bib on Bonny!! And I seem to wear my French shirt a lot!
Another family group shot in 1974 with Alice, Dale, Betsy, Lyn, Rose Ann, Chris, me, Bonny and Harry. Lyn always seemed to be wearing a cowboy hat then.
Christmas in the Rock House was fun - it looks like Erika has been born in this shot!
I baby sat twin boys - they came after school - it was a sweet deal - they played with the kids and I got paid!
1974 was/is a blur. Dad worked long hours. And he was in the Elder's Quorum presidency. I was the assistant librarian - mostly went to Primary and put together lesson packets - and Jr. Sunday School - back in the day.
The kids and I played and read and watched Mr. Rogers, The Electric Company and Sesame Street. When they napped, I would call Alice, and we'd do our chores and visit. Fortunately for us, even though we were 45 miles apart, it wasn't long distance to call - you young folks maybe can't appreciate that, but it was pretty significant - we often talked daily.
I used some of my babysitting money to buy the first of the 3 Viking sewing machines I have owned. And I took up sewing - it was a wonderful outlet for me. I had never thought I was a seamstress, so discovering that I could indeed make things was a real "shot in the arm." Most of the clothes Bonny and Harry are wearing - and even some of the ones I am wearing - in these pictures were made by me.
I had 14 chickens too. They laid a dozen eggs a day and I had 6 customers - one lady wanted all the brown ones for her dozen. I charged 50 cents a dozen - made enough to pay for the feed. And I had a dozen eggs a week for me. It was a nice little "cottage" industry.
And when I told Dad about the "7 Year Itch" he said he'd never heard of it. Am I the only one who knows about it? They even made a movie with that title.
But we weren't itching - we were happy together. It seems almost storybook like in retrospect, but I know there were problems - like rats in the garage, spiders everywhere else, snakes in the basement, ants all over and mold on the walls in the winter. And when we moved out, it turned out that there were bats in the attic!
Still, the memories are mostly good.
