My Portfolio

I always wanted to drive a Lamborghini in the wild, so we rented this one in Las Vegas and drove it like we stole it, not! I drove it into the Valley Of Fire loop, but tickets can be expensive in the park, but was still able to get her up...

Margaret talks about how her family hurriedly arranged her wedding to Ted before he was transferred overseas during World War II.  Margaret was 19 years old and Ted was 20.  

The arrangements for Ruth and Murdoch's wedding were anything but smooth going.  Listen to Ruth's interesting story.  

After Joyce and Ted became engaged and they had settled on a date, Joyce's mother took on organising the wedding with great enthusiasm.  With notebook in hand she organised everything also making the gowns for the bride and bridesmaids.  Joyce  goes on to describe the wedding and reception on 26th December...

Our daughter, Julie, has lived in Mesa, Arizona for years.  Every Halloween, she dresses her 5 daughters up in original Halloween costumes that she has made.  Halloween is a big event in her area of Mesa.  The weather is just about perfect.  Everyone can actually see the children's costumes because there...

This is a photo of my Great-Uncle Paul Ewald in 1921 in Cataumet, MA, which is a town on Cape Cod.  He was born in June 1890 in Danzig.  I've heard Danzig referred to as Danzig, Germany, as well as, Danzig, Danzig as its own free state.  His parents were Elisabeth...

    Uncle Joe        Uncle Joe  was the seventh son born to Thomas Frederick and Mary Ellen Ball on January 10, 1912.   His birth name was Joe Vell Ball.   Of all the seven Ball brothers and the youngest one, Uncle Joe was the tallest.  He probably...

The Origins of the SARPosted Sat, 2009-04-11 22:47 Last updated: Tue, 2009-06-23 14:06In 1876 there were many celebrations to commemorate the centennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. As part of this patriotic fervor, a group of men in the San Francisco, California, area who...

We all have funny incidents in our lives and Story Circle members were asked to recall a amusing story for their life. Alice came with one of the best...

This week's topic is "What happened when you you turned 21?" As Margaret said, when she turned 21 she had been married for two years and her twin boys were six months old!

  Jill describes her 21st birthday celebration with her close family    

Ruth's 21st birthday celebrations were held at the Royal Coach Motor Inn in Adelaide South Australia.  It was a small affair.  

  On the road...again!!!Essays, Stories, Adventures, DreamsChronicles of a Footloose ForesterBy Dick Pellek A Recipe for Becoming a Writer(The Brownie Principle)   Almost everyone likes brownies.  Oh, there may be a few health food devotees who distain sugary sweets of any kind; but most of us relish the mouthwatering idea of...

I believe children are born knowing how to cobble together a pile of leaves and jump in it! No one had to show me how to rake mountains of leaves and take a flying leap. Living next door to my grandparents, I had the bounty of two yards, though theirs had...

Joyce met Ted when they were both members of the CMS and partnered him to the CMS Ball.  The friendship and courtship gradually grew.  And all was going along comfortably until Joyce was accepted into the Women's Police Force in June 1959.  When she told Ted he went very quiet and...

 A FATHER'S DAY LETTER TO PAPA SMITH Dear Papa Smith,     I'm sorry to be so long in writing.  But I know you forgive my negligence.  Knowing you, Papa, you will boom out, ”Aw, shoot,”and bring up something funny.  You've always accepted me, "warts and all,”as you say with those loving laugh lines...

THE CABIN AT “HARMONY BEND”               Perfect marriages produce an amazing force; a synergistic magic defying logic or chance.  Our marriage has spawned so many of these extraordinary results--- four children (2 & 2), shared coaching-teaching careers, Peace Corp Service, Joint publication, etc. ---that we have even given them a...

Annette and Gerry returned to Watson, South Australia, only two weeks after their wedding and anxiously awaited the arrival of the weekly Sugar Train that was carrying all of their floor coverings and furniture for their new home.  This was the honeymoon they wanted, putting their new home together and making...

Helen stilll smiles as she recalls this story.  

Joyce tells us about living in Peterborough in rural South Australia as a child and the upgrading of their external 'long drop'tiolet with a 'toilet pan'.  The nightcart man was responsible for regularly picking up full pans and replacing them with empty pans. One day there was a mishap in the...