Big Red Is Gone

Spring 1970 Dad, Scott, & Cyndi

Big Red, '67 Chrysler 300 Convertible, has been a part of our family since 1978 and logged in many miles while used as the second car to the family. Big Red didn't like it when I would try to drive her and would let me know this whenever I would try to start her, she wouldn't start.


Summer 1980 Great grandparents with Dad, Scott, & Cyndi

Big Red took the family on many outings, including a road trip to New Jersey. Having a nice wide vehicle was perfect for traveling with younger children as they could not touch each other, thus keeping many fights from starting.



Big Red was put in storage when we bought another red car, a '86 Pontiac Fiero. It was always a thought in the back of the dad's mind that he was going to restore her someday. Spare parts were purchased for this project and the car along with the parts were moved with us from the old house to the new house. The years have a way of going by and the project of restoring her was becoming more distant. To restore the Chrysler would cost more than the car would be worth. What to do?



Luck was on our side when we had body work done on the Fiero recently. The project of restoring Big Red was talked about but at this point in time we decided that this was a project that we were ready to walk away from, meaning the male in the house finally decided that he would probably never get to it. Talking to the owner of the body shop, bringing him over to see Big Red, making a deal, and signing the title over to him she now has a new home and a new lease on life.



We will be following her progress and updating you as to what restorations are being made. You will certainly be surprised as she will look nothing like the car she once was.



An old Chrysler does not die, it just fades away.

They just don't make them like they used to.

A Moment of Remembrance

A National Moment of Remembrance On Memorial Day

That poem about where “poppies blow”
And, “the crosses, row on row”
Still rings true, these ninety years
After written, still brings tears.

We still have Dead, “amid the guns”
And lose our young and our loved ones
Those who lived, “short days ago”
Who, “felt dawn, saw sunset glow”.

In Flanders Fields, “the poppy red”
Still grow near where the blood was bled
They, “Take up our quarrel with the foe”
And still die for Freedoms that we know.

They pass, “The torch” to, “hold it high”
And not, “break the faith with us who die”
For they, “shall not sleep, though poppies grow”
Beneath all those, “crosses, row on row”
In Flanders Fields.

by Del “Abe” Jones

Helping Out

We spent the earlier part of this week visiting with our sweet grand daughter. She is growing up so fast and doing new things each day.

This summer grandpa and I are not going to be able to be in town for Cara's birthday. With this in mind we decided that we would give her one of her presents early. This also gave Cara and grandpa a fun project to work on together.


Cara helping grandma carry a big box in from the garage.


Checking out the picture on the front of the box, looks like this could be something interesting.


Helping grandpa to unpack the many parts.


Making sure grandpa knows how to use the screw driver to get things in right.


Reading the directions to make sure the assembly is being put together correctly.


Almost done, this is starting to look like the picture on the box front.


All that hard worked has paid off and Cara can now enjoying her new sand and water table.

Happy early birthday sweet one. Enjoy

Mother's Day Revisited

Mother's Day weekend was spent visiting Cara and her mommy and daddy. The weekend started off with us enjoying a jazz review concert at the school where Scott teaches. Singing, dancing, skits, and music of the forties were featured.


The jazz review concert, Scott is getting to be behind the music stand for a change and joins in with the band playing his trumpet.


Cara enjoying the concert and the audience.


Three on a picnic.

Our Saturday was spent with Cara going for walks, blowing bubbles, having a picnic, playing baseball, swinging, reading, and all sorts of other fun stuff while Scott and Emily caught up on yard work. It was a fun weekend and too quickly came to an end as grandpa had to be back to work on Monday.


First time up to bat, getting a little help from Grandpa.


Cara noticing her photo is being taken smiles and says "Cheese."

Thanks to Scott's for the nice visit.!

Dear Mom

ca 1959

Dear Mom,

Wanting to let you know how much I miss having you here. Time has not made things easier since you left but makes me miss you more than ever. You have been on my mind a lot lately and I think more so than usual as I made a visit to the house in which I spent the first eighteen years of my life.



How much fun you would have had seeing the house and the old neighborhood! Things were the same but yet again they were so different. When we arrived at the house we soon realized, from mail in the mailbox and an accumulation of newspapers on the front porch, that no one would be at the house. Knowing this I took the liberty of walking around the property and checking out the changes made to the house.


Standing by the willow tree that I used to play under, the hanging branches making it my playhouse.



So many memories came flooding through me from long ago, and with each step I took around the property I was telling childhood stories and even some secrets to my husband and sister-in-law. I was surprised at how small everything looked. The yard had gotten smaller, the hill next door shorter, the dangerous creek that once was so wide and deep was now almost hard to find, and the little willow tree grown, I think, five times the size that I remembered it to be. The farmer's field where we used to play football, baseball, and hide-and-seek is now gone, replaced by a huge apartment building.

ca 1952

Mom, you made our little house on Talmadge a home. A home that was a fun place for a child to grow up in. I now know the struggles you and dad went through to give us the swing sets, pools, bikes, toys, and all of the other things we had. I know you sacrificed things you wanted for yourself so your children could have things that they wanted.

Ca 1961

Thank you so much for buying me my flute so I could be in the marching band. Band was such an important part of my life and I passed that on to your grandchildren. Their high school memories as mine center around the band and marching competitions. You saw how the love of music was carried over to Scott as he entered college and studied music education and, as with me and the flute, you saw that he had the trumpet he needed for school and bought him the horn he picked out. I am so glad that you attended the many contests and concerts that he conducted with his own band. I also thank you for seeing that I had the most beautiful prom dresses, giving us family birthday parties, family getaways, and seeing that we always had the nicest Christmases.

ca 1954

All these years growing up I always thought I was my Daddy's little girl and in his eyes could do no wrong, even long after I was married. Now as the years pass by and I look back I am wondering why it took me over sixty years to realize that I was wrong. I now know that all along I was your little girl too. I will always treasure the friendship we shared and your unconditional love for me and your grandchildren.

Since visiting our little home there has been a sadness that overtakes me at times as these memories from so far away creep into my thoughts. There is no more here time for you and I to share but I always have you near me through all of the memories you and I shared together. I miss you as much as when you left. You are always with me; in my heart and in my thoughts, you live on through your grandchildren and your great granddaughter.

ca 1953

Thank you for being my mom, my friend, a wonderful mother-in-law to my husband, and just about the greatest grandmother to my children.

Love always,
Steph