polkadotzi

Another mystery I have about my father is his love for horses. I've always heard about it but never actually saw him with a horse. Not sure where this photo came from, but he seems happy to be with a horse. I have seen a photo of him on a horse on a hunting expedition in Colorado when he was young, but that's the extent of it. I know my mother has told of her love of horseback riding when she was young. Just one of those things I kinda wish I had asked about when I had the chance. I'm sure there would have been stories to hear. 

The story goes that my great grandmother climbed up into the cupola of her house to ring the bell on the day World War I ended. She was more than thrilled that the war was over, at least over for the western world. She was totally thrilled that her son, my grandfather (who had boarded a ship to be deployed that very day into certain danger) was coming home. My great grandmother was a quiet, unassuming person. Not the type to draw any attention to herself. But apparently she lost a bit of her inhibitions in her excitement. What better thing to do than to let the neighborhood know her joy. According to my mother, who told the story, she rang and rang and rang it for quite some time before climbing down. My mother loved to climb up there as a child, but never knew her grandma to ever climb there. Of course my mom wasn't yet alive when this story took place, as her father, the soldier coming home, was only engaged to her mother.  It apparently was one of those stories passed down thr

I can picture exactly what was happening in this photo. My grandmother was standing serenely somewhere, minding her own business, when her grandson, John the artist, came up and startled her with a hug and a kiss on her cheek. It might have be a chilly, rainy day. Why else would she have been wearing a "babushka," as we used to call them. I'm sure she laughed and was pleased with the kiss. My grandma was a good sport, always. Photo sent by a cousin who is finding and scanning in old photos, to the delight of us all.