Grandma’s Stories

Sep 24th “Just One More Day …Then We Sing”

Just have to start out with this Photo  of my “Mother” when she was…  but a young child. Since she is so nicely dressed  in what does look like a “PARTY DRESS” and also photographed … and also the “thirteenth” child… and there were not to be any more children…  as some of the elder brothers were married, and having children… so  may as well start celebrating with some photos as remembrances!

As I look at this Photo… I recognize  some of the very same features in  the generations that have been born … and it is good to see familiar  features and abilities that pass on to the next generation in hopes that all are as smart  and well talented as the past generation and continue on down the lines.

That is “MARIE Brady” at the age of thirteen… standing on the right. Looks like a day spent at one of the cousins home to do some extra “BAKING”… as in those days the young girls were learning to make all kinds of good foods from scratch… as they had large family get togethers… and the men all enjoyed lots of good food

Do not remember how old “MARIE” is on this Photo…and she is on the right… with an old friend “Hazel”… someone she knew for  many years.

This could have been at the “Fairgrounds Park” as it was the largest of Parks, and so many of the “BRADY FAMILY” lived  in different directions  all around… so close and easily in a good walking distance, as everyone loved to walk in those days … sometimes for hours, just to see all the new building  and enlarging of the Saint Louis area.

Since “MARIE’s” Birthday is tomorrow… just thought that I would include different pictures of the different time stages in her LIFE, as  TIME flies by so fast… only one hundred years… and most of the people alive today, have no idea of what was really going on  back then… when the, “Living was Really GOOD.”

…As I remember… if you were with family and just a walk in and or around the neighborhood… you were expected to just drop in… and before you knew it… the family would in no time at all have food and drink for you and something  extra special for the small children!

I remember as I was one of the small children, and besides something to eat… we would be offered some new games and toys to play with and we could take them home with us as we left.

It was always a good time for me… as I remember always having been ask… “Did you get enough”… and or “Do you want some to take with you”… as these were those years during WWII and I guess everyone living in those days, was always wanting to help everyone… whether they needed help or not?

The other important things to everyone… was asking about those that had family enlisted in the WAR effort… How are they and do you hear from them” and the other thing…”Do you need some of my ration coupons, as I have some that I will not need and maybe you could use?”

Back then…Family and Friends were right there helping one another… America was still growing and growing stronger by helping each other and working for the winning of the WAR!

“Just remembering those good old days with MOM and the family and wishing you… “MOM” a very Happy Birthday…  where BIRTHDAYS  are NOW very exciting to be celebrating, and  with so many of the Family!”  xoxoxo

Sep 23rd “Learning to Drive the Vehicle You Bought”

There does come a day in your LIFE Time, that you do want to learn to DRIVE the vehicle… that you just purchased!

 When I found this next PHOTO of  my Mother in an old box of photos, that no one looked at for years… as I was now in High School and was very nosy…  and always  a very curious nosy type …checking out old boxes of stuff in closets… as I was tall and could reach further than my Mother… and so curious of  what and why some stuff was never look for or at… on those higher shelves?

My Mother told me that these new vehicles were at this location near where she was going and decided to take a look at them…

This was in the 1930’s and this “Salesman” talk her into buying this vehicle. She said she did not know how to drive… so he gave her  some instructions  for about an hour… driving in and or  around the area  of Natural Bridge…  and it  did seem that she got the hang of it.

So “MOM” knew the streets and decided to  head for  home… somewhere along the way… something happened and the vehicle stopped and she did not know what to do. She called home to have my DAD come and get her… and so this photo was taken at the time!

This where we lived.

All of the streets leaving this subdivision, where we lived were hills… leading up to Natural Bridge and if you did not know how to drive up a steep hill… you just could not get the vehicle up and out to get to town.

Something that I remember so well… as I Was just old enough to get scared of something happening… and of course that would stay with you forever!

On this particular day… a nice Sunny day… all three of us … Tommy and Denny and ME were put in the backseat of the vehicle… and told to be good and quite and not say anything to disturb my Dad from giving my MOM some driving lessons.

Evidently MOM was driving up and down the street that we lived on… and I guess she was getting the idea that she had a  “good feel”  for the next step… to try to go up one of these hills and get to Natural Bridge and  then into Saint Louis … to see and visit with the family.

“This is the part that I remember so well… just as if … it was happening right NOW!  MOM is making a left turn to go up this hill… and as you usually go slow making turns… you do have to have the speed to move the vehicle up a hill…lots of speed!”

Well… not enough speed… we are now going backwards…down the hill… and I do not know… if this was an automatic vehicle, or a vehicle that you would need to shift? Naturally we kids in the back seat start to cry and not knowing what to say… we are scared that something terrible is going to happen!

Some how or the other … we were back in the middle of the street that we live on…MOM did not quit… she was going to do this… if at all possible and so …we all get set for another try.   For some reason or the other… no more tries to drive this vehicle… in fact never ever again … and not a word about it

Sep 22nd “MOMma to be “120” on the 25th”

“No. 1 MOMMA!”

My “MOTHER” was  and is for always…  “A- #1” … all the way! This picture is of me as a new baby and the first of six children.

Being the first  child was a “LUCKY” position to be in…  that is…  in the birth-order as I have read,  so many years ago,  but as I saw and heard lots of stuff in  just our family, some  things  happening… that made me very sad  to learn and then  having  to realize… that “MOTHER-HOOD” is very difficult  for some  Mothers, something which is  very tough for many young Mothers,  especially … if you just  happen to be married to the wrong type of  a husband. 

When all is said and done … here on earth, I am  very  grateful and “Thankful” …  that I received my “Mother” to be my extra special  and most  Wonderful of all Mothers… “MY MOTHER” Marie Brady-McClarren!

My wish for Almighty Yahweh is…  to bless all those women that will become “MOTHERS” … to be the very  best “MOTHERS”  that they can be…  and that  all of their children will always  and forever … remember to “LOVE their “MOTHER” the mostest!”

When all is said and done here on EARTH… we each  start out from scratch and have to learn from our parents… all about LIFE from what our parents had to learn from their parents… and as you and everyone does know… we are all so different in the way that we learn… and not all of us learn everything as well as we should!

So… here I am  remembering that “MOM’ will be the big “120”  and on the “25th” day of this month… just Lucky that I am here to remember all of our good times and events of all those years long past… and then…  that in the not too far away times to come… we will all be celebrating even more and better times… where all things that happen will be on a much grander scale than we could ever think possible!

The big  day is a coming… what  you might say… right around the corner!

“Love and Blessings to the best of all MOM’s!”    D.V.