The Gregersons

Last night I sadly read that another of Mom's sisters just passed away...& I am just realizing that the whole first part of my childhood/young adulthood book is about over. Those chapters for the most part are history. And, a wonderful history it was!

I remember fondly so many things about Mom's sisters and brothers...from my first airplane ride with Cal (yes, doing loop-de-loops) & screaming and laughing to get togethers out at Oray & Lucille's farm...remember the keg of beer in the root cellar? Well, the adults were drinking & so were the kids, all of that came to an abrupt stop (the partying) when someone, possibly Mom (remember she was their Mom), put their foot down because Bud had a "drinking problem." I remember riding the Great Northern train with my cousin, Janice, to St. Paul to stay a week with Sylvia, Cal & Edna. We were both about 10! (What were our parents thinking??) Once there, we got reacquainted with our aunts and uncle in a way that didn't happen when we were all together. We got our first escalator ride and our first trip to Como Zoo, where we rode the tilt-a-whirl for 12 straight times! Another interesting thing that happened is that it was so hot & Cal was at work so it was just the girls...& Sylvia & Edna took off all their clothes except their bra & panties & encouraged us to do the same!! Wow!! Mom would've never allowed us to do that!

I loved Babe...she was kind and thoughtful...always interested in everyone. Carol & I went camping with Babe & Louie when we were in Washington one summer. She was the one that cut everyone's hair when we got together especially when we were going to have our pictures taken! Afterall, she had gone to cosmetology school, but everyone got the same haircut!
She married a wonderful, loving man, Louie. Louie loved kids and paid attention to us...teasing & joking.

I remember coming home from school one day and Mom was cooking something in a large pot & when I looked at her, she was crying...I asked what was wrong...& she told me that another sister had just been diagnosed with cancer. These sisters and brothers were like Mom's first kids...and I know she misses them, just like I do.

My early life was especially good because I got to know my aunts and uncles well. I will miss them.

Rest in peace, Babe.

The 4th is always fun in Bemidji. The carnival next to Paul and Babe, the beer tent, the parade...bingo, water ski show...while its almost the same from year to year, there is a small town charm about being in Bemidji during the 4th. And don't forget the fireworks...carnival food...(Stittsworth Brats for me)...and fireworks around a campfire...fishing... followed by a fish fry with the Shrivers...

July 1, 2009

It's almost over-summer I mean-although weatherwise, its really just getting to the northland...flowers are blooming...kids are swimming...but its almost done. The days are already getting a bit shorter...I haven't even camped yet...

Moving...

Good email, Gary...thanks for sending it.

So, the news for Mandy and I is that we just moved from St. Paul to Hugo this past Friday. Our new address is:

5702 126th St. N
Hugo, MN 55038

Have a good night, all.
Matt

Blogging with the fam...

I had forgot how much I enjoy blogging. When we blog we leave a piece of digital history for everyone to see...your family can look back and see what you were doing at different phases of our lives...

This blog had a couple of beginnings---but it stretches back to Aug 3rd, 2005-lots of announcements (Nathan's getting married) to updates on Bryce and Hildur's heath...today is June 30th 2009-both at still up and about...

Times have changed...new technologies (Facebook) put a damper on this blog and others-the last entry in Lois's cooking blog was in Oct 2008-but Pete's was just yesterday.

I hope we can all keep on blogging and telling our family stories...oh yeah-Arron's getting married...Miranda is coming home for it and today... we had a bear...

Early Morning Surprise

At 4:30 am the phone rings...I shake out of bed-run to the answering machine to get the phone-our next door neighbor Joel was already talking...the first words I heard was "...a bear is wrecking your bird feeder..." I went to the window and looked at the feeder and indeed it was a bear-a big bear. I ran and got my Nancy...she came running... Now I don't know how to gage how big a bear is but when he stood up next to the feeder-he was just the right size to eat directly out of it without have to stretch to reach or bend over...my first guess is nearly six foot tall. We got the camera out but no pictures we good enough to post...sorry...we're sleepy and it darkish out. What a early morning surprise.