Memories Return

What is it about autumn
that brings back memories
of childhood joys and tears?

Is it something in the air
that causes me to miss
those carefree days
in Blackwell, Oklahoma,
when to Sunday School
or The Lake
with Grandma and Grandpa?

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White Recliner: A Memory

I always think of Grandpa Newland,
whenever I see a white recliner.
I remember him setting in one,
with the Siamese cat beside him and the dog in his lap,
watching TV.
Grandpa enjoyed setting there
with Jay beside him and Cindi or Popcorn in his lap,
watching The Grand Old Opera.

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Family history Friday: Grandpa Newland

Istiqlál (Independence), 7 Jamál (Beauty), 169 BE – Friday, May 4, 2012 about 6:45 PM Pacific Time

I remember many things about my Grandpa Newland. Grandpa was bald and he would let us rub his baldhead. My mother said that when she was a child she remembered sitting on his lap and rubbing his baldhead.

Grandpa drank coffee. Every day he would make a pot of coffee and when he finished the one pot of coffee, he would make another. Grandpa poured the first cup of coffee I ever drank; at least I think he poured it. Anyway, the cup contained a little bit of coffee with a lot of cream and sugar.

Another thing I remember about Grandpa was that he smoked cigarettes. I remember Grandpa telling me that he began smoking at 13 years old. I also remember Grandpa rolled his own cigarettes. I remember his sitting at the kitchen table rolling cigarettes. I also remember sitting by Grandpa’s hospital bed when he was dying of cancer.

Remembering Grandpa’s House

Istiqlál (Independence), 7 Jalál (Glory), 168 BE – Friday, April 15, 2011 about 5:30 PM Pacific Time

Today the contractor called and they will arrive on Monday to redo the bathroom. This brought back a memory from my childhood. I remember Grandpa Newland adding a storage room to his house in the Smelter Heights. He built the room along the side of the house, so that it we could enter it from either the living room or one of the bedrooms. In addition, he put a door in that entered the room from the outside.

I think some of the neighbors helped him, but he did most of the work himself. Once the spare room was finished, he put a deep freeze in plus some shelves. I know Grandma used the shelves to store winter quilts. I cannot remember what else she stored in that room.

I would like to go back to Blackwell for a visit some day. I know my grandparents’ house is no longer there; however, I would like to see what the city is like. I would also like to visit their grave; perhaps lay some flowers there. Grandma always liked roses; I do not remember what type of flowers Grandpa liked.

Thoughts on Spring-Cleaning

Fidál (Grace), 16 Mulk (Dominion), 167 BE – Tuesday, February 22, 2011 about 9:27 PM Pacific Time

The first day a spring is in March, so my thoughts turn to my Grandma Newland and spring-cleaning. My grandmother always began spring-cleaning in the kitchen dining room combination of her house. She began by washing down all the counter space; once she completed that job then she would take the dishes out of the cupboards and put in new shelf paper. Grandma did not like her dishes touching the wooden shelves.

Grandma never waited until the first day of spring to do the spring-cleaning. She would start that job on either March 1 or February 28. Grandma always did a through spring-cleaning and the rest of the year kept the house spotless, which was not an easy task.

Grandpa and Grandma Newland lived in Blackwell, Oklahoma, in the Smelter Heights. There was a zinc smelter close to their home and the smoke from that settled on everything. Despite the fact that the location of their home did not lend itself to a spotless house, Grandma kept the house spotless. This was a testament to Grandma Newland’s persistence and stubbornness.

No matter which way the wind blew or how much dust came into the house, Grandma was determined to keep the house spotless and dust free. She accomplished this daunting task, while making cooking for Grandpa during the week and four grandchildren on the weekends.

Friday at Last

Istiqlál (Independence), 18 ‘Izzat (Might), 166 BE – Friday, September 25, 2009 about 4:43 AM Pacific Time

When I was a child, Friday seemed a bigger deal then it does today. Perhaps it had to do with being out of school for two days and visiting my grandparents. We stayed with Grandma and Grandpa on the weekends. That's one advantage of living in the same town with one set of grandparents, you can see them more then once a year.

I remember weekends as special, perhaps because we (my brothers, sister and me) spent them with my grandparents. I don't think we did things differently then we did at home. In spring and summer, Grandpa took us to the Lake; I think it was staying with my grandparents that made the weekends special.

The weekends don't seem special anymore. Friday isn't as exciting as when I was a child. I think I'm in a rut. Today I plan to go to the bank, withdraw some money and pay a bill. Wednesday I went to the bank and did the same thing. Thursday I went to the dentist to get my lower dentures adjusted again. Friday just doesn't seem special anymore.

I am a friend To Earth

I am a friend to…

I am friend to Earth
I recycle everything
I can possibly recycle.

That poem could be about my Grandma Newland. Grandma was good at recycling. Grandma was an expert at recycling. She had a ragbag in which she put worn out cloths and used them as cleaning rags. Grandma threw stuff away that couldn't be used or she couldn't think of a way to reuse.

Grandma grew up on a farm. When she and Grandpa Newland were first married, they lived on a farm. Grandma learned to recycle items when she was growing up. I don't remember Grandma calling it recycling, she just called it reusing.

I recycle, but I don't think I'm as good at it as Grandma. I have a long way to go before I'll be as good at recycling as Grandma and Grandpa, but I'm working on the issue.

I’m getting nostalgic

Jalál (Glory), 5 Jamál (Beauty), 166 BE – Saturday, May 2, 2009 about 6:25 PM Pacific Time

I'm missing my Grandparents. Perhaps it's the time of year, today is the first Saturday in May. This is the time of year Grandpa began taking us to the Lake on weekends. We would go water skiing, boat riding and fishing. All right, I'm not real crazy about fishing basically because I don't care to put worms on hooks. Grandpa liked to fish and I like eating fresh fish.

Perhaps it's just because I'm getting older and thinking about the Good Old Days. I'm not sure precisely what the problem is or even if there is a problem. I've just been thinking a lot about my Grandparents lately. As a child, my mother worked so Grandpa and Grandma took care of us while Mom worked.

Perhaps I should write a poem or story about my Grandparents. That would help with this nostalgic feeling that I'm getting. It's a wistful feeling, like there is something I'm missing. I did write a short piece about my grandparents and Memorial Day. Maybe I need to write something about my grandparents and Mothers' Day or Fathers' Day.

I don't think I've ever written anything about Grandma and Mothers' Day or Grandpa and Fathers' Day. Grandpa was my father figure, so perhaps that's why I'm feeling nostalgic; I haven't written anything about Grandpa for Fathers' Day.

I don’t remember my Grandfather worrying

Istiqlál (Independence), 12 Sultán (Sovereignty), 165 BE – Friday, January 30, 2009 about 12:44 PM Pacific Time

I don't remember my Grandfather worrying over bills and stuff like that. Maybe he did, but didn't let his grandchildren know he was worried. Grandpa was a spiritual man; he didn't go to church every Sunday. He believed in God and he let his grandchildren know that he believed in God by the way he acted.

Grandpa made sure we went to church and he went himself on Christmas and Easter. He said prayers at meal times and he respected other people's religion by not talking bad about it or them. Grandpa emphasized that God would take care of us and when things got tough he put the situation in God's hand. After he put the situation in God's hands then he did what he could to solve the problem.

I don't remember Grandpa worrying, but I do remember him praying. I don't remember Grandpa being distracted, which is what worry does it distracts a person. So I guess one of the lesson my Grandfather taught me is put everything in God's hands and don't worry.

At least the cloths dryer is working

Jamál (Beauty), 13 Sharaf (Honor), 165 BE – Sunday, January 11, 2009 about 1:50 PM Pacific Time

At least the cloths dryer is working. All right, other appliances are working as well, but the cloths dryer was the one I didn't think worked. I'm still not sure how well it is working, but it is working.

Grandma Newland never worried about automatic cloths dryer working. Even after Grandpa bought her an automatic washer, she still hung her cloths out on a cloths line to dry. We did have a cloths line here, but it broke and I haven't put a new one up. Until recently I didn't think about it because we had the dryer.

I think I'll put another cloths line up later in the year. The old cloths line wouldn't dry an entire load of cloths at a time. Not that I can dry an entire load of cloths with the dryer, but I'm not sure whether the problem is with the dryer or overloading the washer. Anyway, I have an automatic dryer for now; I think I'm going to have to get someone in to check it as soon as I have the money to pay the technician.

However, before I have anything done with the dryer, I'm going to have to get a refrigerator. The fridge is next to get, so hopefully the dryer will continue to work. However, just incase it doesn't I'm going to have to figure out how to put up a full cloths line in my backyard. Because with a line to hang the cloths on I won't have to drive to the launder mat.

Remembering New Year Celebrations with my Grandparents

‘Idál (Justice), 1 Sharaf (Honor), 165 BE – Wednesday, December 31, 2008 about 9:20 AM Pacific Time

I don't know how my Grandma and Grandpa Newland, celebrated New Year before the advent of television. I remember them having a T.V. in the living room when I was very young. Grandpa always bought the newest forms of technology when they came on the market. Therefore, he always had a T.V. in the living room when I was a child.

On New Year's Eve, we would stay up and watch specials that celebrated the arrival of the New Year. My siblings and myself didn't have to go to school the next day, so we could stay up late on New Year's Eve. I know sometimes Grandpa had to work the next day, but my memories of New Year's Eve always have him in them.

The shows we watched were variety show, all filmed before a live audience. Whether the shows were live when we looked at them, I don't know. As a child, I lived in Blackwell, Oklahoma, in Middle America and most of the shows were filmed on either the East Coast or the West Coast, so I doubt that they were live, but I don't know.

Young children don't worry about whether or not a show is live or canned. A child is more interested in the T.V. show then the technology behind it. Only after a certain age do most children become interested in the technology.

I enjoyed the dancers and singers. They wore such beautiful cloths, I always wanted to have dress like the female singers on those shows.

I Miss my Grandparents

‘Idál (Justice), 9 Qudrat (Power), 165 B.E. – Wednesday, November 12, 2008 about Sunset Pacific Time

I miss my grandparents. I think it must be the time of year. Thanksgiving is coming up and then Christmas. I don't celebrate Christmas anymore, but I have fond memories of Grandma and Grandpa. Those memories always seem to come back this time of year.

Grandma always enjoyed making Thanksgiving dinner. She would bake pies before Thanksgiving and put them in the freezer. Then on Thanksgiving, after the turkey was done she would put the pies in the oven and warm them up.

On Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving she would begin decorating the house for Christmas. Grandpa would buy a live tree and we would decorate the tree. Grandma and Grandpa eventually got an artificial Christmas tree, but it wasn't a green tree. The artificial tree they bought was a silver aluminum tree. It looked pretty and you could decorate it just like a real tree.

I’m dreaming about my grandparents

Jamál (Beauty), 11 Ilm (Knowledge), 165 B.E. – Sunday, October 26, 2008 about 9:40 AM Pacific Time

I've been dreaming about my grandparents lately. I'm not sure why, maybe it's because the holiday season is here. Grandma enjoyed Halloween; she loved baking cookies for all the neighborhood children. Grandma would bake the cookies and wrap them in clear food wrap. When the neighborhood children came Trick or Treating, she would give them all cookies. Grandma backed two different kinds of cookies for Halloween. She would bake both oatmeal raisin and peanut butter cookies. She wrapped them seperately and gave one each to children who came to the door.

Grandpa would take my sibling and myself Trick or Treating. He begin with the neighborhood he and grandma lived in. After we went to all the houses there, then he took us to our own neighborhood. I enjoyed picking a costume and going from house to house. It was fun and grandpa never let us go by ourselves. I don't remember ever going to a Halloween party when I was growing up in Blackwell, Oklahoma.

Another reason I may be dreaming about my grandparents is that I miss them so much. I don't remember missing this much at other holiday seasons, but this year I'm missing them very much.

October brings Memories of Halloween

Jalál (Glory), 8 Mashiyyat (Will), 165 B.E. – Saturday, October 4, 2008 about 3:14 AM Pacific Time

It's the first Saturday in October, the first full month of autumn. October always brings memories of Halloween and my Grandma Newland. Grandma and Grandpa lived in a much simpler and safer time. Grandma began preparing for Halloween seven days before the event.

All the living kids within three or four blocks of my grandparents called them Grandma and Grandpa. Halloween was a big event for Grandma, not as big as Thanksgiving or Christmas, which required more preparation, but Grandma gave Halloween a good chunk of her time the week before.

Grandma would bake cookies and put them in plastic sandwich bags to give to the Trick or Treater's on Halloween night. Every year Grandma always did this and she would stay home on Halloween night to pass the goodies out while Grandpa took us Trick or Treating. If she were alive today, she couldn't do that, but then everyone felt safe accepting and eating homemade treats from the neighbors.