Blocks 15 & 16

Here we are,

Marilyn

Debbie,

Lee

and Paula.

Well, no Debbie yet.

But I can't remember a time

when we weren't all thought of in that way . . .

Marilyn,

Debbie,

Lee

and Paula.

Not in order of birth,

Lee,

Marilyn,

Paula

and Debbie.

That even was hard to think,

let alone type.

I wonder how we got the order we did?

Hum . . . .

interesting question.

I am going to "hypothesize,"

(for you non-scientists . . .

that means I am making an educated guess)

on our ages.

I am thinking this was taken

on my 2nd birthday,

January 11, 1951.

So I was 2,

Marilyn would be 3 the following October

and Lee had just turned 8.

Marilyn had to have her square done first.

Why?

She doesn't even know I'm making them.

It's just the process . . .

Marilyn 1st

and then Debbie.

I knew the color to use for Debbie's square 1st . . .

PURPLE ! ! ! ! !

Not a nice lavender

but a deep purple.

I finally ended up

with a variegated purple instead.
The square looks like it is a blue

that is just how the colors came out.

It is the same thread I used

for Mom's Lilacs

and Cindy's grapes.

Doesn't it look like purple in them?

Marilyn's was hard

when it came to color.

I always think of Marilyn

when I see orange bathroom accessories.

And when I say orange,

I mean

O-R-A-N-G-E ! ! ! ! !

She once had a bathroom

where she had orange towels.

When that color went out of style,

she had us all looking,

every time we went in to a store that sold towels

for O-R-A-N-G-E ones.

But,

I didn't like any of the orange colors.

(I wish she was like Debbie . .

had a Favorite Color,

but N-o-o-o-o-o-o-o.

I couldn't be that lucky.)

So I decided on a "calico" look.

Marilyn adopted "Chloe"

from the litter that

Matthew, Marcus and Nosey were in.

Chloe, who is now Callie,

was the long haired calico of the group.

Marilyn had,

in the recent past,

lost her Sabrina,

who was a calico,

and wanted another.

So, a calico theme it was.

Not 100% calico . .

but I do like the blend.

There should have been a touch of orange.

OH NO ! ! ! ! !

There is that orange word again!

LOLOL

Did we grow up?.

We sure did.

This is the four of us,

Debbie,

Lee,

Marilyn

and me.

(Hum. . I still am at the last of the list.)

My "hypothesis" for this picture is:

Debbie 6,

Lee 14,

Marilyn 11

and I'm 10.

And here we are

the Family Tree I am so proud of,

December 20, 2003 . . .

the day Gene and I were married.

Sitting:

Aunt Ruth and Allison

Standing:

Debbie,

Brian, (Debbie's son) in the front hiding Cindy who is hiding his dad Keith,

Matt, who is in front of Chris,

Myself and Gene,

Lauren,

Marilyn

and Lee.

Now that I am thinking . . .

"I wish I had a picture of just the cousins."

Never thought of that

and I don't want to think

about the next time it will be possible.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for "Marilyn, Debbie, Lee and Paula" which is what we were always known as. never Lee & Paula in the front, or a mixture of the names . . always in that order . . Marilyn, Debbie, Lee & Paula. Now that I'm looking at it, I wonder if that made me the caboose of the train and Marilyn the engineer? I must ask one day . . LOLOL

Sorry, Lord . . but it made me laugh. I know that the three of us would drive Aunt Ruth crazy when I stayed in Gary in the summer . . but thank you for making that possible. And, I became mature enough, thanks to your guidance, for Mom to let me ride the bus, by myself, to Gary. Aunt Ruth said even the thought of that would make her cringe today. LOLOL

I know, I know . . no laughing in prayers . . . but it is funny. While I was in Gary, Aunt Ruth would let Marilyn and I take the bus downtown to shop or see a movie. She would also let us walk to the little strip mall that they went to. My, my, how Gary has changed over time. .. but then, it was the perfect world for two adolescents to explore in safety.

You blessed me with wonderful cousins . . ones who I only saw several times a year, but when we got together, You made it as if we had never been apart. And now, as adults, we see each other SO SELDOM, but it is still pick up where we left off. Three peas out of the same pods of peas . . that's us. Always has been . . always will be.

Amen.

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