Christmas 1979

After a good second glance at this photo, I presume that this was taken in 1979. Tiffani appears to be nearly 4 and Cortni 2-1/2. It's hard to tell how old Ryan is as for several years he looked the same in most of his photographs.

One thing for sure is .. this is the last time my children saw their Great-Grandma Seligman.

They are all having a good time on Christmas morning. Later that day, Grandma and the kids all had a tea party in the new Holly Hobby kitchen with real tea and Christmas cookies.

I wish you could all see or remember that day. It was such a joy to see Grandma playing with my children as she once played with me. She was the best Grandma a child could ever ask for!

I am thankful that she at least got to meet my children and know what wonderful "little people" they were. I miss her smile and her laughter very much and I wish she had known what fantastic people my children grew up to be.

Christmas 1970

Lee must have taken this photo as he is the only one not in it. Left to right: Dayna holding Muffit, Me, Eric (very handsome in his blues), Grandpa Seligman and Grandma Seligman. They must be either greeting our arrival or seeing us off.

Either way this is one of the few photos that I have with Grandma, Grandpa and Eric - not to mention Dayna and Muffit. The photo would be complete if Lee were it it also. Oh well - guess someone had to take this picture!

Me and little miss Muffet.

Me and my personal shoe guy - Grandpa Seligman.

Just me sporting a new outfit. I think Grandpa even picked out my clothes too!

This time of year always finds my mind wandering back to fond memories of Christmas' past. The above photos were taken on Christmas Day, 1970 at the home of my Grandma and Grandpa Seligman in Silver Spring, Maryland.

As you can see, Grandpa is STILL picking out and fitting my shoes for me! Actually, I think I asked him the the new pair of saddle shoes, but expected he would have me come down to the store to have them fitted. To my surprise, they were wrapped and placed under the tree for me to open. Yes... they were a perfect fit - as always.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, this would be the last Christmas I would ever spend with them in their home. My grandfather passed away in 1971 and the next time I was to see Grandma at Christmas was in 1979 or 1980 in my home when she and my parents came to Macon, MO for the holidays. I have a photo of Grandma with Ryan, Tiffani and Cortni on Christmas Day. I am not totally sure of the year, but Cortni appears to be either 2.5 or 3.5 years old.

As I have told you all before, I treasure the times and the memories of holidays with my grandparents. This year for some reason was especially lonely without them.

I love you Grandma and Grandpa - I think you know that.

The Navy - A somewhat family tradition.

My brother Eric and I were raised primarily in the small rural Midwestern town of Paola, Kansas from the time Eric started high school in 1964. Although I did not know it at the time, war had broken out in the small country of Vietnam. That war would change my life, the life of my brother and of nearly every young person in the United States.

In 1968, the year Eric graduated from high school, the war had escalated and thousands of young men and women were being called upon the fight in a war that no one seemed to know much about except what we saw on the news and in the protest songs of the era. The military draft was still in existence and at the age of 18 all American men (or should I say boys), were obligated to sign up.

The only way to "avoid the draft" for most young males was to be in school or to be handicapped in some way. It did not matter if you were "soldier material" or not - only that you were an 18 year old male American citizen. I know that some who read this will take issue with my views on the draft. But I have and always will believe that patriotism does not necessiarly mean killing.

My brother chose college and off he went leaving a huge hole in my world with his absence. I felt abandoned at the time - as if he had left me behind. I'm not sure why I felt that way - only that I did.

Eric was not in college very long (I think only a semester), when we received a letter that he had been dismissed from college due to skipping ROTC classes. As unpredictable as was that letter, the next letter received was totally predictable - Eric had been called to service. My heart sank as I had seen the horrors of this war that had already ravaged the lives of friends who had young men who would never return home.

My brother decided to join the Navy rather than be drafted into the Army and off he went to basic training leaving me with the feeling of abandonment and despair about loosing him to a war I did not understand.

My brother was a gentle person (still is I believe) and not for one solitary moment could I imagine him in combat fighting for his life. As it turned out, my brother was one of the lucky ones. He had joined the nuclear submarine branch of the Navy and never had to serve in Vietnam.

I graduated high school listening to the songs of war protest and watching the news of college campus protesting and the all too vivid war footage. It's a time in my life that I shall never forget. I'm not sure if you could actually call me a hippie, but I lived in fear for friends, prayed for those in Vietnam and thanked God that my brother would be safe. My hair was long, I wore the clothing of the era and chanted with friends to whom ever would listen to allow our young people to come home. I lost two very dear friends to what I considered at the time to be a senseless and cruel war and hated that fact that this had invaided my world.

I can still hear the voice of Neil Young as he sang (referring to the famous incident at Kent State University in Ohio)

On May 4, 1970 four students had been shot dead by the Ohio National Guard on the campus of Kent State University. The writing and recording of the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young song "Ohio" is somewhat of an urban legend. As the story goes David Crosby and Neil Young were hanging out when Crosby handed Young a copy of Time Magazine with the now infamous picture of the student grieving over the body of a dead protesting classmate who was shot dead by the National Guardsmen. Apparently Young sat down and wrote the song and within 24 hours, the band was recording the song. Acording to Neil Young's biographer, 'In ten lines, Young captured the fear, frustration and anger felt by the youth across the country and set it to a lumbering D-modal death march that hammered home the dread.':

"Tin Soldiers And Nixon's Bombing

We're Finally On Our Own

This Summer I Hear The Drumming

Four Dead In Ohio"

"Gotta get down to it.

Soldiers are gunning us down.

Should have been done long ago.

What if you knew her and

Found her dead on the ground.

How can you run when you know?"

Eric and I were raised in a more gentle time than now. A time when neighbors watched out for each other - a time when friends held on tight to each other - a time of hope for the future and prayers for the end of the war. The war in Vietnam changed that gentle time in American history for me - but most especially for the more than 58,000 American families who lost family in Southeast Asia.

That's Eric on the first row third from the left.

Eric again, to the left and behind the guy holding the "004" flag

Halloween if FINALLY over!

February 1959

Yes, that appears to be a cigarette hanging from my mouth!

Hey Eric or Lee was that car we are sitting in green? Was it the one my mother wrecked?

As most of you know, Halloween is NOT one of my favorite days of the year. My daughter Cortni on the other hand waits all year for October 31st. I think she enjoys it more than Thanksgiving and Christmas combined.

I know it is not Fat Tuesday yet, but after all the talk about Halloween, I just had to share these two photos with you all. Who knows, the same two photos may show up again on this blog on Fat Tuesday as well.

My brother and I were quite young when we lived in New Orleans, but I do remember the scores of people lining the streets all dressed in costumes. The children were let up front to collect the trinkets and candy thrown from the elaborate floats. I still remember yelling to the people on the floats "throw me something, Mister - throw me something!". As a child, the more "stuff" you collected, the more fun the carnival.

One year my brother and I were dressed as Indians and another as cowboys (as you can see from the photos). I'm not quite sure which came first the cowboys or the Indians; but I remember both sets of costumes vividly. Since the above photos were taken in February of 1959, I would have been 6 and Eric 9; so I suspect that we were Indians before we were cowboys. And of course it was a holiday in New Orleans, so NO school!

Maybe Eric has photos of us dressed as Indians that I could add to this blog - maybe? I would love to show you the Indian outfits too. If memory serves (and it rarely does these days), my mother took painstaking efforts to make the Indian outfits right down to sewing on hundreds of sequins and seed beads for more authenticity.

Maybe having been a child and experiencing Mardi Gras from a child's perspective is why I think Halloween is sort of "lame". Don't know - don't even care - just that I know Mardi Gras was much more fun than Halloween!

In case you don't know exactly what Fat Tuesday is...... I found this in a Google search. Some of what you can read below (or not), I already knew, but parts of it I found very interesting - maybe only to me....? It's nice to know the history of a celebration that I was once part of.

"The history of a Mardi Gras celebration existed many years before Europeans came to the New World. Some time in the Second Century, during mid-February (usually February 15 according to the Julian calendar), Ancient Romans would observe what they called the Lupercalia, a circus-type festival which was, in many respects, quite similar to the present day Mardi Gras. This festival honored the Roman deity, Lupercus, a pastoral God associated with Faunus or the Satyr. Although Lupercus is derived from the Latin Lupus (meaning "wolf"), the original meaning of the word as it applies to Roman religion has become obscured over the passage of time.

When Christianity arrived in Rome, the dignitaries of the early Church decided it would be more prudent to incorporate certain aspects of such rituals into the new faith rather than attempt to abolish them altogether. This granted a Christian interpretation to the ancient custom and the Carnival became a time of abandon and merriment which preceded the Lenten period (a symbolic Christian pentinence of 40 days commencing on Ash Wednesday and ending at Easter). During this time, there would be feasting which lasted several days and participants would indulge in voluntary madness by donning masks, clothing themselves in the likeness of spectres and generally giving themselves up to Bacchus and Venus. All aspects of pleasure were considered to be allowable during the Carnival celebration and today's modern festivities are thought by some to be more reminiscent of the Roman Saturnalia rather than Lupercalia, or be linked to even earlier Pagan festivals.

From Rome, the celebration spread to other European countries. In medieval times, a similar-type festivity to that of the present day Mardi Gras was given by monarchs and lords prior to Lent in order to ceremoniously conscript new knights into service and hold feasts in their honor. The landed gentry would also ride through the countryside rewarding peasants with cakes (thought by some to be the origin of the King Cake), coins (perhaps the origin of present day gifts of Mardi Gras doubloons) and other trinkets. In Germany, there still remains a Carnival similar to that of the one held in New Orleans. Known as Fasching, the celebrations begin on Twelfth Night and continue until Shrove Tuesday. To a lesser degree, this festivity is still celebrated in France and Spain. A Carnival season was also celebrated in England until the Nineteenth Century, originating as a type of "renewal" festival that incorporated fertility motifs and ball games which frequently turned into riots between opposing villages, followed by feasts of pancakes and the imbibing of alcohol. The preparing and consumption of pancakes on Shrove Tuesday (also known as "Pancake Day" or "Pancake Tuesday" and occurring annually between February 2 and March 9, depending upon the date of Easter) is a still a tradition in the United Kingdom, where pancake tossing and pancake races (during which a pancake must be tossed a certain number of times) are still popular. One of the most famous of such competitions, which takes place in Olney, Buckinghamshire, is said to date from 1445. It is a race for women only and for those who have lived in the Parish for at least three months. An apron and head-covering are requisite. The course is 415 yards and the pancake must be tossed at least three times during the race. The winner receives a kiss from the Ringer of the Pancake Bell and a prayer book from the local vicar. "Shrove" is derived from the Old English word "shrive," which means to "confess all sins."

It is generally accepted that Mardi Gras came to America in 1699 with the French explorer, Sieur d'Iberville. The festival had been celebrated as a major holiday in Paris since the Middle Ages. Iberville sailed into the Gulf of Mexico and, from there, launched an expedition along the Mississippi River. By March 3, 1699, Iberville had set up a camp on the West Bank of the River...about 60 miles South of the present day City of New Orleans in the State of Louisiana. Since that day was the very one on which Mardi Gras was being celebrated in France, Iberville named the site Point du Mardi Gras in honor of the festival. According to some sources, however, the Mardi Gras of New Orleans began in 1827 when a group of students who had recently returned from school in Paris donned strange costumes and danced their way through the streets. The students had first experienced this revelry while taking part in celebrations they had witnessed in Paris. In this version, it is said that the inhabitants of New Orleans were swiftly captured by the enthusiasm of the youths and quickly followed suit. Other sources maintain that the Mardi Gras celebration originated with the arrival of early French settlers to the State of Louisiana. Nevertheless, it is known that from 1827 to 1833, the New Orleans' Mardi Gras celebrations became more elaborate, culminating in an annual Mardi Gras Ball. Although the exact date of the first revelries cannot be determined, the Carnival was well-established by the middle of the Nineteenth Century when the Mystick Krewe of Comus presented its 1857 Torchlight Parade with a theme taken from "Paradise Lost" written by John Milton.

In French, "Mardi Gras" literally means "Fat Tuesday," so named because it falls on the day before Ash Wednesday, the last day prior to Lent...a 40-day season of prayer and fasting observed by the Roman Catholic Church (and many other Christian denominations) which ends on Easter Sunday. The origin of "Fat Tuesday" is believed to have come from the ancient Pagan custom of parading a fat ox through the town streets. Such Pagan holidays were filled with excessive eating, drinking and general bawdiness prior to a period of fasting. Since the modern day Carvinal Season is sandwiched between Christmas and Lent, with Christmas Day being December 25 on the Gregorian Calendar as set by the Roman Catholic Church, this means that other Holy Days are "floating" in nature. Easter always falls on a Sunday, but it can be any Sunday from March 23 through April 25, its actual date being the Sunday which follows the first Full Moon after the Spring Equinox. Mardi Gras is always 47 days prior to this alloted Sunday (the 40 days of Lent plus seven Sundays). The beginning of the Carnival Season itself, however, is also fixed...being January 6, which is the Feast of the Epiphany, otherwise known as Little Christmas or Twelfth Night. Since the date of Mardi Gras thus varies, the length of the Carnival Season also varies accordingly from year-to-year. The origin of the word "Carnival" is from the Latin for "farewell to the flesh," a time when one is expected to forgo earthly pleasures prior to the restrictions of the Lenten Season, and is thought to be derived from the feasts of the Middle Ages known as carnis levamen or "solace of the flesh."

In 1833, Bernard Xavier de Marigny de Mandeville, a wealthy plantation owner, solicited a large amount of money in order to help finance an organized Mardi Gras celebration. It was not until 1837, however, that the first Mardi Gras Parade was staged. Two years later, a description of the 1839 Parade noted that it consisted of a single float. Nonetheless, it was considered to be a great success and apparently, the crowd roared hilariously as this somewhat crude float moved through the streets of the city. Since that time, Mardi Gras in New Orleans has been an overwhelming success, continuing to grow with additional organizations participating each year.

The traditional colors of Mardi Gras are purple (symbolic of justice), green (symbolic of faith) and gold (symbolic of power). The accepted story behind the original selection of these colors originates from 1872 when the Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff of Russia visited New Orleans. It is said that the Grand Duke came to the city in pursuit of an actress named Lydia Thompson. During his stay, he was given the honor of selecting the official Mardi Gras colors by the Krewe of Rex...thus, did these colors also become the colors of the House of Romanoff. The 1892 Rex Parade theme ("Symbolism of Colors") first gave meaning to the representation of the official Mardi Gras colors. Interestingly, the colors of Mardi Gras influenced the choice of school colors for the Louisiana arch-rival colleges, Louisiana State University and Tulane University. Whe LSU was deciding on its colors, the stores in New Orleans had stocked-up on fabrics of purple, green and gold for the upcoming Mardi Gras Season. LSU, opting for purple and gold, bought a large quantity of the available cloth. Tulane purchased much of the only remaining color...green (Tulane's colors are green and white).

Today, Louisiana's Mardi Gras is celebrated not only in New Orleans, but also in numerous smaller cities and towns around the State and in the neighboring Gulf Coast Region. Similar celebrations are also held in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro...arguably the world's most elaborate Carnival location with its Samba Dromo parades, which annually attract a huge number of tourists from all corners of the globe. Regardless of where the festivals take place, however, all share a common party atmosphere inherently associated with the celebrations."

A Special and Spiritual Time in my Life

In 1966 (or 1967), I was nominated to become a member of Job's Daughters in Paola, Kansas by Leslie Williams (a friend of my brothers). The organization was a very important one for me as it brought me closer to my high power and to my fellow Jobies. Our meetings were held on Thursday night (I think) at the Masonic temple. Below is a bit of history on the order. I had nearly forgotten about this chapter in my life until Lee scanned this newspaper clipping. The robes we wore reminded me of angels and the ceremonies were a special strength to me in a troubled time during my teens. I virtually lived for the meetings and volunteered for nearly every charitable event we sponsored.

I can still hear our voices raised in song as we closed every meeting with the following song. Even though I had not thought of the countless days I spent with my sister Jobies, sometimes when I am alone, I can hear this song in my head - it brings me peace.

"Now Our Work is Over"

Now our work is over, savior guide our hands
Daughters of the bethel, fairest in the land.

Dear Lord give Thy children, calm and sweet repose
With Thy tenderest blessing, may our bethel close - Amen

Today, the teachings I learned at these meetings still carry on in my heart. I still volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, Thanksgiving and Christmas for the homeless (most years) and Special Olympics. Nope - I'm far from being the person I wish I were, but this volunteer work is something I can do to help others and I thoroughly enjoy seeing a smile on a homeless person's face as I serve them the best meal they probably had all year and a donated coat or other clothing or the unconditional hug from a Special Olympian as I present them with their medal of achievement.

These people remind me to count my blessings and believe me, I need to be reminded of that as often as possible!

Thanks Lee for bring back such a wonderful teen memory!

After reading the overview below, you may think that Job's Daughters was a sect or cult. Quite the opposite is true. Our bethel consisted of approximately 30 girls coming together not just in worship, but in service to our community and country. We would raise money for various charitable organizations, volunteer services such as babysitting for a working mother who could not afford an evening sitter, serve as voices to raise community awareness, visit nursing homes to sing songs or read aloud to those who had no one to visit with, and since our bethel was located in Paola, Kansas we volunteered many service hours at Lakemary Center (a school for exceptional children).

My mother worked at Lakemary Center for several years as a secretary (although I suspect she was much more than a mere secretary). My first "real" job was as an evening and weekend dormitory aid at the center working primarily with down syndrome, brain damaged and autistic children. I worked there from the time I turned 16 until I was 18. The job gave me high school credit along with a satisfaction that no other job I have held since has been able to fill. I held a very special fondness for an autistic boy named John. His parents were both professionals (one a doctor and the other a lawyer - if I recall correctly), but they never came to visit and John never left the center for an in home visit. I often wonder - even today - what happened to that "special" child.

In case you were wondering how I was able to become a Job's Daughter, my Grandfather Erickson was a Master Mason. I was very fortunate to have been a member of such a fine organization!

The organization was founded as The International Order of Job's Daughters by Ethel T. Wead Mick in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1920. The original minimum age for membership was 13 but has been changed several times over the years, most recently to age 10 in 2004. The purpose of the organization is to band together young girls who are related to a Master Mason and is intended to build character through moral and spiritual development including: a greater reverence for God and the Holy Scriptures[citation needed]; loyalty to one's country and that country's flag; and respect for parents, guardians, and elders. Job's Daughters International is not a religion itself, and its members are not required to practice a particular religion. Members are required, however, to believe in a supreme being.

Mother Mick was fond of the Book of Job, and took the name of the organization as a reference to the three daughters of Job. The Book of Job, 42nd chapter, 15th verse says, "In all the land were no women found so fair as the Daughters of Job, and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren". She founded the Order with the assistance of her husband, Dr. William H. Mick, and several Freemasons and members of Eastern Star of Nebraska. She dedicated the organization to the memory of her mother, Elizabeth D. Wead.

Overview
The presiding officer of the Bethel is called the Honored Queen, elected by the members of her Bethel. This position is roughly analogous to Worshipful Master in a Masonic Lodge, and to the President of an association of any kind. The Honored Queen is assisted in her duties by a Senior Princess and a Junior Princess. The Senior Princess is usually considered to be next in line as Honored Queen. Girls who finish a term as Honored Queen use the title Past Honored Queen (abbreviated PHQ) designation within Job's Daughters. The elected officers are referred to as the "line officers" of the Bethel, meaning that in general, a Daughter is elected sequentially from the lowest position (Marshal) to the highest position (Honored Queen).

[edit] Stations (Officers) of the Bethel
Elected:
Honored Queen - my fifth office

Senior Princess - my fourth office
Junior Princess - my third office
Guide - my sixth and final office
Marshal
Appointed:
Senior Custodian
Junior Custodian
Recorder
Librarian
Chaplain
Treasurer
First Messenger - my first office
Second Messenger
Third Messenger
Fourth Messenger
Fifth Messenger
Inner Guard - my second office
Outer Guard
Musician

I'll be back soon!

For those who don't already know, right after I made my last post on October 10, 2008, my computer died. It saddened me greatly and I rushed him to the emergency room. My friend and IT specialist was able to perform CPR (or is that CPU?) and by Friday, October 31, 2008 he should be back among the living.

Hooray for Richard! Thanks to all his hard work, my computer will live again to blog another post!

See you all again soon with more old and not so old family photos.

In the meantime, don't forget to check out Cortni's blog (link on this page) to see what the Fleske family is up to.

The Wedding - AKA The Dome

Believe me, I am not making a joke of this blessed event. But after meeting Sian and seeing Todd again, I know they will appreciate the humor of the following photos taken by Mark (Todd's younger brother) during the ceremony.

As is evident from the next several pictures, my cousin Mark was seated behind his father (my uncle); Lee. The shining "dome" you see in every photo is that of Lee.

The beautiful couple up front are of course are Sian and Todd Seligman.

More photos of the happy couple will be posted at a later date - but I thought both Todd and Sian would get a kick out of seeing these posted to this blog.

Mark, I'm not making fun - well... maybe... I love you though!

Nice head Lee!

That's Jay in the middle saying a few words prior to the bride's appearance. Jay is Todd and Mark's youngest brother. For those who don't know, Jay is Dayna's son from her second marriage and therefore Mark and Todd's half-brother (but not half to the family!)






Isn't she BEAUTIFUL!

An Everlasting Memory

When I first saw these photos of the main beach house in Corolla, NC on the Internet, I was in awe. But these photos don't begin to show how beautiful the setting for Sian and Todd's wedding actually was. When I first arrived, it was still daylight and the view was absolutely breathtaking from the third floor of the house. The waves crashing lightly on the beach and the wind blowing softly was truly a wonder.

The weather was perfect - in fact everything was perfect!

In the evening as we ate on the deck there was a chill in the air and the smells of wonderful food which mixed with the scent of the fresh air and ocean. The stars were so clear and bright it felt as if you would reach up and touch them.

As the sun rose in the morning, the red, yellow and orange colors danced across the water as if to say "good morning - what a lovely day ahead". And at night as I lay in bed, I could still feel the cool breeze blowing through the open doors leading to the second level deck as I drifted off to sleep to the sound of the waves gently riding into the shore of the beautiful beach.


The first evening's dinner was served at the other beach house where Dayna and many of the other guests stayed. But from that night on, I spent many hours in the great room you see above located on the third level of the main beach house. The room was full of joy and laughter from family and friends during the Saturday night crab feast, the Sunday wedding preparations and the couple of days that followed. This was truly an event that I shall never forget.

Apologies

I just want to let everyone know that I have not given up on this project. For the past several weeks, I have been working my 2nd job nearly 30 hours a week. By the time I get home, it is late and no time for posting. Saturdays I have been working 10-11 hours and my only day off in the past two weeks has been this past Sunday. To be quite honest, I just did not do anything that day.

As soon as my schedule permits, I will resume posting. That may however be in mid October. There are lots more photos to post and of course there will be pictures of Sian and Todd's wedding.

See you soon.

More Great-Grandpa Tenney

Great-Grandpa Tenney (Great-Great Grandpa for Todd, Mark, Ryan, Tiffani and Cortni and Great-Great-Great Grandpa to Caitlyn, Michael, Athena, Samuel, Mason & Emi). Whoa - that's a lot of "greats"!

Again - he was Auntie and Grandma Seligman's father. He sure was handsome - don't you think? He looks so young in this photo - unfortunately, there is no date on the back of either. I do however find it interesting that the photo was taken in Youngstown, Ohio. I searched the Internet, but could find nothing on A.P. Webb Studio.

I love seeing the backs of the photos with either a studio stamp or handwritten notes. Not sure who wrote that note but it would have been my mother, Lee or possibly Jean (I think).

Did Santa Visit Pouting Children in 1961?

Okay for all the times I got on to Tiffani when she was a child for pouting - my sincere apologies. As you can see by this photo of me - she definitely came by it honestly!

Christmas 1961 in Grandma and Grandpa Seligman's kitchen at 1789 Verbena Street, NW Washington DC.

I think this must have been taken AFTER I opened my Christmas gifts. If Santa had seen that face - he would have left me a lump of coal. But wait - look at those filthy saddle shoes - it must have been before gifts as I am quite sure there must have been a brand new pair under the tree.

Aunt Bobby is turned around smiling - Uncle Selly obviously needs longer arms to read whatever he is trying to read and there I am pouting and being ignored! Poor me - must have seemed very serious to me at the time - huh?

November 1971

Todd's wedding to Sian is in less than a month and that event has me very excited. This is the only baby photo I have of Todd. So now you see why I refer to Todd as "my baby cousin". I had just graduated high school and headed out to start my new life when Todd was born and started his.

This is how I had always remembered Todd until about six years ago I was able to reunite with Lee, Todd and Mark on Christmas Eve for dinner on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA. Actually, Todd, Mark and myself rigged my visit up as a surprise. Lee had no I idea I was coming until he stepped into the bar a minute or so behind Todd and there I was. If I recall, the first words out of Lee's mouth were "I think I've been had".

The evening was very enjoyable and Lee and I have kept in contact ever since. Before that night it had been nearly 30 years since I had seen him and probably 15 since we had last spoken on the phone. I treasure all the family I have back in my life and hope to never loose track or touch with any of them again.

The only thing that would have made that night on the Queen Mary perfect would have been if Mark would have been there to join in the celebration. Unfortunately, Mark had the flu and had to stay at home. We drove to their condo after dinner though so I could at least meet Mark.

Anyway, the photo is of Lee, Dayna (Lee's wife at the time the photo was taken) and Todd. I will be seeing them all very shortly and can't wait!

I promise I will post wedding photos as soon as they are available. Todd and Sian are a beautiful couple - both inside and out.

Grandpa Seligman and Lee

Lee thinks this photo was taken in 1951. Well, my math was obviously not correct the first time I posted this - Lee would have been 13 at the time this photo was taken - so does that mean this was a bar mitzvah photo?

At any rate - you both look like you just stepped off a modeling runway - so pristine and put together. I love this photo. I know Lee will "kill" me for saying so again - but I still think he could pass for Elvis' brother!

To get the full effect of the photo and envision Great-Grandpa Tenney - you should read the comment posted by Lee. I can just see Lee trying to drink from a cup with a spoon in it - Grandma or Auntie telling him he was going to put his eye out and then one of them pouring the tea into a saucer to cool it off.

Back in the "olden days" before television, video games and computers people would actually hand write on the backs of photos so they would remember later.

The back of this photo appears to have been removed from a scrapbook. I sure wish the date were on it.

Anyway, the photo is of Great-Grandma Tenney, Jean (Auntie's adopted daughter) and Great-Grandpa Tenney. I'm not sure if Jean was adopted as a baby or as a small child. I have only seen photos of her at about this age. She sure is a cutie though.

Most of the photos I have seen of Great-Grandpa Tenney he is is wearing a suit and a hat. I understand that he once had a haberdashery, but the business failed in the 1920's. I would say that during the depression, hats were the least of what people felt they needed to spend their money on.

The stamp on the back of the photo is from Peoples Drug Store. Lord - I have not heard that name for years and years! After a bit of research, I found that Peoples was one of the largest chain pharmacies in the Mid-Atlantic states boasting nearly 500 stores on the East Coast. In 1990 CVS purchased the chain, remodeled the stores but continued to use the Peoples name until 1994.

People's Drug in the DC/MD area offered Beef 'n Burgers, a sort of Manwhich (I guess you'd say). These sandwiches were delicious, hamburger with a slight beef sauce. My kids might remember what they called "loose meats". Not a sloppy joe because there was not sauce.

The employee behind the bar was called a "soda jerk" - no, not because he was weird - The term refers to the motion required to operate the soda water dispenser - the white handle on our right of the Soda Jerk. It was used on virtually any drink that wasn't coming out of a bottle, like an ice cream soda or a lemon phosphate.

The photos below depict the inside of the store in the Washington DC are in the early 20's.

The bottom photo is from a national photo collection which contends that the "ghost people" frequented this pharmacy - what do you think. Can you see anyone in the reflection of the mirror?

I'm sure this was WAY more information than anyone thought necessary - I thought it was interesting.

Aunt Alice T. Mann - Auntie

The first photo above is our beloved Auntie - you can read for yourself the caption on the back written in Auntie's own handwriting.

No idea what year(s) these were taken - but according to the back of one photo, Auntie had two Spitz dogs that were MEAN!

My grandmother Seligman was the youngest child in the Tenney family and Auntie the oldest. I'm not sure I ever really knew that for sure before these photos started coming my way.

Anyhow, here are a couple of photos of Auntie above that appear to have been taken when she was in her twenties? Below is a note written by my mother to my brother Eric about this incredible woman. I realize that you don't exactly know who fits where in the family chain - neither do I really. I just know that I loved my Grandma and my Auntie very much and they loved us all too!

Seeing the words on the back of the photo and in this note to my brother - it's like they both left their "thumbprints" on everyone who reads this

They say a person never dies so long as there is someone left to remember and carry on.

If you click on the note, you will be able to read every word my mother wrote about our Auntie

World War II Memorabelia

As I have told everyone before, this blog is a collaboration of efforts from my Uncle Lee and myself. He has the memories and the photos and I just transfer them to this blog for anyone interested enough to read.

In an older post, I published photos of my Grandmother's Asst. Sector Air Warden Card. Here is another bit of memorabilia from that era. Grandpa Seligman was too young to serve in WWI and too old to serve in WWII. But I know he and Grandma both did their part on the home front to help our soldiers and country in WWII. I treasure these photos as they are a part of America history preserved in the Seligman family so that on one will forget.

The photos are of my Uncle Lee's ration book for May of 1942. Lee was only 4 years old at the time, but all citizens must have had their own books - no matter the age.

Below is what Lee has to say about rationing during this time.

"I remember a little about rationing ... mostly, that we never seemed to not be able to get most things ... Mother had a friend who had a butcher stand in the old Center City Market on 7th St [I think] ... there was only one of these [Eastern Market] left when I left DC and it burned down a couple of years ago [supposedly, they were/are going to rebuild it and it is definitely one of the places I intend to go when I'm back there], but there used to be one in each section of the city & one in Georgetown. They were amazing ... kind of like the farmer's markets of Paris and London ... enclosed buildings that were like open areas with a roof, sawdust on the floor with stands inside for every kind of food ... vegetables, fruit, meats of all kinds, cheeses [when I was at Customs Hq. in charge of food and vegetable/animal products imports, one of my main sources of info/research was the cheese purveyors there], and baked goods outside ... only place I know of to this day where I could go and buy a 10# bag of chicken livers! But, as usual, I digress ... the only thing I can remember we could not get was butter ... they had something called oleo that came in a two # plastic bag with a red dot that you had to push to brreak and then squeeze throughout the mass of this stuff to color it so it looked like butter, but still tasted horrible. I can remember that, when real butter became available when the War was over, Mother was so happy that for a month she "buttered" both sides of her morning toast. I can remember "Uncle" Al managed to get us a phone for the kitchen and wire it in which was unheard of .[by the way our phone number in 1941 was GEorgia-3280 !! and we were the only Seligman's in the DC phone book]."

I had always heard about rationing at that time, but it never seemed that real to me until I saw these scans of the documents. I find it amazing the Lee remembers the phone number after all these years!

1929 or 1930 - Probably 1929

This photo was taken either in late 1929 or early 1930.

That's Grandma Seligman pushing my mother May Seligman and walking beside I believe is my Auntie's (Aunt Alice) adopted daughter Jean.

They say I look a lot like my grandmother, but personally I don't see the resemblance - she sure was a beautiful woman!

Check out that baby buggy - what I would not give to have that now. That would be a true family heirloom - a keepsake forever! Looks like it was made for a doll instead of a baby - don't you think? Notice that the wheels are metal only - that must have been one bumpy ride!

Since Jean is in the photo - looking none to happy to be there - I would guess that perhaps Auntie took the photo.

Let's go further back

I told you I post the photos as the notion or emotion hits me. Today was to say the least an interesting day for me. I found I was unable to concentrate at work and my mind wandered back to Grandma, Grandpa, and all the family from when I was a child.

But I also found myself wondering what times were like when my parents and their parents were children. Suffice to say a more gentle time than now - certainly. A more caring and loving atmosphere - you bet. The world of those who lived around the turn of the century and into the 1940's and 1950's revolved around family and friends more so than now. The "pace" was much slower and .... gentile (I think that's what I mean to say).

Television, video games, computers, cell phones and texting were unimaginable.

The photo above is of my Grandmother, my Mother and my Grandfather Seligman. I think they make quite the handsome family. Personally, I think Grandma was a stunner!

Lee calls that "ever present" bow in my mother's hair "the growth". I have to agree that it is rather silly looking. But at the time, I'm sure it was fashionable.

Grandpa is wearing "wire" glasses - he looks so strange in them as this is the only photo I have ever seen that he was not wearing either black or "horn rimmed" glasses - is that the correct term? Actually, I like them!

However, some things never seem to change. Check out the patent leather "mary janes" on my mother. I know I had an identical pair and both my girls did too!

1955

As everyone knows, my Uncle Lee attended the Naval Academy and graduated from there in 1960. Along with scanning these photos for me, he has been diligently working on "stuff" for his 50th reunion.

I thought it appropriate to show you the photo he kept inside his dress cap for four years.

That's my brother Eric and me. I never knew he carried a photo of us that entire time. Call me a sap... but I find that very touching. Anyway the photo was taken in 1955. Eric would have been six and I three?... that sounds and looks about right. Thank you Lee for this photo - now that I see it again, I think Grandpa had this photo framed on his desk at work too.

OMG is that bow in my hair nearly as big as my head or what?! My mother must have either hated me or maybe it was just my hair - every baby and childhood photo of me looks like someone took a chainsaw to my hair!

The Happy Couple

Todd has finally met the love of his life and he and Sian will be married this October. Sian is not just beautiful, she is smart, funny and up for whatever "crazy" things she and Todd can think up!

I chatted with Sian the other day and she was delightful. I welcome her into the family and hope we become not just relatives - but friends as well.

Congratulations Sian and Todd!