That Reminds Me

Notable Sister Cowles

2011-05-22T20:23:00.000-07:00

Grandma shared today that she was impressed that a couple of young women came up at a farewell party yesterday and said Hi to her by name (Sis. Cowles). She didn't recognize them by name but realized she had probably taught them in the nursery and was delighted that they remembered her by name. When she got home and went to change her clothes, she discovered that she had still been wearing the nametag received at the hearing loss meeting held before the farewell. No wonder they remembered her.

The rest of the story: they were both the daughters of the woman we were saying good by to! She just hadn't recognized them because they were now grown women! They didn't need a nametag to remember Sis. Cowles!

We're Coming to Town

2010-08-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

When we arrived in Logan to visit my grandparents (Harry and Elizabeth Shaw), Grandpa would go to the newspaper and have them write up an article that, "Bessie Harmon and her three children have come from Los Angeles to visit Harry and Elizabeth Shaw." It was typical to have reports from families printed in the newspaper. That made me feel like a celebrity!

People from outlying areas would come into Logan on Saturdays to shop. My mother, Bessie and my grandmother, Elizabeth would drive the car and park in the center of town on Main Street. There they would be able to visit with friends and relatives that would come in to shop on Saturday afternoons. Mother would give us each a dime to spend in the 10cent stores. I loved to buy "Big, Little Books." They were children's story books about cowboys, animals and other stories.

One day Grandpa made a U turn in the middle of the block on Main Street in Logan. A policeman (his friend), stopped him and said, "Harry, you know you can't do that!" (meaning it's against the law). And Grandpa responded, "I didn't think I could, but I did, didn't I!" And Grandpa just drove off!

On hot afternoons we'd all pile into Mother's car (5 children, and Grandpa and Grandma as well as Mother who drove). We'd take a trip up into the mountains and so enjoyed the cool breeze and the beauty of the river and mountains. On the way home, Grandpa always stopped at the Drive-in. We'd often order a fudgesicle and Grandpa would always order a "Poopsi-cola." We were so embarrassed and would correct him, yelling (so he could hear us - he was hard of hearing), "Grandpa it's a Pepsi Cola!!"

Grandpa worked in the Logan temple several days each week. He would rev up the motor of his Buick (important to own a Buick) so he could hear it and then zoom out the driveway. I didn't know what a temple worker was and I always thought he was a janitor at the temple. I'm glad to have found out years later that he served others as a temple recorder (not as a janitor).

Before my dad left us, he bought my mother a white car (possibly a Chevrolet). It had previously been a demonstration car and through the white paint we could still read "Mobil" who had sponsored the race car. That was very embarrassing to all of us. Mother drove that car for years until Grandpa and Grandma came to live with her and Grandpa bought her a tan colored Buick.

Rolling out the carpet for Grandpa Shaw

2010-08-10T18:14:00.000-07:00

While I was visiting Grandpa and Grandma Shaw in Logan during the summers, Grandpa would often sit out on the front porch. When I was about 14 years old, Elizabeth Price (my cousin)taught me how to sew and I purchased some deep green velvet material to make a suit. I laid out the fabric on the living room floor and on into the dining room. Grandpa came in to eat lunch and walked on top of the laid out fabric as if it were his welcome carpet! He left dusty footprints all up and down the fabric! I was horrified to see footprints on my fabric. My children often asked, "What did you do?, what did you say?" I didn't say anything! We wouldn't think of saying anything to our elders! But the fortunate thing was, the fabric was undamaged and I just brushed off the dusty prints. The suit turned out nicely and I wore it for years.

Red Bricks

2010-08-10T18:03:00.001-07:00

In our Orangevale home, east of Sacramento, in the early 1960's, we built what seemed like miles of brick planters in the front and back yards. We were able to buy historic used brick from the early 1880's (approx) Sacramento courthouse. There was no quality control in those days and the bricks were irregular shapes. Some of the bricks would have one side painted as it had been the inside of a painted wall. It took a large amount of mortar to level the bricks for the planters. One night we had mixed too much mortar so we quietly continued to work into the wee hours of the morning. We didn't want to disturb the Cantoni family, our next-door-neighbors, as we were working near their bedroom windows. The planters turned out beautiful.

After the planters were landscaped, Gordon planted strawberry plants around the other plants in the planters. In a few years we had LOTS of strawberries. They were big and delicious. The girls would go out and pick large bowls of strawberries and once in awhile, our whole dinner would be homemade strawberry shortcake. It was a hit with all of us.

Happy Anniversary Part 2

2010-04-25T07:29:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures of Grandma and Grandpa. Happy Anniversary!

Grandma's wedding flowers

Gordon and Jocelyn
Sunday dinner at Aunt Winnie's
April 21, 1946

Gordon and Jocelyn 1991

Happy Anniversary

2010-04-18T06:42:00.000-07:00

Today is Grandma and Grandpa's 63rd wedding anniversary.

Here is Grandma's story about their wedding day:
We were married on Friday, April 18, 1847 at about 4 pm in our living room at mother’s home. The wedding was held in the afternoon so Gordon could attend his morning classes at USC. We were married in April because we were able to find a place to rent (it was difficult to find a place to live at the end of the war). My mother’s sister, MaRee came down earlier to help my mother get ready for our wedding. We bought a beautiful wedding cake, (a white cake) at the Farmer’s Market on Fairfax near Wilshire in Westwood, Los Angeles. (As of a couple of years ago, there is still a bakery at the same location.) Marion Lewis, mother’s bridge friend, arranged the wedding flowers. There were a couple of bouquet arrangements for a little stand that we put in front of the hearth where we knelt for the wedding. There was a bouquet for Elizabeth Ann (my maid of honor) and boutonnieres for Gordon and his best man, Don Hughes. Gordon and I went into LA about a week before the wedding to buy wedding bands. We bought simple gold bands. My mother was a little disappointed that it was so plain but I still wear it today. (The only time I took it off was when I had surgery a few years ago and they made me remove it - Joanne wore it carefully for me and put it back on my finger as soon as I was awake. And Gordon's ring is at the bottom of Lake Folsom! He had lost weight and it fell off as he was throwing ski lines.)
I wore a gray suit with a wonderful straw hat with small colored flowers on it, black gloves and a purse and black shoes. I wore an orchid on my suit. Aunt Winnie, Aunt Fenya (Gordon’s maternal aunts) and Uncle Whitney went in together and purchase a Navy blue suit for Gordon to wear. He wore a white shirt and tie.
Orson Haney, our stake patriarch officiated at our wedding. I had met him a few months earlier when I received my patriarchal blessing. Gordon had a friend who sang at the wedding (of course he asked to be paid for his singing). Family who attended included Gordon’s Aunt Winnie, Aunt Fenya and Uncle Whitney, (maternal aunts) and Uncle Rielly and Aunt Claudia (paternal uncle). Diltz and Murtel, Gordon’s parents lived in Kansas and did not attend. They had come out to visit earlier in the year. My mother, Bessie Harmon and her sister, MaRee attended along with my brother, G.A. and sister, Elizabeth Ann. Dr. Newman was there as well as my friend Betty with her date, Joe. I had met Betty in a volleyball class at UCLA. Of interest is that Betty and Joe started talking more seriously about their relationship on the way home from our wedding and were eventually married! Sue Bennett and Patty Baldwin, two of my friends, were also invited but I don’t remember if they were able to make it.
We had a small reception after the wedding. I remember having punch in Mother’s cut glass punch bowl, the lovely wedding cake, and nuts and mints. Ada Hanley, who was the cosmetic buyer at Saks Fifth Ave. where I worked, and Mrs. Leavitt a sales lady there, came for the reception. I did not have a bouquet to toss. When I went to get my hat to leave, there was GA with Dr. Newman looking at the guns GA had brought home from the war in Germany. Mother let us take her 1936 Chevrolet on our honeymoon. We had dinner on the way to San Bernardino (a little restaurant along the way), and spent the night in San Bernardino and then the next day went up to Lake Arrowhead where we had first met. Gordon took Monday off from school and we returned to our new apartment on Monday. Soon after that we got word that the whole building was going to be moved and we would have to move. But that’s another story!

Memories

2010-02-21T15:31:00.000-08:00

Today at dinner, Mother was reminded of the time she took her elderly mother to the pharmacy to refill a prescription. There was a long wait and Grandma kept asking Mother, "Why are we here?" Mother would patiently answer to the frequently asked question, "We're here to get your medicine." Then Grandma asked, "What is the medicine for?" Mother, answering honestly, replied, "It's for your memory!" And of course, those who had been waiting in line, had a good laugh. We'll all be there someday!

Happy Birthday, Garden Hose!

2009-07-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

Today is a great day to remember Grandpa- the other half of Grandma. Today he would be 83 years old. Happy Birthday! I love the story about Grandma introducing Grandpa to her grandfather. She introduced him as Gordon Cowles. Her grandfather, pretending to be harder of hearing than he actually was, responded, "What, Garden Hose?" Probably a very appropriate name for Grandpa!

Grandpa always wanted to help Grandma relax more, sit back and enjoy life. Grandma likes to keep busy, serve others, and do new and interesting things, all which helps Grandma enjoy life! I can remember him singing with his deep bass voice around the house while Grandma was rushing around trying to get ready for this or that. It did not relax Grandma! But what a kind attempt.

A couple of Sundays ago, we were looking at pictures Andrea scanned of our family when we were kids and we were reminded of his camelia corsages he made for us to wear to church on Sundays. Some were pretty huge! And the netting was so itchy. But we knew they were made with love to help us enjoy the beauty of nature and his hand as the gardener. I hope Grandpa is sprucing up some spot in heaven with some beautiful plants and flowers, singing in a deep bass, "Oh What a Beautiful Morning," as he works! Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

Wanna Play a Game?

2009-03-24T15:49:00.000-07:00

I have fond memories of spending time up at Grandma's house as a kid. We would often find ourselves playing a game. We played games from Othello to Boggle to "Mormon Bridge". Grandma used to point out that she was a Game Grandma, not a boring cookies and milk grandma. (That doesn't mean we never had yummy desserts. It just means that Grandma would rather spend her time playing a game with us than messing around in the kitchen.)

Now I play games whenever I get a chance. Often Jack and I will play a round of Yahtzee as a reward for getting a certain amount of studying done. : )

Tell Me Another Story

2009-03-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

This afternoon Mother was reminded of when she was a child sitting after dinner in the breakfast nook with Elizabeth Ann and GA (her brother and sister) asking their mother to tell stories about when she was a girl. They loved hearing the stories and sometimes her mother would say, "Oh, you've heard that one," but they would ask for her to tell it again! Mother said, "She didn't tell all the stories about her childhood!" I guess she was saving those other stories for their aunts and uncles to tell them during their summer visits to Logan!

Do we have a picture of that breakfast nook on Selby? I loved eating off of Grandma's red patterned dishes in that little room with all the windows overlooking the backyard. And I loved opening the old door in the kitchen that used to be the icebox! I always tried to picture mother growing up in that house.

Mother said that after her father left, she was always hoping for dessert after dinner. But desserts were expensive and not had very often after that. She never even thought about calories then! (and still doesn't need to!)

Grandma never gets mad, except when...

2009-03-07T05:35:00.000-08:00

Since I did not live close to Grandma growing up I never had the opportunity to see her mad or upset with me, until...

It was the summer I was 11 and came to spend a month with Grandma and Grandpa in California. I had just finished my breakfast and Grandma was on the phone, no doubt planning or confirming something great for me to do that day. At the back door by the kitchen there was the cutest little cat, not much older than a kitten, just mewing and mewing.

So I went the cupboard and got a bowl and poured some milk in it and set it outside for the cat.

Ooops!!!

Lol...true to the patience and grace that embodies Grandma she did not yell or scream but it was very clear that was not appropriate behavior. Many good memories from that summer that I will never forget - also the lesson of how to be gracefully angry. Thanks Grandma!

In Whose Service Are We?

2009-03-02T12:47:00.001-08:00

Several years ago, Grandma offered to bring dinner into a family in our ward whose mother was sick. She drove to the house and knocked on the door holding her box lid full of hot dinner items. A family member she didn't recognize, opened the door and invited her in. She was directed to the kitchen and she set down the box. As she started to tell them about the dinner, she was startled to see that she didn't know this family! She excused herself, taking dinner with her and saying that she was sorry, she had the wrong house! How disappointed the "wrong" family must have been to have missed out on a home cooked, home delivered, free meal!

2009-03-01T17:29:00.000-08:00

Grandma always tells great stories about when she was a child, in college, a newly wed... and so on. She always says "If I've already told you this story, just stop me," and I always respond that even if I’ve head it before, I want to hear it again. There are always parts of the story that I have forgotten no matter how many times I’ve heard it.

I interviewed Grandma for my history class last year about growing up during the Great Depression and about life during the World War. She told me so many great stories that there is no way that I can remember them all.

I walked by the class Grandma was teaching today at church, and I said that she loves being with those little kids, and I can’t remember which sister said it (I think it was Sister Keller), but she said that the kids all love being with Grandma. We continued talking about it and I realized that is one great thing I have from my grandma; we both love being with little kids, and the little kids love being with us.

An Afternoon Nap

2009-02-24T21:53:00.001-08:00

After dinner together with Mother last Saturday night, we sat around the table telling stories. Mother shared several and we all had a good laugh. Later that night, Jocelyn suggested we start collecting "Grandma" stories and start a blog for all to enjoy. Great idea and so here is one for me to start with.

Last month, Grandma stretched out for an afternoon nap. When she woke up it was dark outside. Grandma doesn't sleep very well at nights and often will wake up in the wee hours and get to work. It still wasn't light out yet (generally it isn't at 5 during the winter) so she didn't go out to work in the yard. She dressed in her workout clothes and rode her stationary bike. She showered, did her hair, and practiced the piano (or maybe the organ). She sat down to her breakfast when the phone rang. She was surprised to get such an early call from Eileen. But she had a good chat with her telling Eileen about all things she had done yesterday, on Friday. Eileen listened for awhile and then explained to Grandma that it was STILL Friday! Not 5 AM Saturday but 5PM Friday! Grandma got a good laugh out of that but it still took awhile to convince her brain that it was evening and not early morning! Haven't we all felt discombobulated after a long afternoon nap? Now if I didn't tell this story right, I hope Grandma will add to it!

Jocelyn the elder

2009-02-23T22:53:00.000-08:00

My parents chose to honor my grandmother when they named me after her. Perhaps they hoped that I would grow to emulate her strength and persistence.

As a teenager I thought it was great to distinguish between the two of us as Alma and his father did in the Book of Mormon with the subtitle: younger and elder. I signed my correspondences as Jocelyn the younger and addressed my grandma as Jocelyn the elder.

At that time, I thought the parallel between the prophets of old and my relationship with my grandmother was only in the difference in age and the similarity in names. Little did I know that how much my life would parallel Alma the younger's journey while my grandmother would remain as an anchor like Alma the elder.

I left the faith of my mothers and went about with my own version of the son's of Mosiah. I know that Jocelyn the elder cried on her knees, much like Alma the elder did, for her granddaughter to have a change of heart and return to the fold.

I'm grateful that her prayers were answered. While an angel of the Lord didn't appear to me, I had my own Alma the younger experience as

"I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my" grandmother teach unto the children "concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!"
(Alma 36:17-20).

I'm grateful for the faithfulness of my elder, who as Alma the elder, taught her children in righteousness and labored in prayer for their sake. I'm grateful for her example that will stay with me all the days of my life.

This blog is dedicated to telling and sharing her stories of laughter and love. It isn't a family dinner without Grandma starting a story by saying, "That reminds me..."