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I Went To A Garden Party

A potluck garden party in Nancy Kreile's beautiful garden.

The pretty table setting, with a gift of lavender for each of us.

Nancy Kreile, Jean Hester, Connie Forest.

Also attending, Peggy Kesterson, Nancy Javier and I.

After lunch, a tour of Nancy's very cute house. I was talking too much and didn't take enough photos.

This headboard was painted on the wall by Nancy's talented mother, Anne. 

One of Nancy's photographs. It's hard to tell from my photo but it's Nancy's cat's paw peeking out of the bedcovers.  Nancy is a wonderful photographer. 

I wish I had taken more pictures because Nancy's house was so pretty and she had so many interesting things.

 The beautiful garden.

Nancy J. and Connie in the back country.

Sepia Saturday- Sort of a love letter

Like most men of my father's generation, he didn't often express his feelings. I was surprised to find this "semi" love letter among my mother's keepsakes.  It was written in 1944.

Apparently my mother (and we three kids) were staying with relatives in her hometown of Dixon, Ill. while my father was in Watseka, Ill. where he worked.  He was looking for a house. These cities were quite far apart so they weren't seeing each other very often. He must have been very lonesome and he made reference to my mother being despondent.

Since this is a little hard to read I'll tell you a little of what it says:

He had written his last letter at work and everyone marveled that he would write such a long letter to a "mere" wife and that if it was a girlfriend it would be different. He replied that she WAS his girlfriend.

He goes on to say that my mother's card playing friends thought he looked lonely and he said he was lonely but none of them took the hint so he thought he was going to keep "baching".

I told you it was a "semi" love letter.


It goes on for 6 pages but mostly about work and house hunting. He mentioned that he looked at a house for $4000 that he thought could be had for $3500. Those were the days!!!

For some reason he enclosed the phone bill and there was a call to Dixon for $1.45 which must have been a fortune in those days. So apparently they were also talking on the phone a lot.

He always ended his letters with a drawing for the kids.

 

He wasn't much of an artist but I love these anyway.

 The happy couple before they were married.

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Art-filled Fall lunch at Connie's house

Connie invited us to her charming art-filled house for a pot-luck lunch.

 

The beauty started at the front door which was decorated with delicate glass beads.

A niche in the entryway.

The table was decorated with a Fall theme and a gift of home-made peach jam was at each plate.

 

Nancy sits below one of the paintings from Connie's wonderful art collection.

Jean didn't feel well after catching a cold from her grandchild. She was afraid she would infect us all so stood at the door with her salad and had to be persuaded to come in. As far as I know none of us caught the cold.  We were so glad she decided to stay.

In the background you can just barely see some of Connie's amazing Mexican folk art collection.

 I wish I had taken pictures of each and every piece but somehow got none of it. I'll have to go back for a photo session.

Nancy Kreile listens carefully. 

After lunch we toured the lovely garden.

A beautifully decorated wall in the garden.

A piece of Mexican wrought iron hangs on another wall.

 Back inside and a beautiful painting by a Mexican artist.

Even Connie's cat fit in with the decor.

The rest of the group consisted of Connie and I. I didn't get a good picture of either of us.

A wonderful time was had by all.