Second grade...I'm second to the left of the teacher.
Sunday, May 27, 2018
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Monday, January 1, 2018
The Story of Dishwater the Goat.
The 4H group has been around the Valley for years . Teaching young people about livestock and food. If you become a member, they give your child a goat, or a pig or rabit to raise. Eventually going to the fair and then the meat is harvested and given to the family to eat. Farming, we are an agricultural area after all. Now this idea really appealed to my Father. He'd been through the depression and knew hunger very well. My mother on the other hand had been raised on a farm and knew all to well about kritters, kids and the eventual out come. She felt it would be to traumatic. They went around it a bit with my Father winning out. And so Dishwater the goat came to live at 1 Blake road. This was about 1952 and I'd not been born yet. My two sisters about 4 and 11 played with Dishwater and dressed him up with little hats. When the time came, only my older sister was privy to his fate. When the meat was delivered, Mother dutifully cooked it, but would not, eat it. She left the table.
My parents never spoke of it again. Later when I came along and some of my young friends received their livestock to raise, my Mother was vigilant. When the 4H'ers came to the door, she rudly sent them away . Now, my Mother was never rude to anyone at that time, so for years this was a mystery to me. Untill, one day about a year ago I heard the story of Dishwater the faited goat. Now finally the story told, I understood my Mothers animosity towards 4H. I'm sure you can find kids in the valley today raising 4H animals. We are after all a farming community . Recently I found an old picture in my Mothers things. Two little girls, a baby and a goat wearing a hat.
The 4H group has been around the Valley for years . Teaching young people about livestock and food. If you become a member, they give your child a goat, or a pig or rabit to raise. Eventually going to the fair and then the meat is harvested and given to the family to eat. Farming, we are an agricultural area after all. Now this idea really appealed to my Father. He'd been through the depression and knew hunger very well. My mother on the other hand had been raised on a farm and knew all to well about kritters, kids and the eventual out come. She felt it would be to traumatic. They went around it a bit with my Father winning out. And so Dishwater the goat came to live at 1 Blake road. This was about 1952 and I'd not been born yet. My two sisters about 4 and 11 played with Dishwater and dressed him up with little hats. When the time came, only my older sister was privy to his fate. When the meat was delivered, Mother dutifully cooked it, but would not, eat it. She left the table.
My parents never spoke of it again. Later when I came along and some of my young friends received their livestock to raise, my Mother was vigilant. When the 4H'ers came to the door, she rudly sent them away . Now, my Mother was never rude to anyone at that time, so for years this was a mystery to me. Untill, one day about a year ago I heard the story of Dishwater the faited goat. Now finally the story told, I understood my Mothers animosity towards 4H. I'm sure you can find kids in the valley today raising 4H animals. We are after all a farming community . Recently I found an old picture in my Mothers things. Two little girls, a baby and a goat wearing a hat.
Saturday, December 16, 2017
Holidays at Ford's...
Ford's Department Store in the early 60s was the place to go at Christmass time. It was Watsonvilles own version of Macy's. My Mother having come here from San Francisco, shopped there almost exclusively. From the bird filled covered parking to the fancy elevator to the little luncheon bar at the entrance. Watsonville at the time had fancy lighted decorations over each street and Ford's department store featured a set of large lighted figures looking like 18 century singers on their roof. People dressed up when they went to shop. Men wore hats and wemon wore dresses and heals. Ford's caried the latest of most everything from wedding dresses to fine china, beds to washing machines. Going there to shop at Chirstmass was an event for us and many of our Corralitos neighbors. I remember going in after church. All the ladies and Christmas Corsages. The egg salad sandwiches and cherry coke I ate at the lunch counter, while waiting with my sister for mom to finish shopping. The crowds of folks all dressed up with kids and packages in tow. Christmass music and driving home in the darkness. We loved counting the decorated trees in the windows of our neighbors along Blake and Alderage roads.
Latter, in the early 80s . Watsonville needed to replace their old Chistmass decorations, but oppted not to spend the money.
Ford's Department Store in the early 60s was the place to go at Christmass time. It was Watsonvilles own version of Macy's. My Mother having come here from San Francisco, shopped there almost exclusively. From the bird filled covered parking to the fancy elevator to the little luncheon bar at the entrance. Watsonville at the time had fancy lighted decorations over each street and Ford's department store featured a set of large lighted figures looking like 18 century singers on their roof. People dressed up when they went to shop. Men wore hats and wemon wore dresses and heals. Ford's caried the latest of most everything from wedding dresses to fine china, beds to washing machines. Going there to shop at Chirstmass was an event for us and many of our Corralitos neighbors. I remember going in after church. All the ladies and Christmas Corsages. The egg salad sandwiches and cherry coke I ate at the lunch counter, while waiting with my sister for mom to finish shopping. The crowds of folks all dressed up with kids and packages in tow. Christmass music and driving home in the darkness. We loved counting the decorated trees in the windows of our neighbors along Blake and Alderage roads.
Latter, in the early 80s . Watsonville needed to replace their old Chistmass decorations, but oppted not to spend the money.
Sunday, December 10, 2017
Santa comes to 1 Blake.
Christmass in the valley was great. From our vantage point at One Blake we could see right across to the hills on the other side. Right out those big picture windows from the old Southern Pacific Depo. The tree went right in front of them. Not many in those days had outside lighting so it was important to place your tree where all the neighbors could see it. Dad liked to get our tree at the Corn Palace on East Lake. Off we'd go in the old Studibaker, our tie ropes ready. We'd return and wait for Dad to put it in the stand. My parents loved all kinds of music. So the old victrola played Bing Crosby , Swan Lake and Burl Eves while we readied the Bubble lights. Frequent trips to Ford's Department Store were in order and Chistmass Corsages were worn in mass, the larger the better. When I was about 4, my Dad set up a bear trap by our tree, claiming he'd be sure to catch Santa. Christmas morning as the sun poured thru the big windows , I saw that it was sprung with a boot and a bit of red velvet and white beard. I burst into tears as my Dad fell over laughing. It took awhile for him to convince me that Santa was all right.
Christmass in the valley was great. From our vantage point at One Blake we could see right across to the hills on the other side. Right out those big picture windows from the old Southern Pacific Depo. The tree went right in front of them. Not many in those days had outside lighting so it was important to place your tree where all the neighbors could see it. Dad liked to get our tree at the Corn Palace on East Lake. Off we'd go in the old Studibaker, our tie ropes ready. We'd return and wait for Dad to put it in the stand. My parents loved all kinds of music. So the old victrola played Bing Crosby , Swan Lake and Burl Eves while we readied the Bubble lights. Frequent trips to Ford's Department Store were in order and Chistmass Corsages were worn in mass, the larger the better. When I was about 4, my Dad set up a bear trap by our tree, claiming he'd be sure to catch Santa. Christmas morning as the sun poured thru the big windows , I saw that it was sprung with a boot and a bit of red velvet and white beard. I burst into tears as my Dad fell over laughing. It took awhile for him to convince me that Santa was all right.
Sunday, November 12, 2017
Fall in the valley was always cold. A crispness filled the air. Corralitos school often had ice on the lawns. We readied our costumes as Hollowen approached. The School had a contest every year and lots of candy was handed out. Store costumes had not really come in yet, so most all were home made. My Mother liked to Win this competition and worked fervently on that old peddle Singer my Dad had electified for Her. The Childern would line up every year on the lawn between the buildings . Classes were cancelled for the day and Mothers ran after their kids with the rest of their costumes. A tail or tall hat or beard. I remember Lincoln being very popular. It was quite a competition. We arrived with our Moms and siblings, costumes in tow, at 9 am. The Parrade before the judges was at 10 am. Prizes and candy handed out at 11 am. Home by noon. We spent the rest of the day carving our pumpkins and planing our attack for trick or treat. I remember Mother really bundling us up under our costumes to brave a cold Corralitos fall night. I know it seems odd now, but girls were required to wear dresses or skirts to school everyday. This was one day at school when we wore pants under our costumes and we were much warmer. And yes, my Mother did win many times between the three of us. A fact that She reveled in for years to come.
Gypsy
Fairy 
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