RISE ABOVE THE REST

It is time we honor a grandchild.  Granny needs to get on the ball.  So...I plan to do a write up every three weeks or so. This will cover a year with all the grandchildren.  

Here is the upcoming schedule for the next two months:

March 1:  Ian Woodruff

March 22:  Otto Nielson

April 5:  Kobin Kempe

April 17:  Jodan Kempe

I really would like to center it close to their birthday if that is okay.  Start compiling your pix and tales.  Send them to my email, please so I can begin to compile them.  Anyone can send little quips, pix or salutations.  Tell me about Ian.

cjhallsbeads@gmail.com

Wishing for Spring

SPRING IS SPRUNG, THE GRASS IS RIZ...

You know the old saying.  Today is March 2,  March came in like a rather weak lion yesterday.  It was black, cloudy and windy as March is, but it didn't storm much.  I think it wanted to, but just couldn't get it together.  Does that mean it will go out like a mangy, sick lamb???

We are in the early spring mode and have been for almost a month.  It tried to be February a few times, but it didn't snow much.  It rained a lot, and was in the high 50's most of the month.  I would say it was more like Indiana or Maryland than Utah.  

I went out for a small walk today, but the wind was bone chilling.  There are many plants popping out--tulips, daffodils, hyacinths.  I counted about a dozen pine trees coming up in the flower beads.  It won't be long  before it will be enjoyable outside.  Don't know what I will be able to do about that this year.   A major clean-up is waiting for me in my yard.  Wish I had some grandchildren here to come help with the work.

I think about you every day and you are always in my prayers.  I hope you are all well and safe.  I love you the most!!!!!

Love and kisses,

Grandma

School Days

 Kate started Pre-K this year in a new school.  She was really excited to share her day with you. 
She woke up early, got dressed in her pretty skirt and shirt, ate a healthy breakfast, then went outside to catch the bus.  At school, she met her classmates (some are friends already), met her teacher and learned about the school.  Then she took the bus home again to see Mommy and Daddy waiting for her.
Kate really loves going to school everyday.

Otto had already had a week of school when Kate started, but he wanted to share that he is in 2nd grade now and has many friends in his class from last year.  He likes his teacher and the wonderful things he's learning.
Ivan wanted to share the way he walks with the kids to school.  He gets a wonderful wagon ride every morning while he walks brother to school and sister to the bus stop.  Some mornings it's cold, some times it's warm.  We have fun walking with mommy!
Happy Fall!

Grandma's poetry

Here is a little ditty I wrote in my poetry class years ago.  It was written for your mothers, but it can still apply today.

                           Practice, Practice, Practice

Every day it’s A, G, D,

One and two and Do, Re, Mi.

All Good Boys, FACE.

Practice, practice, practice.

Sharps and flats and chords to play,

Major C and Minor A,

Quarter notes and al Fine.

Practice, practice, practice.

Programs, concerts, dress rehearsal.

Up the scale and then reversal.

Thirty minutes, no commercial.

Practice, practice, practice.

Connie Hall

1981

Quintin!

A small Easter bunny! how fun! how sweet.A gray bunny is just the thing to make long days fun!

this is our new bunny Quintin, A sweet male lop ear bunny. Such a cute face!  

 Here is a picture of him exploring the couch,

 he's tired now that's for sure.

My what big feet. When we walked in the pet store to see what rabbits they had I saw a cute gray lop ear rabbit sleeping in one corner of the rabbit cage, I had already decided what rabbit I wanted when mom asked me. The man at the pet store said you pick your rabbit up by the scruff of it's neck but when  he picked it up it kicked and kicked it did not like it at all it scared me but when mom picked it up around his front and under his legs he did not kick as much Quintin is very nice and cute and fun.    

By Eleanor

I looked out the window and what did I see?
Popcorn popping on the apricot tree!

A cold dreary April Day

Can spring be on the way?

And the Sweet Violets

And the Star Magnolia

And the Wood Hyacinths

And the Daffodils

How Beautiful!

Look who is having a birthday!!!!!!!

CEDRIC!  YEAH!

Cedric is 8 years old.  He will be baptized soon.  Congratulations to my favorite red head.  I love you, Cedric.  Have a wonderful year.

Family History Inteview 3-18-12 Dan Hall

Family History Interview

Name of Ancestor: Dan Hall

Relationship to me: Parent

My name: Amy Anderson

Date of Interview: 03.18.2012

On Skype

1.       What type of house did you live in as a child?

a.       1740 E 1700 S when he was 4 years old

b.      Sugarhouse – torn down

c.       1840 E 2100 South – house with 2 office bliding in front.  Daily B Cleaners, corner Grocery store

d.      1914 S 1300 E

e.       Near Kmart at Parley’s  - 1 block down from that

2.      What did your dad (Norman Hall) do for a living?

a.       Electircian, City Electrical Inspector

3.      Your mom? (Leona Green)

a.       Waitress in restraurants

b.      Litton Industries – electrical department making gyroscope systems.

c.       Owned ceramic shop

4.      How was your home heated?

a.       First home had a coal furnace that was eventually converted to gas.

b.      He remembers the snow turning black with coal

c.       Clinkers – traction on the road (Clinkers are burnt coal.)

5.      Gardens?

a.       Grandpa Green (Leona’s dad) was a farmer

b.      Grandma Hall lived up on 5^th Avenue and had a garden on the west side of the house.

c.       As a child no yards with gardens – Norman liked to plant tomatoes where ever they lived.

6.      How did you spend Sundays?

a.       He did not attend church until he was 12.

b.      His dad was always remodeling the homes they lived in and that is what they did on Sundays with their dad.

c.       His Dad wanted him to learn to be a dentist and so he didn’t get to learn all about the circuits and electrical stuff.

7.      When were you baptized?

a.       When 9 years old in 1951 – by his Uncle Frank Haight

b.      He had to be dunked 3 times because his toe came up the first time, the prayer was said wrong the 2^nd time.

c.       He was baptized in the Salt Lake Tabernacle Font – that was the font for the Sugarhouse area.  His Brother Jim was also baptized there.

8.      How did you celebrate Birthdays?

a.       With a  big birthday party with cousins and neighbors

b.      Baked a cake

c.       Presents were usually coloring books and crayons.

9.      Didn’t have a lot of money as kids.  His dad spent money on remodeling and fixing houses.

a.       Dan got a job at 13 so he could buy things he wanted rather then saving his pennies like his brother.

b.      50 cents an hour at Harmon’s Variety Store (like a 7-11)  The were only closed on Christmas.

c.       Next job was at Harmon’s café as a dishwasher – 75 cents an hour.

Family HIstory interview Dan Hall 02.12.12

Family History Interview

Name of Ancestor: Dan Hall

Relationship to me: Parent

My name: Amy Anderson

Date of Interview: 02.12.2012

On Skype

1.      Describe the first time you were behind the wheel of a car.

a.       15 years old in his Dad’s car – a 1951 Ford – red 2 door.  He drove the length of the driveway about 20 to 30 feet.  Tried to shift from first gear to second.  On another day he went down the block and turned around.

b.      The first car he drove was a 1952 Nash.  It had bad alignment.  He fixed it himself.  The first car he ever worked on. (And thus began a lifetime of fixing cars – added by Amy.)

2.      What animals did you have when you were first married?

a.       Miranda, Zimmy, Bonzai and Lazarus.

b.      Bonsai was named that because he would run down the hall and crash into the wall.  Like the pilots – Bonzai bombers.

c.       Lazarus was named after he fell from the 3^rd story apartment they lived in and lived.

3.      Did you have an army experience?

a.       I was drafted in to the army for one day.  I went through the physical and passed.  Then the officer asked him if he had anything else they should know.  I said there was something with his heart.  The specialist came in and could hear his murmur.  He was given a 1Y deferment which basically said the army would take women and children before they would take him.  He went back to the University of Utah Hospital that had all his records and they said he would be fine to serve.  He asked them if he should go back and get back in.  They said no.

b.      It was a good thing he didn’t go.  It was 1967 and the boys that went to war were part of a Tet offensive which many didn’t come home.  ( Here is a reference to what a Tet offensive was http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1862.html )

c.       In fulfillment of a prophecy by Grandpa Ross that stated none of his grandsons or sons would not see combat, Dan and others in his family including his father, and uncles did not see combat.  (This is not recorded anywhere and is the family folklore.  Until someone finds it recorded.)

4.      Other memories or thoughts that Dan brought up.

a.       Has no memories of living in Little Rock, Arkansas.  But his brother does.  Dan would have been around 2 years old.  Norman Hall (his father) was in basic training and his mom and the boys were there.

b.      First memory was of the house on 17^th East and 17^th South in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Dan would have been around 3 years old.

c.       Dan remembers party lines on phones as a kid.  People shared phone lines and would have to check to see if anyone was on the line before you could dial.

Dan and Connie Family History Interview 11.16.11

Family History Interview

Name of Ancestor: Dan and Connie Hall

Relationship to me: Grandparent

My name: Kirsten Anderson

Date of Interview: 11.6.2011

On Skype

Transcribed by Amy Anderson (daughter of Dan and Connie Hall)

1.  How was your first name choosen?

• Grandpa Hall: Doesn't know on first name.  Middle name is Calvin and same name as his father, named after the reformer John Calvin.
• Grandma Hall: Named after her father Conrad.

2.  What is your best talent?

• Grandpa Hall: Fixing things like computers, cars, houses, etc.
• Grandma Hall:  Sewing, gardening, making jewelry.

3.  Name the schools that you attended.

• Grandpa: Garfield Elementary, Irving Junior High, Highland High, University of Utah and Utah Tech College
• Grandma: Fillmore, Gandie, East and Roosevelt Elementaries, Central Junior High, Highland High, University of Utah

4.  What lessons did you learn from your mother?

• Grandpa: You need to get an education in some kind of trade.
• Grandma: How to can food, quilt, sew, keep mouth clean and fish.

5.  Tell me a favorite memory of your father.

• Grandpa: I remember he took us kids to Lagoon (amusement park in Utah).
• Grandma: Going camping over the years.  Especially up Logan canyon before they were gone.  Just going camping with my dad.

6.  How did you celebrate Halloween as a Child?

• Grandpa: Put on costumes and trick or treated around the neighborhood.  We would get pillowcases and we tried to get them full.  Sometimes we would travel over 3 square blocks of neighborhoods to get our bags full.
• Grandma:  Same as it is done now.  She remembered her dad would go trick or treating and if they didn't get a treat that they would play a trick like spread garbage over their yard or do something mean.

7.  What was your first job?  How much were you paid?

• Grandpa:  He worked in a grocery store at age 13 for 35 cents an hour and after a year it was 50 cents.
• Grandma:  Babysitting as young as 11 years old when starting – about 25 cents an hour,  First real job was working for the Church genealogy society in the microfilm department for 80 cents an hour when she was in college about age 17.

8.  Did you and your friends ever have a  secret hideout?

• Grandpa:  Yes at Fairmont park in Sugarhouse Utah at the Witches trail.  Now it is under the freeway.
• Grandma:  No real secret place but liked to spend time in the trees eating fruit with her friend.

9.  What was your favorite meal as a child?

• Grandpa: Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy with Green beans.  (Some things never change – added by Amy Anderson Dan's daughter.)
• Grandma: Spaghetti – but really loved what her mom cooked.

10.  Tell us about your 1^st favorite TV Show.

• Grandpa: Howdy Doody Time on a 13 inch admiral black and white television.
• Grandma: Lassie, Sky King, Lone Ranger.  Later in the interview she said Pokey and Gumby.

11.  Tell me about the best pet you ever had.

• Grandpa:  said he didn't have very many pets.
• Grandma: Her first dog gave her ring worm and she had to have her head shaved because of it.  They put the dog down and she didn't remember it's name.  But one of her favorites was from a Great Aunt who owned cocker spaniels that were the color of copper.  Her name was Penny.

12.  Tell me about the closest friend you had in childhood.

• Grandpa: Bobby Yeager, his dad was a doctor but was unable to practice because of mustard gas in the war.
• Grandma: Cindy Greenburg who was one year younger then her in school.  They did everything together.  They would go fishing with Cindy's brother and they would eat all his fish bait.  (I think it was white bread smashed into a ball – added by Amy Anderson)  They lived on the end of a dead end street that had a hill.  All the kids would gather at the top in what ever they could find to race down to the bottom of the hill.  They also played in a empty lot that had piles of dirt built up that they rode around on like a roller coaster.

Family History Thoughts

I wanted to start doing some family history that involves my family.  I have started with mom and dad but I really want to spend some time getting to know my sisters better.  So I am planning on once or twice a month, interviewing someone and then posting the results on this blog.  I figure this is a good place and then I don't have to start another blog.  Everyone can read it an learn something new about their daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, aunt, mom, etc.  My hopes is to compile a good number of interviews and put them into a book for everyone.  I have interviewed mom and dad and will probably post that interview soon.  But because I want to ask you to participate I thought I would ask myself a couple of questions to help you see how easy it will be.  So here we go.

My name is Amy Lee Hall Anderson.  Here is a couple questions and answers I have for you.

1.  What is my best talent?

I think one of my best talents is sewing.  I know I have many others but right now I am becoming a better sewer ever day.

2. Name the schools that you attended.

Ridgecrest elementary, Butler Middle School, Brighton High School, Snow College, University of Utah

3.  What lessons did you learn from your mother?

To be creative.  To be willing make do with what you have.  To be willing to serve others.

4.  Tell me about the closest friend you had in childhood.

My best friend was Amy Green (Russell).  She and I were inseparable for many years, and for years after we were married kept in touch.  We shared a common name but we also were able to know how to help each other.  We just had a common bond that kept us together.  I sometimes don't remember why we were such good friends but I know that it was kind of like having a kindred spirit that knew you better then most people.  We even shared a room in college.  I remember it was pretty hard for me when she got married, but she jokingly said that I was her best "girl" friend and that Jon was her best "boy" friend.  That seem to work and Jon always accepted me into their friendship.  I miss her and pray her family is doing well.

5.  What was your first job? 

My first job was at Little Caesar's pizza.  It was a good job.  I remember that I got the job because my friend worked there and when I walked in the manager saw my smile and I think I was hired pretty much on the spot.  They were evaluated by how friendly their employees were to the "secret" shopper.  I know there was a couple times when I wasn't scheduled to be on the register that I was pulled from dish duty or making pizza and put up front because the shopper was in the store.  I'm pretty sure we got good evaluations every time because I always smiled and was super nice to the "shopper".  Although I know I was generally nice to everyone that came in, I have had people skills that have helped me a lot in situations like these.  In working there I also met my first boyfriend, Chuck Slezak, but that is a whole different conversation.

See the questions are not difficult and are actually fun to think about.  So when do we want to start this?  I would like to interview someone next Sunday.  Let me know if you are interested.  Otherwise I will just call around.  I think it would be more fun if we can do it on Skype.  That way the kids can get involved.  I may even have Kirsten do some of the interviewing so that she can get to know her grandparents, aunts and uncles.

Thanks for listening, until next time.  LOVE YOU!!!

 

My BIG, HEAVY, Bright pink skirt

By: Cora
So I finished it yesterday, and I started it the day before.Typical me.

It is a "Baile Folklorico" skirt, it sounds like "Ballet Folk-lore-eeco"
here are some more pictures.

here are some pictures with me and my cat Smokey.

Here are some pictures of Everett with my skirt used as a background.

And here are my cameramen Ian & Eleanor.

 And here is Eleanor with Everett.

The End :) :) :)

Beautiful Butterfly

By:Cora
Today one of our butterfly cocoons (from early summer) hatched and it was a tiger swallowtail !!!!!
here are some pictures of us playing with the butterfly

it tickles!!

A beautiful decoration

All in the middle of winter

THE MOUNTAINS ON FIRE !!!!

By-Cora,Ian,Eleanor,Cedric

This morning it smelled like smoke outside but we couldn't see any fire
About an hour later Cedric called us upstairs so we all looked outside and we saw smoke near the mountain on the other side of the valley then we heard a airplane and Eleanor said " Whoa look how close the airplane is " so we all ran outside and there was the plane (the kind of bomber that sprays fires) right over our heads.


here are some pics of the planes

here are some pics of the fire later
and here are some at nightand here is the smokey moon

Happy Birthday Grandma!!!

Otto says, "I miss you, and I love you, Grandma."
He sings you the Birthday song.
Kate says, "I love Grandma in Utah!"
Happy Birthday Bomba!!

Independence Day

Hooray! It is the 4th of July--Independence Day a day for early morning breakfast with flag ceremony and the National Anthem. "Oh, say can you see?..."
Then there are picnics, sometimes parades, and fireworks!!!! What a great day to celebrate. Here are some great people your parents will know. (click on the pix to enlarge)

Grandpa and I are going to a party in a few minutes. I thought I would post some pix of the bantam chicks. They are looking more grown today. Fritzy is a white Frizzy. She is very tiny and has beautiful feathers. She is bossy and pecks at her coop mate's head. She is all ready for the holiday.

This chick looks like a road runner. She has no name. I just keep thinking she is a rooster, so I can't come up with a name. I think it should be a Mohawk or Iriquois Indian name. That is what she looks like to me. She is a Polish Crowned Bantam.

Now here is a picture you will never see again. I lay back in the chair with my feet up. The kitten, Bell or Bella Deux, jumped on my lap. Boo jumps up and falls asleep on the other side. The kitten stretches out and lays her head against Boo. They are finally relaxing about being in the same house. Not to be outdone, Abby jumps up into the seat, too.

Off to Orem now to see the Cul-de-sac of fire with Amy and Dave's family. Have fun.