Louise's Birthday 2005

 

I almost missed writing a blog for Mother's 100th birthday, but I have a few more weeks before it is her 101 birthday.  With Covid isolation last summer, my brain wasn't working that well, but now that things are a little more "normal". . . .

Mom had a lot of ideas on how she wanted to celebrate her 85th birthday, though:  sky-diving, a tattoo, Glamour Shots.  We decided we should take a poll of her children/grandchildren (who had been coached to circle "Glamor Shots") to see what her birthday "treat" would be and just have a regular celebration for now.  We celebrated her 85th birthday at her home at Lake Sherwood with Doug and Christi Provost, Leah and Todd Warren, Rebecca and Jason Lewis, Jim and Deb Long, Harry Provost, Dave and I.  Several of our cousins next door popped over to say hi too. Since it was her first birthday after Dad passed, we tried to make it as festive as possible with games, contests (spitting watermelon seeds but Leah bought seedless watermelons making it a challenge finding seeds to spit)and awards.  Oh, Glamour Shots was the winner for her birthday "treat"!

Meanwhile since she would have to wait for her birthday "treat", she surprised us with a visit from friends who brought their Harley for her to ride---fulfilling another of her bucket list wishes.

It had been awhile since I had been to Chesterfield Mall and didn't realize that Glamour Shots was no longer there---in fact, it was nowhere in St. Louis!  Fortunately they still had a studio in Dallas where my sister Jane lived.  So, we took a road trip to visit Jane and Richard with Glamour Shots photo shoot on the agenda.  

We got to the mall a little early and shopped around buying some dangling earrings for her to wear.  When it was our appointment time, the ladies in the studio were clearly intrigued at glamour-izing an 85 year old woman.  I don't know who had more fun: Jane, me, Mom or the ladies in the studio.

I LOVED all of her glamor shots but Jane, being a professional business person, wanted one shot that was a little more conservative (boring). Mom obviously had a great time and that event is one of my favorite memories.  Later, we went back to pick up the photos and they had made a large photo of her as part of their display---she was clearly the oldest model in their display, hopefully setting a trend in her age group.  Mom proudly used the photos on her Christmas cards that year.

She was gone a year later, so we'll never know what her plans were for her 90th birthday.   Jane used the "professional business person photo" for her funeral cards which is why Jane had wanted that pose. .. . I'm a little sorry that we didn't use the more glamorous photos.

Hearing Louise

"I’m wearing pastels, now—my skin tones have changed."

"I’m feeling a little weak this morning."

"I hold on when going up and down the stairs."

"My mouth is just so dry."

"I watch what I eat, but I’m being tested for diabetes."

"If my knee didn’t hurt, I’d exercise more."

"I want to hear my granddaughters’ voices again."

"Your dad isn’t strong enough for her graduation."

"Your dad is sleeping a lot."

"Don’t worry about Mother’s Day—you’re a mother, too.."

Words meant to inform me that they were getting older, 

      but now remind me of my own aging.

Words spoken one on one,
     not at a family gathering

Words said in face to face conversation, 

     not in a text.

Words I thought were to re-assure me,

    but were they cries for help?

Big River Part II

Jane Long, Ron Long, Jaclyn Long

My cousin, Barbara's memories of the Big River Clubhouse:
I have very fond memories of the club house (better than a tent!). I loved sleeping in the upstairs in the club house where grandma and grandpa stayed and waking up in the morning smelling breakfast cooking on the stove (I think it was a wood burning stove). I know the club house was heated by a wood stove. I remember having to walk up the hill to well and pumping it until the water cleared for consumption. I had no problems with the outhouse since I was a girl scout and we camped all the time!!

Bill Wassmund

I remember my dad, grandpa and any other male around putting trout lines out to catch cat fish. If we (girls) were lucky we could go out in the john boat with the man folk to check the lines. When I went it was always grandpa who pulled up the lines; unfortunately if a snapping turtle got on the line grandpa would take his knife out and decapitate the turtle. Sometimes he would keep the turtle but most the time the body of the turtle just fell into the river because they didn't have time to make turtle soup.

Me and Jane

As a small child I thought the Big River was huge until we returned to the club houses many years later and it wasn't more than a small creek that you could walk from one side to the other and the water really didn't go past your waist if you were lucky. We (Wassmund's) continued to go down the club house long after everyone else quit going. It was so sad to see the property in such disarray and the quite empty club houses. The river was so quiet since it was only the five of us on the river.

Happy Mother's Day

Leah, Louise, Rebecca: Columbia, Mo 2004

Libby, Brett, Rachel, Roman, Davis Kansas City 2009

Long before we had the tradition of celebrating Mother's Day at a restaurant, I remember Mother-Daughter banquets at church with the singing of songs like:

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M Is for the Many things she gave me,
O Means only that she's growing Old.
T Is for the Tears she shed to save me,
H Is for her Heart of purest gold.
E Is for her Eyes with love light shining,
R Means Right and Right she'll always be.

Put them all together, They spell MOTHER.
A word that means the world to me.

I recall going with my mother and grandmother to banquets at Lafayette Park Methodist Church---in the basement with paper covered tables, flowers on the table and programs tied together with cords. We would get dressed up and the women would wear corsages---red or pink carnations if their mothers were living white if they weren't.
Our church continues with the tradition, but it's more inclusive---it's for all women whether or not they have daughters or mothers living.

We were asked to wear pearls and bring our favorite tea cup (mine is from my ESL students Iris Tsui and Cindy Lai). We had three kinds of scones, three kinds of sandwiches and three kinds of desserts.
All were served on pedestal plates by each table's designated hostess.
The theme was based on Proverbs 31:10-31 which begins with "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above pearls."
Leah and Anna accompanied me this year continuing the tradition begun with my sister and me, my mother, Louise Long and my grandmother, Vennie Wicker. Like pearls, we are linked together with our mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers---linked with tradition and love. Happy Mother's Day Rebecca, Rachel and Leah!

Easter 1946 and 1947

This was my first Easter 1946---my dad (LeRoy Long) had just come home for World War II. This was taken in Tower Grove Park where most of our Easter photos were made.
My mother wrote the above on a photo, but I'm not sure whom she gave it to since both sets of grandparents lived near Tower Grove Park.
My cousin Bob and I are sitting on the front steps of our Grandparents Long's flat on Flad Ave. in 1947.
Since they also lived near Tower Grove Park these photos were also taken there.
I'm in the foreground with Bob and my dad behind. This must have been before Long Easter Egg Hunts since I seem quite happy with my stuffed animal---bunny?

Easter 1958?

I love this photo---I think I still have that book even. I saw some dresses in the store last week that reminded me so much of that dress I was wearing. I'm thinking Jane and I got those crosses for Easter.

I'm not sure why we had these photos made, but I do remember that they were made by Uncle Bill Wassmund in our basement with a bedspread hung behind us. Above is Grandma Wicker (Vennie), Dad (LeRoy), Grandpa (Wes) and Mom (Louise)

My sister Jane (above) with a flair for the dramatic went on to become a teen model for Boyd's clothing stores---can't you see it!Although, I definitely have the better dress (Jane probably wore it a few years later), the only thing in my future was braces on my teeth!
Here's another photo of Grandma and Grandpa---this might be one of the last photos of the two of them together since she died in 1962 and he died in 1965. Knowing Mom, she wanted one last photo of them before they died. What amazes me is she is only 55 years old and he is 60 in this photo---they had some hard living!

Although Easter was usually a Long event with eggs, lots of cousins and wild Easter egg hunts, it was also sitting quietly with my Grandparents Wicker in church. The best of all Easters---quietly worshipping and craziness with cousins.

June 12, 1971

We were married 38 years ago. While I still wear my wedding rings, they no longer have the cross-hatching, but are smooth from wear. But, at least I still have them. . .Dave's ring was stolen 8 years ago and we've never replaced it.
We were married in the church we had both attended for 15 years---since we were 9 and 13 respectively.
My bridesmaids were my sister Jane, my "cousin" Susan and my aunt Rose. Susan's mother Bitsy made all of the dresses. Our nod to the hippy culture, was natural greenery in our hair---the brides maids and I had ivy, but I had gardenias, also, to match my bouquet.
Dave's groomsmen were his two brothers Harry and Tom with his friend Elliott. We had planned an outdoor reception in our church courtyard, but it rained. We were married the same day as Tricia Nixon, the daughter of President Nixon.
Our ushers were Harry Provost (above), my sister's husband who escorted my step-grandmother Lena followed by my grandfather, Roy Long.
Here, Harry is escorting my mother, Louise---notice she and Lena are both wearing gloves although it was June. I'm not sure why Jim didn't escort Mom---he was one of the ushers, but maybe he didn't want to do it---he was just 15 years old.Dave's friend Jack is escorting Dave's mother Eloise with Grover following.
Finally, my dad and I---we had no ring bearer nor flower girl---I wanted a simple wedding and would have been happy in a park as some of my friends had done. But, we did have a very traditional wedding for the 1970's.
I wish I could say the ceremony was lovely---I wish I could say we taped the wedding, but neither is true. The minister said, "We come here for the marriage of Linda and Grover." Giggles rippled through the sanctuary---some wondered if they were in the right place. Rev. Johnston had called me my sister's name and Dave by his seldom used first name. After the ceremony was over he announced, "I now present Mr. and Mrs. Long" (my maiden name) Again, there was laughter. People teased us for years that we weren't really married.

Of all of the wedding photos, the one above is my favorite!

The Receiving Line: starting with Aunt Maxine (in short dress and white heels), Uncle Bob, Karen Delaney, Michael Delaney, Lucy Morgan, Lowell Morgan, George Morgan(the little guy in blue jacket)