60 Years Ago Today

Posted on June 9, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

Monday, 9 June 1952:

I helped play the vibraphones on the way to breakfast. It’s such a nice way to be summoned to eat, but some of the kids say it makes their stomachs turn over. At our 8:30 a.m. class, we heard more about the wonderful city of Paris which we were soon to visit.

At 10:25 a.m., I studied French with Alicia on the aft deck. And Alicia finally made it to lunch for the first time since she had been sick. Afterwards, I cleaned and organized my suitcase while trying to find my pen. I was unsuccessful. While sitting in the fore lounge, I suddenly realized I hadn’t come across my camisole in searching for my pen. Undoubtedly, I left it at Aunt Ellen’s hanging in the bathroom. So much for that—I must get busy and write some more letters. Guess what I found my pen! However, I still didn’t get any letters written, because Ben came up and asked us to come down and help sing America.

After griping about the situation to Mrs. Rogers, we decided that helping to sing was the best thing to do. After they got through practicing America, they started on You’ll Never Walk Alone. So nasty me pops up with “You don’t want us to sing this one do you?” It seems to me if they wanted us to sing, they should have asked us in the first place. Oh well! I’m sure this will add to the chorus immeasurably.

At 4 p.m. it was French class again. Sure haven’t been studying like I should. The afternoon passed quickly with song practice and French class. After class, Dr. Rogers helped me with my talk. It was dinner again and I had to get some letters written, but we chit chatted in cabin 167.
Later we arrived one hour early to watch the Indonesian show and the lounge was already packed with passengers. So we crawled to find a spot in the fore lounge, but we had difficulty finding seats. Finally, we found a little bare spot on the floor up near the stage to watch the Indonesian show. While we were waiting for the show to start, we met a Puerto Rican fellow who closely resembled Zachary Scott. We informed him of this later.

The show was emceed by an Indonesian who was able to read English from his script. First, the men showed us the native costumes of the different parts and islands of Indonesia. Corey, our cute little waiter, with the gold tooth, modeled a costume from Bali where he was born. Then we enjoyed some native music and a dance by one of the boys dressed like a girl.

The parts of the program which impressed me the most were the fighting and fire dances. In the fighting dance, Corey, and another tall Indonesian, who had previously performed a very striking dance, pranced around till they acted out fighting each other. In the fire dance, two fellows and the girl (the boy dressed like a girl) danced with candles in each hand. They waved the candles around in all directions while keeping them glowing continually. The whole group of performers sang farewell by singing an Indonesian song which sounded like it might be their national anthem.

50 for 50 #24 – Eat Something New – Kale Chips

Posted on June 9, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

Kale

All week I have wondered what I wanted to do to celebrate my 50th year. This morning we picked up our produce from Bountiful Baskets and I found the answer, kale. I few weeks ago we got into a “kale” discussion with a waitress. This lead to an internet search and the wish to try some kale and maybe even grow some. So I had a bunch of kale. Now how do I fix it to eat it? I did a kale search on AllRecipes.com (my favorite recipe site) and found a recipe for Baked Kale Chips. I remember the waitress saying something about kale chips and the recipe was simple enough so I gave it a try. From reading the reviews the big key to success is in cooking it just the right amount of time. I think I succeeded. They were very crispy but not burnt. The taste reminded me of broccoli. Bill didn’t seem to like them much, saying something about them being an acquired taste. I only used about half the kale so I’ll being trying another recipe soon.

my lunch with a sandwich, apricot and kale chips

I don’t think I’ve ever eaten kale before today and I’m certain I’ve never had kale chips. Have you ever eaten kale? Did you like it? How have you prepared it?

Zodiac’s New Jacket

Posted on June 8, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

Zodiac in his new jacket

Zodiac got his official puppy in training jacket this week. It is a big milestone in a little puppies life. The important thing is to start socializing slowly and carefully, paying attention to how the young puppy is handling new situations and places.

Our first official outing was to the library to pick up some books and audios that I had on hold. With all the craziness around here lately I haven’t worked with Zodiac adjusting to his head collar like I should have. We started out with just his flat collar but he got way too excited before we even got up the library steps. So we stopped and worked on putting on his Gentle Leader using food rewards to make it more positive. With that accomplished we made it up to the front door. Our library has automatic doors and Zodiac didn’t know what to make of those. He stood on the threshold for several moments, not sure he wanted to go in. Then he saw a woman inside. I explained to her that it was his very first outing. When Zodiac saw her he decided that going inside would be a good thing after all.

Things went much smoother after that. In some ways it is too bad that Yakira is still on “house arrest” (she has 7 more days) because she is in season. I’m sure that with Yakira along Zodiac would have waltzed right into the library without a second thought. At the same time it is good for him to do things on his own. Yakira won’t always be there.

Today Zodiac went with Bill to work, just for the morning. He did just fine, though he still needs some more work on adjusting to his head collar. We worked on it this week but that work isn’t done yet. By the way, doesn’t he look so cute in his jacket. I don’t think there is anything cuter that a young puppy in a training jacket. And when you see them walking through some public place it is the cutest thing. They are so tiny and so curious about the world. Plus there is a bounce to their step that is most adorable.

60 Years Ago Today

Posted on June 8, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

Sunday, 8 June 1952:

At 6:30 a.m. we had sunrise service. The service included a prayer by Mrs. Hansen and talks by Hermine, Dick, Henry and Pat. The music included a solo by Florence Rogers, several quartets, and the chorus. Our program was designed for visitors, but there was none to be seen.

After breakfast I read to Alicia until lunch. I did a repeat performance until dinner time. And everyone made it to dinner except Alicia. Her trouble wasn’t just the sea, however.

When we finished dinner, we got mixed up with a Baptist minister in the hall. The argument got a little warm once or twice. Once we left I read and talked with Alicia again till it was time for the movie. The movie was Standing Room Only with Dutch subtitles. We enjoyed the subtitles. At bedtime I found a cute steward to renew the hot water bottle for Alicia.

Food and Stories

Posted on June 7, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

I was watching the Food Nanny on BYUtv recently and something she said sparked a thought. One of her philosophies is to have theme nights when planning what to eat for dinner. A favorite theme of the Food Nanny’s is Tradition Day. On Tradition Day you eat recipes that are family favorites. What a perfect thing to do, cook a favorite recipe and then share the story behind the dish or the person who introduced that dish to the family. Over time you could compile those recipes and stores into a wonderful family cookbook and family history book.

Heritage Recipe Book

I found this beautiful example of a family cookbook on Blurb, with some of the stories and history behind the recipes. My mom isn’t famous for her good cooking but I think that my extended family might be a good source for project like this. When I think of my grandma’s cooking, I think of fruitcake and banana nut bread. I wonder what recipes my cousins have that trace back to my grandma. Since I’m working on a Generations Project with my great-great-grandmother Mary Taylor it would be interesting to know what kind of recipes exist from her day. I don’t know of any recipes handed down from Mary but maybe some out there. But even knowing what kinds of foods she ate during her childhood in England and then in her later life here in the west would be very interesting.

I’ll have to think about this idea and see what percolates out. Do you have a family recipe collection? Are there fun or interesting stories to go with those recipes?

Digitizing Old Documents and Books

Posted on June 6, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

Pbok1-1696 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

FamilySearch has a great post on Digitizing Techniques for Old Documents and Books by James Tanner. All summarize it here but follow the link above to get all the details.

The first thing to keep in mind about old books and documents is the difference between old and valuable. The key is not to confuse old with rare or limited edition books. This will affect how you go about digitizing it. If the value of a book is the information it has then the best way to scan it is to take it apart so the pages can lay flat. But if the book has value it might be best to get professional help to digitize its pages without damaging it. James Tanner has the following links to sites that discuss how to build you own book scanner.

The trick is to keep the pages flat and the camera at 90 degrees to the page. You will always get the best quality image by making sure the pages is at a 90 degree angle to the imaging device. Flat bed scanners are designed for this. If you use a digital camera it is much more difficult to get a good quality image. Thanks James for the great article. I’m filing it away for future reference.

I’ve learned some of this by trial and error but I’ve never thought through the intrinsic vs. extrinsic value before. The best tip I have is when the print is showing through from the other side of the page place a sheet of black paper behind it before scanning. What tips and tricks do you have when digitizing books and documents?

Read the full article here.

60 Years Ago Today and Tomorrow

Posted on June 6, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

Friday, 6 June 1952:

At 7 a.m. it was time to get up for breakfast. We looked at the stormy seas through our porthole. At 7:20 a.m. I crawled out and made a fast job of it. That morning our tables looked rather empty and the portholes were closed on the port side.

After breakfast, I joined the rest of the kids on our bunks in the cabin and crawled back in bed. I was just going to relax for a few minutes, but I fell asleep and missed class. Later the steward came in to shut our porthole. The chimes sounding the lunch call brought me back to consciousness. There seemed to be fewer souls with appetites every meal. Sea sickness was taking a toll. It was almost an endurance test I do believe.

On deck it was pretty damp with the spray beating against our faces. We finally found a comfortable spot in the aft lounge which seemed to be fairly centrally located. Here we spent the afternoon shooting the breeze and playing cards. After dinner I decided to take half a Dramamine just to be in style and went to sleep.

Saturday, 7 June 1952:

At our 8:30 a.m. class Dr. Watkins gave a lecture on Paris.

After class I wrote a few letters till 2 p.m. Then I ate lunch and talked to Bill Speckmann, our dining room steward. He was only 22 and had gone to school for 12 years. I napped, read about painting and sculpture, and then cleaned up for class and dinner. It was Saturday night, you know! But everyone else looked as dirty as ever so I felt rather out of place.

After dinner we Virginia reeled (dance) in the aft lounge without shoes. After awhile, I ran down to change my skirt and shoes so I wouldn’t be seen in socks. We played and danced until 9 p.m. when the regular musician came in to play for the dance. There were all kinds of costumes at the dance as one boy came in shorts. I danced with Dick, Herr Rogers, and Henry. Then I went up to the fore dining room to see the rest of the movie The Big Clock. Bill and Irene came by, so we had an interesting conversation about philosophy and the ways of life until people in a nearby cabin objected to our noise.

7 June 1952

Daddy;
It is Father’s Day tomorrow and here I am in the midst of more water than I believed there could be in the whole world. This is my first letter of the journey. It has been hard to settle down to writing or anything thus far, but I am using my will power today.

The bus trip from Provo to New York was tiring but fun. There was no time for letters except while the bus was moving. Washington and New York were interesting. We had the personal attention of Senator and Mrs. Watkins and Senator Bennett’s staff, had lunch with them and visited the floor of the Senate.

When we arrived in New York via the Lincoln Tunnel, Alice and I took a cab to Aunt Ellen’s. We were late arriving and they were in bed, but they welcomed us heartily and gave us a bed, our first since leaving Provo. We had a chance to visit a little before leaving the next morning. We had a very good breakfast and caught a cab back to the hotel. We really saw New York by taxi I do believe. We had to get baggage insurance and money changed, and then we took a quick look at New York from the top of the Empire State Building.

The bus picked us up at the Times Square Hotel for a very quick and not very extensive spin around New York and then to Hoboken Pier 5 to board the Sibajak. We set sail at 4 p.m. The sea was calm the first night and day and fairly calm the second day, but yesterday we picked up a slight storm, so we have been experiencing what it feels like to be on a rocking boat.

About two thirds of the kids have tossed their cookies. I haven’t had any difficulty as yet except for a little woozy feeling when my stomach gets empty. We have had very good meals and I have enjoyed them very much. It is a little calmer today. We have been holding class morning and afternoon.

60 Years Ago Today

Posted on June 5, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

Thursday, 5 June 1952:

At our 10:30 a.m. meeting, the mortality rate was rather high. There were only three of the 31 kids present at class. Dr. Watkins lectured us on France and in the middle of the lecture the waiters brought broth and cakes.

After the lecture, it was time for another delicious lunch. I thugged the menu as usual. There were apples on deck as I wrote in my diary. A little later, there was a storm brewing and Alicia wasn’t feeling well. So I sat on the stern and watched the churning waters.

At our 3 p.m. French class we only had 22 students present. We separated into two groups to study. After class, I was sitting on the bench by the rail on the promenade deck and Carol’s would-be friend, Joe, came by. Then we went into the lounge to get an orange drink and met some kids playing checkers. The girl, Eleanor, was going to a youth conference in Germany and the boys, Bill Borcherding, Frank Cuff, and Lewie Valle, were touring Europe on their own. One of them knew Rex Johnson. Somehow we got off on Mormonism, and I did my best to give them a clear picture of our beliefs.

At dinner, our numbers were definitely decreased. Once again the food was so good. Then I decided to take a nap. What I thought was only a few minutes turned out to be a couple of hours. It was 10 p.m. when I awoke.

On deck, I found the group of Puerto Rican students holding forth on the promenade deck. They were singing and dancing. I recognized one number Barrachita. Later, I asked Rosa, who I had met earlier and had been singing some solos, if they knew Por Un Beso De Amor? She said no, but asked what else I knew. So I said Barrachita and they sang it again for me. The whole group seemed talented. Before retiring we set our clocks up an hour, so it was about one in the morning when we got ready for bed. As I went to sleep the water was rather rough.

5 June 1856 – Calm and Beautiful – Mary Taylor Project

Posted on June 5, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

From Diary of Samuel Openshaw:

June 5 – Also calm and beautiful day. We promenaded on deck. The captain appears to be a kind hearted man. Also the crew and the mates are an agreeable company. The potatoes began to sprit and spoil. Therefore, this day we carried them all on deck to dry. Mother nearly well. Towards evening a side wind which helped us along pretty smartly. Saw several great fish play in the water.

From the Life History of John Jaques:

Thurs. 5: Calm fine morning. Ship rolled nearly as much last night. Mustard, pepper, salt and tea served out. Two rations of potatoes, vinegar to the 8th and 9th wards. The bedding of the passengers on the top deck carried on the main poop deck to air. Towards midday a light breeze sprang up, which sent us along at about 2 knots per hour. I saw a vessel meet us to our right, another I was told, also met us. We passed a shoal of fish. The breeze increased until night, when it carried us through the foaming waters at the rate of 10 to 12 knots per hour. Had a fellowship meeting in our ward. Quite a good meeting we had.

My Current Projects: Goals and Progress

Posted on June 4, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

Evaluate Goals for last week:

++ print goals for the week – this is an easy one but also important.
++ post at least once per day, Monday to Saturday – I didn’t get all the different posts I wanted to but I did get at least one post per day. Bill forgot the power supply for his laptop so I didn’t try to post from Oregon.
++ write 1 email to family on Mary Taylor’s sailing on the Horizon – I got this done too.
+ send reference images to Kim for the Horizon – I emailed Kim some more info on the Horizon that should help her with reference images but didn’t send any reference images.
– add links to blog
++ print Martin’s Cove Journal – the journals are all printed, next step is to cut and bind them.
+8 rate my progress – not bad for the crazy week I had.

Progress on projects not on my goal list:

Kim sent me illustration #14 for the Mary book. I gave her some feedback and requested a few additions/changes. I’ll do a post about this soon.

Goals for this week: