Spring Chores...

A beautiful week in Oregon ! The sun was out, it was warm and toasty!  I was in heaven.... and ready to get out into the yard and weed those flower beds and mow that front field...oh I mean lawn. :)

 And I was busy this week with picking up the fruit tree trimmings from late winter, getting ready for spring budding. We need to spray them for bugs....it just jumped into my mind...need to add to the list.

So glad spring has arrived. Seth and I went into town today and stopped at  Home Depot. It was filled with customers buying everything in sight. Let the sun come out in Oregon and we will go outside and work in the yard or work on the house. And drive to Home Depot to buy supplies.  We were checking out the prices on mowers. And while we were there, I picked up my garden seeds for my garden. Chuck had tilled my garden spot last week. So it is about ready to go.

My back flower bed is full of purple flower of spring. It always refreshes me from the dull winter that has just pasted.  It tells me it is time to clean up the beds, till the garden spot, clean up the deck, get out the deck furniture and then relax in your outdoor living-room.That is about June. :)  And since I now have another wedding in Sept we are planning for, I have to really keep up on the flower beds and yard. .... Seth is working on the lawn ...trying to get it healther looking by Sept. Maybe I should have a wedding every year.... ?  Last years yard was wonderful!
Have a good week.
Cathy

Family Ties...

In the last few days, I have discovered some new family ties I have been unaware of for several years. Some stories that I have heard through the years, I  now have been able to put the pieces together. And after so many years, they now  make sense after visiting with my new found family members.  I fondly welcome them to the family. They are Seth's fathers great Aunt Beulahs family.  Beulah's granddaughter, Mary. Seth's grandfather Herbert & Beulah Finney are brother and sister. Making Seth and Mary and now Scott, who has also contacted me 2nd cousins.  So glad after all these years to re-connect after all these years apart.  Below is a picture of Great Aunt Beulah and her husband Sam Strachan.

After living in the SD area for many years, they moved to the Portland, Oregon area to spend the rest of their lives here. Carol and Wilbur spent many times visiting back and fourth through the years with the family. I have found pictures in the old books of the families, and so has Mary in her books. Below are a couple of pictures she sent me last night.
 I was amazed, one of them is an old growth log from Wilhoit Springs. I still need to ID the kids standing on the log. But you can see Wilbur and Carol, Aunt May, Uncle Ralph Ludwig, Beulah and Sam Strachan in another of the group shots below.
In the top photo: Wilbur and Carol Finney are standing on the far left in the back of the group. Next to Carol, Aunt May Ludwig. Ralph Ludwig  is the big guy in the white hat and Buelah Finney Strachan is standing to the right of him. Sam Strachan is standing by Beulah in the white shirt and grey hair.  Paul, Mark, and Mary Strachan are in the front of the middle photo.  The families involved are identified as Strachan-Finney-Ludwig..

Finneys

The cute little fellow with the tripod across his knees is Scott Maclean who will retire in a few months and who is a new grandpa.   The other photos are from a Finney visit  in 1958 -- Wilbur and Ralph Ludwig, Aunt May Finney's husband in the first shot.  Third photo: The cat is named Willis, with Seth on the floor beside the cat. Carol Finney is sitting on the couch with Pamela Finney next to her. Carol Finney is sitting with Seth in her lap in the second photo.  The place is 5103 NE 15th in Portland.

I wanted to share some our our fine old family photo's. This is what I work on for fun. Preserving our families histories.
Take care and God bless. Cathy

The Race- NASCAR Travels

Our first time to get away this year after our remodel, was a trip to visit friends in Burbank, California.  They are our racing buddies. And the race was coming to town! Can' miss it.  So we packed our bags and flew out of town.  Headed for a few days of R and R....and sunny warm skies.

 The group of us at the track. , John, Kim, Jon, Gloria, Cathy, Seth, Dan and Nancy.  Auto Club 2013

Cathy At the track.

 Seth and John relaxing after lunch and before the races starts.

Green, green, green.....the race begins.... a great view of the track.  We had a great trip and it was a restful and fun trip.

Dan and Nancy, we took a side trip up to the Griffith Observatory. Great views.