Tornado

Radio blasted the grating sound used for a weather advisory. Severe storms in the Tazewell area. This reminded me of the tornado that hit the old farm house in Iowa..

My sisters were required to release their room to our company that came from Arizona. So we girls were all piled into my bedroom. The summer heat was suffocating , windows were open wide. When I entered my room I made a comment about what a strange oder was in the room. Immediately my sisters thought I was making a dispareging remark about their hygiene..but before I could rebutt the storm hit and everyone jumped to shut the windows.

Mom was home from her classes at Woodward and was up in the bathroom when the storm hit. She tried to wake dad up but his good ear was down in the pillow. She finally got him awake enough to tell him the tree outside the bathroom window was twisting around. He mumble something to the effect that this storm was nothing to worry about..she missed the big one that came through earlier in the week.

We went out the next morning...the mulberry tree was twisted off it's roots but lying away from the house. The big hay barn was twisted on it's frame . The pole barn looked good from the house but it really had the east side torn away. The garden tiller that had been setting next to the pump house was now resting on top of the pump house and the garden hose wrapped around the tillers.

We were amazed that our visitors did not get electricuted when the came back to the darkened house. The power line from the transformer to the house had pulled away from the house and could have easily tripped/electricuted the visitors.

While the storm earlier that week had caused massive damage to farms around the county our family was left untouched..The good folks were commenting that Ford must be truly protected by the Lord...However, 3 days later only our farm touched by the Iowa tornado..

A Good Baptist

5/7/2009
Patient is only about 97 lb and 93 years old... I sang "Amazing Grace" to her. She said, "You must be Baptist! Only a Baptist can sing "Amazing Grace" like that.
Love, Mom

Missing you

It was bitter sweet to see my family , or at least part of my family, here in my home in Tennessee. I was stunned when the teller at Dollywood asked if I was the Matriarch of this family....well, I guess I am.



Then I got to spend special time with my newest grandson...I got to hold the latest granddaughter at Easter. Thanks for letting me come spend a few hours with you. Now, back to work. love, mom

angel dog?

Friday I went to see a patient that had developed hallucinations.. was it medication? part of the dying process, just a lack of oxygen to the brain? I was talking with her, then in a matter of fact way said, "You know you have a long hair white dog with you." It was a small dog she said. Upon questioning her she decribed it as a white colored, short nosed little dog....does that sound like anyone we know.. change the color to black...love, mom

singing

Some of my patients have asked how I can remember so many songs. They love to hear the children's songs and I have give 2 "Childre Sing" books away.

Most recently I sang, "Secret Garden" . I remember singing this song in Primary when we still lived in Arizona. I also love to sing, "Call of Love," but do not have an opportunity to sing that one very often. I think I have been singing most of my life.

I remember singing with my sisters in 3 part harmony. Barbara was soprano, I was 2nd and Joanne sang alto. I remember singing "May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You." Then there was singing in high school choir..and bootlegged in BYU University Chorale..

Dad was Branch President for a while in Keosauqua..When we were still meeting at the Community Hall on Main St. If we rode in with dad we were enlisted as part of the beer bottle clean up crew since the Hall was used for Saturday night dances. Anyway...Dad decided that we did not not have enought music leaders in the Branch so he enlisted the help of Marian Flake who had trained at Julliard's in New York, to teach the musically disabled how to lead music.

Fast forward a few years and we were in our small branch building that was built "cinnamon roll upon cinnamon roll". I remember my first time to direct music and Church, We had moved to the new building on Hiway #1. Sister Flake was at the organ, gave the introduction. I raised my hand in preparation........Why was Sister Flake playing? I turned and looked at her with concern..She whispered.."I follow the director, start the beat and I will follow." Wow! I never new such power. And I have enjoyed singing at Church ever since.

When I as dating Hollis and brought him to Church with me. I thought I had timed it just right so that I could sit in the back with Hollis...Sister Flake was playing prelude..Dad was sitting up in frount...I had just sat down , looked to the frount and there Dad was pointing at me to come up and lead the opening song....He would not take the "Gano" no look for an answer. It was then I realized that this was my life calling...and I do enjoy it. I love singing praises to God..Love, Mom

Grandma Gano

I have always been told that I looked like my mother. This was reinforced while working at the hospital in Van Buren County. I was able to care for some of mother's coworkers. I even remember a time in Burlington , sitting in the orthodontists office and the attendant called me by mother's name, then realized that I was her daughter.

Dad gave me a small framed picture one Christmas. He asked if I knew who it was. I looked and could have sworn that a picture of me had been taken in old fashion dress..They have a lot of these in Pigeon Forge. I knew that I had not had a picture taken like this. I recognized the way the head was tilted and closed smile..just like me....

Then dad said that he knew that people always said I looked like Nellie, but the picture was of his mother and he recognized that I looked a lot like her. The picture is very special to me.
Does anyone have pictures of dad's mother? I would like to see more. Love, mom

Grandma's pocket

When I talk about grandma it is Grandma Waddington. I recall sitting next to her at church, getting restless and she would pull out a handkerchief. You know, one of the square cloth ones that ladies used before Kleenex was popular. She would fold the square of cloth diagnally , curl the thin points inward, when the met in the middle she would the split the fold apart and..There! two babies in a cradle. I still will do this to entertain children.

She also carried sen-sen in her pocketbook. These are very tiny squares of licorice. They came in a little paper packet. What a treasure to find when Sacrament meeting got boring.