Archive for the ‘Mowry’ Tag
The year began with an intense need: the dust had to go. As production had ramped up in the garage woodshop, the sawdust was now a real problem. In the air. On me. Importantly, in the house. We either had to embrace a more, uh, rustic lifestyle, or we needed to fix it.
So we did.
The biggest tool upgrade I’ve ever done was the result. We installed a new dust collection system to help corral the by-product of all of the cutting boards that I was creating. That story became the most read blog post of the year … and was, more importantly, a very real upgrade in our living conditions. I was no longer breathing as much dust, and Velda was no longer having to remove as much dust from our home every single day. Thankfully, I had help from the Building Inspector & the Engineer. See the pictures and read the story, here and here.
With the equipment in place, I got busy in the shop. I began to make Magic Bottle Openers in earnest, and they proved to be the runaway best-selling product for me in 2016: I sold over 200 of them! It seems that many people know a beer drinker that needs a little magic in their life.
While I was making magic in the shop, the Lady was busy with her own new idea. This was the year of soap.
Making soap is science. Caustic chemicals are involved, and exothermic reactions result. Velda became obsessed with soap early this year, and started stockpiling. That’s good, as when she makes her cold process soap, it has to sit on the shelf for 4 – 6 weeks to cure before it can be sold. That necessitated a soap drying rack in addition to the 6 molds (and counting) that I have made her.
The results speak for themselves!
All of our machinations in the Mrs M world were just a side show for this year’s main event: the arrival of Camdyn Grace on April 1. Payton got her little sister!
Alley holding Camdyn, Christopher & Payton
Velda got to spend some quality time as Grandmother with both granddaughters before returning to our out-of-control hobby, AKA Mrs M’s Handmade. Mrs M # 2 got a pass for this year, as she needed to attend to Camdyn. Velda & I hit the spring events with gusto, using her new purpose-built display to incorporate the introduction of soap. The business bought a trailer to haul the goods, and we ended up doing 10 events in the second quarter. Results far exceeded our expectations. And, as much as we enjoy doing Mrs M’s, it was great to relax a bit through the summer.
And by relaxing, I mean we made more product.
We finally got to keep an important appointment in July, and got photographs made of Payton sitting in our family’s little rocking chair – a chair first purchased by Payton’s Great Great Great Grandmother Boring as a Christmas present 121 years ago today. That story was told here, A Family Heirloom.
There were no big work changes in the family this year. Christopher continues helping to manage Castaic Lake & Pyramid Lake for the LA County Parks & Rec department. He supervises cashiers, boat inspectors, and a vast recreation area. Following Camdyn’s birth, Alley returned to her job with the city of Palmdale processing building permits & such.
Brianna is in her 3rd year of teaching at Sierra Vista Junior High. She now has 2 choir classes (!) as well as English classes. She eagerly anticipates completing her Masters in Education in 2017, and being done with life as a student … at least for a while! Michael continues with Crane Aerospace & Electronics and continues to marvel at how truly large bureaucracies function.
Lauren is now the assistant manager at Sunshine Daycare, and continues to work closely with the kindergartners there. She loves the kids … here’s a story she shared just a few days ago:
Today I was asked if Santa was real by a first grade boy. In response, I asked him if he believed. He said yes, but that another boy doesn’t. I told him that some people believe and some people don’t and just because some people don’t, that doesn’t mean Santa isn’t real. If he believes, that’s all that matters. Then, I asked the boy who I was told doesn’t believe why he doesn’t believe. He looked at me stumped and explained that he just has no idea how Santa could possibly get to all the kids in one night. Before I could even speak, another boy butted in with “THATS WHAT CHRISTMAS MAGIC IS, ITS REAL!!”
I love working with kids.
Indeed!
Eric continues to manage the family business and decorate his house with Lauren’s help. Their latest addition is a new kitten, named Pivo – which means beer in Slovak – that they brought home just yesterday.
Velda has now been with Kaiser for 15 years, but has transitioned away from her nursing home responsibilities into more of a community-based primary care role. She runs clinics at several area assisted living facilities, and has more than 150 patients that she provides care for in their homes. Is she busy? You bet. She often explains to Mrs. M’s customers the reason she makes soap and lotions: “I have yet to give someone lotion and make them cry!” Not so in her “real job,” where many need to be led through their aging or end of life crisis, and tears are common.
I continue with Smarts Broadcast Systems as Director of Marketing; I’ve now been there 5 years. One of my favorite things to do with them is interview broadcasters; those interviews publish in the Small Market Radio Newsletter as well as on our website. You can read those interviews, here.
Today, we are blessed to be with all of our kids at Christopher & Alley’s house. It just doesn’t get much better than that.
Merry Christmas to you and your family. May the holiday spirit stay with you throughout a wonderful 2017!
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2015: It’s A Wonderful Year
2014: It’s A Wonderful Year
2013: It’s A Wonderful Year
2012: It’s A Wonderful Year
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It’s in the telling.
Family heirlooms are valuable because the family thinks they are valuable. The value is generally not measured in dollars and cents … the value is measured in feelings. In remembering. In hearing the story, and telling the story, and then hearing it again.
The family is a part of the story, you see, so the sense of belonging, of support, of family is created, enhanced, and increased through the story.
Most families do not have earthly riches, but all families can have family heirlooms that grow in value over the generations as the story is told. And re-told.
Here’s the story of our rocking chair.
Edna Mildred Lee Boring was born March 14, 1895 near Maitland, MO. She was the daughter of Norman Ernest Boring and Frances Emaline Miles Boring, and, importantly, the first granddaughter of Alban and Elizabeth Piles Boring. Six more grandchildren followed: Cecil (1897), an infant that died unnamed (1899), my Grandmother, Juanita (1900), Joe (1902), Lena (1907) and Lucy (1913).
Alban Boring holding his son Norman Ernest Boring. Circa 1878.
Elizabeth Piles Boring, circa 1920.
Norman Ernest Boring & Frances Emaline Miles, in their wedding photo. 1893.
Norman Ernest Boring
Cecil Alban Boring and Edna Mildred Lee Boring. Circa 1899. This is not the chair, and I have no idea what they are wearing!.
Edna Mildred Lee Boring and Cecil Alban Boring, circa 1899. Still not the chair!
Juanita Elizabeth Boring, my grandmother, would have been the third Boring grandchild to have used the rocking chair. And, no, this is not the chair. 1901.
Upon the occasion of their first Grandchild’s first Christmas (1895), Alban and Elizabeth Piles Boring bought a child’s rocking chair. That chair stayed in the grandparents’ home, and was used by all seven of their Grandchildren, including my Grandmother, Juanita Elizabeth Boring Mowry. Eight Great Grandchildren would have also used that chair. When Grandma Boring (my Great Great Grandmother) died in 1955, the family decided to sell her possessions to the family members in a private auction to pay her funeral expenses. It was a family affair, taking care of family business.
My father wanted to buy that child’s rocking chair – perhaps because he had a 3-year old daughter that would have been a perfect size for it. He paid what was to him a large sum of $10 to bring that chair home. It remained a part of our family home, used by both my sister and I, and was a continuing favorite of visiting pre-schoolers, as the rocking chair was just right for them.
When Velda and I moved to California and started our family, the chair soon followed. We took the chair to a photographer with our firstborn, Christopher, and captured this image in 1986:
Christopher Andrew Mowry, sitting in the chair. 1986.
This week, we took Christopher’s firstborn, the delightful Miss P, and captured her sitting in the chair, just as she does when she visits Grandma & Papa’s house.
The chair is now 121 years old. I’m sure it’s worth a dollar or two … probably more than the $10 that it cost in 1955. However, the value of the chair cannot be expressed in dollars and cents.
Still, it’s the most valuable piece of furniture I’ve ever owned.
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Your Family’s Stuff
Digitizing Family Photos
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Prepared for a full day of fun in this shop.
This is the year that we pushed the envelope.
Who knew there was an envelope, much less one that we needed to push?
Last year, Mrs M’s did 23 different events. This year, our push resulted in doing 44 events on 65 days. We traveled north to Livermore, west to Goleta, east to San Dimas, and south … well, we didn’t go very far south. Maybe next year.
In order to feed the monster that Mrs M’s became, we had to make product. A lot of product. We learned to make things after work. The Mrs M’s learned to do quadruple batches. If we could do it more efficiently, we learned to do it.
It’s a hobby, you see.
We do it for fun. Honest, we’re having fun!
The fact that we’re so frequently asked to explain the why behind Mrs M’s must mean that we’ve taken a step into the unusual. Who in their right might would redecorate their family room with drop cloths and cutting boards? Who would get up at 5am just to go to an event on a Saturday? Sleeping in on weekends is only a distant memory at this point.
And we call it fun.
Meanwhile, the family continued to grow. Payton continued her dance classes, and learned a lot. As you can see, she’s now learned to mug for the camera!
Christopher had the big professional news this year. He still works for the LA County Parks department, but he moved parks, from the Placerita Natural Area, to Castaic Lake. He went from being in charge of animals and plants to supervising cashiers, boaters and lifeguards.
Alley continues with the city of Palmdale, but she had the big personal news of the year: Granddaughter # 2 is on the way, and is expected to arrive in late March. Or early April. She’ll let us know. Because that’s what babies do.
Michael continues with Crane Aerospace & Electronics, and Brianna continues in her 2nd year of teaching at Sierra Vista Junior High here in Santa Clarita. Brianna also began work on her Masters in Education, so she’s keeping up the in the race to be the most degreed person in their home.
Because it’s all about the bling.
Speaking of races, Michael & Brianna both completed 2 racing milestones this year. They completed their first full marathon (the Walt Disney World Marathon, of course) as well as the Disneyland Half Marathon. That completed Disney’s “Coast to Coast Challenge,” meaning they got another medal.
Because it’s all about the bling.
In addition, the Disneyland Half they completed was their 10th annual; they’ve completed each of those races. Lauren has run many of them, as well, and it all started with those 3, joined by Velda and I, running the first Disneyland Half sponsored by Kaiser, Velda’s employer. Ten years have just flown by….
Lauren & Eric celebrated their 8th anniversary this year: all three of our kids began dating their sweethearts when they were 16.
Speaking of family, we were ecstatic to learn that our cousin Claire had been accepted to UCLA, and would be living in Westwood for the next 4 years. She’s having fun as a Bruin, as any college freshman would, and stretching her horizons at the same time.
Her family visiting regularly is a great bonus, too!
Claire wanted a break from studying one weekend, so she came to play vendor with Little Girl & I at a Mrs M’s event. Claire became the Intern and she even sold stuff, so I know she’s got skills.
This blog is now 3-1/2 years old, and I’ve been a daily blogger for a couple of years now. Lots of thoughts have been shared, and the number of readers continues to grow. A new blog series launched this year, The Board Chronicles, which traces our experiences at each of the vendor events we do. Non-vendors are now reading them to see what craziness we’re up to, which is both rewarding and totally unexpected.
I’m glad you enjoy watching our family from afar, and hope that you have a very Merry Christmas.
Here’s to a GREAT 2016 as well!
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2014: It’s A Wonderful Year
2013: It’s A Wonderful Year
2012: It’s A Wonderful Year
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Here are pictures of my mother and each of my grandmothers … to the extent of the archive. Click on the photos to read the captions where I identify the relationship with each.
Here you see my mother, my two grandmothers, my four great grandmothers and one great step grandmother, seven of my great great grandmothers, and two of my great great great grandmothers.
Letha Marie Shull Mowry, my mother. 1987.
Ruth Mary Decker Shull (1906 – 1977), my mother’s mother. My Grandmother.
Juanita Boring Mowry (1900 – 1987), my father’s mother. My Grandmother.
Cora Samantha Baugher Shull (1882 – 1976), my mother’s father’s mother. My Great Grandmother.
Matilda Rebecca “Tillie” Swartz Decker (1880 – 1946), my mother’s mother’s mother. My Great Grandmother.
Mary Effie Barrett Mowry (1880 – 1936). My father’s father’s mother. My Great Grandmother.
Mary Elizabeth Haynes Mowry (1902 – 1970). My father’s father’s father’s second wife. My Great Step Grandmother.
Frances Emaline Miles Boring (1875 – 1955). My father’s mother’s mother. My Great Grandmother.
Martha Ellen Mast Shull (1856 – 1915). My mother’s father’s father’s mother. My Great Great Grandmother.
Samantha Cook Baugher (1853 – 1931), my mother’s father’s mother. My Great Great Grandmother.
Ruth Alice Morgan Decker (1841 – 1900). My mother’s mother’s father’s mother. My Great Great Grandmother.
Mary Ann Skaggs Swartz (1851 – 1927). My mother’s mother’s mother’s mother. My Great Great Grandmother.
Irena Norman Mowry (1848 – 1937). My father’s farther’s father’s mother. My Great Great Grandmother.
Elizabeth Hannah Milla Keith Barrett (1853 – 1940). My father’s father’s mother’s mother. My Great Great Grandmother.
Elizabeth Piles Boring (1826 – 1928). My father’s mother’s father’s mother. My Great Great Grandmother.
Mary Cyphers Cook (1832 – 1901. My mother’s father’s mother’s mother’s mother. My Great Great Great Grandmother.
Elizabeth McDonald Morgan (1796 – 1866). My mother’s mother’s father’s father’s mother. My Great Great Great Grandmother.
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My Father And My Grandfathers
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Mrs. M and Mrs. M, before they opened on their first day. Smiles on faces, and that is a very good thing!
This was a year of new beginnings.
Mrs. M’s Handmade, which began last year, really got going early in 2014. Alley filled out the paperwork and got a California reseller’s permit, and the business officially began on 2/1/14. Our first event was the Santa Clarita Street Fair in March (read about that here) … and total sales for that weekend were $420. Expenses we won’t talk about, but, believe me, no profit was made! Humble beginnings, indeed.
In the midst of preparing for that launch, we had an all-too-rare visit from any member of our Midwest family … Aunt Sis was in the house!
In April, we entered a new phase of life: the empty nest. Little Girl escaped to her own apartment, and hasn’t looked back. It seems increasingly difficult to get the whole family together for dinner … and we all live within a few miles of each other! In any event, Little Girl has left the nest and is doing wonderful on her own.
Ventura Beach, July 2014
Which is exactly right.
July found us on Ventura Beach, enjoying the Pacific and Miss P. Great times … and for a family living in SoCal, only Lauren really takes advantage of the beach being an hour away!
Christopher and Alley completed their transition out of their condo and into their wonderful new home in July. They now live about 40 miles from us, in Lancaster, CA.
Speaking of new homes, Eric also purchased a home this year, in Castaic, CA (where Michael and Brianna also live). He’s currently doing extensive renovations and anticipates moving into his home … well, when the renovations are done. This year, right, Eric?
October brought us another all-too-rare visit from family, with Tony and Claire Hubert visiting on Claire’s west coast college tour. We’re all holding our breath until she confirms that she’s going to be a UCLA Bruin. No pressure, Claire!
Here’s the Mrs. M’s at our first double booth at the big craft fair at Saugus High, where all 3 kids graduated. Quite a different look from their first booth, yes?
Mrs. M’s Handmade had a great first year (the website is here, and the Facebook page is here). From our humble beginnings in March, we ended up being a part of 23 different craft fairs (!) over the 10 months we were active. Sales for both Mrs M’s lotion products and Mr M’s cutting boards and cheese boards exceeded our expectations … so we’re committed to continuing into 2015. As a wise man once told me, “Be careful what you wish for!”
Here’s the family’s professional round-up:
I started the year with 2 clients, but the relationship with the second ended just in time for my sanity to endure. I continue on as the DOM for Smarts Broadcast Systems. I interview broadcasters for their blog (here), and have become proficient in social media for them.
Not that the children would ever agree with that assessment, of course.
I did an unusually small amount of travel this year, going to 2 radio industry conventions. I was in Las Vegas in April for the NAB, and then in Oregon in September for their broadcaster convention.
Velda continues with Kaiser Continuing Care. She’s begun a new program with regular visits to her patients in assisted living facilities, in anticipation of transitioning entirely out of her skilled nursing facility position by next April.
Christopher continues at Placerita Nature Center, a part of the LA County park system. Alley continues her position with the city of Palmdale.
Mrs. Mowry at the podium
Michael continues with Crane Aerospace & Electronics in Burbank. He and Brianna are in the midst of training for their first full marathon (that’s 26.2 miles), which will happen at Disneyworld in January. Why are they doing it? For the flashy medals, of course!
Brianna had the big job news, winning a full time position at Sierra Vista Junior High in Canyon Country. She teaches English, English for English Language Learners, and one Choir class. She directed her first junior high concert in December; my favorite photo from that event is to the right.
Lauren is now in charge of kindergarteners at her Sunshine Daycare; she also won a full time position this year.
Eric is currently juggling his real job with the other real job of supervising contractors working on his house. It never ends, Eric!
And the best photo of the year is, again, of Payton (as if there’s any doubt!). The backstory to this photo: Payton was not yet 2, and had a complete terrible 2 meltdown. Alley took her outside to calm down, and she came back inside with flowers in her hair and an angelic smile.
Merry Christmas, everyone. It’s been a wonderful year, and here’s to an even better 2015 for you and yours.
Payton, March 2014.
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2013: It’s A Wonderful Year
2012: It’s A Wonderful Year
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Here, I believe, are pictures of my father and each of my grandfathers … to the extent of the archive. Click on the photos to read the captions where I identify the relationship with each.
Here you see my father, my two Grandfathers, my four Great Grandfathers, seven of my Great Great Grandfathers, and five of my Great Great Great Grandfathers.
My father, Robert Eugene Mowry (1927 – 1985).
Wilbur Henry Mowry (1899 – 1970), is my paternal Grandfather, and namesake.
Lee Edison Shull (1908 – 1987) is my maternal Grandfather, and namesake.
Oscar Mowry (1869 – 1958) is my father’s father’s father. He’s my Great Grandfather.
Norman Ernest Boring (1873-1953) is my father’s mother’s father. He’s my Great Grandfather.
Artemus Clyde Shull (1879 – 1944), on right, is my mother’s father’s father. He’s my Great Grandfather. Here he’s shown with his family, from left, Cora Baugher Shull, Gordon Shull and Lee Shull (my Grandfather, with the open mouth).
James Woods Decker (1877 – 1948) is my mother’s mother’s father. He’s my Great Grandfather.
William Henry Mowry (1842 – 1916) is my father’s father’s father’s father. He’s my Great Great Grandfather.
Henry Barrett (1850 – 1934), the father of my Grandfather Mowry’s mother. He is my Great Great Grandfather.
Alban Boring (1840 – 1915) holding Norman Ernest Boring (1873-1953). My father’s mother was a Boring. Alban is my Great Great Grandfather, and Norman Ernest is my Great Grandfather.
Phillip Patterson “PP” Shull (1842 – 1930) is my mother’s father’s father’s father. He’s my Great Great Grandfather.
Jacob Albert Baugher (1842 – 1913), the father of my mother’s father’s mother. He’s my Great Great Grandfather.
James Benjamin Decker (1838 – 1883) is the father of my mother’s mother’s father. He’s my Great Great Grandfather.
Carodan Leroy Swartz (1851 – 1907). Picture taken in 1894. He is my mother’s mother’s mother’s father. He’s my Great Great Grandfather.
Abraham Mowry (1814 – 1892) is the father of my father’s father’s father’s father. He is my Great Great Great Grandfather. Parenthetically, this photo is only believed to be him … it was found unlabeled in my Great Grandfather Oscar’s house following his death. The photo print is very large, 16×20, and it is known that Abraham served in the Union Army (under his son, my Great Great Grandfather William Henry Mowry, who was a Lieutenant).
John Wesley Norman (1825 – 1904) is my father’s father’s father’s mother’s father. He’s my Great Great Great Grandfather.
Noah Mast (1812 – 1897) is the father of my mother’s father’s mother’s father. He’s my Great Great Great Grandfather.
Fayette Cook (1829 – 1900) is the father of my mother’s father’s mother’s mother. He’s my Great Great Great Grandfather.
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This is my Great Great Grandfather.
From Past and Present, Nodaway County Missouri, Volume I, 1910, B. F. Bowen & Company, Indianapolis, IN, pages 560 & 561:
William Henry and Irena Norman Mowry
Among the honored veterans of the Civil war, in which he bravely defended the stars and stripes, and one of the successful farmers of Hughes township, Nodaway county, is William H. Mowry, in whose life record there is much that is commendable, for he has been found true to duty in every relation, whether of a public or private character, and while energy and unabating industry have been salient features of his career, he is equally well known for his uprightness and the honorable methods he has always followed and for his loyalty to any public trust reposed in him.
Mr. Mowry was born in Washington county, Maryland, September 28, 1842. He is the son of Abraham and Mary (Burkett) Mowry, both natives of Washington county, Maryland, where Mrs. Mowry died, after which Mr. Mowry in the fall of 1865, moved to Mercer county, Illinois, and lived there until 1879, when he came to Nodaway county, Missouri, and here spent his last days, dying at the home of his son, William H., of this review, when about seventy-nine years of age. He and his wife were the parents of four children, of whom William H. was the fourth in order of birth. He grew up on the home place and received his education in the neighboring schools, and in the fall of 1865 came to Illinois and in 1879 to Nodaway county, Missouri, locating on the farm where he now lives and where he has since resided, his place being one of the best improved in Hughes township. He bought eighty acres upon his arrival here, which has since been the scene of his endeavors, making him a very comfortable living all the while.
Mr. Mowry, in 1862, enlisted in Company G, Seventeenth Regiment Pennsylvania Cavalry, in which he served very faithfully for two years and nine months, participating in some of the great battles of the war, under Phil Sheridan. He was taken prisoner at the battle of Chancellorsville, but was paroled ten days later.
Mr. Mowry was married in Mercer county, Illinois, January 10, 1867, to Irena Norman, who was born in Mercer County, Illinois, September 10, 1848. She is the daughter of Wesley and Mary (Jones) Norman; her father was a native of Indiana and her mother of Virginia. They came from Indiana to Mercer county, Illinois, where they lived until 1881, in which year they came to Nodaway county, Missouri and settled in Hughes township, where they spend the remainder of their lives, Mr. Norman dying at the age of eighty years and his wife at the age of eighty-five. They were the parents of four children, of whom Mrs. Mowry was the oldest.
To Mr. and Mrs. William H. Mowry seven children have been born, namely: John, Oscar (ed note: my Great Grandfather), Stella (wife of John L. Kime, of Polk township), Everett, Mable M. (wife of M. M. Wiles, of Hughes township), Frank and Thomas B.
Lieutenant William Henry Mowry. This photo, preserved as a tintype, is probably the oldest photograph in our family’s collection.
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It was a year of completion. It was a year of beginnings. And, thankfully, a year of celebration. Here was the Mowry’s 2012:
UCLA’s Dinner with 12 Strangers
The first domestic crisis of the year happened on January 1. Velda’s breadmaker jumped off the kitchen counter, ending its service to the Mowry home. Pizza lovers and homemade bread lovers everywhere were saddened … but here we are now in December, the sourdough starter is once again growing, and wonderful bread is again coming out of the oven. Still no new breadmaker, though!
In February, Velda hosted Dinner for 12 Strangers. It’s a wonderful event that UCLA coordinates worldwide. You sign up, specify what kind of strangers you want to invite to dinner (Velda asked for students in the health services field), and then UCLA sent them to us! We had a pizza night, and a good time was had. We ended the evening with Velda receiving some great swag: an apron from UCLA! We all did the 8-clap (UCLA’s signature cheer), and the students took away some of the best homemade pizza – and Mowry Cookbooks! – to remember us by.
Another project we started in February was the clean up of our north slope. Several years ago we had planted a California pepper tree there … and that was a mistake. These trees are good SoCal trees, but they have many surface roots, and we planted the tree on the slope, within a couple of feet of the ornamental block wall we share with our uphill neighbor. Years later, the roots broke the wall … which meant the wall had to be rebuilt, and the tree had to go. I then took the slope back to bare dirt, and then tried to make it pretty with new bushes. It worked! Here are the before and after pictures.
March 5 was when preparation for the newest Mowry shifted into high gear. It was Payton’s baby shower! We hosted lots of family & friends at our favorite neighborhood restaurant, Bella Cucina, Alley’s sister Lyndsey made a surprise appearance with her two kids. A good time was had by all! My contribution to our new granddaughter was a cradle. Velda created a quilt & bumper set. You might say we were a bit excited to welcome Payton to the family!
We have a wind chime on our front step that hummingbirds like to build nests on top of. It’s happened two years in a row, so it must be some kind of special wind chime. March 12 was the day of the first flight for the two new birds. Here are a couple of pix from that day.
Two fledglings, almost ready to leave the nest.
That first step….
The first flight
Payton Elizabeth Mowry joined our family early on April 14. Words can’t express how our hearts have swelled because of that young lady. I could post a few hundred photos, right?
And the celebration part of this year got going immediately!
May 12 was the official conclusion of our 2012 plan. This plan started in 1997 when Velda returned to college to get her Bachelor’s. Fifteen years later, Velda, Christopher, Michael and Lauren all had their degrees:
- Velda got her BS in Nursing at Cal State Northridge, and then her MS in Nursing from UCLA
- Christopher got his BA in Psychology from Cal State LA
- Michael got his BS in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA. He’s almost finished with his MS in Engineering from USC
- Lauren got her BA in Psychology from Sonoma State
And the celebration continued! After attending Lauren’s graduation, Velda and I stayed in Napa to celebrate our 34th wedding anniversary. Then we pulled a U-Haul south to move Lauren out of her apartment and back home to SoCal. We are empty nesters no more!
After marking the conclusion of the 2012 plan, it was time for a new beginning. This blog launched on June 22. We quickly explored how to make a Perfect Margarita. I still don’t think I’m done with that project, but the family sure has enjoyed the process (well, except for Lauren, who decided tequila was not for her).
The blog grew in several directions, including my sharing lots of photography. Now, almost 6 months later, MowryJournal.com has generated over 6,000 views and attracted over 100 followers. Thank you all for reading the thoughts of both MrsMowry and myself, and for sharing your thoughts and comments as well. I can’t wait to see where the blog goes next!
Velda and I had a great summer vacation, meeting my sister and brother-in-law in Aspen for a long weekend. We survived the heat spell, took a train ride in Leadville, and had a wonderful time with family. From Denver, we began a driving vacation, visiting Velda’s first cousin, Evelyn Hepler. The cousins had never met, and we were able to spend a wonderful afternoon scanning pictures and getting to know Evelyn and her family! We then spent several days driving across Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. We visited family, enjoying our time that proved to be much too short. Isn’t that always the case?
This rainy, cloudy day didn’t have a lot of great pictures, but when the gray cleared, I did get this one of the Colorado sky!
In August, we did a family getaway to San Diego. We stayed at a waterfront hotel and visited SeaWorld for the first time in many years. We had a great dinner in Old Town, found a wonderful tequila store and had fun with the family, celebrating the conclusion of the 2012 plan. All had sacrificed to help family members achieve our big goal, and it was time for Velda & I to say thanks.
And the celebration continued!
Velda and I continue in our same jobs: she’s with Kaiser Continuing Care, as she has been for several years. I continue to work from home for Smarts Broadcast Services, which is a radio software company based in Emmetsburg, IA. I’ve been their Director of Marketing since 2011. Life is good!
Each of our kids found more challenge in their professional lives this year. Here’s a quick summary:
Christopher still works for LA County as a Recreation Supervisor, though he’s just transferred from supervising the 12 natural areas in the northern part of the county, including Devil’s Punch Bowl, back to a park he’s worked at before: Placerita Canyon Park.
Alley continues to work for the city of Palmdale. They work a 4-day workweek, which helps with the childcare juggling that she and Christopher are doing.
Michael changed jobs this year, and now works for Crane Aerospace & Electronics in Burbank. He’s currently involved in the design of fuel pump parts for aircraft engines.
Brianna has finished her teaching certificate, and is currently substitute teaching. She hopes to find a permanent position next fall teaching junior high music & English.
Eric continues to grow his company, finding both new customers and expanding the business from his current aerospace industry clients. He and his brother Bobby are doing a great job managing the family business.
Lauren has smoothly transitioned back to Santa Clarita, and is now working for Sunshine Daycare, which is affiliated with many of the elementary schools here in Santa Clarita. After starting with a group of second graders, she’s now taken charge of the third graders. She’s loving the challenge!
The end of the year was filled with my push towards completing the Hepler family photo scrapbook, which I’ve written about a few times (and will again!). This book chronicles the family of Harry Baptiste Hepler and Marguerite Clark, and their 25 grandchildren. The book has grown to 207 pages, and I am both pleased as punch that it is done, and anxious to get it printed and in the mail – which should be done by New Year’s Eve! This book marks the end of a 5-year project (you see, this is a year of completion). The project began with the Mowry family in 2007, then continued with the Shull family, also 2007, the Chucalo family in 2011 and now the Hepler family. I now have many family tree loose ends to tie up, but I’m very happy that our genealogical photo collection is digitally stored, backed up … and 220 gigs of data. That’s been a journey, let me assure you.
Christmas promises to be very special this year, with a new member of the family to spoil, and cousins from Missouri and Illinois coming out to enjoy a few days of SoCal sunshine. A highlight event will be the whole gaggle of us going to see the Missouri Tigers men’s basketball team take on the UCLA Bruins at the new Pauley Pavillion. I went to Missouri (class of 1978), but my money definitely went to UCLA … so I’m a little conflicted about which team to root for.
Only a little. Go Tigers!
So, just as the title suggested, 2012 has been — and still is! — a wonderful year. Happy Holidays to all, and here’s to an even more exciting 2013!
The family had a November photo shoot at Vasquez Rocks, and the Southern California weather was not its normal sunny self. We had great fun doing the shoot, and came out only slightly moist.
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In all of the photos I’ve collected in my genealogical travels, this one is the strangest. John Mowry and Isaac Bond are the names of the builders … but what is it? Where is it? Why is it?
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With the equipment in place, I got busy in the shop. I began to make Magic Bottle Openers in earnest, and they proved to be the runaway best-selling product for me in 2016: I sold over 200 of them! It seems that many people know a beer drinker that needs a little magic in their life.
While I was making magic in the shop, the Lady was busy with her own new idea. This was the year of soap.
We finally got to keep an important appointment in July, and got photographs made of Payton sitting in our family’s little rocking chair – a chair first purchased by Payton’s Great Great Great Grandmother Boring as a Christmas present 121 years ago today. That story was told here, A Family Heirloom.
