Happy Birthday Grandpa

A few years before my Grandpa Dalton died, he moved to Sandy to live at the Crosslands Retirement Community.

This picture was probably taken about 1990.

Melinda (my cousin) called and asked me to drive up to Sandy and go to the 50's party with Grandpa. She wore her faded, pegged 501's and loafers.

I had my bobby socks and pony tail.

I don't remember much about the party at all.

But I do remember trying to get the camera timer to work so that we could take this picture. We laughed and laughed. I hadn't seen Grandpa laugh that hard in a long time.

Morgan Leon Dalton was born May 27, 1910 in Circleville, Utah

to Morgan Pedon Dalton and Ida Dalley, one of 10 children.

Grandpa died in Pleasant Grove, Utah on September 18, 1997.

(just 5 weeks after Summer was born. Summer was named after his wife, Grandma Ethel. I still believe that Grandpa lived just long enough to meet Summer--I will try to find those pictures!)

Summer and I have been busy getting the yard and garden ready this spring. One thing that we have done is to spray paint some faded lawn furniture. Every time I spray paint anything, I think of Grandpa Whitey. He must have had shelves of spray paint, in every color imaginable.

He painted everything:

the various bikes and trikes that he fixed up

the garage doors

she shed

the lawn furniture

rocks

the ramp he built to use to fix cars

the chicken coop

the grass

the cat

his old blue truck

His favorite things were paint, fertilizer and pruning sheers!

Happy Birthday Grandpa

More Dalton stories...

here are some more stories from Aunt Dolores:

Mama and Daddy had a very close relationship and were very loyal to each other. This doesn't mean that it was a perfect relationship. They had their ups an downs. I think that the biggest problem they had in their marriage was when Daddy drank. They had a lot of trouble over that, but when he didn't drink, they got along very well. Daddy was quite demanding in certain ways. He didn't like Mama to go any place without him when he was at home, so she never left in the evenings, except on rare occasions.

In many ways, he was very considerate. He always kept the cars clean and filled with gas--I don't think Mama ever pumped gas after self-serve was available. He would always go get the car and warm it up for her when they went places in the winter. He really tried to help her clean up with kitchen when there were just the two of them where after we left. I think he mainly got in the way, but he tried.

They never criticized each other to anyone else. He liked to get up early and watch the morning news, and she liked to sleep later, so he would turn on the TV with low sound, then he would call, "Ethel, there was an earthquake in Turkey", or "Ethel, there was a ....whatever it was", and it would about drive her nuts. Daddy also liked to go to bed early--very early, like at dark or earlier. He was usually in bed by 7:00 pm, sometimes sooner. He said she would "stay up all hours". That meant until the 10:00 news.

Mama and Daddy both had a pretty good sense of humor, but Mama was by far the best. She could laugh at about anything. I remember once when Daddy tried out Donald Whittaker's new scooter (gas propelled). He couldn't figure out how to let off the gas and stop the scooter, so he just had to keep going until he ran into a fire hydrant. Mama about died laughing. Daddy was quite insulted and said that if it had killed him, she would have stood there laughing.

When Nan Nell was about 8 or 10, she would fight with Mama, mostly over what Nan Nell was supposed to wear, or over practicing the piano. Mama would act like she was going to slap Nan Nell and Nan Nell would run from her. I remember one day when Nan Nell ran out the back door, around the front and in the front, out the back and so on. Mama was chasing her and Nan Nell was screaming, "Don't beat me, don't beat me," like she was used to being beat. Mama was laughing so hard that when she came through the living room, chasing Nan Nell out the back door, she would have to stop and catch her breath. She was laughing so hard she could barely chase Nan Nell.

Fish Tacos

1/4 c. paprika

2 T. Ground dried basil

2 T. ground dried oregano

2 T. Mustard powder

1 T. black pepper

1 T. salt

1 1/2 t. onion powder

1 1/2 t. garlic powder

3/4 t. cayenne pepper

1/2 t. sugar

In a mixing bowl combine all spices and seasonings. Rub on Halibut steaks.

**My brother has a friend who is a fishing guide in Alaska. Every once in a while he has extra and he packs it up and overnights it to my brother. We bought some of it last time. It is so good. My kids love it, too.

We didn't have plans for dinner a few nights ago, so Rick looked up this recipe on the internet. I made some cole slaw (Cole's favorite), Cole grated some cheese and the girls set the table. We sort of threw the meal together but it turned out so YUMMY.

More From the Daltons...

I have some more questions and answers from Aunt Dolores...

(2/1/2001)

foods...Another thing Grandma Ethel made was good bread. Again, no recipe and a certain size pan, etc. Often she would make bread on "wash day", Monday , in those days and for lunch we would have "fry bread". She would take a handful of bread dough, pull it apart, and fry it. We would call them scones now, but it was "fry bread" in those days. It was wonderful. She also made wonderful cakes, and she made good candy. She hated to make cookies and rarely made them. She said cookies took forever to bake and get done with, and the kitchen was a mess all day.

Family Home Evening?? Heavens, no. We had never even heard of it when I was growing up. The closest thing to Family Home Evening was watching "The Lawrence Welk Show" (Also, realize that this was after I was grown up and left home. When I left home at age 20 to come to Salt Lake, we didn't have TV yet in Circleville.

More advice from Grandma Ethel..."Let your head save your feet" In other words, organize. I still think of that when I come upstairs for two things and only remember to take one thing back down.

I think my father's best traits were his honesty and his work ethic. He was very honest, and very hard working. Also, he was very clean. he kept himself and his home and yard immaculate. He was very proud of having the greenest lawn in Circleville. Each spring about February, he would spread manure (he liked chicken manure best) all over the grass and it would be very green by March.

Mama was immaculately clean, and she couldn't stand dirty windows. She was always washing her windows, especially the glass in the front storm door. When we ate dinner, half the time she would clean up the table before we were through eating. Daddy used to say that Mama threw the paper away before he could even read it. Mama was really fussy about how her bed was made. She couldn't stand an unmade bed, and it had to be made perfectly. Mama was also immaculate with herself. She was always in nice, clean clothes, would never, never go around in her housecoat (unlike her daughters!). She always looked nice. She was always positive, up-beat, and good natured. She rarely complained, and never said she didn't feel good. When she was about 66, she fell and broke both her wrists. She was standing on the edge of the ditch bank, and slid on the grass. She put both arms behind her to catch herself, and broke both wrists. She was so independent that it was hard to help her. Daddy had to make the bed every morning and he said he about wore himself out, running back and forth around the bed, getting it made to suit her. She really had a hard time, depending on someone else to do the things she couldn't do for herself.

(This is a picture of me on the tire swing in the back yard in Circleville)

project 40

These were delivered today:

For a total of 20 newborn kits delivered.

10 more were packaged up this evening. (totaling 30)

The supplies for the last group of 10 are sitting in the living waiting to be packaged.

It's almost done.

thanks to all of the people who have participated.

I couldn't have done it without so much help from everyone!

swim lessons

Summer

Sierra

the girls were bumped from the class I originally signed up for to the highest class where they just work on lap swimming. They are both doing really well, they just need to work on their endurance.

Cole

Cole progressed rapidly, too.

He has never been the little fish that the girls have been.

But he gained a lot of confidence this time around.

He's confident and will now put his head under water and will even jump off the side of the pool.

Watch out 7 peaks. Here we come. (well, as soon as summer gets here)

Fish Lake

L to R

Back row: Whitey and Ethel

Front Row: Melinda Morgan, Kelli, and Brandi

I love so many things about this picture:

1. My Dad's green blazer on the left

2. Melinda's belly shirt & knee high socks

3. the way my socks are rolled down

4. Brandi is just wearing a diaper for pants

5. typical Grandma Ethel outfit, especially the necklace.

6. typical Grandpa Whitey outfit, especially the hat. love the hat.

Mom, when do you think this was taken? 1976?

Mother's Day Part 3

My very own mother has threatened me. She has threatened me to not continue posting such adorable pictures of her as a child. So, before she follows through with her threats I thought I would hurry and add a few more...

And conveniently enough these people cannot threaten me, so I will post a few photos of them:

Morgan Leon and Ethel Dalton

(this picture was taken by a professional photographer at the church. The ward arranged for families to come to the church one afternoon in the summer and have their photos taken. I am particularly fond of this picture because I was staying with them at the time and I went to the church with them to have this taken. I was making them laugh.)

This is another favorite photo of my Grandparents

(This was taken at Bryce Canyon. notice that my Grandpa is wearing an Arctic Circle hat.

We had gone on a family vacation to Bryce, Zion, and the Grand Canyon. I believe this was about 1980 or 81)

There is a Monster at the End of this Post

When I was a kid I had this book. I read it over and over and over. I don't know what ever happened to this book, but a few years ago I came across a used one and I bought it. Grover spends the entire book trying to convince the reader that he should not read the book.

Grover does not want the reader to reach the end of the book because there is a monster.

He "nails" pages down and then when you turn the page you find the boards all in a heap on the next page.

Then he build a brick wall to keep the reader from turning the page. And on the following page is a big pile of bricks.

It goes on and on.

It is kind of like this post.

There is a monster at the end of this post.

I am warning you just like Grover, please do not read the end of this post.

Fuzzy, lovable, adorable Grover begs you not to continue.

You were warned...i have something terrible to say. It has been bugging me for days. The only way to get it out of my head is to say it. or type it.

This is your last chance.

here goes...if you are going to host a Mother's Day BBQ at your brand new home, then you sure as heck better invite your own mother. and if you choose to attend family get togethers on a regular basis it is nice/polite/recommended that you contribute something to the gathering and don't expect to eat a hot meal if you are habitually late for the gathering.

I told you there was a monster at the end of this post. I feel better. thank you for not reading the end of this post.

Book Report

This is the book that we are currently reading with the kids. Well, it's actually 4 books (I guess that's why it's a QUARTET?)

The first book is A Wrinkle in Time (1962) (newbery medal winner)

The second is A Wind in the Door (1973)

Third is A Swiftly Tilting Planet (1978)

and last is Many Waters (1986).

all are written by Madeleine l"Engle (1918-2007)

Here is the first sentence of the first book...

On a dark, stormy night a strange visitor, Mrs. Whatsit, shows up at the Murry house and mentions that there is such as thing as a tesseract.

Mother's Day Part 2

Several years ago when I lived in Kirksville, MO and I was a (new) stay home mom to 1 child and I lived in a tiny apartment that took 2 minutes to clean, I found myself with extra time on my hands. So, one day I mailed (not even email!) my Aunt Dolores some questions about what life was like when she was a child. Here are some of her responses:

Question:

What meal do yo remember your mother cooking most often? Did you like it?

Our favorite meal that Mama cooked was homemade chicken and noodles. She made it all from scratch. I tried to learn her noodle recipe but you had to have a certain pan and certain size "handfuls". It was her own recipe and did you use precise measurements. She would make all the noodles for Sunday dinner, and leave them on the stove after dinner, and we would go back all day and get more noodles. No noodles have ever tasted the same.

She also made wonderful homemade bread.

Question:

What did you and your sister fight about the most?

Well, I just knew that NanNell was the most spoiled brat in the world, and she bugged me to death. Sharing a room with a sister 9 years younger is really a treat. She would get in all my stuff, dress up in my clothes, wear my lipstick, and--read my letters from my boyfriends. Before she learned to read, she took them to Daddy and had him read them to her. I was always wanting to take the car and drive around on Sundays, and she would beg Mama and Daddy to let her go with me. She was all ears, and repeated everything she heard my friends and me say. She was the worst!! Because she was the baby, she would bawl and whine if I even looked at her, and Mama and Daddy would take her part because she was little.

Tell me some good advice that your mother (Grandma Ethel) gave you:

Mama used to always say "Get up and shake the stink off and you'll feel better".

That meant to get out of bed, wash your face and brush your teeth, and get cleaned up and you would feel better--and it is true. Mama also told me to "never learn how to milk the cow". She knew if I did, that Daddy would know I could do it so he would not bother to come home and do it and it would be my responsibility. Well, I didn't learn how to milk the cow, literally, but figuratively I forgot her advise. I learned how to run the lawn mower, the snow blower, the edger, and do all kinds of things that I wouldn't have had to do if I had only remembered, "don't learn to milk a cow."

Share a memory of going to church. Did your family go together?

Going to Church was weird in Circleville in the old days. We didn't go together as families as we do now. Sacrament Meeting was in the afternoon at 2. Then later changed to 7 in the evening. We would go and sit with our friends. Mostly the women went to church during those years. When I was little I went alone, then later I took NanNell. Sometimes I would ride my bike and pump her on the back fender. During my high school days, Mama and Daddy started to go. Daddy was always the first one ready, and he would announce that "this bus is leaving in five minutes." Then he would go out and get the car and pull up out in front and honk at us. I usually went to Church brushing my hair and putting on my lipstick. When Daddy was Sunday School Superintendent and Mama was Jr. Sunday School Coordinator, the phone would ring all morning, with people calling to ask questions or say that they would not be there and couldn't teach their class.

Happy Mother's Day

This is my mom (L) and her sister Dolores (R)

taken in front of their home in Circleville, Utah

(home to all of the infamous outlaws, remember?)

update: just the 2 girls and 9 years difference in age.

Crock Pot Lasagna

OK, totally not my picture so don't give me credit.

I searched the internet for recipes for Crock Pot Lasagna and there were a bunch.

Mostly, this is how it works:

Spray the sides of the crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. (didn't help me, but do it anyways)

Pour in in some spaghetti sauce of your choice to cover the bottom of the pot.

layer with noodles, mozzarella, riccotta, meat, veggies, onions, mushrooms, spinach, olives, the extra baggy of frozen tomatoes from the end of season last year that was found in the back of the freezer.

I used oven ready noodles so they can go in the crock pot straight out of the package--no boiling! But add an extra cup of water because they will absorb all the extra moisture as it cooks.

Most of the instructions suggested that you cook on high for the first hour and then turn the crock pot to low and cook for 5 hours on low. Mine only needed about 3 1/2 on low and it was ready. I turned it down to "keep warm" when the edges were starting to look crispy and the top layer of cheese was slightly brown.

The kids loved it and it was nice to have that done at 11 0'clock in the morning. Next time I would use two of the big jars of sauce (or the equivalent) and do another layer or 2 just so that I had a little more for leftovers because that is how I am.

Pea and carrot Coconut Curry

This is mostly for me so that I don't forget where I put this recipe. Because I do that. a lot.

In a large frying pan, saute 1 small onion, chopped; 1 to 2 T. curry powder; 1 t. salt; and 1 chopped serrano chili* in a little vegetable oil.

Add 1 lb. baby carrots, cut length wise; 1 c. frozen peas; 1/2 c. water; and 1 can coconut milk.

simmer, covered, until carrots are tender. Serve over steamed basmati rice and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

* I had planned on making this and I had all of the ingredients on hand except the serrano chili. so, I went to the storage room and grabbed this:

a jar of peppers that i had canned last summer. It was the last of the peppers. I took everything that was left over from the salsa canning and just threw it into a pot and bottled it up and stuck it on the shelf. I had no idea that the Scoville unit was going to be about 4 million. So, needless to say that this was one HOT dinner. But the kids loved it. We just had to keep wiping our noses and eventually our eyes all through the dinner. I will certainly be making this again, I will just be a little more carefully about the heat level!!

It was so yummy and smelled so good when it was cooking that I didn't bother to get a photo of the dish after it was prepared and on the plate, so use your imagination.