Happpy February Birthdays

When ever I smell sawdust, I think of Dad and his wood shop under the carport in the Sandy house.  He kept all his nails, and screws and little bits and pieces in coffee cans he collected from work.  (we also kept our crayons in a big green coffee can he brought home from work.)  He helped us paint rocks, and make cardboard picture frames to sell for our 'mini-society' and school.  He helped us to use the left over bathroom tiles to make pot holders for mothers day. (which I still have, and use) I climbed scaffolding with him, and helped him to put siding on the house.  He taught me how to paint with long up and down strokes.  We used saw horses and plywood planks with tablecloths over them for family dinners in the back yard, or under the carport.  I also remember the small tables and chairs he made for all the grandchildren for Christmas one year.  (Thanks to Colin for making a table for my kids!!) 

He spent long hours in the basement seated at a card table building his model planes and painting them with those itty bitty jars of paint.

He also loved to draw house plans.  I remember being excited for the new house he had planned to build on the lot in West Jordan.  It had a bathroom like the brady bunch - two doors opening to a bedroom on each side!  It was across the street from a church, and we teased him that if we moved there, he would become the bishop.

What do you remember about Dad and his hobbies?  

Guess who is turning 8?

I can't believe she is growing up so fast! Hannah is getting baptized on Feb. 7, 2009. We hope you will all join us for this special day. There will be a light dinner at our home following the baptism. Please call me for time/ directions and to let me know you are coming so we know how many to plan on. Congratulations Hannah! We love you.

Dad loved a good joke and loved a good story. Oh and by the way, Dad's hair wasn't greasy, he put stuff on it to keep it flat. Do you remember that he went to bed with a nylon stocking on his head? That was to keep it flat too.

Dad used to bring funny stuff home from work. He had an amazing laugh and loved to laugh with us. I kept a few of the things he brought home. Here is one of my favorites I'll share with you.

YOU'LL GET IT IN THE END

Upon arriving home in eager anticipation of a leisurely evening with the new issue of True (a magazine), the husband was met at the door by his sobbing wife. Tearfully she explained, "its the druggist . . . he insulted me terribly this morning on the phone." The husband drove downtown to accost the druggist and demand an apology. Before he could say more than a word or two, the druggist told him, "Now just a moment . . . listen to my side of the story first. This morning, the alarm failed to go off, so I was late getting up. I went without breakfast and hurried out to the car, but 'll be darned if I didn't lock both the house keys and car keys inside. I had to break a window to get my keys. Driving a little too fast, I got a ticket for speeding and then about three blocks from the store, I had a flat tire. When I finally got to the store, there was a large group of people waiting for me to open up. I got the store open and started waiting on the people when the darn phone started ringing. Then I had to break open a roll of nickels against the cash register to make change, and they spilled all over the floor. I got down on my hands and knees to pick them up . . . that darn phone ringing all the while. When I got up, I hit my head on the open register drawer which made my head reel and made me stagger against the showcase of perfume and half the bottles fell to the floor shattering to bits. The phone was still ringing and I finally answered it. It was your wife . . . she wanted to know how to use a rectal thermometer. AND I TOLD HER . . ."

I've had that story for years. It's great.

One year, I think I was in 9th grade, Dad invited me to go to work with him because they were having a Christmas party at work and I was out of school for Christmas break. Some of the guys he worked with were a little rough around the edges. The night before the party, we drove all the way downtown to a special novelty shop where dad purchased a "bottle of whiskey" for the gift exchange. I don't remember if it was for a specific person or if they just picked random gifts. Anyway, this bottle of whiskey looked like the real thing, a fifth of booze, but actually, it was filled with honey - the color of whiskey. Dad took great pride in wrapping it and putting it under the tree at work the next day.

I don't remember what happened with the whiskey bottle or who got it or what their reaction was, but I do remember what dad got. I was standing next to him when he opened it and I don't think he knew what to do with his 14 year old impressionable son standing there. He was so embarrassed! Someone had given him an ice cream cone with a very large pair of women's breasts (plastic) on top where ice cream would normally be.

He looked at it for a minute and then at me. I started lauging. He said "lets not say anything about this" and stuck it in a drawer in his desk. I never saw it again and I was never asked to join him for another office party.

I remember dad would let us do stuff with his hair (comb over). He would lie on the floor and we would put our colored plastic barrettes from the top to the bottom. I remember his hair was greasy but we loved it! I also remember the whisker rubs, Dad had a great 5 oclock shadow and would come home from work and rub our little faces raw.

Karyn

What do you remember about.....

I know that Dad had a great and sarcastic sense of humor. I remember him wanting to name our pet rabbit "Skillet".  As little girls, we were horrified at the thought.  But now I appreciate it and think I must have got some sarcasm from him. I was too little when he died to remember many specifics though.  So, my question today is :  What do you remember about Dad's sense of humor? 

Memories by Mickey

Posted by The Roz's for Mickey
Okay I think this will be fun but we have to have some rules. First it dosen't matter how you spell it as long as everyone gets the meaning. Second we dont have to be great writers like Suz ans Jim. That being said I will be happy to post some of my memories for everyone to hopefully enjoy.




Gramps, its like Jim said we spent alot of time at their house when we were little. Gramps would have me and Jim weed the garden for him and I remember finding a big grasshopper and having Gramps showing up how to pull its head off and watch it jump around, how fun, I dont think I could do it today without barfing. Gramps would take Jim and I places, I dont remember Cottenwood, but I remember Murray park swimming pool and Deseret gym. We would thae the bus to Salt Lake Gramps would whistle Christmas toons, of corse this was in July, I dident care we were on an adventure at the time it was so much fun putting the mony in the meter and watching it fall down the little tube. I was so excited for it to be my turn to pull the bell cord for our stop. At times now I reflect back to those times and wonder if it was the same for Gramps as it is for me when I am with Keith, Mickey and Davy. Last summer when Darcie brought the boys by for a little visit they were leaving and I went out and Mickey was crouched down so close to ground looking and I asked him what he was looking at and still squatting he turned his little head and said "bugs" and turned back to the little tiny ants on the ground.( See picture, his lips are blue from eating a ring pop) I instantally flashed back to Gramps and wondered if he felt the same things for us as I do for thease wonderful little boys that have brought so much joy to my life. Next time I will tell you about the slipper.




Nana was so good to us, I dont remember her ever raising her voice at us, but we knew when we were in trouble. The worst punishment was sitting on the stool in front of the fridge having to watch the clock, 10 minutes is a very long time for a little kid. I dont think that clock even worked. Once a week Nana would make bread and I think most of the time those were the days Gramps would take us somewhere, but at time we would get to help, I liked kneeding the dough and after it would rise if I was good I would get to pop it and kneed it again. It would smell so good while it was baking and Jim and I would howl for a taste as soon as it came out of the oven. Oh how much I the taste of Nanas fresh baked bread, when I was about 8 or nine I ate some fresh baked bread at school and got very sick and have never been able to eat fresh bread sence.




Dad, I am sitting here wondering whitch memories to share, I have so many. One time when he was building the house in Sandy he called and asked me to come and help him with the car port, so on Saturday I went over early to help. When I got there it was just Dad and I. Now I need to remind you that back then I was lucky to weigh in at a buck twentyfive after thanksgiving dinner and I think Dad was maybe a buck and a half, a couple of heavy weights to say the least. Well anyway I lifted the trusses up to Dad and he leaned them aganst the main house roof, once we got them all up we started to set up starting at the far end and working our way in twards the house. I think the trusses were about 25 or 30 feet and there were about 10 or 12 of them but it took us most of the day with a short break for lunch at McDonalds. Soooo after we got the last tress up and nailed in place Dad wanted to check Square, soooo we checked it and guess what it was off 3/4 of an inch, after Dad made this anouncement to me I quickly stated that it was close enough gor government work. Boy I hhought he was going to have a cow right there on the roof and I was going to have to deliver it. So after a 15 minute lecture on why we dont do anything like government work we spent the rest of the day taking the trusses down so Dad could square up everything and next week we put up the trusses and it went much quicker becaust we had some idea of how to do it. Sometime I will tell you about doing the sheetrock.




Well I think thats enough for now, I am kinda tired and I dont want to be too long winded.

Happy New Year!

Hello Family,
I just wanted to update everyone with what 2009 will hold for us. We bought our first house! We've actually had the keys for about 2 weeks but it needs some updating before we move in. The house was built in 1981 and we're looking at February as a move in date. Brian will be doing all the work himself, remodeling 2 bathroom, the kitchen and doing some flooring and paint. Luck for me he's very handy like my dad. Dad will be coming to help Brian in January. I'll send out the address once we've offically moved.
The biggest reason why Brian is doing all the work himself is because we are expecting a baby! Yes, another "Baby Rosner" as Leon puts it. Our Little One (as we've named it for now) will be joining us in June. We are very excited! We're having an ultrasound in the end of January and I'll post some pictures then. Any guesses if Little One is a boy or a girl? How about name suggestions?
Love to all and hope your 2009 is great! Love, The Roz's

Meeks Family January Birthdays

The only birthday I don’t have is Robin’s. Would someone please let me know when it is? Also, please correct me if any of the birthdays aren’t correct or yours isn’t listed. Thanks!

Hi Suz, What a wonderful idea. I think you’ve tried to get us to do this before and we haven’t been very responsive. Sorry about that. Sometimes, it is difficult to take the time to sit down and write about stuff for many reasons.

I love your memories! Mick and I spent many summers living with Nana and Gramps while our mother was ill. I think that started when I was about 4 and Mick was 3. We slept in the extra bed in Gramps’ bedroom. I remember asking Nana about why they had separate bedrooms once. Her response was that he snored too much and drooled on his pillow so they decided to have separate rooms. I guess it worked for them.

The cherry tree out front was of the Queen Anne variety, my favorite. I remember being instructed in the proper technique of picking the cherries. Gramps was good at getting Mick and I to do many chores for him. Mowing the lawn and it had to be just so. Two rounds in one direction and then one round in the other direction. We then had to rake all the grass up and spread it just so in his garden out back. Edging the lawn every summer was a pain. It had to be just so too.

I remember their house before the back was added on. Dad actually added on the back of the house that you remember. Originally, there was nothing beyond the kitchen out that way. So, there was the living room, the kitchen, two bedrooms and that small bathroom. When I was a young teenager, Dad built on the entire back of the house which probably at least doubled the size of the house for them. He loved to build.

Gramps’ office wasn’t actually downstairs, but was in what would have been the garage on most houses. You did have to go out the back of the house and then turn left to get to the office. It was old and funny smelling for sure. He had those old leather adjustment tables that always reminded me of medieval torture racks or something. I received many adjustments there. I loved to hang out there sometimes with Gramps and ask him questions about Chiropractics. He was fascinating and had some really interesting concepts. There used to be an actual human spine hanging in his office there too.

Gramps used to sit in his chair there by the front door where he would read the paper, listen to the radio and watch TV all at the same time. If Mick or I tried to change the TV channel so we could watch something we were interested in, Gramps would drop the newspaper down a couple of inches and tell us he was watching that as he peered over the paper.

Heck, I’m so old that I can remember when the started building the original Cottonwood Hospital across the street. Several times a week, Gramps would take Mick and I across the street after the workers had gone home so that we could see what progress they had made. I remember looking at the footings and then the foundations and walls as they went up. When they started doing the electrical work, Gramps would collect the little plugs they knocked out of the electrical boxes. We watched them build that place. Amazing.

Nana was wonderful. She would read to us and we’d sit next to her on that green couch when she did. She was a wonderful cook, except that she insisted that we eat prunes – I still hate them to this day!!

I learned at a very young age to answer her questions in very particular ways. I remember once being asked about my last bowel movement. When I couldn’t remember (what kid would?), I learned quickly why an enema bag always hung in the shower! After that, if I was ever asked about a BM again, I answered with a very quick “last night” or “this morning.”

We used to sit on the porch and blow bubbles through wooden thread spools using dish soap. Buying bubbles was a luxury otherwise.

Nana taught me how to hand stitch. She would do mending on her old treadle Singer Sewing machine and I would hand stitch scraps of cloth she would give me. I still do hand stitching sometimes and often remember her teaching me how.

Wow, what memories you have stirred. Thanks!

Jim