Happy Birthday Sister Jackie

Today, Monday, February 12, is my little sister, Jackie's, Happy Birthday.

I do not remember why Jackie was in a baseball uniform in this photo of Jackie holding a baseball mitt.

Was there some sort of Pee Wee T-Ball League way back then?

I think likely not.

I do not remember Jackie playing baseball. I do remember Jackie playing basketball in high school.

Jackie's little sister, Michele, I do remember playing baseball, of the type called softball.

I recollect going to a Washington State High School Softball Tournament in Wenatchee, Washington, watching Michele be, if I remember correctly, and likely I don't, the catcher.

Again, if I am remembering correctly, Michele was picked to be Most Valuable Player at that tournament.

What I clearly remember of that weekend in Wenatchee is going to a U-Pick cherry orchard, with mom and dad, Jackie, and Jackie's oldest, Christopher, where we all picked cherries, including Christopher, who at that point in time might have been three years old.

I remember Christopher having a great time climbing a ladder, picking cherries and putting them in the burlap bag provided.

And now, all these years later, Jackie is a Grandma. And Christopher is a Pa.

I do not think there are any cherry trees in the Phoenix, Arizona zone that Jackie and Christopher can take Baby Cade to in a couple years to do some cherry picking.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKIE!!!

More Christmas Greetings From Arizona & Washington

More photos arrived on this Christmas day. Not via email. Via multiple phone text messages. 

Above, Kristin, Michele, Theo, Ruby, David, Jackie and Jack on in something called the Scottsdale Fashion Mall. Which, I guess, explains why they are all dressed so fashionably.

Earlier this Christmas day, in a blogging titled Merry Christmas Greetings From Arizona With Cousin Cade, I erroneously guessed where the Tacoma-ites were staying, and where they were desert exploring.

Well, they are not staying in a hotel in Scottsdale. They are staying at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Hotel in Chandler. And their desert exploring was not on South Mountain, but instead was at a location called Sabino Pass.

I also heard from my Skagit Valley nephews today. That would be my favorite Jason nephew and my favorite Joey nephew.

A couple photos from Joey. None from Jason.

But, Jason sent a lengthy word picture, also known as a text message. On Christmas Eve Jason went to brother Joey's house for what Jason says all thought the Christmas Eve dinner was the best any had had in a long time.

I have had multiple reports that Hank Frank's mom, Monique, is a real good cook.

Also at Joey's was Joey's mom, my favorite ex-sister-in-law, Cindy, her current husband, Asher, Hank Frank's grandpa, my little brother Jake. Apparently, Hank Frank had a lot of presents to open.

For reasons I have yet to learn, Spencer Jack, who is now 16, boycotted Christmas Eve.

Above, that is Hank Frank opening another present, or playing with one he already opened.

Grandma Cindy gave Hank Frank a wheelbarrow which he instantly liked a lot. Grandpa Jake gave Hank Frank a big rope with which a swing will be installed on one of Hank Frank's trees.

The above photo was among the ones Joey texted today. It is not a Christmas photo. It is a Thanksgiving photo.

Joey's in-laws, that being Monique's parental units, live on a ranch near Helena, Montana. Like his dad, Hank Frank is good to go on a long roadtrip, but, Joey and Monique have learned if they want a break from Hank Frank's chattering an ice cream cone will keep him silent for a few miles.

The Arizona Christmas is taking place at Cousin Cade's house, in Chandler, about three miles from Grandma Jackie and Grandpa Jack's house.

Meanwhile, in Texas, I had myself a relative-free Christmas with a Mexican food themed fiesta. The highlight of which was Tamale Pie Casserole, along with Chile Cheese Rellenos and Chicken Chimichangas...

Happy Birthday Little Sister Jackie

Seems real recent in my memory, but it was a long long long time ago, on this date, February 12, way back in the sixth decade of the previous century, when my little brother, Jake and sister, Nancy, sat on a curb on Fairhaven Avenue, looking up at the hospital on the other side of the street, waiting for our dad to hold our new baby sister up to a window so we could see sister Jackie for the first time.

I can remember this so clearly.

It was a happy day.

When you are the oldest sibling of multiple siblings you get to experience something the younger siblings do not get to experience.

The arrival of a new baby brother or sister.

Now, I do not remember the arrival of brother Jake, he is only 13 months younger than me. I sort of remember the arrival of sister Nancy. I think it was in the Mount Vernon hospital. 

Like I already mentioned, I clearly remember the arrival of Jackie.

And then seven years later my mom had me driving her somewhere. I remember it was on Rio Vista Avenue, in Burlington, when mom said she had something she wanted to tell me, and proceeded to tell me there was a new incoming brother or sister. I think I was 16 at the time.

Over the course of the next couple weeks Jake and Nancy were also informed of the new incoming. 

And then, all of us, me, Jake, Nancy and mom and dad, went into Jackie's bedroom to tell her the good news.

Jackie did not take this news well. She insisted such could not happen. It took awhile til Jackie accepted the idea that she was going to have a new baby brother or sister. 

Before my youngest sibling was born we had cement poured in the backyard for a patio. We had been to California the year before, including going to Hollywood and Graumann's Chinese Theater, where the stars put their handprints and names in cement.

So, we replicated that with all our names and handprints. And, not knowing if our incoming new baby sibling was a boy or girl, we had already decided on the name, Joey if it was a boy, Michele if it was a girl.

And so we wrote in the cement, "Joey or Michele," and I think made a little handprint.

I wonder if that is still in the backyard of the house I grew up in? Seems like the last time I asked that someone went and looked. I do not remember what the result of looking was...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKIE!!! 

Happy Birthday Jackie!

On the morning of this February 12 date, well over a half century ago, my little brother and I sat on a curb on the south side of Fairhaven Avenue, in Burlington, Washington.

It was a cold February morning.

Why were we sitting on that cold curb?

Because on the north side of Fairhaven Avenue we could look at the then location of United General Hospital, known then as Burlington Matthews Hospital, located so close we could see it from our kitchen window on Washington Avenue, because our house was located on the other side of the block from Fairhaven Avenue.

But we wanted a closer look than that available from our kitchen window.

Why did we want a closer look?

Because dad had told us to sit on the curb whilst looking at the 2nd window from the left on the 3rd floor.

Why?

So, that dad could show us our new baby sister.

I remember this like it was yesterday. My little brother and I were so excited to see our new little sister for the first time.

We sat there maybe five minutes before we saw dad at that window, holding that little bundle of joy, waving at us.

That is little sister Jackie you see in the composite photo above.

You can sort of tell from that photo that we sorta doted on little sister Jackie. Little did we know then that by the end of the decade a new sister would be replacing Jackie in the baby sister role, and that we would get to do that doting thing all over again.

On the right side of that composite photo above, that would be little brother Jake, standing with Jackie and me. Jake and Jackie and Jackie's first husband, Jack, just returned from a Happy Birthday visit to Laughlin and Las Vegas. I was not able to attend this party.

Happy Birthday, Jackie! 

Driving Miss Daisy To Swim In And Out To Tucson

I have discovered the world's best exercise guaranteed to strain every muscle in ones body to the edge of failure.

Play with three kids in a swimming pool for three hours. Or more.

I'm glad we got mom two transport chairs. I may need to use the second one by tomorrow....

Okay, the above was written yesterday whilst I was still in recovery mode from hours of swimming.

In the photo documentation of this I believe that is David in the foreground, myself on the left, and Theo directly behind me.

Eventually I was sent to Grandma's kitchen to bring back some sort of treat before heading to In 'n Out for a different type treat. The In 'n Out was in Gilbert, a distance from the swimming location in Sun Lakes. David, Theo & Ruby's grandma provided navigation direction to the Gilbert location. Thus adding to the exploration adventure element. Eventually we reached the location we long sought.

Above we are still at the pool in Sun Lakes. You are looking at Ruby, David and Theo's favorite aunt and uncles, Jackie, Jake and myself. Can you tell we are now sunburned?

After getting our fill of burgers, David, Theo and Ruby directed their parental units to a nearby shoe store whilst Miss Daisy directed her driver to head south to Sprouts to get some Irish Soda bread before heading to the Oasis Veterans Park, in Chandler, so David, Theo and Ruby could take turns driving Miss Daisy.

Above that is Theo driving Miss Daisy to the main trail around the Oasis Veterans Park lake, with me providing directional oversight.

David, Theo and Ruby liked visiting the snakes, cougars and bobcats housed in the Oasis Veterans Park Visitors Center. That and finding all the jackrabbits and regular rabbits hopping all around the park, along with the dozens of fishing poles angling at the lake's edge.

Today David, Theo and Ruby had their mother drive Miss Daisy to Tucson to see their other grandma and walk through Tucson's Desert Museum before leaving their non-driving maternal parental unit behind with her parental units.

Aunt Jackie and I are now back in Chandler after doing some extensive area explorations, preparing for tomorrow morning's horse ride. We are currently awaiting the return of Miss Daisy, David, Theo, Ruby and whoever is currently driving Miss Daisy, most likely Mama Michele.

Miss Daisy lost her wi-fi connection since my last Arizona visit. And so my only connection so far with the Internet has been at my current location, at Chandler's Casa Weston.

I went swimming again this morning, eventually with a crowd of a couple dozen Sun Lakes ladies doing their daily water aerobics tuned to loud rock music.

I am liking being back at a location where the air is warm...

Happy Birthday Little Sister Jackie; Princess Update

On the morning of this day, over half a century ago, my two oldest siblings and I sat on the curb of the south side of Fairhaven Avenue in Burlington, Washington.

The street we lived on was one block to the south, on Washington Avenue.

On the side opposite of Fairhaven Avenue, from the curb on which we sat, was what was at that point in time, before later being turned into an apartment building, our town's hospital.

And in that hospital, somewhere on an upper floor we looked for our dad to appear at a window. We did not know which window, on which floor, just that the window would be on an upper floor.

It is not easy to try and put into words, all these years later, how excited we were sitting there, waiting.

I do not remember if it was me or my brother who spotted dad first. But, I do remember how happy we were to see dad holding our new baby sister at that window so we could see her for the first time.

All these years later I have not til now wondered why us kids were not just allowed in the hospital to see our new sister.

Our new baby sister was named after a politician's wife who was an extremely popular First Lady of the United States at the time. I never thought if it til now, but Jackie's baby sister also has the same first name as an extremely popular First Lady of the United States, however, Michele was born years before that particular First Lady became one. If Michele had been named after who was First Lady when she was born she would be Thelma, with a nickname of Pat.

I almost forgot to mention, in that photo at the top Jackie is holding her kitty baby she named Pebbles. Pebbles was our first cat.

What follows is several photos of my little Jackie sister with her older siblings, years before Thelma Michele joined the family...

Above Jackie looks to be just a few months old. Maybe older than a few months, due to the fact it appears to be summer. We are standing in our front yard, and that would be me holding Jackie.

That would be Spencer Jack's grandpa Jake to the left of Jackie, which makes me the guy on the right. This may have been a first day of school photo.

I do not remember wearing a jacket and tie at this young age. Were we heading to Sunday School? I do not know. Doesn't Jackie look cute in her little dress?

Again we look to be dressed up to go somewhere special. I have no idea where that might be. I do now it was a rare occasion for my sisters to be in a dress, particularly the older sister.

Again, in the front yard, the camera aimed west, and us kids dressed up nicely. Maybe we were heading north to Lynden to visit the grandma's.

This is the earliest known photo documentation of Jackie in sports attire. I don't believe she was in her own little league uniform. I suspect we had dressed Jackie in brother Jake's little league attire.

The last photo is from several years after all those previous photos. In this one that is dad on the left, with me in the middle, and Jackie sitting next to me. We are at the San Juan Capistrano Mission looking for swallows. We toured this mission between visits to Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm and Hollywood, whilst camping at San Clemente State Park, next to the Nixon's California home.

Happy Birthday, Jackie. See you in a few weeks!

____________

An hour or so after publishing the above an UPDATE came to my phone from Arizona. with the text in the message saying, "Princess Jackie's Happy Birthday Breakfast at Denny's."

At first I thought this message came from the birthday girl. thinking the attached photo was one of those selfie deals. However, upon closer perusal I realized the photo and text message were from Jackie's little brother, Spencer Jack's grandpa, Jake. I did not understand the "Princess" part of the message until I got the photo off my phone and saw that which you see below...