Bingham, New Mexico

We visited Bingham, NM on our way home from vacation 7/30/11 

this is the street sign at the highway

 

this is the old adobe home my mom helped build, two parents 11 children lived here. If I counted right :-)

During the early 1930's my grandparents Samuel Grant and Nora Bingham and their children drove in a covered wagon and Model T from West Texas to the middle of New Mexico in search of land. There they homesteaded, ranched and built a home, store and school. My mom was about 13 years old. The youngest of the Bingham children were born in Bingham, Earl and Pearl. My mom had fond memories of her days in Bingham, NM even if times were hard. Her stories were much like those of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her series of books Little House on the Prairie. I think that is why she loved those books and The Oregon Trail and O Pioneers so much. She collected icicles off the eaves in the winter and dropped them down in the cistern to have water in the summer. She held on to the cows tail one evening in a storm so the cow could lead her home. She helped raise her younger siblings, made adobe bricks for their home and collected rocks and helped build the school. She loved her teacher there. Fond memories and great stories shared by my mom.
Wonder just where Bingham is located. Almost dead center of the state. Just north of the Trinity testing site. Equal distance from Carizzo and Socorro. Yep-- about 3 miles east of nowhere. :-) But the Valley of the Fires where lava flowed at one time is not too far away. There is a pretty cool Rock Shop up on the highway now and I had a lovely time visiting with the lady that owns it.

At Reading Time by Edith Bingham Howell

I was posting on my home school mom blog and titled it "Reading Time" because I won a wonderful basket of books recently and am having a great time going through and picking out what to read. But the title of my blog reminded me of a poem that my mom wrote for Daniel when he was 2. Daniel loved sitting on my lap and being read to for hours (yes, really) at a time. I thought I'd share it with you all. Enjoy!

At Reading Time

by Edith Bingham Howell

She has a little son

Who's nearly three

And in the bedtime hour

He climb's upon his mother's knee

and snuggles down on her arm

With "mother read to me!"

She reads about the squirrels

That frolic in the wood, 

About two puppies-

one naughty and one good.

And then some tender lullabies-

Just as a mother should.

The light grows faint, and fainter;

The sandman guards the door;

My baby's boat drifts slowly 

upon the slumber shore-

But when the reading stops, he cries,

"O, Mother, read some more!"

I'm sure his "Precious Mother, "

Adored from East to West,

Feels half the satisfaction 

Or is so truly blessed

As, I when reading to my child 

Held closely to my breast.

Not all the fame and glory

of others can compare

With that deep thrill of pleasure

which is my humble share,

For precious are the flowers

That reading mothers share!

1921-2002

Another cake by Elizabeth

Just had to share a picture of Matthew's birthday cake. He turned 11 last Tuesday and his oldest sister Elizabeth made him this wonderful ice cream cake.

Yummy Hershey's Cocoa cake with cookies and cream ice cream in the middle and buttercream frosting with hot fudge drizzled on top. It was so delicious but very rich and had to be eaten in small pieces which made it last for days. We finished it all off tonight! More on Matthew's Birthday later.

Happy Birthday to my sister

Happy Birthday to Marie, my biggest sister.

Oh the memories to share of her!! I was only 3 when she got married so we didn't grow up together. But I always loved having her and her kiddos visit and to go and visit them. Then in 1979 when I came to Georgetown to attend Southwestern University I got to live with her and really get to know her. I applied at SU because I fell in love with the beautiful campus when we would drive in to visit her. Now I got to live with her during the summers while going to college here. She let me drive her car, eat her food, hang out at her house and rescued me when I needed it. I remember back in high school when I was trying to get my drivers license. She took off work drove all the way to Cleveland, Tx just so I could use her car to take my driving test. Dad wasn't to "keen" on me driving his car so she came to up to help me out. Good thing I guess because the first summer out of high school I got to help be her kiddos chauffer while I was looking for a job. She has always been there to lend a helping hand. LOVE YOU biggest sister. Have a wonderful blessed birthday.

Babies in Heaven

Just having memories of babies that are now in Heaven. My dear friend is reminiscing about her twin boys born 24 years ago today. They went to Heaven a few hours after being born. My first baby in Heaven was born very prematurely 20 years ago early this month. Some would have called it a miscarriage, others an spontaneous abortion (I hate that word) I held my precious 7 week baby in my hand. I mourned, rejoiced and buried my baby in a small jewelry box. But don't be sad. He is in Heaven and being loved by his grandmas and Jesus. My second baby in Heaven, who Katherine thinks is a girl, would be 6 later this year. Babies who others may think of as unimportant were and are cherished by our family. We do remember. Love you Jeanne, we will see our babies in Heaven someday and rejoice!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day
My dad Tillman Howell died in 2000. He served as a medic in France during WW2 and he and mom would be married 67 years this year. Dad worked hard to provide for his family and wasn't home much. My favorite memories of him are later in life. One time Don and I took he and mom to Dollywood. I was surprised at how much he enjoyed it, specially the log ride :-) We were surprised when he agreed to go on vacation with us that year and camped with us in the Smokey Mountains.

Cousins

Lots of fun this week when the cousins came to visit. Three 16 year olds, a 13 year old, an 11 year old and a 10 year old, all boys but one. They ate pancakes and hot dogs, went swimming, played board games, watched TV, played Wii, hunted for Caleb's lost phone and lots of other cousin things ;-)

But the most fun a few of them had was finding a bull snake in the chicken pen. Don killed it and then they had to inspect it a little closer.