Miller - Summer Of '42

From Jack Miller:

I, " Jackinapes," was born at a very young age. All of the other babies with whom I hung out confirmed that I was the cutest and brightest of the four Miller kids. After that early confirmation, we babies just sorta chilled, often reading the likes of Tolstoy and Berra. Mom later confided in me that I told my very first joke as a baby. Apparently, when I saw a moth flying away, I said "he must have looked at his watch." (How I knew it was a HE moth, especially when I was so young and naive, I do not know, nor do I dare say.) It wasn't really much of a joke for such a well-read baby, but you gotta start somewhere. Unfortunately that was my first, worst, and last joke (if such a triad of adjectives is even grammatically possible). 

To be continued if I am reminded of anything even slightly more insignificant than that which I have just stated.

Miller - Bob First Memories - 19??

From JMK - I suggested folks post their earliest memory as a comment on an ealier item.  But to make things a lttile easier to follow, I've "promoted" Roberto up to the front here.

--------------------------------------

From Roberto --

Just a beginner here, so am going
very slowly. But, thanks to JMK, for the hint as to how to GET started. As Rod just said, as he moved away from the computer, "oh God, you'll be leaving a total Memoir, you're on your own."
Well, not today Rod.
Actually one of my first memories
was sitting in a high chair and
spilling a bowl of cereal on our
dog's head. Laddie was loving it,
but Mama had a face on her I think,
as best memory was I did it on purpose. (I do remember having a behavior problem in early years.)
This may lead a first chapter of My Memoir, and YOU read it here !

Coates - Visiting Tot - late 1960s

MG and Janie had an older sister Helen, and two older brothers, Shelby, whom I think we kids never met, and Arthur, whom we knew as Tot. I met Tot once, when I was a young boy and some time after he had had a debilitating stroke. He was wheelchair bound, but had a smile for us and a bright look in his eyes. But I was a child, and it was strange, uncomfortable and boring to have behave, be polite, and be patient as our parents talked with Antionette and to Tot. I remember that someone put a baseballglove on Tot's hand and set it in his lap. Then my brothers and I rolled a ball into the glove. It was clear our great-uncle enjoyed it. And then he tired and we left. I wish we'd know him better and before his stroke. Years later I learned what little I know, and I'd like to know more. I learned that he lived in France between the wars (and after?), where he met Antionette who was (oh no) divorced and (heavens) a Catholic. I imagine it must have been a family scandal, and have the impression that Tot and Antionette were not close to his siblings. Of course, we all know that Janie and MG brought Antoinette into Meadowood with them years later and there was real affection among all three. It's funny how, as adults, we learn some of the complexities of the lives of the generation before. Part of the magic of childhood is not having to see those complexities. Part of the fascination of looking back now is to try to really understand. MG and Janie taught me so much. I'm sure I could have learned so much from Tot as well.

Miller -- 1970s -- Comic Books

I recall MG driving my brothers and me on a trip to the Vermont cabin in the late 60s or early 70s. This trip was a little out of the usual simply because neither Mom nor Dad was with us. MG enjoyed explaining to us -- perhaps I thought she was talking primarily to me as the oldest child and the one in the front seat -- some of the fine points of driving in the hills. I particularly recall that she demonstrated that one should drive down long hills in 2nd or 3rd gear. She would down shift the automatic to 2 or 3, and the engine itself would help keep the car from speeding away. I myself still drive this way in the mountains.

I recall that we stopped along the way at a store. I don't know where it was, but my brothers and I wanted to pick out the latest Marvel comics fare. Now MG didn't entirely approve of the comics, but I am not so sure that she disapproved so much either. I would love to hear if either of my brothers remembers the trip, or remembers MG's attitude toward comics. I do know that there was at least one old Superman comic that resided in the cabin, but I always had thought that it had arrived with one of our uncles years and years in the past.

Of course, there is more to these trips than comics. One recurring event was the search for the parts that would make the water ram work. Each year when we arrived, MG would take us further up the property to where the copper line was located in the brook and to where some type of ram device was located. At one point there was a pump house, but the ram may have been an alternative to the pump. I hope someone else can recall better than me. Eventually, the ram worked no longer, and we resorted to trudging water jugs up and down the hill. I think that during the last trips with MG this was the only way to bring water to the cabin.

So . . . Let's let some others take a turn at sharing memories of MG or Janie.

-- Tom K.

Getting Started

To get things started, reply to this post.

Here is a question: Where were you born, and what is your first memory?  You can click on the "COMMENT" link below to reply.

An Oral History (sort of)

Hi, everyone,

The purpose of this blog is to gather stories of our families: Coates, Driggs, Miller, Pacholczyk, Kelly and more. Before my grandmother, MG, passed, I always said I would take a cassette recorder to Meadowood and have her record memories. I pictured going through albums of old photos with her and carefully noting down what she had to say about each person, each place. I wish we had done it.

So, this blog.

You are invited to write stories, add pictures, tell secrets, shout, laugh and anything else that comes to mind. There are just a few rules to follow:

1. The titles of each blog posting should read like: "Coates - 1920's - Journeys to Paris" or "Miller - 1957 - What Mother Should Have Told Me"
2. We should tell the truth, but be kind. This family won't have any trouble with that.
3. Have fun.
4. If you're a Miller descendant, spell properly and use correct grammar (she might be watching).
5. (Someone on the Driggs side, what should Janie's rule be?)

I hope this project might also bring us all a bit closer together, even thought we're scattered all over. If you have other email adrresses, please let me know.

-- John Kelly 410-751-9941 jklkelly@mac.com