Dad getting ready to go to the Rutland Fair.
He went by himself.
Ma was angry that he didn't take her at least.
Us kids would have loved it if we thought we'd get a treat or a ride on something but none of us went with him.
I don't really know why. Maybe he couldn't afford it or maybe he was going with someone from work. Maybe I'll find the answer to that question in Ma's journals as I transcribe them.
Millie
This is all I have from here so far. I have 3 more packets of black and whites coming so there may be more.
It had slipped my mind till Sue reminded me last night that while we were living here the Russell family had a reunion picnic. We were invited and asked to bring the silver ware. I think we brought other stuff as well. I know there was a box of those devils food cookies that in England were called "trolley cakes" because they were sold on the trolley.
They looked like these but were squares.
The reunion was held at Lick Springs. I used to love going here but I think its either closed now or just made private.
There was a natural spring with good clear clean water there when we were kids. It was enclosed on 3 sides with a slate and a slate ledge on top and slate around the opening to the hole where the water came up. It had a heavy cover over the top to keep debris out of it.
On the hill above it were picnic tables at that time that anyone could use. It was a nice safe place for a family outing.
I don't remember as a child but in later years there was a farm across the road with fields where sheep roamed. Somewhere I have photos of those sheep.
I think some of the Wells relatives came. We were related to them only through Grandma Russell and even that is too much as far as I think. Wells's were the crazy relatives you didn't want to talk to or admit to knowing.
Also at the picnic were some of Uncle Arty's family and Uncle Benny's family. Maybe not Uncle Arty's, I'll have to see what Millie says on that. Uncle Arty was married twice and him and his first wife were always arguing so they may not have been there or he could have been between wives there.
I remember Vivian being there. She is Uncle Benny's oldest kid. I don't think there were many of the other ones. Maybe they weren't born yet.
This was the first and probably the last time that Grandma Russell would see her sister Anna. It was the first time we would meet her. She was very mushy. She wanted to sloppy kiss all the kids. Before she went back to Ohio with her husband, Louis Bush, she came to Grandma Russell's while we also came. She tried to kiss us all. We were in the back seat of Dad's car. I think she tried to bribe us with pennies. I ducked down on the floor and told her she'd already kissed me. No pennies for me.
At the picnic Grandma Russell had a plate with pink roses on it that she was going to eat off of. Sue told me last night that Vivian demanded to eat off that plate and she was allowed to do that.
At the reunion I took one of those chocolate cookies and popped it into my mouth. A bee flew in at the same time and stung my throat. I really think I swallowed it but I don't know. I couldn't talk good. I was gagging and choking but I swallowed water and got through it somehow. In those days you didn't go to the ER if there even was such a thing.
We didn't stay for the whole picnic. Mom could only take so much of all of them. These were people you wouldn't normally want to be around unless you were forced into it.
Millie, Enid, Me and Sue