A LITTLE BIT OF OREGON AND A LOT OF EMILIE

Here I am, once again visiting in Oregon.  I never thought I would have an opportunity to spend so much time in this great state.  The air is clear--my allergies take a break and it is definitely fall here.  Nice, cool, crisp fall days.  Yesterday on the way home from the airport we stopped at the Dundee Bistro for lunch.  I got some warm bread and stinky cheese.  Ummmm. Reminded me of Paris!

WINE GLASSES

 Today we visited a couple of wineries.  There are so many around here and the views are spectacular. This is only about 20 minutes from Em's house.

VINEYARD VIEW

Tomorrow Em works so I get the day to myself.  Alice and I will go for a walk or two and I'll spend some time writing.  Oh, and I better clean up my room.  Emilie told me to. 

Mamas, Grandmas, Greats and Great-Greats....

I love this!  It reminds me that all the generations of strong women who came before me are still a part of me and I am a part of all the generations who will come after me.  I love this image of them all lined up and wondered if I could name all my women: I'm in the middle with my mom, Ruth, on my right and my daughter Emilie Katherine on my left.  Emilie has no children yet, so those names are to be added at a later date.  By the time there are several generations beyond Emilie, do you think they'll still have computers so they can fill in the future generations??  My MacBook will certainly have turned back into dust by then!

On Ruth's right would be her mom, Emma Drange Smith.  Her mother was Emilie Sonderhoff Drange.  I don't think Emma or Emilie ever dressed quite as fancy as these ancestors did!  I have to look up the next few generations.  I think I have a family tree somewhere.  I would also like to include the women on my dad's side.  His mother was Katherine Bergen Dick.  That's all I know about that line, too, but I'm going to find out more.

Seeing a picture like this really puts my life in perspective.  I get so wrapped up in my life and those of my children that I rarely think backward or forward.  When I do, I am grateful for those who came before me.  Both of my grandmothers had very difficult lives; one raised 5 children in Russia in the early 1900's the other lost her mother at an early age and, because her father was alcoholic, she and her siblings were sent for a time to an orphanage.  In spite of these rough starts, both woman lived  long and very full lives.  They both influenced my life tremendously. 

I can't be so egocentric to think that I'm all there is, but sometimes I feel like it.  Why does that happen?  I know that what we can see and feel is  our reality is.  We often haven't even had a chance to meet our ancestors, certainly the ones from several generations back but we wouldn't be here if not for them.  It makes me want to find out just who they all were and what they were like.

I'm going to check back in when I find out who these women are.  I do know that I come from a long line of strong, faithful, hardworking women who have had to make many tough decisions including safety of their children from war and famine.  The stories would make great stories!  I feel another writing session coming on!  Whoo Hoo!

Thanks for listening!