Monday, May 30, 2011

Hippie Days & Other Stuff

In my last post I was given a blog award from my blog friend Lucy at Lucy In The Sky and one of the criteria was to tell 10 things about yourself that others might not know.  One of mine was that I was an "all out hippie chick that lived in Hawaii after I graduated high school".  Some of my blog friends asked for a photo -- and I actually had a hard time finding photos from those days but did find a few.  The one below is me after I returned from Hawaii and flew to Texas to see my boyfriend, Dayle.  He was in Army helicopter flight school.  We went to Mexico for a visit and the shirt I am wearing we bought while down there.  Notice the bell bottom jeans?
The below is a photo after we were married in Lafayette, Louisiana and we rented a house in Milton, LA right on a bayou - we needed a 2nd car and so this is what we got.  Oh how we loved that brand new VW bus!  We drove to Florida several times and camped on the beach there. 
Fast forward.... zip.. to 41 years later and below is our 100 year old farmhouse in Corbett in Spring - it's rather covered by vegetation, isn't it! :-)
On Saturday we went to visit my Dad's grave, we do that every Memorial Day weekend.  As you can see below the bronze plaque is covered with dried grass....

And below is my dear husband cleaning the marker, polishing it with Brasso and spraying a laquer finish on it while I arrange fresh cut lilacs in the vase we had installed.
And below is the final product.
On our way home I asked hubby to go out on the Stark Street Bridge to get a photo of the Sandy River at Dabney Park (which is 5 minutes away from our farmhouse).  This is the river we drive over to go "to town".
Below is a photo of our biggest Rhododendron bush - almost fully bloomed out.  It's about 25 feet tall.
And one of the blooms.. this is my all-time favorite color.
The side of the house, a few of the lilacs and the white azalea and our deck.
My pretty white azalea at it's peak.. they turn brown so fast.
Below is our pink rhodie at the edge of our woods.
Below are our grandsons at a BBQ we had today with our son and his wife and the boys.  Hubby barbecued a rack of ribs and hot dogs too, and we had potato salad and baked beans.  
We were lucky to have some clear skies and sun today, the clouds just don't want to go away.  I hope you all had a nice weekend too.  Thanks for coming to visit!!
((hugs)), Teresa :-) 

25 comments:

  1. Beautiful Posting. That's what I'm talking about. Rock on you hippie chick. I swear we must be in the same class....75 here..... Lovely moments to remember today and a great picnic too... Don't think I missed your watermelon there on the table. I see all.

    Dang it, it's bumping me out again.... hope this goes through.

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  2. I enjoyed my visit into your life very much Teresa! Please invite me again! :-)

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  3. I love the VW bus. Unfortunately I was only 14 years old when my neighbour had such a VW bus. I wanted to be with him and his many friends driving through Europe. However, they didn't even notice me. ;-)

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  4. It looks like you had a good 'Memorial' Weekend, Hubby worked hard on that brass, and with the flowers you made it all look like new :) I love the photographs, the bell bottoms and the bare feet, oops nearly wrote bear feet then that could have offended you. Your farmhouse looks so homely whichever angle you look at it. Your grandsons looked like lovely young men, enjoying their time. (Love that watermelon) If only you still had that bus! I love the dog in the bus photograph, looking right at home in that camper van, even the dog was 'Hippy' :)

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  5. Lovely photo of you and the bus...good luck finding one now..hows the search going?
    NooNoo is looking lovely with all her bits back in place and the new paint job
    Just need to get the door cards and roof sorted next and she will be finished for a while..always upkeep on an old lady lol
    Looks like the BBQ went well...love ribs
    Hugs Suz x

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  6. Funnily enough I said to Mr CN only yesterday VW should start making retro campers again ~ I'd buy one! The plaque looked fitting after the clean up.

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  7. You have a lovely blog, Teresa! :)
    Very pretty home and lovely grandkids..
    I had fun reading it.

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  8. I really loved this post, Teresa - seeing that lovely picture of you reminded me of girls in magazines at that time. Your farm house is beautiful, and the surrounding garden frames it so perfectly. Thanks for sharing these lovely pictures of your life. Have a happy week ahead.
    Helen x

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  9. Hi Teresa, What a lovely fun post. Love the hippie pictures, such fun times and so much the picture of those times. Your MD looked so beautiful with all your gorgeous scrubs and gigantic rhodie. It truly is a pretty shade of pink. Love the fact that you visited your dad and polished his resting place. You and your husband make a great team. Love to you and have a great week, xoRobin❤

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  10. Oh my gosh, camping in a VW bus is part of the DEFINITION of being a hippie! You certainly looked the part! I think that first picture looks just like Valerie Bertinelli in "One Day at a Time". Great post!

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  11. As a fellow hippie chick, I adore the VW van! Way cool! I've wanted one of those for years, but if you find one now, it needs so much work. That farm of yours looks gorgeous this time of year (Yes, I'm coveting again. Shame on me!)

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  12. Oh, Teresa, this was such a fun post to see and read! I loved everything about it. You WERE a hippie chick! I love it. I consider myself an old hippie too. I was definitely a disco chick too though! hee-hee.

    Your father's grave marker shined up so nice. What a difference! I bet he's happy about that. You know how most military men are so neat and like everything spiffy with a shine. My daddy is definitely one of those guys. I was an Air Force brat.

    I would so love to come and see Oregon again some day. I've been there briefly, but I didn't do any sight-seeing. (I lived in Boise, Idaho for six months in 1989-90 and drove across the border into Oregon.) If I do ever get there again, I'm definitely knockin' at your door for a cuppa!

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  13. Teresa, you always have the most amazing posts. I love the story and you looked great bell bottoms and all. I love that you go see your Dad's grave and your wonderful husband polishes it so lovingly. I love to see your family always having such a nice time together and your house always looks so inviting. You are just so lovely,
    Meredith

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  14. Loved the old pic of you. I have one of me when I was younger wearing bell bottoms somewhere. sigh.........lol xoxo

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  15. Hi Teresa, love the picture of you, what beautiful long hair and love those jeans. Camping in the VW bus on the beach sounds so cool! Your garden is so beautiful. Have a good week Love Joanna xx

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  16. Teresa, You live in the house of my dreams!

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  17. I love the VW camper. My grandad had one in turquoise, how I wish I could have it back again! Such happy times. It got sold when he passed away. I hope it is still out there somewhere being loved.

    You looked excellent as a young hippy chick!

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  18. I am so bummed I missed the hippie days! Beautiful house. I enjoyed my visit! Thanks for stopping in and saying hello!

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  19. Such a beautiful post!!You look so beautiful in the first picture. And I loved your home photos too!!Such beautiful flowers everywhere.

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  20. So many beautiful pictures. Great work on the memorial, it looks lovely. And the photos of the flowers and your garden look divine!

    That bbq is making me hungry! How lucky you are to live in such a beautiful place.

    C x

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  21. you were gorgeous!! and still are btw..both inside and out, you still have the same lovely face you had when you were young.
    i love your home, you have made it so pretty! and i love the camper van you had too and your beautiful dog back then.
    and all the flower/nature pics are so uplifting! a riot of pink and green (my favourite colours).

    i have been having a blog break which is why i haven't commented much lately, but i still visit now and then and will drop by again soon.

    your blog is one of my faves :o)

    warmest hugs xxx

    millie

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  22. Hi Hippy Chick, what a fun post Teresa. I have been off line as internet connection problems, all fixed and so good to be back and start to catch up on blogland. Good to catch up with all your news and lovely to see your usual beautiful photos,
    Jane x

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  23. Love your beautiful rhodos, azaleas and farmhouse! I am totally in love with the Gorge and have visited there many times, although I haven't done the historic highway for quite awhile!
    The photo of your VW bus had me SO wanting one-it would be perfect for camping in the mountains here:) Loved seeing your hippie photo too--I remember bell bottoms and that same hair style (which BTW I had too)!
    We went up to Willamette National Cemetery this past weekend -- my first but not last time there. My DH lost his uncle, a Marine too,in WW2-I'm glad your dad was one of the survivors!His marker looks awesome!! Good job:)
    Blessings,
    Aimee

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  24. Thanks for visiting my blog Teresa! I love reading yours! I read all my blogs through Googlereader so I need to come and comment more often!

    I look to your blog for inspiration when it comes to showing more of your life than just the craftiness! I always think that who would want to read about my life?

    Sam <3

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  25. Wow! You look like a model posing in a photo shoot in that first photo Teresa! You're very beautiful. Love the shirt, very cool! It's really wonderful that you tend your father's grave as beautifully and lovingly as you do, I imagine that not all the graves get such love and care. I have to say, your house is gorgeous! I love the wooden cladding, Hugo and I dream of living in the sort of New England style house, with a porch and the airy open-plan feel inside, very much like yours! Love Vanessa xxx

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