Category: family

Gone 33 Years Today

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Beatrice Florence Leach

May 24, 1914 – June 14,1985

Gramma Beatrice

She lived!  Today is the 33rd year that we have missed her sunshine and huge presence.  I think of her a lot & wish she had gotten to see all of the little ones that we have now.  I think of her almost every day. She had the best laugh! When I was little and got to sleep over her house, she would give me a Toni perm that stunk up the whole house and my grandfather would get so mad about the smell when he came home from work!

She was the one who started my fascination with old things. We would drive around for hours and then all of a sudden she would pull over and we would get out and start walking into the woods. I don’t know where she got her information from, but we would walk to a certain distance then she would stop and we would start digging. She would say this is an old dump and we are going to find some nice old bottles here!
And we usually always did. 


We would also do crafts. One in particular I remember was cooking old records in the oven until the edges curled up. Then we would spray paint them gold and glue macaroni, acorns and other things on them for decorations. Another smelly thing my grandfather didn’t approve of! Oh well, she didn’t care! She did what she wanted to do. 

She always dressed pretty fancy when she was going somewhere and always had her hair in a beehive! 
She loved the beach so much!

She was my inspiration! And I was 8-1/2 months pregnant with my 4th child when she died. She suffered so long and awful
with the dreaded bully, cancer that it just didn’t seem fair. She didn’t deserve to suffer like that.
The day of her funeral, I cried the loudest and hardest I think I have ever cried so far. 

I had my son July 7, 1985 and as a reminder of my grandmother, I named my son Jeffrey B. Michael.
The B. of course stands for Beatrice. And I’m proud to say that my son and his wife gave birth to a gorgeous
little baby boy January 4th in 2013 and he also carries on the B. as a Jr. To his dad!

She loved to dance and ride horses and Christmas and her family!

God’s Garden

God looked around his garden
And found an empty place.
He then looked down upon the earth,
And saw your tired face.He put His arms around you
And lifted you to rest.
God’s garden must be beautiful,
He always takes the best.

He knew that you were suffering,
He knew that you were in pain.
He knew that you would never
Get well on earth again.

He saw the road was getting rough
And the hills were hard to climb.
So He closed your weary eyelids
And whispered “Peace be thine.”

It broke our hearts to lose you
But you did not go alone…
For part of us went with you
The day God called you home.

Gram, Beatrice, Mother, Honey and all the other names I’m sure you had, I love you, I miss you and
I will never forget you or the love you showed me.  Time flies by!
XOXO

 

Friends for Life, Sister by Choice

Posted on by Vintage Chic
We met in the gym in 7th grade.  She was new to the school and so was I.  We had to sit on the bleachers because we didn’t have any gym clothes.  We started talking and realized we were in almost ALL the same classes.
We became friends right away.  We are still friends today.

I don’t  have any sisters so I have always considered her my sister.  Over the years we have both been thru rough times, had children, moved, had personal tragedies, lots of happy times and long spans of not hearing from each other for whatever reasons…..  


She has always been someone I could tell anything to and she would always listen and give me her advice.  She has lived with me over the years a few times and we still remained friends!  That’s usually a feat in itself!  She is always the first one I think of to call when I am having a hard time or when something awesome is going on in my life. 

She knows all about my good stuff and all about the mistakes I have made.  There have been times when it’s been years that we have not spoken and I must say I’m not sure why that happens but it does. 

Best friends...

This last span of no communication was awful for me, I hate not being able to talk to her.  Then I got an unexpected email from her sister telling me she would be coming up and she wanted me to meet them as a surprise.  I couldn’t wait for the night to come!


Thanks to her sister we are back on track and I couldn’t be happier!   She and her husband have just bought their first home and I am so excited for her.  She has wanted that for a long time and it finally has come true!  I’m hoping I can plan a trip to see her new home this coming year, that would just be the best!  It’s funny how some people you just feel belong in your life forever and some you wish your paths had never crossed!


Vintage Family

Posted on by Vintage Chic
I get so excited when my Dad says he has more vintage family pictures!
Here is my Dad sitting on a stoop.

Family in front of the house

My dad with 2 of his fur babies! Summer St., Brockton.

My dad’s sister, (my aunt Rosie) with an aunt.

Here is a picture of my grandmother in 1956 a year before I was born. You can see my Nona and great great aunt in the background.

Here is my grandpa and grandma in front of their Summer St., Brockton home in 1955.

The home is almost done being built.

My dad on his horse.

My great great aunts and my Nona with my dad and his
sister and cousins.

My Nona & great great aunt

My dad

Here he is again on his horse.



Sunday Family Bike Ride

Posted on by Vintage Chic
We finally actually went on a bike ride today!
It was the best weather for itI love these white flowers, they remind me of snowflakes
This is a nest of Osprey that are here every year, momma was feeding her babies

The nest is huge!
Then we saw a flock of geese on the trail and they went into the water before we got too close…

A little bike tweeking….

This place is so beautiful, and it’s right down the street!

My Gramma and Me

Posted on by Vintage Chic

I started thinking about one of my grandmothers yesterday and how it was when I was a kid and got to sleep over her house. I always loved hanging out with her, even thou there were a few times I remember getting brought home in the middle of the night because I wanted my mother! Boy, those were some scary rides home! My grandmother would always do things with me and we would have fun. She would perm my hair and stink up the house and my grandfather didn’t like it too much, but she didn’t care. What I remember most is that anytime we went for a drive we would almost aways have to pull over on the side of the road and walk into the wooded area and start digging! She loved looking and digging for old bottles. No matter where we went, you could almost bet we would be digging at any second. She collected thousands of bottles. They were of all shapes, colors and sizes. They were all very old and she somehow knew just where to stop and dig, because we never came home empty handed. She was an amazing woman and I think of her often and smile. She died when I was 9 months pregnant with my 4th child and I think it was one of the worse days of my life. She suffered for a while with cancer and her last months were just a horrible memory, and I really hope I never have to see anyone I love go thru that again. She is missed so much.
Anyway, why I was bringing this up was because I am now a grandmother of 3 little girls whom I can’t get enough of! I just look at how different it is for me as a Grandmother than it was with my grandmother and I feel sad for some of the way it is different. I remember having fun almost every time I went with my Gramma, but it seems that when I see my granddaughters there isn’t much time to do fun stuff. I watch 2 of the girls while my daughter attends nursing school and works part time and I have adopted my oldest granddaughter. I think even thou it was hard back when I was a kid it was also easier to sit back and enjoy life alot more than it is today. I think it takes so much effort to just STOP and sit, and enjoy life with these girls. I feel like I am cheating them out of “Gramma” sometimes. I work from home and things are a struggle lately with the economy, but when things were good, then you are working more, so time is hard to take off. I decided yesterday that no matter what is going on around me or in my work or life, I MUST just STOP and paint some fingernails and do some ponytails and play with these girls! They are growing so much everyday, that before I know it they are going to be grown with a family of their own and I will regret not really being the Gramma I once had……