A Visit To the Past

Every once in a while you have to clean out the treasures you've collected over the years.  This past fall Beverly and I started once again on this ever continuing task.  As we look through things we've collected and kept, it always brings back memories of days gone by; the good old days.  But, sometimes you just have to take a photo of the memory and throw it in the trash.  After all, we know we can't keep everything.

Here are a few memories we found as we went through our junk.  I mean treasures!

Beverly worked at a Hallmark store while in high school and college.  In fact, she was working there when we met.  I remember going by there once when I was working at the dairy.  I came to town in an old beat up Chevrolet pickup that we used on the dairy to haul hay and gather up the cows for milking.  It was door-less on one side and looked like the cow crap it was covered in.  I wasn't in my best duds either, but she told me later that she thought I looked cute, all dirty and stuff!  I'm lucky she still married me.

Here are a few pictures of some keepsakes from those days of old!

The Mark was the Hallmark store in Stephenville where Beverly worked.

It was a special time in her life, owned by Don and Suzie Coan and managed by

Miz Helm, a wonderful mentor that we still visit.  You're lucky to find a Hallmark store these days!

Christmas is Bev's favorite time of the year.

A collection of old cards from the Mark, forty years ago!

Laverne Helm, Beverly's good friend and mentor from her days at the Mark.

Today, Miz Helm, as she is lovingly called, is 96 and lives in Austin!

We found this old card from Beverly's Granny Hunt.  She lived in the Ozark Mountains

of Arkansas and Bev only saw her once or twice a year.  But, she always made

sure she sent her homemade doll clothes and gowns as well as tons of

cards, all signed with her "oodles of love" expression.

We also found a card from Granny Phillips to her favorite son!  Mom was

a good letter writer and I'm envious of her penmanship!

These pictures represent the legacy of the Plain and Fancy Christmas tree

that was purchased long, long ago at Winn's here in Hamilton.  It has been used

for years as both a main tree and a secondary tree in our house.  We always

try to write on the box the date it was taken down.  I think the latest date

has been near the end of January, much to the embarrassment of our kids at times!