Bill and Susie Stringall on their wedding day  Sept 16th 1928.

Oleo (Margerine) and Butter

Remembering that during the 2nd world War we couldn't get butter like before, so they came up with a product called Oleo and it was white in color with a orange colored ball in the center in a plastic bag that we had to break and knead it to make it look more like butter. It was not all that tasty either, as it was actually like lard that you colored. At first we had to punch, squeeze, stomp, or what ever to get the entire mess to turn yellow in the pkg. Then my mom came up with the idea to put it in the mixer so it wasn't as hard to get mixed up, but the only bad part of that was getting it off the blades after. At first we had to do it by hand, and that was a lot of work.
I remember mixing it a good deal of the time, so think mom got out of that slick.
Every so often my Grandfather would come to visit and bring us real butter that had been made on the farm that he worked on. Oh, what a treat we thought, but then the taste test and it was so strong tasting that I had a hard time eating it. Mom would say we should appreciate it as it was real butter, and not to turn our nose up at it. I don't know what they fed the cows to make it so strong. I guess you could get a taste for it but it would take a bit for that.

Mom and her crochet hook.

One of my favorite memories of our mom is when she would be sitting crocheting something. The 2nd photo is of motifs that she worked on during the war, and made a big table cloth eventually with them, and this piece was a scarf for the buffet to match. She used that table cloth for special occasions. I thought that is was really neat, and at that time I didn't know how to crochet but it fascinated me. The 1st. photo and 3rd have varigated flowers types that she made a lot of and never put them on anything so I used a few of them for neck pieces for some of my bears and also and making a scarf eventually with a few of them. She made a lot of doilies also. I wanted to learn how to do it later in my teens, so she taught me to make a chain and the rest I learned on my own.

Our Dad was very giving.

I should add to that last blog about our Dad. Where Mom was very thrifty Dad would go out and blow the whole thing and over spend when he could. I remember the year that I got a really pretty compact that Dad gave me. I still have it and its a nice memory of my Dad's love. He didn't ever say he loved us, but you knew wth the things he did for you. Another year when I was older he paid for a car that I had to have, and gave me the paid slip as a gift at xmas. He bought mom a lot of nice thing during the years also.

Our Mom

Our Mom was raised in a different time when things were not as plentiful as today, so she was a saver of everything. Then World War 11 came along and everyone saved, as things were even scarcer being the troops had to have cloths etc.. We had to save tin foil, rubberbands, and just about everything you can imagine. I remember the big balls of string that we save. At xmas we used the same paper and bows from year to year, so we couldn't tear open our wraped gifts, but open very careful in order to not tear them. Actually that wouldn't be such a bad idea now that everyone is thinking green. Everything was rationed and when we wore a hole in our shoes we put in cardboard or what ever so we could still wear them. Mom and Dad made what they could for xmas, but on occasion we did get something bought from the store. Mom was really big on regifting up until the day she died. One year she gave my son a stappler that my dad had appropriated from his job which was an OK gift. and the same year she gave my other son old flash bulbs for a broken camera she had given him many years before. She was big on anything cheap and some things were very useful. Bars of soap were a biggy for her, and she did make nylon scubbers that were great. The thing I loved that she made for my kids, were PJ's and they loved them, but that was many years after the war. During the war it was hard to get fabric so we appreciated anything that we could get. I remember buying curtain chintz for a skirt that was stiff, but it was the only thing available, but it made a pretty nice summer skirt. Mom sewed everything she could when she got hold of the fabric, or took old cloths and revamped them. I remember she even made jeans for the boys. Times were a lot harder then and she did the best she could, but sometimes i had wished she wasn't so thrifty. Dad on the other hand was not so thrifty and he would go out and get nice gifts. I still have a really nice compact that he bought for me. On Valentines Day Dad would buy us girls a heart box of candy and Mom always got a giant heart box. After Mom moved to OR. near me she was still saving, and she had empty bottles, jars and little bitty boxes that she saved, plus string, rubberbands, etc. All this we found when cleaning out her home. To this day I have a little of that saving inbreaded in me, and some of it is good, but having to move so many times with the navy I do clean stuff out a lot where I don't think Mom ever did.

Thanksgiving Dinner

When I was 12 Mom was sick on thanksgiving and couldn't get up to make our holiday dinner, so I was called upon to make all the fixings if we were going to have anything. Now this was my first really big meal to make, so even though mom was sick I went in and asked her a lot of questions while I was getting the meal together. I worked really hard on that meal, and surprise, surprise it turn out really well all except the gravy which I burned, so I felt terrible and consequently have never forgotten that meal.

A Day at the Beach

It was always fun when we were able to go to the beach which wasn't often even though when I was young it wasn't to far away. Mom would take me down to play in the sand every so often at the beach in San Francisco, and I even remember a little of it. If I was really really lucky I even got to get a ride on the merry-go-round which I dearly loved and I still have fond memories of that. This picture was when I was a bit older with my two brothers. It was in either SF or in Santa Cruz.

Dad at 14 years of age

Looking through my pictures I did find this of my Dad at age 14. I have no ideal if that was regular wear or some sort of uniform. I am posting it for those that might want a copy of it. It was probably taken in about 1917 and in northern CA. If he was still living he would be 104 on Nov. 19th.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!

Christmas Spirit

Now that it is getting close to Christmas I am starting to get in the Xmas spirit and thinking about the days when I was still living at home with my folks and working. All the stores would decorate their windows really beautiful with xmas scenes and Christmas music played everywhere you went in town shopping. Along the streets there were plenty of decorations on the light poles and elsewhere. Some going over the street all the way through the downtown area. I use to love to go from store to store looking at all the displays that made it a winter wonderland. I lived in San Jose CA. so there was no real snow but you still had the feeling of snow with the way the windows were decorated. Some had Santa's workshops and others a scene with snow. A lot of them had moving parts that actually pulled you into the scene when you stood there gazing at them. Sadly I don't have any pictures from then, as it was in the late 1940's, and it was black and white film plus I never thought to bring a camera to town. The picture shown is one I found on the webof a Marshall and Fields store. Some displays had trains running through the scene and Santa at work which was neat.
At work we had a contest of building little ginger bread and candy houses, so during our breaks and before and after work we would work on them until they were finished. We put a lot of detail on them with paths, little fences and trees out of candy. It was also time when busnesses would send over goodies for us to eat such as all kinds of candies and cookies. I was a long distance telephone operator so we had to work on all holidays, so the extra spoiling was nice as we really worked hard on those days. It is quite different now, but then if we didn't work then no one could call their families.

Good ol'days of Radio

Before the days of TV all we had was the radio for entertainment, and it was on all the time. They had variety shows, scarey shows, soaps, family stories and music and news of course. I use to like the mystery theater, soaps and family hour the best that I remember. I was home most of the time because of illness so it was great for me. Of course I would never miss a soap if I could help it and the same for today. One of them that I listened to before is still on today, but on TV. One time my radio fell on the floor and broke and I was devestated until Dad fixed it for me.
My Bro still kids me about listening to the soaps like Stella Dallas and Back Stage Wife. Nice memories though, as it was my world at the time.