GranAnn's story place

2012-02-11T10:21:00.002-08:00

At left I think is the earliest photo of Mother I have: Burrus left, Bernice, right and Grayce in chair.At right, posed on our front porch,(l-r)Margaret, Grayce, Joyce and Bernice c.1944?. bottom, Uncle Noah, home on leave, with his sisters

2012-02-11T10:07:00.001-08:00

2012-02-11T09:57:00.003-08:00

I seem to have forgotten all I learned about blog layout and posting. Please bear with me.My focus now is going to be Mother's life. I want to post photos of her "from Stuart to Stuart" --when she met him in 1933 until she reunited with him Jan 25, 2012.

She told me that when May Beck introduced her and Grayce to Stuart at the pier in St Andrews where the Steamer Tarpon was docked, and as they were walking back to the Beck home where they boarded, she said to her sister, "That's the man I'm going to marry." Sometimes it does happen that way....
I have photos from every period of their life together I want to show you...

Memories of Mother

2012-02-11T08:12:00.004-08:00

The top 3 photos are from Mother's 90th Birthday Party at the fellowship hall. The bottom photo, Kaitlin and Laura sit with her in 2011 . Mother's wearing her Christmas hat (2010). She kept her smile, even when she didn't talk much. Photo 1 "Sisters" Bernice and Margaret--Best Friends (2) Me and Mother (3)Mother with Kaitlin

New Beginning

2012-02-10T09:32:00.000-08:00

As you can see I haven't posted for a long time. I started this blog while employed at Bay County Public Library. Now I want to start blogging seriously.
I retired on Jan 2, 2010 and you'd think at 74 I'd have been prepared. Not so. The transition from working fulltime to not has been traumatic. More about that later.

Our biggest news right now is that Mother died January 25 surrounded by family and friends and caregivers at Panama City Nursing Home. She was 96 years old. She had not been well for some months, and had stopped talking to me very often or eating very much.

God is so Good. When Nicole called on Wednesday morning to say I'd probably need to come in, I called Family, including Cousin Nancy Jinks and I proceeded to talk to Mother . She was very very thin, and was restless, but I could n't be sure she was hearing me. I hugged her and kissed her on her lips --and she kissed me back! She was hearing and feeling our loving presence. We all were able to say goodbye and tell her how much we love her.
Besides me, there was Sox and Penny, Kaitlin and Kristain and Haylee, Laura, Jesse and Allen Wayne, Nancy, Ron, Judy, Teresa, Elizabeth, Donna, and her friends/caregivers who took exceptionnally good care of her for the past four years. Her great great grandchildren hugged her and kissed her goodbye.
There is a song "I Can Only Imagine" that expresses my feelings. I'm imagining the reunion in Heaven when her beloved Stuart, her son Arthur, granddaughter Melissa, and siblings Burrus, Grayce, Noah, Joyce, Kade, and all the other family members who have gone before, gathered to welcome her.
Granpa Pratt told me when I was a little girl that death is just a part of life-- you simply go into another room where all those who've passed on welcome you Home. Don't know if this is good theology, but but I like it.

granann 11:59 (noon) Friday Feb 10, 2012

Make Sure You Get Your Newsletters and Other Good Mail on Windows - About Email

2008-10-10T07:39:00.000-07:00

Make Sure You Get Your Newsletters and Other Good Mail on Windows - About Email

Mother's changing rooms

2008-08-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

Mother is supposed to move into a semi-private room today, following an altercation with a roommate yesterday. Mother was messing with the other lady's stuff, and she objected and an argument ensued. She will be in either 104 or 109. Not sure yet. More info to follow

WallerP.E. Pavilion dedicated as "Houpt Hall"

2008-08-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

Ron Houpt, who retired after 35 years teaching at Waller Elementary School in Youngstown was honored by the school this summer, when the P.E. Pavilion was named Houpt Hall. Roy & Ann, Sox & Penny, joined Margarett, Alexis and Ron at the celebration

Peter and Cindy Founds "Shrimp Boil" Aug 2, 2008

2008-08-05T11:38:00.000-07:00

The party was at their home at the lake--ToledoBend--

vacation

2008-07-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

Roy and I are in Many, Louisiana visiting his sister Mary and her husband Dr, Warren Founds and their children and their families.
Toledo Bend is beautiful and the view from our bedroom is awesome; trees on one side and the lake out front. This is a great place to fish but I'm not usually very lucky...Finally accessed my blog but cannot access att mail.... wil try again

2008-07-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

cousins

I's sad that we don't get together except for viewings, but Roy and I sure did enjoy dinner at the Olive Garden last night.

Gandy blog

2008-07-23T06:19:00.000-07:00

For news about Tory see babygandyblog.blogspot.com

Arthur L. Pratt and grandson Stuart Arthur Pratt c 1946 Old Settlers Picnic

2008-07-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

Arthur L. Pratt and grandson Stuart Arthur Pratt c1948
Is that Haley Spicer center? Gertrude Pratt 2nd from right and Aunt Jessie Parker right
Arthur, Grandma Pratt and friends

L'il Allen, one year old on July 31, 2008

2008-07-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

John Charles Raffield

2008-02-13T21:39:00.000-08:00

John Charles died tonight in the hospital in Tyler, Texas, following a stroke and apparent heart attack. He was 71.
Joy called tonight and said it was unexpected, as the situation had seemed under control. She had driven home from Panama City yesterday. More details later. I feel like I have lost a brother.

unwanted commen ts

2008-02-09T19:34:00.000-08:00

Don't know who Kele is but comments are not welcome; you are merely cluttering up the blog space.

2008-02-05T17:42:00.000-08:00

Feb 5,2008
This photo was emailed to me by Barry Robinson. See if you can name these family members...

Ann's new three wheel bike

2008-01-24T18:53:00.001-08:00

Since I had knee replacement in 2002, I've been scared to ride my two-wheel bike. This 3-wheeler is great! Hamish likes to ride in the basket.

2008-01-23T18:55:00.000-08:00

We rented two electric chairs one for PopSox and one for Granann and Jesse. We had fun--and avoided being arrested by security guards for illegal use of ours...

Bernice in her red hat

2008-01-23T18:37:00.000-08:00

January 23, 2008
Mother is in the Red Hat Society at Panama City Nursing Center. This is in her corner of room 506 (C) with one of her roomates' bed in background. She walks a lot, pushing her "Hugo" walker around the halls and everyone seems to like her. I eat lunch with her usually on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and some Sundays.

my pbwiki

2008-01-18T09:14:00.000-08:00

http://hoduforewosh.pbwiki.com/ is my pbwiki. email me at granann@comcast.net to get the password if you are related to my extended family.
I hope we will get real busy blogging, posting photos and messages

head spinning

2007-05-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

Sunday after work, after supper,last one up, and I've joined Odeo, del.ico.us and set up a PBwiki for our farflung families to post on and share news and photos. Registered and signed in but not at all sure what I have got ahold of here. I think this needs more study. And maybe some mentoring from a friend or two.

Seagull

2007-05-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

Lesson 7 adding photos-- one of the best things I've learned

The seagull photo is one of my favorites. I shot this photo during lunch on the marina in 1979. Not necessarily a noble bird, the gull was soaring directly over my VW beetle (aka Clutter Bug) waiting for part of my sandwich. Afterward he left a blob on my car. But the photo became a favorite. I gave a copy to Mrs Patton, because she liked it. I heard later that she had it on the wall in her hospital room.

Habits

2007-05-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

My best habit, I think, is taking responsibility for my own learning. I have confidence in mself as a learner, with the possible exception of computer technology.I have always thought of books as the biggest tool in my box. And I've learned to use the internet more. I enjoy taking classes, but time is a major problem.

Worst habit for me might be viewing obstacles as opportunities. Or it may be my failure to always see the long-term goal.

This post should have come before the one about Flicker, which I am working on now.

life-long learning

2007-05-19T19:52:00.000-07:00

Of course I believe in life-long learning. I'm still here, and still learning, although Ive been out of school a long, long time.
As a story-teller I started guitar lessons, and became adequate (for a preschool group, NOT middle-schoolers.) But I didn't keep practicing and don't play guitar at this time.
I learned to type on the job back in the 60s, and can get along ( but not gracefully. Thank God for computers instead of IBM Selectric)
I learned to scan photos and organize them with captions for local histories.
Other later than mid life learning experiences include knee replacement rehab, and other health issues.
I intend to continue exercising my mind as well as body for the rest of my life

Deleting

2007-05-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

Hey, I found out how to delete the two versions of my blog that were not correct. Now only the current blog is on line. I was exploring settings and found the solution. One obstacle to my learning about and becoming comfortable with technology has been my hesitance to keep trying stuff. Maybe I'm learning....

Flicker

2007-05-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

I signed on to Flicker. Uploaded one photo but couldn't put on my blog. ( I wanted to add a second photo. )

Another photo scanned to Microsoft Word and couldn't move it to Flicker. I think Flicker will be great for exchanging family photos, if I can figure out the procedure. So far, not successful. But I do have a Flicker address as granann.

2007-05-19T17:15:00.000-07:00

There are three blog names listed under my profile. Only one of them is correct. How do I get rid of the other two?

Habits

2007-05-19T07:39:00.000-07:00

All my life I have run for cover when someone mentioned "habits" and in school I detested writing outlines. Setting Goals--and all the preplanned steps to reaching them-- tied me up in knots.
So... it's pretty late to be teaching an old dog new habits. It's NOT that I haven't had achievements. I have achieved goals along the way, but on a slap-dash, do-it-at-the-last-moment system.
I reckon this 23 steps plan will be a great advantage to me. But I feel like I'm caught in that romantic tune "September Song" when the "days grow short when you reach November..."
I feel I've achieved a great temporary success just by writing the contract--even though I haven't filled in the dates yet.
"GranAnn-who's-always-there-at-the-last-minute.

2007-05-18T19:10:00.000-07:00

I have written my contract with goals (but still have to put in target dates).
This is fun but I'm not sure I know what I'm doing!

2007-05-17T20:56:00.000-07:00

May 17 2007
Bet you can tell that's an antique photograph, considering the name of my blog and all.