7 March 2016 #10 What were some of your family traditions that you remember?

So this one is a little hard.  Family traditions....

I always think of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof explaining what traditions are.

Deep strong heritage 
"and how do we keep our balance? that I can tell you in one word...
TRADITIONS!"

If my sisters were around they may be able to jog my memories if we really had any of them.

We had the normal holiday traditions. 

...Like a Christmas tree, oranges and nuts in our stockings, little Chocolates wrapped in gold foil to represent coins....

...Easter baskets at the foot of our bed

....Halloween costumes

.....and the such...

Just normal things- but not family celebrations.  

My sisters were all so different in interest and ages, we didn't do much together. 

Plus, you see, 
Mom was a busy woman.  
and she was NOT a frivolous woman 
so there wasn't much "to do" about traditions. Can't be bothered.  
I am not sure if that came from her childhood or from her personality but that is just how it was.

Now the things that  I consider big and eventful and a family type of' "Tradition" you may not understand.

Pay Day! 

Now that is a Twining Tradition!

It's a biggie!     

This was the day my Dad's Military Pay check went through the courts and came in an envelope in the mail and years later the courts deposited it directly into my mom's bank account.  
We all knew when it was coming, 
we waited patiently 
because it only came once a month. Sometimes it was a day or two late... but we'd all anticipate its arrival.

By the second or third week of the month things were pretty scarce around our home.

Food, toilet paper, tooth paste, shampoo, you name it--
only left was the bare bottom of necessities!

So when the Check came, we would all jump for Joy.  
I can still hear those words,

THE CHECK CAME!!!!

The next part of the "Tradition" is the 
COMMISSARY TRIP.  
For us the commissary was about like a trip to Walmart these days.  They have a little of everything and its all pretty inexpensive.  
It was stock up day!  We would all load up into the 

Blue and White VW Station Wagon, with NO AIR Conditioning 
(this is the exact same VW SW- some people called it a bus but we like the real name VWSW)
Judy and I sitting way in the back, on top of the engine.  
Yes, no seat belts and 
yes, we're still alive!!

We would make the trek to Pottsboro , to the Base, to the Commissary and PX! 

We would come home with a boat load of supplies, foods, and goodies. All stacked in the back and me and Judy there to go through the bags looking for the goodies to snack on. 

Sometimes, we would stop for a Watsonburger.

This was another BIGGIE tradition!  We never ate "Out"

Watsonburgers ---oh how yummy!

10 .... if my memory serves correct 10  burgers for $1.00 
hahaha ----yep pretty sure that was what it was.

No french fries.  Well on a rare occasion we could get some fries to share, but no drinks.

IT WAS CHECK DAY!  and we got HAMBURGERS!
and we were in it all together. It meant something to each one of us!
Thank you mom for letting us share in that day!
but its not over yet.....

When we got home it became production day.

First Mom would slice the large loaf roll of bologna.

We would lay bread out on the counter and become an assembly line.
smack the mustard or mayo on the bread
smack a slice of bologna on the bread
(if it was a good month, we might even have a cheese slice)
smack the other slice of bread on top
wrap it with wax paper (and sometimes a baggie)
stack the baggies by mustard or mayo and 
slam those stacks of sandwiches into the box freezer just outside the garage door.

Get the picture.

 Jo was the only one that like Mayo- (remember Jo?)

Each day we would grab a sandwich as we ran out the door for school.  Most of the time with nothing else- a sandwich in a brown bag (if we were lucky)  

 To this day I don't eat bologna.

But I loved that day 
I love that TRADITION!
Proud of it and yes, we Twining Girls (and Mom) created our own very special tradition since we weren't a "traditional" family!

22 Feb 2016 #9 What are the names of your brothers and sisters?

What are the names of your brothers and sisters? 

So am I just to tell their names?  

Um... no thats not me.  

Well this is going to be a long one and I only hope that I can say how special
my sister, my family are to me.  

Let me precursor this writing by saying, this is my story.
And it is my opinions, and my memories.
I am not sure if my sisters will agree with what I have to say or not..
but, there is so much to tell and so much to love to share.

But I will try to keep it short and sweet. 

I have four sisters.  

Louella Kay, Joanne Marie (Mayree Joanna), Judy, and Geraldine

Louella Kay Leonidas, Rockson, Twining, Williams, born in Paddington, England on 24th March 1951. She is known by her loved ones as Lou.  She was adopted and raised by Robert Twining in 22 Aug 1957 in  Marietta, Florida.   Lou married Daniel A Barnett in Sept 1970 and divorced in March 1974,  She then married the love of her life, Jimmie Richard Williams on 3rd of July 1975,  Lou never had children of her own but she raised Jims boys,  Jimmie Williams II, Steve , and Gary (Jims nephew) from a young age, then raised two of her grandchildren Kevin and Chris, almost adopted a nephew, and has a few grand babies out there too.  Through genealogy it was learned that her biological father Christakis Leonada passed away in April 1993 at the age of 74 in Norwich, Norfolk, England. Lou carries us "Twining Girls" under her wings always and forever.  She is a habitual student and she MADE Texoma Teacher Credit Union.  Started as a simple teller and now RUNS the place. On top of that and all her education she is now graduated in Theology at Southern Methodist University and is officially Reverend Louella Williams of a Methodist church called Virginia Point Methodist Church in Savoy Texas.It is a little white church on a hill out in the countryside and they love her as much as we do.  A female Jack of many trades.  Lou is always there for everyone.... and right beside her is Jimmie supporting her all the way!  When you fall they are both there to pick you up. She has always been a great example to me of someone I would love to be more like. I love you sissy!

The Williams Men, Jimmie, Gary, Steve Jim, and Lou

The grands MEN

The Ladies of the family.

Joanne Marie Twining, born in Sheringham Norfolk, England on 29th October 1953.  AKA Mayree Joanna Twining. Its just like her to want to change her name. She is a free spirit and will always be her own woman! She was married to Michael James O'Brien  23rd Mar 1977.  They had boy named Jason Walter O'Brien born 31 Dec 1976.  Jason has a child that we all love even though we've never met him.  We all wish we knew Jason and his family a little better.  He is of the same make as his mother and prefers to remain incognito.  We respect their wishes.  Jo is our family "smartie".  Always has been and always will be.  Although we were 2 years apart, our lives were worlds apart.  She was a brainiac and it came easy to her. I was not and was more the social butterfly,  Our two personality types didn't quite mix. So, I think we grew up not understanding or liking each other too much. It was both of our losses.  But is is the past, and now that we are older we both realized life is short and how much we really love each other.  Jo is our Hippie, or soul searching Karma building, back to nature loving, self sufficient, philosophical, role model.  She gorgeous, tall, and full of talent.  Although she is a loner and likes living up way up in the mountain tops in her Dome Home, she is as connected to the world through her generator driven computers.  She is more connected to the world than I will ever be.  She has several college degrees, and is a perpetual student of all things. She taught college Library Science classes too.  This only show how important education has been to her.  I know she had a big part in development of the inter-college library system too.  She will sit you down and explain it all in ways I could never comprehend if you just ask her.  But along with all that,  I love her calmness, her sereneness, and her love of life of her older age.  Shes a different cut than me, which makes me admire her all the more.  My life is hectic and sometimes so much so that I wish I was up on that mountain top with her sitting amoungst those large trees listening to the wind blow.  She seems happy and that is all that matters to me.

Yes she's my older (2 years older) sister! 

Love you and miss you!

Judy. Little Miss no middle name Judy.  She always wanted a middle name.  When she was a youngster and on "Miss Carol Clubhouse" on TV she told the world her middle name was Cathy. "Now little girl, what is your name?" We were all sitting in front of the TV watching.  She sat up straight and announce as proudly as she could "  Judy Cathy Twining".  She will never live that down. Judy Twining Whitfield was born on Seagate Road in Hunstaton Norfolk England on 23 Nov 1958. She married Timothy Whitfield from Mississippi.  They have 3 children together and Tim's has Ashley from previous marriage. Ashley grew up with her mother and Tim supported her and saw her when he could.  Mary Louise Whitfield Boehme married to Kevin Boehme in June 013.  Kevin and Mary both graduate from college.  Mary in nutrition and Kevin in genetic research.  They have a newborn son inamed Henry who was born in Dec 2015, Next is Sara who's looks are almost identical to our Mom.  She is serving  Mormon a mission in Brazil. Then last but not least is "T" aka Travis who is a student at University of  Utah.  Judy is our inner-mother.  Our worrier, our lets make everything alright sisters.  She wears her emotions on her sleeve which makes her even more endearing!  She's loving and caring and worries that someone "needs" something.  Don't get me wrong, she is all "Twining Girl" and can make anyone tow the mark.  She can be a General when needed- but the mix is a good one.  Shes a good woman, person, wife, mother, and sister and friend. Judy went back to school at the age of around 50 and is just about to earn her degree while working at different jobs at the same time.  In their empty-nester syndrome, she and Tim love taking care of each other and being alone together. Tim is the cook of the family and Judy loves everything he makes.  Tim is a Mormon Branch President  in South Korea and Judy supports him in every way.  We are hoping that when they retire, Tim opens his BBQ shop called Dubs!  They are busy traveling the world (Tim works for the Army Corp of Engineers) and have enjoyed seeing SKorea today and tomorrow maybe its off to Germany.  

Live it up kids while you can!  

We miss you and love you the same no matter where you are! 

(and maybe I am just a little jealous of your world travels)

Geraldine, AKA Gerri, DD, Baby sister, the last of the brood.  Other names we could call her are Ms Librarian  bookworm, quilter, seamstress, painter, wife, mom, grandmother, and friend.  She was born 20 May 1963 at Perrin AFB in Sherman Texas.  She is just about 8 years younger than me so my older sisters and I were gone during her formidable years.  In other words, she was around after we were all gone for my mom. She was mom's best friend and had a special relationship with her.  She married  Anthony Gerrard  Rinna aka Tony Rinna, and they have two boys (well men now) Anthony Vito and Angelo Vincent.  Anthony is also in SKorea working on world relations and Angelo has a partner name Samantha and they have a son together named Callisto.  I think he is about 3 years old now. DD also has a degree in Library Science and works for the Library- of course. She love her job and I am sure does it very well.   She loves helping/teaching the joy in reading.  I should say RUNS the library.  She is the most like mom as far as hobbies.  Did I mention she LOVES to read. I would bet if there could be a race between her and Mom they could read more books than a whole room of people.  My Mom could read a paperback (fairly large) in one or two evenings while sitting in the chair and watching TV at the same time.  DD  is her mini-me.  She not only works for the library, but she has a library in her house.  She is patient and kind.and talented too.  All my sisters have their own talents and they have worked hard to be the best they can be.  DD also inherited all my moms quilting paraphernalia (and talent) and has made some wonderful quilts. My favorite was a quilt she finished after my mom passed away that my mom had started some of the patches. I learned actually just how talented she was when she made SLIPPERS out of WOOL. yep, and I hear they were warm and well worn by her kids.   

Yep, the baby sister's got it goin on.

We love you (even though you are the spoiled baby of the family)! 

There you have it.   A mini homage to my sisters.  When you add me in the mix, we have the whole "5 Twining Girls"  and we are a force to be reckoned with.  

I love how we age and become closer and closer.  

We are so lucky to have each other here and now.  

I cherish every time we connect.  

Hopefully we'll be having another "Reunion" soon. 

Maybe we'll all trek up to the Washington Mountain Top this time.