Halloween!

Prompt:
Have you ever participated in a Halloween event?
When was it?
Where was it?...
What did you dress as?
Trick or treat?


I have many fond memories of trick or treating as a child growing up in Aurelia, Iowa. I have no pictures that I am aware of from our costumes. I know they were homemade. I remember dressing as ghosts, witches, the usual.  We took large bags around town and got them full of full-sized candy bars! It was great. Then came the scare of people putting things in the candy, i.e. razor blades, drugs, needles, so on. Yuck.

I have pictures of my children dressing up -- theirs were mainly homemade also -- by me! I made the Raggedy Ann and the little Tiger costumes in this picture.
  I also made the "princess" costume and the little clown costume. As you can see another version of a tiger costume I made.

For many years my aunt had a Halloween party for all of us who lived in the country. These were always fun family events!  

I was an office in our local PTA for about a decade. We put on a haunted house for the area students and parents for years. It was really a pretty elaborate even and lots of fun. These were our costumes one year.

 

My parents that were Grand!

PROMPT:
What were their names?
Where were they from?
Were they related? – Cousins perhaps...
Where were they born, another Country or state/area
Photos
What did they do?
Did you know them?
What was your relationship with them?
If you didn't know them have you researched about them?

These are my grandparents at my wedding. Brian and I were married in 1978. My maternal grandparents are on the far outside. My Paternal grandparents are in the middle.

My mother's parents were Albert Phillip Edward Grashoff and Alma Ida Minnie Matzdorff. Grandpa Grashoff, or as he was known "Abby" was born in  Onarga, Iroquois County, Illinois. When he was fairly young his family moved to Aurelia, Iowa, where he lived the rest of his life. Grandpa was a farmer, but also had many other jobs in his lifetime. He was also a carpenter and construction foreman. Grandpa worked for the ASCS for a while which had something to do with an agricultural service. Grandpa was a stanch family man and really wasn't interested in other people.
Grandma Grashoff was born in this area, Buena Vista County, Iowa, not far from the farm that she lived in her entire life. Grandpa was a farm wife and the mother of seven. She also had a huge garden and canned a lot of the food they lived on throughout the year. She had a root cellar where she kept the "fresh" produce. Grandma was an excellent cook and baker. Grandma also did a lot of work on the farm.

My father's parents were Theodor Jefferson White and Joyce Maxine Fogleman. Grandpa, Ted, was born in Cherokee County and lived there his entire life. Grandpa also held many jobs. He was a farmer for the first part of his life and then after he had to sell the farm when his dad died, he held other jobs including furniture delivery person. Grandma also helped on the farm and was the mother of four. She also had other jobs in the later years after they moved off of the farm.

We also spent holidays of course with the grandparents. We lived very close to my Grandpa and Grandma Grashoff and frequently went out there to play cards and have "coffee" after school. Also, most Sundays were spent at their house for Sunday Dinner (noon). We lived closer to the Grashoff Grandparents and spent more time there, however, I had a close relationship with all of my grandparents and even remember my great grandma and grandpa White.

 

 

Week 6

Do you keep a journal or diary?
How far back do they go? What do you record?
Where do you keep them?...

Do you always buy the same one or vary them?
Have you inherited any?
Do you intend to pass along your journals or destroy them?
Pictures
Do you have a favourite?
What do you use to write with – biro, pencil, ink or fountain pen?
I have intermittently keep a journal. I kept a few back as a youngster, I have no idea where they are now. I keep a very complete journal when I was pregnant with my first child. At this point, I really have no idea where that is either. They only form of journal I have is my research blog. "Teri's Queries" http://whiteandchaffinfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/   I will probably give my journal to my daughter she it is about her pregnancy.  This is short and sweet because I don't really do a journal or diary. I have had several family members who kept a journal of sorts by writing things on a calendar. I have not received any of these.