Seated in a middle row on a 747 jet, I wondered how in heaven’s name, this “movie theater” was gong to get off the ground. If you have flown in a 747, you know how huge they are. Two aisles coming through from the front to the back of the plane, one on each side of the middle rows and four seats on each side extending to the windows.

From the O’Hare airport we took off smoothly into that Chicago sky on a very cold nine degree morning in January 1971 on a direct flight to Honolulu, Hawaii for a 16 day tour of four islands. There were 15 or 16 in my tour group. Perfect!!! We had all met in the airport terminal after coming in from our home airports.

As we are approaching the Island of Oahu, right there on the coast we see the beautiful pink ROYAL HAWAIIAN HOTEL where we will be staying our first week.

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Soon after arriving at the Baltimore-Washington airport and settled in their Columbia, Maryland home, it was, “Gramma, can we make Easter cupcakes?”   That was my little, not yet four year old granddaughter Evin’s inquiry.

Any Gramma would do just what I did!  I made cupcakes, iced them and then the fun began!!!

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On a warm, sunny, lazy summer Sunday afternoon, what better to do than daydream away about how to make life better for yourself and your family. That is as long as you stay within your monetary limits.

But certainly not my husband, as he is browsing through the newspaper and sees a farm for sale. Living paycheck to paycheck is for the birds! So…..why not purchase a farm large enough to make a living for our family?

My husband had grown up on a farm and although my father owned several farms, I knew little about farming for a living. Never to be deterred by obstacles, when I wanted something, I bit onto his idea as if it were mine! Continue reading

So this is how it all begins. My sons-in-law Tracy Drake from Salem, Ohio and Terrell Smith from Lawrenceville, Georgia decide to go fishing with my son-in-law Joey Wedding from York Center, Ohio.

All of my family had come into the area to attend my parents, “Levi and Mary Etta Rockhold”, reunion. My sisters and brothers, their children and grand children along with me and my family, came from Florida, Georgia, New York, Montana, Kentucky, California and all over Ohio.

Remember, my parents had thirteen children! Our Rockhold family scattered far and wide!

At this reunion, Tracy, Terrell and Joey, who seldom get together, decide to go fishing. And……where is the best fishing around York Center? The abandoned “Rockhold Stone Quarry” that I grew up beside of! Being spring fed, it filled with cold clear blue water and is now a good size deep lake.

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He was running ahead of me as fast as his little two year old legs could carry him, from my farm milk house, to the porch of my home. Getting there ahead of me, he picked up a potted flower, quickly turned it upside down, the plant fell out on the ground.

He reached in the soil, pulled out a fish worm, held it up and with sparkling eyes and the happiest smile, that only my little grandson could give, he said, “GOIN’ FISHIN’ TONIGHT”!!!!”

After a big rain, as I was driving past his home, he was sitting by the ditch that ran along the road, with a stick and string tied to the end, fishing in that water filled ditch! Continue reading