Out of Pocket

I am going in for surgery on my eyelids this morning.  I don't know what to expect or how long it will be before I can blog again.  Since my appointment is at 10:30 - it will be before most of you even read this.  Please pray for a quick recovery and no complications.  It will be wonderful to be able see outside of my tiny tunnel of vision that I have been trapped for the last several months.

What are some of the most interesting places you visited and why?

Berlin Germany was a fascinating place when I was younger because the Berlin Wall was up.  It was a sad place and yet an island of hope.  It is hard to describe unless you had actually visited or lived there.

Interlaken, Switzerland is my most favorite place on earth.  It is where we vacationed for several years and was the most beautiful place I had ever seen.

Williamsburg and Jamestown, Virginia alway fascinated me.  I tried to get Clyde to take me back there but he wasn't interested.  Maybe now that he knows his family actually lived there we might go see those cities this summer.  He is a direct descendent of Patrick Henry.

The top of the mountains in Manti and Ephraim and even Fishlake.  It is beautiful in such a majestic way.  I guess any mountain top would be breathtaking in its own way.

The Frankfurt am/Main, Germany Zoo.  It is the most fun and spectacular zoo I have every visited.  When I was younger it rivaled the San Diego zoo.  It don't think it does anymore but it was still an incredible place to visit.

The famous castles of Bavarian Germany.  They are glizty and beautiful and everything the inner princess in me thought a fairy tale needed.  I loved those castles.  The only disappointing one was Neu Schwanstein - the one Walt Disney used as a model for Sleeping Beauty's castle.  In truth it was never completed and is really a shell of a building.  I had it decked out the best of the any castle in my mind.  I remember being terribly disappointed when we went.  That was one time when the movie version was better than real life!                          

What are some ways - good and bad - the world has changed since you were a child?

Things are a lot more expensive now.  I bought a huge candy bar for 5 cents and that was big deal when I was 5.  Life was freer then.  We ran from neighbors house to neighbors house and we knew we were safe. 

Skirts have risen and fallen and now almost disappeared!  No one dresses up for church anymore but the LDS and I think that is sad.  My hairdresser is Catholic and she was saying how sad it was that when she went to Mass that she didn't even have to cover her head anymore - so no more pretty hats.  She spent our last time together discussing how no one dresses up for church and it just doesn't make it special. 

There is little respect for elders - well for anyone anymore.  Maybe it is just a Northeast thing.  Yesterday I went in to Walmart to get some change for the Laundry and automatically I said please and thank you.  The cashier smiled and told me how wonderful it was to hear someone say something like that.  She never hears that anymore.  How sad is that!  That is just common courtesy!

Because of the internet and cable, etc.  - the media seems to control how we think almost.  They put out just what they want us to hear and you have to be very careful and dig deep to find news that is not slanted or tainted.  I am not sure you can find news that is not slanted.  I miss newscasters like Walter Cronkite that felt it was imperative to give all sides of a story.

In the same sense - the world is smaller because of the internet.  Thank heaven we have that wonderful invention or having family members living overseas would be unbearable.  In that sense it makes our family feel like we are all close by.  The same with telephones.  A long distance phone call is no longer ominace. - it is an every day occurance.

What are some of my favorite recipes?

I have so many favorite recipes that I make.  I am probably best known for my Blondies, my Triple Layer chocolate cake and my Mulled Berry Cider or Wassail as the family calls it.  We have a family blog that we post our favorite recipes on and people that read this blog know it well. 

Looking back on my life - what are my proudest accomplishments?

In this day and age - the fact that Clyde and I have made it to 40 years of marriage is pretty remarkable.  We have worked hard on our marriage - some days more than others.  That is one of the only accomplishments I can truly take credit for.

We have 4 amazing daughters that are married to the most incredible men.  From them have come 11 of the most beautiful, brightest and truly outstanding grandchildren that anyone could be blessed with.  This accomplishment I can take little credit for.

What advice would you pass on about being a mom?

Be united with your husband in the things that matter.

Be consistant.

Listen

Always believe your children.

What some of the favorite things you have done with your children?

Before school started each year, I would go one on one with each of the girls and we would go school shopping.  We would spend a couple of hours just focused one them.  As they got older it became the day.  I love those memories.  When they were teenagers, the girls kind of decided that they would rather go together so we would all head out and spend the day.  We would have so much fun, but I would find other days just to spend one on one.

When I was attending U.T.S.A, a couple of times a week, Heather, Heidi and Pam and I would go to Fiesta Texas and just unwind.  Occasionally we would grab my nieces, the Dittmar girls too.  We had a good time.  Sometimes we just spent an hour there and other times stayed until it closed.

I loved getting ready for the holidays.  I loved making cookies with my daughters and dying Easter eggs.  We made Valentines cookies and I have lots of cookie cutters to prove it.  It hasn't been quite the same without them.  This was one thing I looked forward to doing with Grandchildren.  The one year I spent with a grandchild (Bella) getting ready for the holidays was the last I have done any real baking for.  We had a great time together.

As a family we frequently played board and card games together.  I miss that.

What was it like for you to become a mother?

I thought I was so prepared.  I wasn't.  I also seemed to become a worse mom the more children and the older they got.  Becoming a mother was a fulfillment of a lifelong desire, though.  One of my earliest memories is dreaming of being a mom.  I really never wanted to be anything else but a wife and mother.  I have loved mothering.  The thing that makes me the happiest though is that our daughters are better mothers than I ever hoped to be.

What do I remember about the birth of my children?

Mostly I remember how happy I was that I could finally have children!  I was on bedrest for most of my pregnancy with Carianne because no one knew what to expect or wanted to upset anything.  My labor with her was less than 3 hours from start to finish.  None of my labors were very long - Heidi's was the longest but I was just uncomfortable not in real pain.

Holding Carianne for the first time was one of the greatest joys of my life.  When I had Heather, Clyde was not allowed in the labor room.  If she had been born the next week - he could have come in. The whole time I was in labor with Heather, my DR kept telling me the lamest jokes in the world and the sad part is I can still remember some of them!

Heidi was a funny story.  I was at my mother's because the Dr said I could have her any minute.  Dad was taking Grandma Sarah to the symphony and asked if I want to go.  I told him I just didn't feel up to it.  That was at 6:30.  At 8:00 Clyde called and asked how I was doing.  I told him how close my contractions were and he called the Dr.  Mom didn't think I was in enough pain to have a baby.  At 8:45 the Dr called and said for me to come in no matter how much pain I was in.  I got there just after 9 and ended up having a debate with the admitting nurse about circumcising.  She wouldn't let me in unless I decided right then and there if I wanted the baby circumcised.  I told her I wanted to know what the baby was first.  We actually fought over this for almost 20 minutes until the DR said to just admit me!  I am not sure why I was upset about this except I was in the last stages of labor and totally unreasonable.  Mom came in my room and said that I was wasting a bed because I would be home in an hour.  She stayed a few minutes and then left.  I asked the Dr for a something for the pain and he said, "Let's go have a baby instead!"  It was after 10 - I think 10:15 when Heidi was born. Dr. Forks wanted me to call Mom and tell her I wouldn't be coming home and I didn't waste a bed!  I remember looking at Heidi with her long eyelashes and her eyes looked like stars.  Oh, and I had Heidi before Dad and Grandma got home from the symphony.  It is a good thing I didn't go.

Pam is my only Tarheel and non-Texan.  Pam was born in Durham, North Carolina.  She came quickly too.  We have been blessed to have 4 beautiful daughters who know what they want and stand up for what they believe.  They have been like that from the womb.

How did you spend your free time before you had kids?

Pretty much like I always have and do now.  I read a lot.  I was also into counted cross stitch and I did that.  I made some beautiful samplers and preferred working with the tiniest of stitches - something that is not even possible now.   I also Tole Painted and really enjoyed doing that.  That is something I have not done since. 

Just before Carianne was born, Clyde was working with the 4-H clubs in the El Paso, Texas area.  I was often helping him and we were able to spend most of our days together.  We were really busy.  Up to that time I actually pined away my time wishing for a baby.  When I was finally pregnant with Carianne, I was so busy, I was quite irritated to be put to bed for most of the pregnancy.  Now, I am so grateful that I was patient and did what I was supposed to do. 

It was during this time of working with Clyde in the 4-H that we realized we work really well together.  Because of that we are looking forward to our mission because we know that part of it will be something that will go fairly smoothly.

How did you meet Dad, and what was your first date like?

I was not supposed to come home for Christmas.  I was attending Snow College in Ephraim, Utah and enjoying it.  I was going to spend the Christmas Holidays with Harold B. Lee and his family!  I was really excited about that.  One morning I got a call from my mom telling me that a guy showed up on the doorstep and asked to marry me.  I hadn't even heard from him in almost 2 months!  Mom wouldn't listen.  She kept saying, "But he says he wants to marry you."  I kept saying that I didn't want to marry him!  The next think I knew, Mom had me checked out of my classes for the semester and on a jet to Germany (2 weeks before finals). 

When Marianne met me at the airport with my dad, she kept telling me about this new guy at church named Clyde.  I was not interested in anyone named Clyde because we had a kind of a crotchety uncle named Clyde and was imagining all sorts of weird things with this guy my sister was going on and on about.  I finally promised her that I would leave him alone.  I truly had no intention of breaking that promise.

When we got home, Marianne and I made sugar cookies.  Clyde appeared on the doorstep to return a book.  I suddenly understood why Marianne was so enamored with him.  He was cute!  My mom decided that she wanted Clyde for a son-in-law and actually set up an activity every night I was home and invited Clyde.  We never actually had a date alone until after we were engaged.  People in the ward were betting on how quickly we would be engaged and rooting for us.  Mom wanted it to happen so badly that she actually went to the other guys commanding officer and got him an early dismissal from the military so he would be out of the picture!

I got home to Germany on December 6 and had my diamond ring on 3 January.  Pretty quick.  But we waited a very long year to be married in the Manti Temple on December 29 because Clyde was a brand new member of the Church.  It was worth the wait because it was those promises that we made that have kept us together for 40 years.  There are couple of times that had we not taken those vows and covenants seriously that it would have been quite easy to pack up and walk away.  I am so glad we worked very hard to keep it together.

Did you ever win an award you were proud of and what was it in honor of?

I lettered in music in high school.  I was very proud of that and planned on getting the additional stripe my senior year, when Dad got orders and we moved - again. 

I went out for many awards and honors in school.  I would tie or even actually be the winner but the person in charge - be it principal or teacher - would pull me aside and say, "We are going to give this to so and so.  You actually won it but they need it more."  There were so many times that I wanted scream, I just want to win ONE!  That was pretty much my history with awards, etc., all of my school years.  I finally quit trying to get them.  What was the point.  This pattern still holds true today.  There was an award in Ingram for the outstanding volunteer and I was one of the best.  Every year I was told I deserved it but someone else needed it more.  I guess my rewards will never be given on earth.  However I really didn't volunteer for the award.  I volunteered to be by our daughters and because I loved it.  I think the school knew that I didn't need incentive to keep coming back.

I did get my 3 and 4 year seminary pins.  No one could take that away from me.  There were no YW awards when I was in the mutual program, per se.  We had certain things that we did but not to get an overall award at the end of our time in YW. 

What were your first few jobs and do you remember how much you earned?

My first job was babysitting.  I babysat Todd Neuberger when I was 9 years old and felt so grown up.  I was alone in their apartment and put him down for his nap and watched him.  This sounds like a big deal but Sally was across the street visiting Mom - maybe 200 yards away.  I was paid nothing.

In fact I babysat a lot for Mom's friends and paid nothing.  I finally got my first real job on my own when I was in 7th grade in Maryland.  I was paid 50 cents an hour.  That was pretty much the going rate all of my teenage years.  However there was one couple that would deliberately stay out until the wee hours of the morning.  For them - and I told them up front - it was $1.00 per child and doubled every hour after 2 a.m.  I sometimes walked away from that job exhausted but with $20 in my pocket.  I also didn't like babysitting for them because they always came home tipsy.  Finally Marianne and I both decided we would not babysit for them anymore.  It was just too uncomfortable.  I also never trusted the father.  Fortunately they never had to drive us home - they lived in our stairwell. 

Because I had never done anything but babysitting, when we were married and living in Provo, I couldn't get a job.  I finally did home daycare for the state, becoming licensed through them and was paid $50 per child.  I had 4 state children I babysat for full time and several from the ward I watched while parents went to classes in Provo. 

Who taught you to drive and what was your first car?

My dad and Grandpa Brugger were the first ones to take me driving.  The first time I was behind the wheel was in Ephraim out by the Old Pioneer cemetery.  A herd of sheep were milling around in the road and I was scared I would hit one.  Dad kept saying, "Keep going - if you hit one, we will have mutton for dinner!"  Not very comforting.  He didn't say anything like the sheep were smart enough to get out the way of the car.  I was a nervous wreck when I got home and never wanted to drive again!

Grandpa Brugger had a Chevy Nova that was a standard but it shifted on the steering column instead of on the floor.  It was a very stiff shifting mechanism and I ended up in the ditch many times in that car (so did Grandpa Brugger!).  I did like driving with Grandpa better than my parents though.  He was much calmer and very patient and quiet.

I took drivers education at the school and Mr. Oakey and Mr. Bessey (Sir) were my teachers.  The funny part of this is they were also Heidi and Pam's teachers.  I got my license about 2 weeks before moving to Germany.  I needed to have a stateside drivers license in order to get one in Germany when I turned 17.

Being a know it all teenager, I didn't study for my drivers test very hard and failed the first time.  If I had gone alone, the MP giving it to me - would have let me pass anyway.  But my dad was checking the answers over his shoulder and so I failed quickly.  Dad and I studied for the retake and I scored 100 on it.  No favors - didn't miss one. 

Dad gave me free reign with the 1961 Comet station wagon.  We fondly called her Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  Her nick name was Chitty and everyone called her that.  Her body was so loose that when we drove slowly through towns, you could hear the body creaking before the engine.  I could haul fairly large groups and loved that car.  I could also load lots of stuff in it when needed.  I drove that car all over Germany, Switzerland, Italy and even in Denmark. 

When Clyde and I were first married we had a 1969 Toyota Corolla (my we have come far!).  It was baby blue.  Our next car was the green Toyota.

Did you play a sport, and what did you like best about it?

The only thing remotely athletic I did was ballet.  I loved it.  I danced until I was 8 and then Mom pulled me out because she was afraid I was going to get fat muscular legs.  Cyd Charisse owned my studio and would come in and give dance lessons periodically.  I had no idea who she was - just that she was incredibly beautiful and graceful.  She also dressed in beautiful clothes and was tall.  Suzannah Winston has alway reminded me of my dance teacher - therefore of Cyd Charisse. 

My teachers actually thought I was good enough to move on and up but Mom did not want me too.  I didn't care.  Besides we moved not too long after that to Germany and then I lost all interest.  I was pretty good at gymnastics in school but Mom was always afraid I would turn into a 'Brunhilde' and would never let me pursue that either.

How We Spent Our Weekend!

These pictures are actually in color if you look closely.  This is the aftermath of our blizzard and almost 12 hours into our power outage.  We were cold and miserable yesterday but thanks to our 72 hour preparations we were able to keep us and the 2 LDS missionaries that live in our apartment complex fed.  

The above two pictures are shots from our front door.  The tree to far right will have to be taken down when spring comes because that mound on the ground is half of it.

This is a picture taken from our back door.  We were without power for exactly 24 hours.  The power plant failed so Aquidneck Island, Tiverton and Southwestern Massachusetts all went down at the same time.  The irony is that areas in Rhode Island that always lose power didn't in this storm.  There is no church today because the roads are still treacherous and clean-up really hasn't even begun yet.  We will have breakfast with the Elders again this morning and have our own services.  Then the 3 men will go out in the world and see what good they can do for the day while I dream up something for lunch and dinner.  It was funny.  Yesterday I had everything in our hallway to keep refrigerator cool and outside to keep frozen.  I put it in the refrigerator to thaw!  Have a glorious Sabbath.  I will resume my boring personal blogs tomorrow.

Who was the best teacher you had and why?

The person that comes to mind quickly is Becky Combs.  She was my sixth grade teacher in Silver Spring, Maryland at Oakview Elementary School.  She was amazing.  She knew my strenghths were English and reading, so she played on those.  She did not make a big deal about me being in the lowest of low math groups.  She tried to figure out why I could do everything else and could not do math.  Finally she realized I did really well with story problems.  She literally made tests with mostly story problems for me - because I could somehow grasp that but just looking at the number I somehow could not get it.  She was also my brother Bob's reading tutor for a while because her specialty was reading problems.  I think she had an inkling that I was dyscalculate but there were no tools to diagnose me.  They were just coming up with the tools to diagnose dyslexia. 

My other incredible teacher was Mr. Micket.  He was my senior high school English teacher.  He made you want to read and write.  He made English come to life.  I loved the fact that he used contemporary novels in the classroom instead of the old boring ones that we had been reading for the last 4 years.  When we did Shakespeare - we were given parts and read it out loud as a class.  Shakespeare is not to be read silently but heard.  I never wanted to miss his class.

What were your favorite summer memories?

When I was really young and living in Texas, every summer we would pack up and head to Utah for an extended visit.  Sometimes Dad got to stay with us the whole time - then the visit was shorter but when Dad didn't come, we were there pretty much all summer long.   I now understand it was because Mom was heading out remission again but I don't think even Mom and Dad knew that then.  The summer Mom was pregnant with Bob was memorable because we got to ride the train up to Utah.  However because Mom was so sick - we rarely left our compartment.  I just remember being trapped in that little room for what seemed like weeks but it was probably just a few days.

I loved those summers with Grandma and Grandpa Tuttle.  We would spend the obligatory time with the Bruggers in Richfield and Venice but it was always an uncomfortable time for me.  I tried and tried to enjoy myself down there but was always relieved to come back to the Tuttle's.  I have a cousin, Kristine, that is my age and everyone was always trying to get us to be close.  Kristine was always doing things I felt uncomfortable doing.  I tried to have a good time there but just never could - even when I was teenager.  I would feel obliged to go and spend time but did it as a duty.

When we were in Europe, we would pick a destination and go there but when we went back to Germany the second time, it seemed that our vacation spot became Switzerland.  Whenever we could break away - that is where we all agreed to go.   Some of my most favorite summer memories are still from those stays.  It was fluke we found our favorite camping ground in Switzerland 'under the Jungfrau'.  We were supposed to spend 2 weeks in Germany's Black Forest and really looking forward to it but it started raining right after we set the tent up.  It rained HARD for 2 days - to the point that everything was muddy, including us.  Dad became worried that we would puncture holes in the bottom of the tent.  He had his international passport and suggested we head for Switzerland (it was about 2 hours away).  We got in the car and headed out.  Switzerland was sunny, and beautiful.  We found a wonderful camp ground, made friends with the owners and camped there the next 2 summers besides that one.  The owners would clue us in to the local things like a play of William Tell or where to get the best produce and cheese.  Trummelbach Falls is still one of the most glorious things I  have ever seen and one of my all time most cherished memories is lying on the side of one mountain with Marianne and watching avalanches on another.  It was fantastically beautiful!

Who were your best friends from childhood and what were they like?

My true lifelong best friend from childhood and to this day is my sister, Marianne.  We have relied on each other, cried on each others shoulders and teased each other for 57 years.  Just like any relationship - we have had our ups and downs but I have always know that Marianne was my best friend and would always be.

When I was little until I was about 10 really - my best friend was Buddy Collie.  I think about it now and our relationship was almost brother and sister, we were that close.  We would get annoyed with each other one minute and vow we never wanted to speak to each other ever again and 5 minutes later be doing something else in perfect harmony.  We would literally walk in and out of each others houses as if they were our own because that is the kind of relationship our families had with each other.  When we lived in San Antonio, if I needed something and my parents weren't home, I would go to Aunt Lex, Buddy's mom for whatever and know she would fix it and vice versa with Buddy.  The last time I saw Buddy, he was planning on going to medical school and becoming an orthopedic surgeon in his father's practice.

My high school best friend was and is Nancy Lee Oliver.  Nancy Lee is Mr. Lee's daughter.  She was always in his store in Ephraim, Utah and she was a good friend to me in high school.  When we moved back to Ephraim in the 1990's, she lived in our ward and just the block over from us.  We once again picked up our friendship, only this time with our husbands.  We had some great times together.  Whenever we are in Sanpete for any length of time, we swing in to see the Olivers.  They are still our good friends.

What music did you grow up listening to?

Mom loved her Big Band music and I remember listening to that and the popular music of the '50's when I was really little.  When we moved to Germany, Dad started teaching me about classical music and that is pretty much all I listened too until I was in the 6th grade and then Mary Hornbeck introduced me to the Beatles.  I fell in love with their music, along with Herman's Hermits and the Monkees.  I never did like the Rolling Stones - ever.  Some of my friends accused me of being brainwashed by my parents but I just could never get into 'their groove'.  So I didn't listen to them much.  I tended to go for the lighter rock and roll and the folk music singers (Peter Paul and Mary, Simon and Garfunkel).  I even parted ways with the Beatles after a while.  I did get their Sgt Pepper album but that was the last one I personally owned until I was married.

My most consistant genre would be musicals.  I loved listening to musicals when I was little.  I would put the albums on to clean and race to have my work finished before the album was.  (I should probably used that cleaning technique now!).  I knew by heart most all of the music from the musicals that our daughters grew up watching - without ever seeing them.  We only had the albums in those days.  To this day one of my favorite musical scores is the Pirates of Penzance.

What was the worst mischief you got into when you were young?

My mom was Relief Society President for our ward in San Antonio.  She had her board over to the house one day.  I had just gotten a tea set.  I was serving everyone water.  Mom followed me wondering where I was getting the water.  I was 3 year old.  I had a hard time turning on the faucet in the bathroom, so Mom was curious.  I was getting the water out of the toilet.  It is one of my earliest memories.  She was not happy.

The one that still makes me sick to my stomach was when I was about 5, a bunch of my friends and I were running up from the basement in San Antonio and I didn't realize Marianne was right behind us.  I slammed the basement door.  When I slammed the door I crushed Marianne's fingers.  Mom had to take her to the hospital.  I ran to the gate of our housing area closest to the hospital (still about 1 mile away from the hospital) and my friend Buddy Collie told me that the crying we were hearing was Marianne.  He also told me that I probably crippled her hand for life.  I was almost hysterical when my Mom came home but had to hold it in because Mom was so mad at me.  She thought I had done it on purpose and took days to forgive me.

The most stupid thing I ever did was bite the top of Grandpa Tuttle's head.  It took A LOT to make Grandpa Tuttle mad.  I was up on top of his shoulders (so I was pretty little) and looked at his shiny bald head.  I remember thinking, "I wonder what that tastes like?  Would it taste like an apple?"  It startled Grandpa so badly he almost threw me across their kitchen.  It is the only time I ever saw Grandpa Tuttle angry.  That is the only time I remember biting soap.  I became the butt of a lot jokes for years because of that.    Then Richard Dyreng (one of my Tuttle cousins) started doing some pretty nutty things and took the pressure off.

What rules did your parents have and which ones drove you crazy?

We had the normal rules, bedtime, clean your room and eat all of your dinner.  The rule that drove me crazy growing up was Mom would not let us go on outings on Saturday with Dad (who happened to be home very rarely) unless the house was spotless.  There were times as children that Marianne and I made more work for ourselves than we had to but there were also times when Mom was just plain too picky for anyone to pass inspection and we would spend the day in misery trying to clean to her ridiculous specifications.  I now realize that she was heading out of remission but at the time it just seemed downright unfair to what she was doing to us.  We missed out on a lot of family time because of that.  On the other hand - in truth she probably was not up to an outing and didn't realize it herself.

When we were stateside there was no TV on school nights.  I was a big Monkee's (a 60's rock and roll band for anyone that doesn't know) fan and knew their show was switching from Saturday nights to Monday.  I somehow got Mom to PROMISE that I could watch the Monkees every week no matter what - knowing full well that it was on a school night AND family home evening to boot.  That is probably one of the sneakiest things that I ever did.  I was very careful to remind my mother that she promised - every Monday.  Because of that I was VERY careful not to promise anything to my daughters.

My parents were not terribly hard on us with rules.  When I first started to date - Mom wanted my home by 10:00 because she was home by 10 when she dated but Dad changed that. Funny thing is that I really ever stayed out late anyway - so that was a moot point.  The worst rule was not going out until the chores were done as a child.  But then 80% of the time Marianne and I sabotaged ourselves in that and it was no one's fault but ours.  (By the way, my mother hated the word chores.  She said only poor people used that word.  So there was a time I used the word every chance I got around her!). 

What is the best thing you mom and dad taught you?

The Gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints by far is the best things my parents ever taught me.  They taught me this by example, by actual teaching and in every word and deed that came forth from then them.  I could not have had better teachers in the Gospel than my parents.

My mother taught me that if I committed to something then I followed through and did it.  The reason that it was my mom that taught me this more than my dad was because when I needed this lesson re-enforced - Dad was not home very much.  He too is very much a stickler for following through with anything you have said you would do.

My father taught me to always be on time (early if at all possible) and to treat everyone as if they were your best friend.

What traits or characteristics do you have that your parents also had?

The full question is: What traits or characteristics do you have that your parents also had?  Which side of your family do you most resemble?

I look like my mom and her side of the family.  I tend to  have the health problems of my father's side of the family though.  My metabolism is also more from his side of the family and more especially the Buchanan's.  Though I never knew her, Popi had an Aunt Mary and apparently we are almost clones, healthwise.

My parents but especially my father has a knack for remembering people and their names to the face. I used to be much better at that than I am now.  I used to be able to instantly draw up a name to a face.  Now I have to think about it for a while - sometimes days before I get it right.  Very frustrating, but so far I eventually do remember the name and face and where we knew them from.

I love to read.  Both of my parents love/loved to read and my grandparents loved to read.  When I was very little, I couldn't wait to be able to read and I knew I would be good at it because everyone in my family was good at it.  It is by far my favorite past time and always has been.  (I think that is why Bob's dyslexia was so frustrating to them.  How could he be disabled in something that they loved so much!)

I have a fairly decent singing voice and have tried to always use it.  My Grandma Sarah Tuttle had an incredible singing voice until her mid-50's when she was stricken with a bad case of strep throat.  It was before antibiotics and it not only affected her singing voice but her speaking voice as well.  I know my voice is not nearly as beautiful as hers was but I am grateful to have inherited something from this great lady.

I am a good cook.  I have an ability to look at a recipe and see if it will taste good or what needs to tweaked to make it better.  I can also look at a recipe and know that it isn't worth the time and to pass it up.  I inherited this ability from my Grandma Myrl Brugger.  She was known for her blue ribbon winning dishes and even created recipes of her own that were proven tried and true over and over. 

I am truly a little bit of everyone that had a hand in raising me.