"It Was A Matter Of Keenest Regret" ~ Aunt Kate

Chapter 9 

Before the summer was very far advanced I became aware that another baby was on its way. This meant that more than ever a little money was necessary. Then the women from whom we were renting our house decided that she wanted to occupy it herself and gave me notice. As I was in no condition to go house hunting I concluded to return to the home belonging to us in Rail Road Flat. 

We moved in September, leaving our store bill unpaid, a matter to me of keenest regret. Many a night afterward I lay awake planning how to get enough ahead to pay that bill. It was years before I had the money, but at length I succeeded in raising the amount and sent it with a joyful heart and straightened shoulders to the merchant we owed, who received it as gladly and as thankfully. He wrote that it seemed as if the money had come from God to help pay for medical help for his sick wife. "God moves in mysterious ways." (to be Continued)

Love,
Grammy T.

She thought I Was Her Mama

Miss Patti and Jenna

Patty was my favorite 

black sheep 

and 

she thought I was 
her Mama.

Of course I was there 

when she was born 

on St. Patrick’s Day. 

I named her Patti for the occasion.  

Those were happy days 

before the mountain lion, 
wild dogs and coyotes came to 
break my heart. 

I loved pulling lambs, spinning wool and 
everything else that had to do with 
my sheep. 

I loved that I could think of The Savior Himself 

when I took care of 
the sheep. 

He said “come follow me” 

and I found that with the sheep 

that it was so much easier to have them 

“follow me” with my bucket of grain 

than to try to push or pull 

them anywhere. 

Children are like that too, you know. 

They don’t like to be pushed or pulled.

I sure didn't like to be pushed or pulled. 

So “come follow me” works the very best

every time. 

Try it you'll see.

Love,
Grammy T.

"What Wonderful Golden Dreams People Have"

I am so glad that I can stalk my grandchildren's

Facebook pages and get cute old pictures. 

Nieces and nephews of Aunt Kate;

Jenna, Marki, Timothy, Tanner and Alex. 

Chapter 7 


Since the birth of my first child I had never felt very well and the coming of two more babies into the family did not make me feel better. I was in no condition to engage in any kind of work, but our financial circumstances were such that I felt ready to grasp at anything. 


The hotel was the best offer and we took it. At that time there were six permanent boarders in the house besides my family and quite a few transient customers. The morning after our arrival we took over the management. My sister Nettie, who made her home with me now that my father was gone, helped me prepare breakfast for a dozen people. Our sleeping quarters were on the upper floor, and there was no way of warming the rooms to make them comfortable for the children, but we dressed the two older ones and rolled the baby in a blanket and brought them all down stairs. I made a bed in an old fashioned rocking chair for my baby and put it close to the stove and went to work.


That was forty seven years ago and more was eaten for breakfast in those days. At the hotel a three course breakfast was always served from six to eight o'clock. My sister and I did all the work, cooking, dish washing, waiting on table, and chamber work. I did the cooking myself which included the baking of bread, pies, cakes, in fact, everything that comes out of an oven. I often wonder how I did it. A women scarcely able to walk, nursing one and caring for three children the hours filled the with work from morning until late at night, it seems almost incredible, but - I did it. 


Chapter 8 


During the summer and fall months times were fairly good but by October, everything was at a standstill. It would not pay to keep the hotel open so we moved to private life, and Jim took a job at forty dollars a month for the winter. In the Spring he went into a mine with some of the other men, one of those specimen rock mines that were never known to pay, and came out in June with the usual outcome, - nothing.


It is said that hope springs eternal in the female breast and maybe it does, but about that time hope was lying quite dormant in my heart. With Jim it was different, bless him. He and my brother Dan were going to try a place on the Stanislaus River that had never been touched. Above and below this place fabulous sums had been taken out but this part of the stream was just as nature and formed it. This story had been told to my brother by a very aged Mexican who had been in the neighborhood since the earliest of days, perhaps prior to 1849. A fortune waited for those who would go there, blast out the rocks, as large as a house, some of them, get down to bed rock in the river bed, and take out gold. What wonderful golden dreams people have. Before going, Jim made arrangements with a store in town to supply his family with whatever was necessary, and in June 1894, he and Dan left to find a fortune in the Stanislaus. (to be continued)

Love,
Grammy T.