"My wedding day was the most unhappy day of my life."

 

A GGGreat Niece of Aunt Kate

I was married on April 10, 1887, to a man named James Ham, a native of England. I think my wedding day was the most unhappy day of my life. For months afterward I couldn't think of it without tears. The wedding took place in the sitting room that I had worked so hard to make presentable. There was a nice group of friends present and everything should have been happy. But it almost broke my father up. If it had been my funeral he couldn't have felt worse. When congratulations were in order, he shook Jim's hand and said, with tears coursing down his cheeks, that Jim had taken the best spoke out of his wheel. It almost broke my heart and I would have given anything to have reconciled my father to my leaving. 

After the wedding we went to New Almaden in Santa Clara County to visit his brother and their families. We stayed there a few days more and than a month. During that time I had my first contact with real English life. As far as I know I was the only American in the community. All were English born the children of English born parents and they talked, ate and lived as in England.

When we left New Almaden we were weighted down with silver dollars. While he was there Jim worked in the quick silver mines, and as they paid off in silver dollars, a month's pay amounted to some weight. He managed it though by putting most of the dollars in one of the trunks and the remainder in several of our pockets.

From here we went to San Francisco on a sort of delayed wedding trip. This was my first visit to the city and was on of the most memorable events of my life. We stopped at the International Hotel on Kearny Street. At that time it seemed to be a family hotel and the people whom I met there were all very nice people. 

While we were in the city we took in as many of the points of interest as possible: Woodward's Garden, Golden Gate Park, The Cliff House, the seals and the seal rocks, and the theaters. We also saw the panorama of The Battle of Waterloo. Even now, after all the years since then, I have only to close my eyes and in fancy see that wonderful picture. It was glorious to me.

(to be continued)

Love,
Gammy T. 

She Has A Flair For The Arts

Jenna's Fried Rice

Chinese Fried Rice

2-3 Tbls. veg. oil

2 cups cooked rice - cold

2tbls. soy sauce

1 tbls. Sugar

1 Tbls. rice vinegar 

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic, minced

1/2 stalk of celery, chopped

1 green onion, chopped

1/2 cup frozen peas (I rinse in hot water to thaw) 

2 large eggs beaten. 

Chop and assemble and prepare all ingredients before you start cooking because the fried rice is done in just a few minutes. I also do my egg first in the same pan and then take it out to add later. 

Combine soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, and pepper together in a custard cup and set aside. Heat fry pan or wok on med. high heat and add 1-2 Tbls. of oil, along with the chopped garlic and celery. Cook for about 2 mins. and add green onions: continue to cook for another minute. Next add the rice, peas and sauce mixture at the same time. Gently stir into other ingredients.  Add eggs to the rice mixture the very last. Serve immediately.  I usually double the sauce and the rice too. 

Don’t Have Cooked Rice on Hand? :

While nothing beats previously cooked rice for making fried rice, if you don't have any on hand, here's a tip. Prepare a batch of fresh cooked rice, spread it on a baking sheet and freeze for 25 – 30 minutes. The texture of the fried rice isn't quite the same as days-old cooked rice, but it makes a handy substitute.

I got this recipe from Jenna and it is my favorite. She got it from her cooking class at school. I am sharing because it is the best I have ever eaten. 

Also I want you to see what a very mischievous little imp can grow up to be. She can still be a bit mischievous but very beautiful. She is an artist and also models for another artist in Rexburg, Idaho. She is the little girl laughing at her little brother in the "Funny Stories" And of course is one of my Grands.;) The top pictures are Jenna being bored. Both are self portraits.;) The bottom is posing for the artist that did her portraits in Idaho. 

Jenna at an early age practicing her skills. 

Jenna modeling for a painting that is hung at BYU Idaho

Self Portrait

Bon Appetit

Love,

Grammy T.

Useful Things I Almost Forgot

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

While getting ready for the day today my hair was flying all over the place from the static. I was really getting ticked off at the mess it was making, kind of like a flying rats nest.  “Spray your hair brush with a little hair spray, ding dong, and it will solve that problem, remember?”… “I remember” I said and quickly got my little bottle of hair spray, gave it a couple little sprays and wa-lah my problem solved.

While I was commenting to one of my favorite Bloggie’s this morning in her comment box about orphan socks on wash day I told her my solution that I finally discovered after all of my 7 kids were raised. I now put the orphan sock away where it belongs and miraculously it’s partner shows up all by itself on one of the next wash days. The problem is that I taught all of my children to have a sock box or bag and that is such a horrible predicament to find yourself in with 100 socks in there to have to sit and sort. We use to have sock matching parties but that is so ridiculous, so please, if you are reading this kids just do it the new way.

And last but not least for today, I have to get some little rag quilts done for the hospital to go with the little hats I have been making, so that I can make a delivery to the nursery.  Happy Humanitarian Day :)

So goodbye until tomorrow.

Love,

Grammy T.