~My Favorite Cousin June~

A cousin, I grew up with, still am in touch with, is my cousin June. Her

father and my grandfather were 2 of the 3 brothers that came over

from Cambourne to work the iron and copper mines in the Upper

Penninsula of Michigan.. She and my mother were 1st cousins, I was

2nd cousin, but we were always very close. Her son Bobby is 2 years

younger than I am..maybe she felt I was the daughter she didn't have.

My Uncle Ernie I think felt that way, he had 3 sons. There were more

boys in the family than girls in my generation..plus the girls in mine

werent HALF as GORGEOUS as I was anyway.. :-) That photo..the

left, my cousin June, her mother, my Aunt Ethel, my Mom, Gayle is

in front of her, my sister, then my cousin Alta, that is holding me, then

her sister Dorothy on the end.. My Aunt and Uncle had a son, Gilbert,

besides the 3 daughters. The date is 1946. I was just over a year..

looks like summer time.. Lord, look at those pants..wow..Love the

black and white saddle shoes.. I love looking at the clothes in these

old photos...Gayle's knees looks like she fell down a lot ... back then

she spelled her name Gail..when she got older she decided to have

it changed legally. Aint I just a cutie in my pretty dress? :-)
This is June, Bobby, Jerry and Bob..Was taken in 64..A year

after I graduated and a year before Bobby graduated.. June was a

beautician and Bob worked for the mines in the office..what he did

I have no idea..I know he didn't go underground..I did ironing for

them every Monday nite after school..Bobby and I would walk home

to his house, I would iron while he did school work and sometimes

he would come down and pester me while I was ironing his blue

jeans..I would tell him I would make his creases crooked if he wasn't

nice to me. He and I were good buddies tho..Jerry was a cutie..but

I was closer to Bobbys age and we got along really good had fun

together, we would joke around a lot, laugh, was good.... Bob.. died

quite a few years ago.. I remember I wrote a letter to June, trying to

tell her how sad I was to hear that he was gone, expressing how I

really felt.. she hasnt forgotten or gotten rid of that letter.. She was

one that always encouraged me to write..telling me I always had a

way to write such wonderful letters..to make the reader feel and see

and almost smell what I wanted them to.. One thing..I do regret...
June was the choir director of our church..she played the piano..and

the organ.. I sang in the choir..and on Wednesday nite she would pick

me up on the way to choir practice.. . She gave piano lessons.. I would

hear her sometimes upstairs..with someone..but I never took lessons

or learned how to play from her .. THAT I regret.. I wish I had taken

lessons from her.. I have NO idea why I didn't.. My grandmother had a

wonderful piano..every time I would go there I would plunk around on

that thing..but I never asked June to teach me to play.. I bet if I went up

there right now..she would teach me.. She was 89 years old in June..

but I would give anything to be able to play both hands.. I taught my

self one..I just cant get the left hand.. I have a keyboard though :-)

As I smelled my saffron bread cooking, which by the way, it is so good I

have to really control my self or I will eat the whole thing at once..Putting

in the currants is amazing..it has made all the difference in the world..

After my mother died..the only one left in the family that made saffron

buns was June.. Once a year , I would get a small package at Christmas

time..inside would be 4 saffron buns..tightly wrapped ..when I would open

that..and smell those wonderful buns..It would bring back all the memories

of such wonderful times.. As I smelled my bread cooking I got a letter from

June.. That's the photo she sent.. Jerry is in the middle, and Bobby is on

the right.. Bobby looks so much like his dad.. Wonderful people that live

up in Gods country all their lives.. healthy fresh air..good clean living..family

well it doesn't get too much better..That is my cousin June...One of my

very special people...

We had snow flurries today was really pretty..We looked out the window

and 2 squirrels were fighting over the fresh food Penny had put outside.

The water bowl was frozen over and Penny said the poor squirrel was

scratching at it to get the ice.. She fixed that too.. I wonder if they have

heated ones.. She did say the hose is frozen to the water faucet out there.
I think Donnie needs to look at it.. I wasn't here last fall..so I don't know

what they did if anything..the hose was out there all winter.. I don't know..

Donnie will..I just don't want a line to freeze up and break...Dawn came

by with Jerky, he is a massive animal..he weighs 85 pounds... hes very

powerful.. He likes cats..they have one..when they came in ..LB was on

the bench here by me ..Jerky went up to LB and he growled so loud..

that Jerky really backed up... I laughed.. but LB was furious..he did NOT

move either he just glared at Jerky , Dutch? the fearless Dutch was in

the bathtub hiding..that's where he runs when something is wrong.. he

hides in there even when Penny vacuums. I guess its his safe spot..LB

his safe spot is where ever he is :-)

My best spot is out in the kitchen right now.. I have some great food Out

there. I had forgotten Dawn was bringing me some turkey and fixings,

I had Penny put together a meat pie for me.. It will last all week end.. The

turkey is one Donnie deep fried.. I had never had it before, Dawn gave

me a taste before she put it in the fridge and I was totally amazed at the

taste..so moist..was delicious.. I am going to eat good this week end

that's for sure.. Im ready to get out of this chair too.. My wing is still

acting up but my cold is better I think.. my hand..well its not better, but

its not worse either.. Im tired and starved..GORGEOUS WEEBLES

need their nourishment and of course beauty sleep.. "Nitey Nite" :-)

Y'all have a good one now, Y'hear? love ya! and THANKS! :-)

Always, Lois ****

God Bless you, is my prayer today,

I'm so honored to call you "friend";

I pray the Lord will keep you safe,

Until I write again.....