Dis an' Dat!!!

Today's blog post is a 'bunch' of different things. After yesterday's LONG, WORDY post, I wanted to give you an easy one. By the way, did you read the paragraph in yesterday's post about a dead baby on the train? It's a sad story about my grandmother in case you missed it--in that long long post.

Above is a gorgeous SKY picture that I think is just incredible. I don't know if George has used it for his SkyWatch post, but even if he has, I think it is great enough to show again. I love those clouds! Below are more May pictures!! Click on them for bigger views.




Our first Lily of the season; We have had about 4-5 of them---and there are LOTS more lilies to come, and many daylilies!





These pretty blossoms are on our ONLY Mountain Laurel bush... Remember when I showed you all of the Mountain Laurel in North Carolina???? WELL---we don't have very much Laurel around here---at least not that I've seen. BUT--we do have one small bush in our back yard---and this year, it has bloomed better than ever before. I love ours since it includes several different colors of pink. Neat, huh????




Many of you have shown pictures of your Clematis blooms. WELL----here's our FIRST one. Isn't that a pretty color????? I hope we have lots and lots of blooms this summer.




George took this beauitful close-up photo of the Clematis bloom. Don't you love these macro shots???? Can you see the raindrops????





Except for the bluebirds, I haven't taken any good photos of birds this month. Some of the birds we have at our feeders: House Finches (pictured above on the birdbath), lots of Goldfinches (including fledglings), Tufted Titmice, Carolina Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatches, Cardinals, Brown Thrashers (two young ones enjoy our suet and sunflower seed), Mourning Doves (two come to our deck to clean up the 'floor' several times a day), Bluejays, in addtion to Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. I need to find time to get some more pictures of my birds.





This is not a very good picture, but these are my two Mourning Doves on the ground below the deck. NOW--they are brave enough to come onto the deck to munch!!!!





Finally, look at all of the roses that are on our Dining Room table right now!!!!!! WOW!!! I counted 26 different blooms... But--I must admit that we usually don't have THIS many inside. It rained on Thursday (sometimes quite heavy), so George brought in the roses that were bent down, and put them in vases. Aren't they pretty???? I have enough that I can put them ALL over the house!!!! Oh--how great they smell!!!!

Have a wonderful weekend.
Hugs,

Grandmother and Grandfather Ballard

The picture above is my grandparents (on my mother's side). Mom's mother was Ida Elizabeth Bruce Ballard and Mom's father was James Franklin Ballard. Ida was the oldest of the seven Bruce children. She was born Dec. 21, 1874.

On December 28, 1899, Ida (at the age of 25) married James Franklin Ballard (age 37). Here is an article that was published in the Big Stone Gap Post (newspaper) on Jan. 4, 1900 entitled "A Novel Wedding." OR as the Bristol newspaper said, "Former Bristol Boy Gets a Bride in his Stocking".

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"During the Christmas holidays, Mr. J. F. Ballard, formerly of Bristol, TN and a frequent visitor to Big Stone Gap, but now a resident of Newport News, VA., went to Norfolk, and after sending up his supplication to "Santa Claus", hung up his stocking at one of the popular hotels of that city and then went to bed like many other anxious boys, dreaming of "Dear Santa Claus" and Christmas toys.

New morning he awoke and ran to see what "Santa Claus" had sent him, and to his great delight, he found in his stocking a very beautiful and charming young lady, whom he was enabled to identify by the jewel she wore, being that of Miss Ida E. Bruce, the accomplished daughter of Mr. and Mrs. D.H. Bruce of Big Stone Gap, Virginia, who was the object of Mr. Ballard's frequent visits to our town.

Mr. Ballard was overjoyed, and danced the "can-can" around the room and sang like a "lark" in the spring time, and said that Santa Claus was a dear old fellow and never went back on a little boy when he prayed to him in the right way.

He called in a preacher, who forthwith united them in the holy bonds of matrimony, and pronounced God's richest blessing upon them, and bade them God-speed upon the broad ocean of life.

Mr. Ballard and his bride took the Old Dominion steamer via Old Point Comfort for Newport News, where they now reside and will make their future home.

Both parties are well and favorably known at Big Stone Gap, and their novel wedding was a great surprise to their many friends here, who join us in wishing them a long and prosperous union, and the return of many a merry Christmas."

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I'm not sure who wrote that article for the newspaper--but many of the Bruce's were creative writers. I thought it was an interesting way to 'announce' a wedding--although it 'appeared' as if it was a SURPRISE to the family back in Big Stone Gap.

Sadly, Ida and James were only married for a little over four years. Ida became very sick and died on May 16, 1904. During the years they were married, they had three children: Edith Marguerite Ballard (Oct. 1, 1900)--my mother; Elsie Lura Ballard (born on Feb. 4, 1902 and died on May 19, 1902); and Ernest Carl Ballard (born on January 5, 1904 and died from whooping cough on September 15, 1904).

There's an interesting and sad story in my family history notes about my Grandmother and her sister, Lula, riding on the train from Newport News back to Big Stone Gap with my Mom (age 1.5) and the new baby (Elsie). The baby had been very sick since birth and the doctors told my Grandmother to take the baby back to another climate. So--they headed for the mountains of Big Stone Gap. Sadly though, the baby died on the train ride, before they even got to another climate. AND--because Ida and Lula were afraid of being put off of the train, they had to carry the dead baby to their destination without telling anyone. How Sad is that!

After my grandmother died, Mom was raised by her Big Stone Gap and Bristol aunts. Her father (she called him "Papa") remarried and went on with his life. I don't think that Mom got to spend much time with her father, all through the years--from what I have read. I do know that she lived with her Papa and his new family in Oklahoma for a short time. But most of the time, she lived in Big Stone Gap. James F. Ballard died on January 8, 1936 near Bristol. I'll talk more about the Ballard family in another upcoming blog.

Hugs,

UPDATE: Yesterday, George and I went to Hendersonville (north of Nashville) to check on his elderly parents. Mom and Dad Adams are still doing great. They are such an inspiration!!!!