Easton Farm Memories

We lived on a farm outside Easton, IL from the time I was 4 until I was almost 8. Dad was a farmhand, and we lived in the big farmhouse on the farm. I always remember that time fondly, and I often miss country life.
























It seems I started out being a pet lover at a very early age. By this time, I had already known our dogs Jasper (our Pekingese), Moe, and Sparky (our black lab) - along with the many cats and ducks I had in pens and in the barn. Here is a picture of Snowball and me sitting on the back steps of the farmhouse. (And, yes, those are socks with sandals!)

Here's another picture taken right around the same time, and this was my first day of attending school. I remember it clearly, and I love this picture of my brother and me. Mom had us pose on the porch while we waited for the bus. And, often Mom and Aaron would wave at me from the front porch or the front window while I entered or exited the bus. It was always so nice to have them sending me off and greeting me when I came back home each afternoon. I loved school, but I always missed Mom, Dad, and Aaron when I was there. (Ahhh... more socks with sandals!)

Here's one more. I always thought Aaron was such an adorable little boy! Seeing this picture make me smile. We are sitting in the big recliner at the house of our neighbors, Paul and Norma Sebade, and they were always so kind to look after us on the rare occasion that Mom needed to go somewhere. Mr. and Mrs. Sebade raised pigs at the farm across the road from us. The pigs were always fun to see and play with, but the smell wasn't that great! Aaron and I would have fun visiting with the Sebades and their children. (Too bad we can't see my feet in these pictures. But, we can see some of Aaron's cute clothes: the Snoopy shirt!)

Last, but not least: the formal picture. Doesn't it look like we love each other SO MUCH? Aaron...again, adorable. It seems we must have had some sort of wholesale contact for these "bow barrettes" so that we'd have them in bulk in every color. WOW! (Anyone want to take a guess on what I was probably wearing on my feet? If I were a bettin' woman, I'd go with white socks and white sandals.) See, this is the same look that I had for the first day of school, sans the pigtails. The back of my picture says that Aaron is 2 years and 2 months old here, so I'd be 5 and 1/2 years old in March of 1979. I believe Aaron is sportin' the look of one of Mom's very own custom hair cuts.