Lady Bug Circus

Foothills of the Mother Lode, Memorial for Bill Judkins

An alter was assembled, complete with Dylan music for my Uncle Bill. The painting was done by my grandmother Alice Lolita Rhodes Judkins. Most of his ashes have been scattered in the place he loved most. I couldn't make it but my sister was there and she took this photo. "Today was a good day to scatter ashes". A movie I saw with my Uncle was Little Big Man and we loved the Indian Chief who said " it was a good day to die".

My Uncle Bill Judkins

                                                                      Willard King Judkins

                                                                            1931     to     2011

My uncle was a fine wood worker and cabinet maker. He made wine and loved Bob Dylan. He was 6'8". He baked short bread and made spiced nuts. He hosted holiday dinners; served prime rib on a long carved wood table covered in white linen, china and silver. Toward the end of the evening he'd sing a song about the boll weevil. He collected oriental rugs. He made jewelry and at my request in 1969 made me a silver peace symbol to wear around my neck. He wore a Stetson, smoked a pipe and drove a truck. He embroidered on my sister's jeans. Took us to Disneyland when I was in kindergarten. He was the original recycled material artist creating a play horse for me out of a barrel, a rubber tire saddle and loosened rope mane and tail. He was a hunter and used every part of the deer. Antlers became polished buttons and buckskin became pouches, vests or part of a bellows. We'd go for pizza and as we drove through Berkeley he would casually point at an establishment (Ski Hut, Narsai David's...) and say, "I made those doors." At Easter he gave us each a 5 pound rocky road egg. He loved to have his photograph taken. This one was taken by Andy Stewart in the early '70s. He made everything he did look easy. He was an extra in The Gambler movie and had his own line of furniture in Santa Fe, New Mexico for a time. He grew up in Richmond and Mariposa. My mother told a story about him when he was little. She said he set a field on fire and when his mother asked him why he had, he said it was because he wanted to see the fire trucks. His punishment for this was to sit under the kitchen table and NOT see the fire trucks. I was also told that one summer he grew 6 inches and slept through most of it. In 1970 or so I introduced him to my junior high drama/English teacher. They married, had two daughters and became a tightly knit family. My uncle was an amazing man in life and in dying. He will be greatly missed by all who loved him.

Remembering Nana, Alice Lolita Rhodes Judkins, Good News, Bad News...

 
Nana was 6ft tall and weighed over 300 lbs, but when she danced she was light on her feet.

Nana lived in the Napa Valley, in a converted shed in an Italian family's back yard.

Nana was an artist, a painter, but worked as a house keeper.

Nana didn't drink or go to church but she liked hanging out in bars because she said the people there were more interesting.

Nana had a chocolate poodle named Mitzi; the dog was stolen out of her car a week before she died.

Nana drove a red Ford convertible off a bridge when she fell asleep at the wheel.

                            Alice Lolita Judkins  (1905 -1963)

 

                                                                

                                                                                                      

Happy Thanksgiving

 

 
 

I'm feeling nostalgic today, missing family who have died and remembering how it used to be.

There is so much to be thankful for in my life from the past to the present.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and who ever makes up your family.

 

 

Happy Mother's Day

 
You've been gone 32 years and I still miss you so.

1929 ~ 1978

Happy Easter, Happy Spring

Easter Basket for my sister and nephew. 

Easter at my sister's. Nothing is better than that! Nothing.

Hopping Down Memory Lane

 
I love Easter. It's the colors,the chocolate and childhood memories.These small baskets of eggs are in our dining room year round. The baskets are thrift store finds, long forgotten craft projects made by cub scouts and camp fire girls, some have their names scrawled across the bottom in pencil. The eggs are from long ago, no new ones for at least 10 years.

 
My mother always made Easter so special with big Easter baskets for us filled with candy and Easter treats. Tin eggs, fuzzy chicks, little toys and speckled malted chocolate eggs, jelly beans and colorful foil wrapped chocolate eggs in little cartons. Coloring hard boiled eggs the night before was always fun and something our father always seemed to enjoy as much as we did. Usually we'd get new dresses and patent leather Mary Janes. Our Uncle Bill gave us each 5 pound rocky road eggs that we'd eat in big slices.I'd even eat the hard sugar roses that were left when the chocolate and marshmallow were gone.I miss those days.

Fabulous Cards

Go to Palm Press and check out their clever cards. My sister sent me a Birthday card #2023 and in cracked me up the most.

Xochimilco 1950

 

From my parents honey moon album. I miss you both.

Family

I was getting ready to leave work yesterday when a resident came up to the counter and said "When do you get off?" I said "Right now and I'm heading home to my family." To which she said "You mean your other family". sweet huh?