Mom's musings

Mom (Alverna Sprick Miller, July 23, 1924-April 24, 2006) would have been 86 this week. To mark the occasion, here are three of her poems published in the Winona State University newspaper's literary edition when she was a student there in the early 1940s. World War II was raging, the Great Depression was underway, the family farm was going bankrupt and her pa, Claus Sprick, was near death. The pensive tone and subjects of these pieces reflect those hard times, but they also reveal the dreams of a bright, hopeful young woman. (Click on each image to make it larger and easier to read.)

So true!

Thought you all might enjoy this drawing by my friend L.K. (Larry) Hanson, former Star Tribune illustrator (you may remember him best from his "Farley at the Fair" series), featuring a lovely, true quote by one of my favorite writers, the great Henry James. So true, eh?

Katie turns eighty!

Say, who's that glamorous lady in the sporty golf hat in the hot Corvette? Why, it's Aunt Kate Sprick Kirkwood, of course, who turned 80 on July 6, 2010. Happy Birthday, dear Kate! Katie is the youngest of the 12 children of Claus and Maria Sprick, and always will be. The jaunty chauffeur is her youngest, John (Tuck) Kirkwood, who granted his mom's wish for a birthday ride in a Corvette. Tuck drove her down to the Wabasha Eagle Center, a lovely drive indeed. Sisters Jane and Sandy at the Eagle Center.

Three lovely Kirkwoods: Sandy, Katie and Jane.

Cousins go to Olive Garden

Thanks to awesome cousin Sandra Kirkwood Hagberg for sending this fine photo of a bunch of cousins eating lunch at the Oakdale Olive Tree restaurant last week. It was great fun to see Sandy and her kids, who came up from Texas for a few days to celebrate Kate Kirkwood's gala 80th birthday. From left: Kelly Turner, Katie Hagberg, Jane Kirkwood Hagberg, Teddy Hagberg, Sandy, Jessie (Paul's girlfriend), Paul Turner, Pam Miller and charmin' Ariana (Jessie's daughter). A good time and large food were had by all.

Mr. and Mrs. Miller and children go to Washington

The Centerville, Minn., Millers (sans Zachary, who has a job at home) have been on a long vacation out East. Here they are in Washington, D.C., all smiling at once: Moriah, Hannah, Mary, Avamarie, Chris and Elizabeth. Future U.S. Sen. Avamarie Miller. She'll give them the old what-for! They also went to Gettysburg, Pa., site of the great, bloody Civil War battle. That's Moriah, Hannah and friend Amanda, who almost qualifies as a Miller, flying off the old stone fence. On the way to Washington, they stopped at the Hershey's chocolate factory in Hershey, Pa., where they took this exciting tour. Let's just hope these knuckleheads brought back some delicious chocolate souvenirs for Auntie Pam. Love this sweet photo of Elizabeth's reunion with the little girls in her adoption group. They're growing up! Avamarie takes it all in...

Millerorama (again)

Once more, your scrapblog editor is pondering the highly intellectual question of whether it's really possible that she can be related to such good-looking people as (Noah, also, and) Chris and Mary's five lovely kids. Recent photos: At Hannah's confirmation at the St. Paul Cathedral: Hannah, 16; Zachary, 22; Moriah, 18; Avamarie, 2, and Elizabeth, 6.

They look real nice standing up, too.

Hannah with her proud big bro, Zachary. Zack just graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a degree in mechanical engineering.

Hannah got her braces off a couple weeks ago, making her look even more grown up. She's learning to act and model. Auntie Pam is very proud!

Note to auntie self: Must hire security guards to watch over lovely nieces!

Proud grandparents and their awesome grandkids

John (CJ) and Kate Kirkwood with their grandkids: Kelly, Katie, Paul, Teddy and Jeff.

Leah's lovely family

Delighted thanks to cousin Leah Sprick Davidson for forwarding these family photos: Leah with granddaughter Chloe Davidson and Chloe's parents, Colleen Benken Davidson and Richard Davidson. Chloe, a Florida State student, had just won a regional award for an art project.

Richard and Colleen. They live in Gainesville, Fla.

Christopher Sands, son of Leah-Jean (LJ) Davidson Purtee and grandson of Leah, celebrated his 27th birthday with his wife, Haley.

Mark your calendars for the Burnt Wienie gala!

The invites are in the mail. Click on this one to make it larger and easier to read:

A few days in Goodhue County with the nieces

Your scrapblog editor enjoyed five delightful days in Lake City, Minn., last week with nieces Moriah and Elizabeth Miller. A few snapshots:

Every night we drove up to Frontenac State Park to see pretty views, deer and fireflies. Moriah took this photo of herself and me up at the top of the hill. In typical foggy-53-year-old-brain fashion, I forgot to take my camera on this trip, so all of these photos are from Mo's camera. Every night at the park we saw deer, too many to count.

One day we hiked out to Sand Point, the Wells Creek delta on Lake Pepin. The beach was flooded by recent heavy rains, but we still saw interesting things, including thousands of tiny frogs in the marsh beneath the boardwalk portion of the trail. Elizabeth, 6, did NOT like the frogs. She did like finding this feather, perhaps from an immature bald eagle, as well as buckets of rocks, shells and driftwood.

On the boardwalk portion of the trail to Sand Point.

Mo on the trail to Sand Point. Mo had her trusty cell phone at all times, which allowed instant communication with a delightful, handsome young man who visited us one evening. :)

Portrait of the young women as artists: Continuing a Miller family tradition, Moriah and Elizabeth painted the rocks they'd found on the beach in the evening on Auntie Pam's patio.

We visited Grandpa Bill Miller's memorial bench outside the Florence Town Hall in New Frontenac, Minn. (There is also a Bill and Alverna Miller memorial bench at the big field in Old Frontenac.)

The plaque on Dad's memorial bench.

Here's the house the Miller kids grew up in. The current owner has let the raspberry bushes go to weeds, which would have vexed Mom, but she's a fine neighbor to my Old Frontenac land.

Elizabeth picked a daisy on my land in Old Frontenac.

Moriah, ever the athlete, whacked a whiffle ball to kingdom come on my Old Frontenac land. That's the world's finest outhouse in the background.

Mo in Old Frontenac.

We visited the Old Frontenac beach almost every night, because it's Our Place (one of several).

Moriah executed a perfect cartwheel on the beach, just for fun.

The decaying, haunted old hotel on the Old Frontenac beach is going back to nature. Bats and swallows flew in and out of it. Elizabeth wanted to go in, but Auntie Pam didn't let her, because it's falling apart and probably dangerous.

We took a couple trips to the Colvill Aquatic Park pool in Red Wing, Minn. Elizabeth is a fine little swimmer, and Moriah a wonderful big sister lifeguard.

Everything Moriah does is athletic. Here she walked around the pool on her hands.

Waterski Days in Lake City

Uncle Joe provided this report from Lake City, Minn., Waterski Days 2010, which took place last weekend under sultry skies: "The Cookies [Sonya, Maria and Levi, children of Tanya and Levi Cook, grandchildren of Cindi Sprick O'Donahoe] remained undaunted by the pouring rain, and by the the time the parade was over, the sun had come out, they each had a bag full of goodies and were dry once again. Weekend highlights included a meal of bluegills, feeding the ducks, catching minnows, playing with Angela's girls as well as with the Miller girls, Great-Grandmother Mavis Sprick'ss cooking and desserts, a hike in Frontenac State Park and of course the two-hour parade with lots of candy being thrown around." Some photos:

That's mom Tanya Cook with Maria, Sonya and Perrin.

Maria, Sonya and Perrin.

Sonya, Perrin and Maria in Great-Grandpa Elmer (Joe) Sprick's immaculate Lake City garage.