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August 29, 2011

Sending you many blessings!




Happy Birthday Helen!
Happy Anniversary Helen and Voris!



Helen writes her thanks for the best wishes!

What a wonderful birthday I had; perfect day. Started out the day before with Voris and I going to Lee Center to church. Afterwards Cindy and Bob treated us, Don and Donna to breakfast at the Sunset which was really great fun and special. We went on to Dixon then to shop and then on home. Really was a lovely day weatherwise too. On Monday we went out for breakfast at one of our favorite places, Dogwood Inn that is in the country near Mt. Morris. When we got home Tim stopped by to wish me a happy birthday; then Chris and Pat came over with a big Mum plant for my front porch, something I had almost bought for myself in Dixon but then decided it was something I didn't need to spend that much money on. Chris gave me the most lovely card and also brought in a present from Darlene. A few years ago I had told her how I like Philosophy beauty products and she has been treating me to gifts of them ever since. This time it was a sample bottles of their Grace fragrances that they carry and a bottle of Peach bath and shower gel...it really smells good, tried it out yesterday! Cally and Xander brought over a hand made card made by Xander...little rascal really does like me, he is sometimes almost too much to be around so times like that I read to him from books picked up at rummage sales. Jill and Jim came also, mowed the grass and visited.  A few other folks stopped by; later Pat said he was fixing dinner for us and grilled out cheeseburger, Chris fixed a salad and we had tomatoes with it.  Oh yes, I forgot to mention Donna gave us cookies on Sunday,,yum. Don also stopped by on Monday with fresh caught fish from Wisc.; I froze them and plan to fry them up next week, too many for just us so will have the kids over for dinner.  The weather on Monday was perfect; I had phone calls from Bailey, you girls and Dee.. what a great day. I couldn't help but think of Mom though; I usually always went to be with her on my birthday. And then there was your blog Cindy...I really did enjoy it, brought back so many memories... See you on Saturday and remember this is a very casual "affair". Love, Sis






      My sister ,Helen , is having a birthday this Monday and also  Voris and Helen  will be celebrating their 55th anniversary the 10th! I decided to write a bit about her and send them both   best wishes on my blog, along with a few memories.        When we girls were young and living at  home, I remember  that my oldest sister played a big role in my nurturing , Helen was often our babysitter in earlier years .  Little did mom know Helen's techniques of getting us in the bed after a bath . Karen and I would have preferred staying up to make popcorn or pull taffy instead, so it wasn't an easy task getting us to go to bed. Helen once decided to use the "boogie man approach". Once playing for an hour or so in the tub, Karen and I refused to get out, so sis was getting frustrated with us and whispered  loudly, (in a very alarmed voice)"Listen!!  Did you hear THAT????"  She had easily convinced us that the boogie man had entered the house and we needed  to jump out of the tub, NOW! .. Into our beds, we  quickly jumped  and pulled the the covers over our heads to hide! We bought her stories  line, hook, and sinker... ..because Helen said so!    .Picture two little girls running buck naked to their bed...dripping wet and very frightened  !  I always knew one day I would get even with my sister. ( BTW, did I mention that Helen  was much much older than me? eh eh eh !)   So here I am sis...writing  !
       Helen states, "I truly was born on Labor Day that year, at home in Lee Center. Folks could not afford to have Mom go to the hosp. and she had very difficult deliveries. Fortunately I was a very small baby; 5 pounds on the post office scales, with a blanket wrapped around me" Helen always was a smaller child and mom was always concocting up weight gain goodies for her to eat.
      Helen  had a nickname in her earlier years, given by her youngest brother, Don..."Veronica Cesspool with   meatball eyes"..... a name that will live on in the streets of Lee Center for  years to come... Now imagine a sweet little girl  being given that name by her older brother, in front of his buddies. Fortunately,  the name wore off  and in HS she would be called  "Dutch" ...though I don't know why..ha!!..but it was a lot better nick name!
      I remember  when Helen was around 17 years. I don't know where she was going, but I can imagine out to the White Pine's roller rink or out driving around with friends in Baylor's  Jeep.  . I watched as she brushed  her hair into a ponytail  and carefully crafted "spit curls" under each ear.. and applied red lipstick...primping  in front of moms old dresser..(the one with three mirrors ) and  thinking..   "wow...what i would give, to look like that!" She was wearing a circular black  skirt with the Eiffel tower and  poodle ( pink?) . The skirt also had Rhine stones embedded and a netted ruffle "can can" . .  She smelled of Evening in Paris ( which we would get into and try after sis left and carefully replace it on her dresser along with the lipstick.)  She had one problem though......oh my gosh...lots of pimples!..... Needless to say, my sister , Karen , and I were very impressed  when ever we watched Helen get gussied up  for a date. ! We also thought  she  had very cool friends!  Her  boyfriend, Voris,   whom she would later marry, was absolutely the coolest  guy in school. . He drove this coral and grey 1955 Chevy, wore engineer boots with buckles, had a silver studded black belt , and he seemed  to be THE original  trend setter in the 50's era for that "Elvis/or  Jimmy Dean  look"! Karen and I thought surely he must be "wild" and   were amused at our father's antics in the front yard when Voris came to pick her up for a date. Driving by the house a couple times, Voris finally decided  to ignore the man sitting in the lawn chair.... looking through a big hole in the center of a newspaper at him as he drove by. and braved our older brothers  scare tactics   . Then there were these two little sisters that were more like peeping Toms that giggled all the time as  Helen and Voris sat on the davenport holding hands which were covered by a pillow. Soon mom would come along and send us to bed.  .... It was all in good humor though ,  and Voris finally decided   Helen was worth it all...and asked for her hand in marriage. On their wedding day, I thought she was the most beautiful bride I had ever seen.  They were married in the Lee Center Congregational church.  
 I have always admired my older sisters and have been blessed to  have the opportunity to learn from and follow in their footsteps, as they both have set such good examples as sisters, wives , mothers, and now grandmothers.
      Helen  is  great at  sewing and quilting, cooking, gardening, etc...she  does most things exceptionally well, but there is one thing she was not so great at...


  ( I couldn't think of anything else!) 



 
Here she is, all pretty in pink
in her Veronica Cesspool years



Helen and Skippy Maves





Shirley foster and Helen Wellman


                                                                         







Helen Leone , named after two favorite aunts of the family 
Isn't she adorable!



Back then.....


....And Now

Have a wonderful 55th Anniversary you two!
We love you!
From , Your Family and Friends


The Page family  early 1960's












 Karen has added......





Is she ever going to get you for this Cindy. I remember how beautiful she was on her wedding day. She was a wonderful mother to her little girls...dressing them all alike. They always looked so good and I wondered how she did it. My sister is not an idle person, learning to do many things well. But most of all she's a very caring person..volunteering for all kinds of things to help others. Tammy was especially blessed to have Helen go through all her health issues with her. I know her grandchildren have known many special kindnesses from her ..their Nana. We love you Helen . How blest we are to call each other sister...Helen, Karen, and Cindy! Have a great day sis.
(Brother Don sends his best wishes as well..just doesn't have a computer and will do so in person.)




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