For Derek's birthday in May 2022, Danielle arranged a great gift ... here's Derek's FB post:
I like old things. For my birthday Danielle gave me this framed page from a year 1595 Bible. When this page was printed, Shakespeare was 31 years old and one of my favorite Italian painters (Michelangelo Caravaggio) was 24. Rembrandt would be born a decade later. Christobol Colombo discovered the “New World” (aka The Bahamas) a century earlier. Did you know he didn’t actually set foot in North America?
Until this piece, the oldest “man made” piece in our home was our beloved 1883 piano. Anyone got me beat? I need photographic proof that you have something older than 1595.
Derek received several interesting responses. Chris wrote "I was going to post a picture of one of my billion year old rocks. Until I saw man-made." Jen added "I just read a book (The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict), a historical fiction about the woman hired as librarian for J.P Morgan in the early 1900s. He was setting up a personal collection (later turned into a public library) and they were going to auctions and bidding on old bibles and other books (yours is actually older than what they were going for!) It totally made me wonder about who and when someone bought that 1595 bible, and when they took it apart and started selling it page by page, wondering how much it cost, and how much they made selling pages individually. How many people like you would love a single page, and if some pages would be worth a lot more (like I'm sure you loved one with music on!)"
Derek clarified further:
I was able to select the page that I wanted. It was almost a complete bible but other customers had purchased many of the more well-known and popular scriptures already. I leafed through the bible and found this page in Psalms. I selected it because it had text, sheet music, and also a small woodcut. The pages with intricate woodcuts were the most valuable, but this was one of the only pages I could find with music and I thought that was so cool! The text is in English (old-English). It's really cool. A fun piece.
Dad mentioned an old bible in his missionary journal, July 23, 1958. Here's the quote:
July 23 - I got up late, 6:45, studied, went out tracting with Elder Brewster. We held two cottage meetings then and Elder De Vries and I held two more in the afternoon, all first lessons. We met three of the cutest little girls I’ve ever seen, while we were tracting - Thea, Carla, Mona. - They tracted with us for a while. In the evening Elder Thompson and I tracted and I tracted and held two cottage meetings, one with three ladies, 2 young, 1 old. The young ones were interested. Then we spoke with a student and his father who didn’t believe in anything but had the biggest and oldest Bible I’ve ever seen, 1674.
In February 2022, Derek's family had a getaway to Moab. Above, you can see a list that little Layla made up of important things to do. On that list ... a trip to Dollar Tree! This was not the first time Layla's love for Dollar Tree made it on to social media. About a year earlier, January of 2021, Derek posted this text conversation between Layla and her Grandpa Taylor ~
On this blog, in addition to family history and more recent family fun, I've tried to include some things beyond family, things affecting the time (the state, the country, the world) as well. Dollar Tree was one of the first "dollar stores" and has been selling its items for the famous ONE DOLLAR for over 35 years. It made the news (end of 2021, beginning of 2022) when Dollar Tree officially raised it's prices to $1.25.
It is the end of an era.
Just as "penny candy" is a thing of the past,
I wonder if Layla & the other grandkids will remember when things at DT actually cost $1 ...
Now - should there be an explanatory post about Ugly Dolls???
Check out Timeless Toys for the favorites of the Westra kids growing up.
Back in January, Derek posted this picture to Facebook. Showing off their new chair, and a certain special someone sitting in it. While it will likely fade into a forgotten memory, Bernie Sanders - sitting cross-legged with unique mittens on ... was the subject of MANY memes following the inauguration of President Joe Biden January 2021.
Here's just a small sampling of what was invading the internet ...
Photoshopping Bernie into classic scenes with hilarious results!
... and a few more!
Mitten memes ... until the next big thing comes along!
I titled this post "Covid 2020" ... although of course it's actually Covid-19, as the first cases were documented there at the end of 2019. But it was 2020 when most people realized that this coronavirus was going to impact everyone and everything. Shall we start off with some poetry?
COVID Limericks: (by Scott Westra 2020)
Because of the virus Corona
I’ve adopted a different persona
It’s not all that great
To self-isolate
And spend way too much time alona.
It is critical that we all get checked
To insure were not poised to infect
Be up to the task
And wear the darn mask
Or the economy’s sure to get wrecked.
Forgive my cough and my wheeze
Heaven forbid I will sneeze
Just don’t duck for cover
And you will discover
It’s just seasonal allergies!
It was just a little ironic ...
As the year started, "Coronavirus" and "Covid-19" was something many people had heard of, but it was something that was a world away. It got closer. It was January when the news announced that the first case was here in the states. In March, there was a case in Utah. Still, it didn't seem real.
It was March 11 when Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive, and the NBA shut down. (All other sports would follow suit. There was no "March Madness" and the NFL draft was done virtually, no school or community competitions allowed. The 2020 Olympics were postponed). In the following days, everything changed. Schools attempted to move to online learning, churches and temples shut their doors, missionaries came home and countries closed their borders. Employers transitioned to "work at home" for all who could. For a time, playgrounds were taped off. Funerals and weddings could only allow limited attendance. No big graduation ceremony for college/high school seniors. Drive-by parades became the only sort of celebration.
Restaurants were open only for take-out (this was encouraged, to help keep the economy going). Movie theaters, gyms, libraries, salons ... all closed. Disneyland closed and the Las Vegas strip shut down. Only "essential" businesses are allowed to remain open, and most would offer "contactless" shopping (order online and pickup). "Essential Worker" was a new buzzword, as was "social distancing". Other phrases: out of an abundance of caution, super-spreader, uncertain times, flatten the curve, contact tracing, bubble, quaranteam, remote learning, new normal, "blursday" (as time lost its meaning), Zoom and P.P.E (personal protective equipment).
Stores and supplies were hit hard. There were shortages of sanitizer, disinfectant ... toilet paper. Many food items would be very hit and miss, and there were limits placed on most items. Pasta, yeast, flour, sugar, milk, bread. You never knew if you'd be able to get what you wanted/needed. Stores that had previously been open 24-hours now closed for cleaning, rest and restocking. For a time, the number of customers was capped. There were lines outside Costo. There were arrows indicating one-way aisles. Soon masks were mandatory, and there were plexi-glass dividers between workers and customers. Home delivery became very popular! There were other shortages ... bikes, trampolines, game systems, home gym equipment. Almost everything was affected, timelines for manufacturing and shipping were much slower. There was an aluminum shortage that affected cans of soda. Even money ... a coin shortage!
Masks, gloves, face shields, respirators ... there wasn't enough to go around. There was a lot of back and forth about masks. First saying that PPE should be preserved for the medical community, that they weren't really effective for the general public. Many doctors/dentists shut down ("telemed" appointments were encouraged) for all but emergency services, as much to control materials as contact. People started sewing handmade cloth masks, but there were then shortages of elastic and fabric and it was still questioned if they provided protection. The thought was that wearing a mask may not protect the wearer as much as those around them. "I wear my mask for you, you wear your mask for me." A few months in, and masks were mandatory and were being sold everywhere. Reusable (washable) fabric masks and disposable - the more protective N95 masks continued to be in short supply. SO much contention and politicizing of masks and procedures.
As things escalated in March, the Governor of Utah issued a "Stay safe, stay at home" directive for two weeks. Only essential movement outside of the home. This was an attempt to "flatten the curve", knowing that there still would be spread, but trying to control/slow it so that the hospitals would not become overwhelmed. Some obeyed, some pushed back.
Restaurants, gyms and salons opened up again, with restrictions and safety protocols in place. Many people went back to work, but "work at home" will likely never be as limited, often still an option. Some businesses did not survive the shutdown, and unemployment/layoffs were issues for many. A stimulus package put money into most American's bank accounts ($1200). The NBA finally finished the season, with the players staying in a "bubble" with no contact with the world outside. School started up again in August. The Salt Lake School District was only online, but all the other school districts offered options for online or in-person learning. The kids had to wear masks. There were many quarantines and school shut-downs as positive cases were tracked.
In the Spring, everyone watched as the numbers of cases increased ... in Utah, cases topped 100, then 200. Then there were 500 cases in a day. At first, testing was limited. Specific criteria had to be met; certain symptoms, travel from certain locations or contact with a positive person. Still there were long lines for an uncomfortable test (nasal swab). Soon there were options for a saliva test. Tests were required for travel and before medical procedures. As school started, there was required testing (every two weeks) for college students and student-athletes. Now, the norm for daily positive cases was in the thousands (2000-5000), with a number of covid-related deaths reported daily as well. Controversy and conspiracy theories were everywhere (the "plandemic", it's all a ruse, EVERY death is counted as Covid, people are testing positive who didn't take the test, it's all so the government can take away all our freedoms, the virus was made in a lab and released, everything should open/herd immunity, masks are dangerous or just don't work, this medication or that could be a cure, it's just the flu, etc, etc.) There was some good too though, as people attempted to work together, and there were many stories of environmental recovery.
As time went on, most hospitals were at capacity and doctors and nurses were exhausted. Some states had crises earlier on (New York was hit hard in April/May) and every state was attempting control in their own way (as were countries around the world). The Governor of Utah set a second two-week shutdown mid-November. People were encouraged not to gather with family for Thanksgiving or Christmas. As the year ended, a few companies had come out with vaccines, which were starting to be distributed (more controversy), but no one really knows how effective they will be, or if people will even remain immune after recovering from the virus. But there is a feeling of hope ...
Some days, life still felt normal (especially for introverts) ...
Other days you'd open your eyes and see how odd it all was!
This may be more of a "Jen" post ... but it would be interesting to hear other family members memories of Brother Strong and his clock castle creations.
Wayne D Strong was a member of the Cottonwood 13th ward. He lived just down the street from the church, on 6400 S. He taught primary for many years, and was one of my (Jen's) favorite teachers when I was young. I remember I'd go sit with him during Sacrament meeting, and a few times each year, I'd visit him at his home. There ... I could see his clock castles.
This was a creative outlet for Brother Strong, and a labor of love for his children. He built them each a castle clock. They were so detailed and intricate. I loved looking at them. I think he built the two pictured above first, then moved into into some different styles. The one pictured below was my favorite. It has some similarities to Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty castle. I remember the gate actually went up and down to allow entry.
This may have been inspired by Disney's Aladdin castle, or the Taj Mahal ...
Another classic Disney-style castle. So many intricate pieces! I loved the blue glass "moat" that would light up. There were little lights throughout the castles.
The little drawbridge could be pulled up ...another moat around the castle.
I can't recall if I'd just invite myself over, or how often I imposed on Brother Strong to see his clocks over the years. He had a little (not so little really) playhouse in the back too, with tiny bunkbeds and a kitchen. I'm sure his grandchildren loved Grandpa's house!
I don't remember when the last time I went to see Brother Strong and his castle clocks. I was older (20 years old). I was dating Grayson and had brought up this childhood memory. It was so strong, I wanted to introduce Gray to Brother Strong, and the clocks. We arranged a time, and Scott and Amy (also dating at the time, so this probably would have been in 1991) joined us for a double date.
Brother Strong passed away in 1996. Mom and I attended the funeral. My journal entry from the day ...
July 1, 1996 Joined Mom in the morning to go to the funeral of an old Primary teacher of mine. Wayne Strong. He had been teaching primary for 30 years and taught all of the kids in our family. I remember going and sitting with him and drawing pictures in Sacrament meeting. He is also the man that made the fantastic clocks that would go see at his house even after I was out of Primary. In fact, I even took Grayson (and Scott and Amy came with us) to go see them. Gray was the only guy worthy to see this special man. The funeral was pretty upbeat, and the primary kids sang. Landon was a handful, not really bad, but a little too active for a funeral. I don't think Brother Strong would have minded though.
When I got to thinking about the clocks, I remembered that Brother Strong's grandson Danny was on FB and friends with Derek. I friended him, and he accepted, and then I reached out via messenger to ask (if it wasn't too much trouble) if I could get some of the pictures of the clocks. Danny obliged. I remember these exact pictures too. I think perhaps they were for an article in the Church News or some other publication. I still think of Brother Strong when I drive past his old house (on the way to the folks), and remember his wonderful life and his creative clock castles.
******************* Family Responses ******************
Chris: Beautiful, I remember brother strong, but not the castles.
Mom/Margie: I remember most of you had him in Primary and Jeni especially loved to sit with him in Sacrament Meeting--I guess because Jen and Bro. Strong both liked drawing and were artists. I remember in his class, when you would learn The Articles of Faith (I think it was) he would reward you with a giant Hershey candy bar. I remember his clocks were fantastic. I didn't remember them being castles, but thought maybe cuckoo clocks, but all unique. His wife Marty Strong was ill with esophageal cancer, as I remember, when I was R.S. President. I remember taking dinner over and him saying how she had trouble swallowing unless there was gravy or something to help it go down. When she died, his clock making gave him something to do to help cope with the loss.
Derek: I love this! Brother Strong was my primary teacher too. He was really old by then. Dan was one of my good friends and we still talk. I remember when his Grandpa died. It's interesting - I've never really seen these photos (or seen Wayne Strong younger) but I can see a TON of resemblance between my buddy Dan and his grandpa!
Wendy: I remember Brother Strong, and knew that he was a clockmaker, but these pictures don't look familiar. Those are absolutely amazing!! He was my primary teacher and would give us one of those giant chocolate bars when we memorized the books of the bible in order. I still remember them to this day! I remember the books of the Old Testament in order because I learned a song with it, which I still remember. I memorized the books of the New Testament in order without a song. I still remember them, but not as well. I checked Dropbox to see if I had any journal entries about him. This is the only one I could find right off, from when I was 14. I am sure I have other memories written down in earlier journals.
December 23, 1982: I tended Penny Eardley’s two little boys at Strong’s house. Brother Strong was there but couldn’t tend them because he had an operation on his hips. He is very nice and his last name fits him perfectly especially with the death of his wife a while back. We made a snow fort – Chris is going to sleep in it tonight.
These cute pictures of little Scotty weren't unfamiliar to me ... I'd seen them before, and they are saved in Dropbox (1964). While going through the "kid boxes" from the folk's house, I stumbled upon the originals. They were still stored in the initial envelope, which added some interesting information ...
Pixy Pin-ups! I did a Google search of Dunbar-Stanley Studios to see what was available about them, and found some unusual results. There were several lawsuits listed, although they all seemed to be the same one (Dunbar-Stanley Studios vs Alabama) dealing with licensing and taxes. There was another article on an antiques/collectables blog that gave some additional information on the company (Portraits by the Pound) indicating a gimmick for sales, where they would weigh the child, and that was the basis of the cost! Looking at the envelope holding Scotty's pictures, it looks like here in 1964 at this location they had switched to a flat rate for said photos.
Dunbar-Stanley Studios were the exclusive photography studio of the J.C. Penney department store franchise. Some larger stores may have had a full-time photo studio, but the smaller stores made appointments with Dunbar-Stanley to send out a photographer for a few days at a time, several times a year. J.C. Penney actually made the sale, sharing a portion of the profit with Dunbar-Stanley Studios, and all the film was shipped off to North Carolina for processing.
According to an interview in the Victoria Advocate (TX) in 1960, the business was tightly controlled to make baby photography as effective as possible.
The company would only employ “…young and unmarried women, many of whom are recruited from airline hostess schools”, and their training went beyond just clicking a shutter. Training included child psychology, and by the end of their training, whether literally or figuratively, the employees are “required to dismantle and reassemble the camera with her eyes closed.”
A 1966 “Help Wanted: Female” listing from Eugene, Oregon, listed requirements as “Single and over 18; High school graduate; Have good character references.”
The ad outlines the benefits as well: salary during training, a company car with all expenses paid, and after 3 years a free trip to Europe to employees with ‘satisfactory service’. This army of young ladies, high-tech camera in hand, cruised the backroads of America from J.C. Penney to J.C. Penney, trying to get kids to smile. They were certainly successful with young Scotty!
The ‘Pixy’ name remained well into the 1990s, but the current J.C. Penney portrait studios aren’t run by Dunbar-Stanley anymore. Still, when I Googled "Where can I get portraits taken" today... JC Penneys was the first option to come up!
