Alchemy of Clay

Can you believe your eyes?

Three Children at the Battle of Vicksburg, by Ann Warren

I had ancestors on both sides of the battles during the American Civil War.  Many died.  But I didn't know of any children that were actually with their families at the sites of battles.  Thank heavens.  But this photo proves that they did come with the many women who helped out in the camps.

Come over to Sepia Saturday this week and see what others have come up with following this prompt photo. 

Kahlil Gibran said...

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable


Children have been pretty active this week, on Wed. Mar 14, there were children in many schools in the US who did a "walk out" in honor of the recent loss of 17 to gun violence a month ago in FL.  But the thing is, children are leading a movement to change gun laws...and nobody can stop them, as they know these children will be voting very soon.  It's unfortunate that so many children have died due to gun violence.


Shoes or boots to memorialize the fallen.  I think the number of children killed has not been just "in schools."


Sepia Saturday says...


Japanese Canadian children being escorted by Vancouver policeman - 1942

Sepia Saturday has given us a meme of War and Peace for November's posts.



I must admit to having no old photos of war-like images...except some uncles in uniforms, which I'll try to find and share again.

With the hoopla here in the US about our election, especially around the Presidential race, I really need a place of peace.

So I'll be sharing those old picture which look peaceful, this week at least. Depending upon the outcome of next weeks' votes, I may be posting something less peaceful then.

From my oldest sons father's family photos...unknown children. Even those who have names are unknown to me. But they are indeed Sepia!


A contact strip of cute little ones in various poses and costumes...even maybe one like a soldier with the flag.  It's possible one or another of these children are ancestors of my sons.

Caption: Henry O'Horrow
Indianapolis, Ind.

The boy's uniform looks to be of the WW I era. Why would anyone dress a little boy like a soldier? He probably was very proud of it.

I'm thinking early 20th or late 19th century.

Rare snow fall in Dallas, TX, Feb 15, 1946. Barb and a neighbor see what snowballs really are.  My baby sister, Mary was just a week old when this picture was taken!

What children do to entertain themselves...from a photo over on Sepia Saturday.

Boys playing marbles early 40s

The  link here goes over to Sepia Saturday

Most of the things children did when I was growing up didn't include having our pictures taken.  When a camera was brought out in those days, it was usually for an event.

 My 3 year old sister was caught in a sunsuit in our Houston backyard.

Front row, Barbara, Mary, Daddy, back row, Claudette, Sandra.

Summer of 1953 my cousins from Texas visited us where we'd moved to St. Louis.  Whose birthday was it?  I have an August birthday, so probably was celebrating my 11th.  I imagine we were picnicking in Forest Park.  And if you look close you'll see my still favorite box of crackers in the foreground.  In a day before plastic grocery bags, we carried things in paper bags, and that great cake carrier on the lower right corner.

 As an adult I made sure my Floridian sons learned some engineering techniques for sand castles.  Here Russ and Tai are at work on Cumberland Island, GA on one of our vacations.


Barb making sure the next generation knows how she makes sand castles.  Grandson William is hard at work, while Cayenne (on right) may have been tasting the seashells.

Hope you have a great day today!

My tailgate market had some fun times yesterday!!  For a few more pics see my other blog at 
When I was Sixty Nine

Definitely a dogs-allowed, children friendly place!

Great music added to the charm of the morning

Yep, there's a necklace swap going on above!

A casserole dish for Dutch Apple Pie or deep dish apple pie.  I sometimes will just microwave one apple, pared, with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top.  That's the quickie version.



I know, it should be full of pie.  But wait, I'll tell you how to make it, and you can do it yourself.  Right?


Or not.

Either make a pie crust with your fav. recipe, or buy one of those refrigerated ones...line the casserole dish, and maybe stretch the crust to go up the sides most of the way.

Pare and core 6-7 medium apples, preferably something tart.
Sprinkle about 1/4 c flour over them
Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of sugar
Sprinkle enough cinnamon that they all are slightly tan,
Mix them all together and
Put in casserole

In the original bowl...
Mix another 1/4 - 1/2 c of flour with
3 tablespoons of sugar
and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
and 1/4  c of butter.
Cut the flour,sugar,cinnamon mixture in with the butter with two knives or a pastry blender to make mealy texture
pour over top of apples and kind of press it down, so it covers all the apples
bake about 45 min,  in 350 degree oven, until apples are soft and crust top is brown

A squirt of whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream makes this heavenly.

And here's why I'm proud to be a mother...

Tai and me

Caroline, Kate and Audrey

Marty and me, Thanksgiving 2011

Cayenne and Will

Will, Cayenne and Mike

Tai and Kendra (his S.O.)

Cayenne and Cinnamon

Russ, Audrey and Michelle