10:00 am, last Monday. Sam, Tommy, Mom, Dad, Ryan and I loaded into the Beemer and head east. At the same time, Grandma Layton got in her pick-em-up (grandpa was alt fuel before alt fuel was cool) and drove west out of Central. 1.5 hours later, we arrive almost at the same moment at our mutual destination: the Taco Bell parking lot on the west end of Globe. But then we backtracked a bit, and went to the McD's so the kids could climb around while we ate Big Macs.
So we had some lunch with Grandma Lavada Layton, and my Dad wowed her with the the technovoodoo that is his iphone.
I asked her if she had known Grandpa (Corthel Layton) when she was a girl, since they had lived in a pretty small place (Central, Graham County, Arizona). She told me, sure, he was always around, getting in trouble, getting in fights.
The first memory Grandma (Lavada Layton nee Allred) has of Corthel was a day when she was out in front of her house. She was in big trouble for running off (I picture her 3 or 4 years old, but I forgot to ask), and she had been tied with a rope by the wrist to a bed post. (You'll remember this was before Dr. Spock. Plus, there were no fences in the yards, and anybody who's got a 1000 square foot house and couple of kids they want to keep out of the highway might attempt something similar. To wit: Mom says Grandpa Taylor also remembers being tied to the front yard.)
Corthel came riding by on a horse. He came up to her and asked why she was tied up. She explained.
Corthel came riding by on a horse. He came up to her and asked why she was tied up. She explained.
"So did he untie you?" I asked, breathlessly. (He rode up on his steed and save the fair maiden (er, toddler!)
"No," she said. "He laughed. He laughed and laughed and kept laughing while he and the horse continued on down the road." (Out into the sunset, maiden-free.)
What's the point of this story? I learned that my Grandmother and I both met our future spouses while in our own front yards. This is apparently an excellent place to meet boys. Single girls, take note.
C'est l'amour!
(I also learned that I can google Frenchy phrases, to make my posts very chic and classy.)
7 comments:
Cool! My Mom met my Dad while hitch-hiking. Seriously - if you have seen my Mom you'd never bet that she was the one picked up on the highway with a girlfirend by tow good looking lads in a convertible. Love the stories!
cute. oh i love stories about grandparents and old timers. they are so fun and sweet. My grandpa and grandma shared their first kiss when my grandpa asked if he could get some second hand chap stick.
by the way i know i'm a little slow but what does the term "to wit:" mean
Your blog was fancy even without the French - but I do apreciate it! Kelly B - I want you to listen right now - we have got to be related! My dad's family are Taylors and Goodmans from Pima, Thatcher, Safford area. I am not good at geneology and all of my grandparents are dead as is my dad, so I have no way of proving any of it, but right now I am just going to say - hey cousin!?
Great story. Love the coincidence of your meetings in the front yard. Must have been fate. You better watch who Jane meets in the front yard from now on.
My Grandma knew she wanted to marry my Grandpa before he even knew what he wanted because he was engaged to my grandma's sister. But do you think that stopped her...nope and you can all see how that one turned out. It was meant to be though so there were no hurt feelings. Just a great story. Thanks for the memory.
So fun seeing you at the gym today. Although you looked way too beautiful to be working out.
Jolene,
We are likely related somehow. Maybe something like how Chuck H.'s aunt is married to my great Uncle. The gene pond is pretty small down there. My Taylors are all from Lehi, Utah. My direct line ancestors from Graham County are Norton, Allred, Porter, Layton, Webster, Reay, Choules, Abraham, Turner, Elmer.
Okay, I'll admit I put in "to wit" without actually knowing what it meant. It just sounded smarty and went so well with my frenchy phrases. I looked it up: it can mean "to further a person's understanding", "that is to say", or "namely". I have heard it in the context of "for example", but I couldn't find anywhere that said this was correct usage. See here:
http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=20000914
Too bad I live in the GHETTO!! So if the whole "meeting boys in your front yard" really works-I am best staying inside!
Kelly, Can you please tell La Vada HELLO from Phillip and Kayola Skinner...His family loved the Layton's and I know that she was very special to Phillip. She ALWAYS treatd me so kind, as well.
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