1962 part 2

47 years ago today we arrived in Salt Lake City. We were so excited to be together again as a family. We vowed we would never be apart again. It was Fall, the colours everywhere were beautiful. The weather was warm and the sun was shining!!!! and there were sunflowers blooming all over the place. I was AMAZED at the mountains. I knew Utah was in the mountains, but we had also heard about the pioneers crossing the plains. Talk about a "reality check"
Alan rented an apartment for us in West Bountiful. (The owners had planted a tree in the front yard that wasn't very big, but it cast enough shade for Lesley to sit under with her doll and play.) Alan had a job, various friends had contributed to furnishing the apartment. Our landlady bought us a beautiful set of dishes, and loaned a "Jenny Lind" bed. Some friends moved into a new home and gave us their old fridge. Grandma filled the fridge and cupboards with groceries including a "half gallon of icecream" something that was unheard of for us. I discovered that milk was sold in GALLON bottles. That's a LOT of milk in one place.
I also learned about "dryers" I could take soaking wet clothes from the washer and put them in the dryer and they dried in 30 minutes. Isn't America wonderful.
Time proved that leaving my family was easy as compared to what I now faced. I was a mile from the grocery store. So? I was used to going to the shops everyday! and we couldn't drive. I would put the children in a stroller and walk. Or, I had a neighbour who was very patient and drove me often. Lettuce was iceberg when I was used to leaf, and BREAD!!!! it took a LONG time for me to adjust. I had a phone but no one to call. No TV but a radio and no idea who was funny. etc.etc. And NO FIREPLACE , where do you sit if you don't have a fire to sit by? Oh, the house was warm, but I missed a fire. And because of Alan's job he went to the Trade Tech in SL twice a week and we had MICE. HORRORS.
The Ward members were wonderful. They welcomed us with open arms. They held a "shower" for me and everyone was so kind. The first week here someone took me to the Elementary school to see the "Halloween Parade". Imagine my amazement when the Principal ran out dressed as Dracula. THAT WAS NOT how Headmasters (Principals) behave in Belfast. :o)
I thought I had challenges, including language. I used words that meant one thing to me and something entirely different to my new friends, they were much more polite than I was in a couple of situations. They had "no clue" what I was saying because of my brogue, and all these years later I still have people laugh.
This is a miscellany of incidents that actually took place over a few months. I had a LOT of learning moments, but I think the biggest was realizing that everyone was trying hard to make me feel welcome and now it was up to me.
I think I could sum it up by saying it was "the best of times it was the worst of times."
Now all these years later (although it hasn't taken all these years for me to recognise it)we can truly say this had been a land choice above all others for us.
I enjoy living in Zion. This Is the Place.

I remember I came to Utah with 3 children and 2 suitcases now look at us!!!!

HELLO? :o(

It is 4.15am no one is abroad. Bump What is that noise? My heart skips a beat. No. the doors are locked. We don't have any pets! *bump* Alan? did you hear that? What? that bump. BUMP there did you hear it that time? Yes. What do you think it is? I don't need to think I KNOW what it is! What? it is chestnuts falling off the tree and rolling on the roof. *laughter* Oh, My hero.

16th October 1962

I left Belfast with three bairns and two suitcases to emigrate to Utah and join our husband/Daddy there. It was a very emotional time saying goodbye to my Sister-in-law and two nephews and one niece. (I had said my goodbyes to my sister and her family the night before.) My brother accompanied us to Glengall Street where we were to catch the bus for the airport at Nutt's Corner. Unfortunately the airport was fogged in and no flights were leaving so we returned to my brother's home (where we had been living all summer) to try again tomorrow.(Wednesday) Next day my brother and his friend John hired a car and drove us to Shannon Airport in the west of Ireland to get a KLM flight to New York.(I saw more of Ireland the day I left than I had in all my life.) We caught the flight at 2am Thursday morning. So, here I am boarding an airplane at 2am with three toddlers and a cabin of sleeping passengers. After take-off the flight attendant arranged to move us to the front of the cabin, where she fixed a bed on the floor for one child, a bed on the seat on the opposite side of the aisle for another and one laying on the seat next to me. Thus we spent the night, the children slept all the way through. Next morning I was met in N.Y. by my oldest brother John. He and his wife had met the plane the day before when we did not arrive. She had to go home to take care of their boys and John stayed till we arrived. We set out for their home in Alexandria, VA. by car, but had car problems and had to continue by train. Somewhere along the way we got drinks and Archie approached me and said,(in his best Belfast brogue)"Mammy, I don't like this drink with stones in it" (ice). And thus our adventure began.
On the Saturday evening as I tended my brother's boys, we watched "The River of No Return" I decided to call Alan who it turned out was also tending and watching the same movie (tender moment).
We stayed with my brother and his family until Sunday when we left Washington DC by train for Chicago where we boarded the California Zephyr. As we approached Chicago on Monday morning I was chagrined to note it wasn't much different from Belfast. We spent the day in the Mother's lounge (my Stepmother had arranged for Travellers' Aid to meet me and make sure we were ok) until our train left at 3pm.
In the morning we stopped in Denver and the train was washed to prepare for the trip through the Rocky Mountains. As we left Denver and climbed into the mountains I saw the America I was anticipating. The mountains were ablaze with Fall colours and it was beautiful. The children behaved magnificently. The USA was in the middle of the Cuban crisis, so I didn't know if we would soon be a nation at war. We had a programme of the itinerary and about 4pm in the afternoon we crossed over from Colorado into Utah and I cried, I was in Utah. We arrived in Salt Lake about 10pm and there we reunited with our Daddy/husband. What an emotional time that was. Lesley's first remark to her Daddy, "Do you want to keep me?" DID HE WHAT!!!!!


To be continued......

Goodmorning Utah!!!!

This is actually the rising sun in St. George, Utah.
We went to Southern Utah for 4 days with a day in the middle to visit Las Vegas for Hannah's blessing.
We visited one of our favorite places.



Zion National Park.
We had to wait 20 minutes in line to enter the Park and since the parking lot was full we were not able to get the shuttle so just drove through the tunnel to the "checkerboard mesa". We met a nice couple from Ohio. I confess, I was disappointed that the fall colors were not rampant. Maybe we need to go next weekend. :o)

Then on Sunday morning we went to meet Hannah.
What a beautiful girl, she is a keeper.


This is our baby, with his baby, and her baby, and Grandpa. Four generations.!!



Hannah enjoyed G'pa singing "My Sweet Lady"



A great time!! but there is no place like home.
But then "Home is where the Heart is"