My Grandma's name was Flossie McCray Witt. She was a totally amazing woman. I've never known anyone quite like her. While visiting them in their new retirement home in New Mexico, she taught me what a rock hound was, and helped me begin my collection. We made a container out of an empty bleach bottle, with a picture glued on the front for decoration. I still have that container full of pretty rocks from that exotic place that seemed so very different to a seven year-old girl from rural Indiana. She also gave me most of her precious post card collection. I thought those pictures from all those different places were simply magical. Grandma told me about each and every one, when she and Grandpa had been there and what they did. Many of these postcards were quite old and I treasured them so. I could not believe that she was giving them to me, after all I was the baby. I was by far the youngest of her grandchildren. Her oldest was in her late 30's and then me who was only a mere seven. She told me story after story of her life as a child in Ohio, then marrying Grandpa and moving to Oregon, then Washington, and California. She told me all about her parents, Grandpa's parents and his Grandma. I knew which country they each emigrated from. I remember asking her over and over, "tell me another story Grandma." I think of all the grandchildren, I'm the one who knows the most about our family history.
I kept those postcards and began adding to my collection that same year. Grandma helped me choose some from New Mexico before we left. Every time we went somewhere, I had to buy a postcard. You must understand this was quite often as our family traveled a great deal. My father trained and raced harness horses which kept us on the move. I've continued this practice my entire life. You would not believe how many postcards I have now. I have a huge box, and in it they are all categorized by state and country. Naturally, for my first trip to Europe last year, I thought of postcards. I knew I would buy many of them to chronicle my trip to Ireland, the home of my great great grandparents, the Kellys, the Beatties, the Floras, and the Trants. Of course I had to create something special to hold my treasures. So I made the book below.
