All of the posts are Franny's memories throughout her life, some with photos and some without. The ones without may have a photo of a fairy or flowers or nature...whatever feels right at the time. The months are approximate but the years should be accurate.
I grew up going to the First Baptist Church in Lucerne Valley. We all went every Sunday except for my dad; I don't ever remember him setting foot in that church. The church had a passenger van that the youth instructor, Mr. Stanfield would drive to pick people up. He was one of the nicest men I have ever known. His wife on the other hand was horribly mean.Dale & Franny
Around this time I remember when dad had mom locked in the bathroom and she was screaming and it sounded like he was beating her to death and Billy and I were pounding on the door telling him to leave her alone. I remember just screaming for him to stop. She ended up with a black eye and gobs of her hair pulled out.
This is a photo of Rita, me and mom at the donut shop after she hurt her eye. I had convinced my mom to make Rita stay home and let me go and spend the night with some friends. Rita got so angry that she went next door and broke a coke bottle and because of the heat it exploded in her face cutting her eye. My mom and the neighbor took her to the emergency room where the doctor on call at the time used a jet spray to wash the glass out and proceeded to wash her whole cornea out as well, ruining her eye forever. I have always felt responsible for it because if only I had let her come with me to the sleep over it wouldn't have happened. I remember when she was in the hospital I sent my cabbage patch kid with my parents to stay with her while she was there. Small consolation. 😔
I remember the feature photo being taken because I kept shushing the other kids so they wouldn't wake Dale up. I also remember getting the pants that I am wearing for Christmas.
I vaguely remember the next photo because Billy and I didn't really want to take a photo but dad made us. I remember the first time I got a proper hair cut like the one I have here...it felt so nice, I kept swishing it back and forth on my shoulders.
I really don't remember the next photo but I was always taking care of Dale. 😍
We camped at boulder beach during summer vacation and I remember I took care of Dale for most of the time. Gabriel found a dildo in the trees near our camp site. 😳 My mom freaked out when she saw him holding it and she threw it into the trees. I thought it was hilarious at the time. 😂 I also remember that I got really sunburned as usual. We had this white van then and I remember when we were back in Lucerne Valley, my parents were at the market and we were waiting out in the van and Billy was peeling my sunburned skin from my back in big strips. It sounds disgusting but it did make it feel better. 🙃
The next photo is of mom's morning glories. I remember her being so proud of her "green thumb".
My sixth grade teacher's name was Mrs. Hail. I remember everyone didn't like her because she was real strict. The most prominent memory from this year was when I had a huge cold sore and this kid Diego making fun of me saying something about being so sorry that he had to give me a fat lip.
In 6th grade we had these competitions for P.E. and I remember I was able to hold a chin up the longest out of everyone, even the boys.
I do remember two girls that were best friends all through elementary school: Natasha and Darcy Burroughs. I don't remember Natasha's last name. They were part of the popular crowd. Another girl that was real popular was April Verhaegen. She was real pretty and I remember she was always nice to me...like she felt sorry for me or something. I remember she invited me to her birthday party and I actually went! She lived in a really nice house with a beautiful in-ground pool in the back yard. Her younger sister was real snobby but April was real nice. Her parents were both nice too. I think we all stayed the night and everything. I remember feeling so happy just being there with all the popular kids and in that nice house...
My best friend for most of my childhood was a girl named Brandy Dana; she was a few years younger than me but was more outgoing and did everything before me. Like for example: she got breasts first, started her period first, and had sex first. Shoot, I never had a boyfriend! Anyway, she was always over and her cousin, Shelly Jones. We all hung out. She lived next door next to her grandparent’s house. I remember when we were little we would climb up her grandparents mulberry tree up as high as we could go and eat the small berries.
I remember when my dad came home late at night to tell us that mom had a boy when my little brother, Dale was born. I was so disappointed because I wanted her to have a girl...but I loved him and always took care of him like he was my own.
I sorta remember these photos being taken. I wanted to hold Dale and my parents didn't want me to because he was still so small but ended up giving in.
Dad used to cut our hair so short for two reasons: 1: Rita brought lice home from school a lot. 2: We didn't brush our hair like we should and would get really thick knots or snarls that dad just couldn't get out. 🤷♀️ I remember the clip on earrings that I am wearing.
I think it was around this time period that my dad had filled a big canister like barrel that was maybe 50 gallons with water and we would get in it and just be able to dunk ourselves but we loved it. He would put it right where we are standing in these photos.
The platform that we are standing on is the end of the walkway that my dad built out of pallets. At the other end was an out door kitchen that he put in right next to the indoor kitchen window. I remember him stacking tool boxes up next to the stove and sink for me to stand on to help mom cook and wash dishes.
I remember my mom was not much of an enforcer with us kids. Billy and I would stay outside running around playing until dad came home then I would run into either the out door or indoor kitchen and start helping mom while Billy was getting yelled at or punished by dad. Mom would say "See, I told you that you'd be sorry when your dad got home." That was her way of making us listen, Saying things like "I'm gonna tell your father." or "Just wait till your father gets home." Sometimes we would listen out of fear but usually we would hide the "whipping belt" it was an old leather belt that did not have the buckle. We were idiots though because hiding it did not save us at all. Dad would either grab a ping pong paddle or send us out to get a stick and we had better not come back with a flimsy one. Of course he would use his hand in a pinch as well. The last spanking I remember was when I stole fifty cents from the console of the van and then lied about it. He grabbed my arm and I ran around him in circles as he spanked me. Ha Ha!
I used to have a reoccurring dream of my dad beating my brother Billy almost to death and me running to the neighbors to call the police. Dad was much harder on Billy because he was the oldest and we were expected to watch the younger kids and be a good example I suppose. I remember one time when him and Billy were wrestling and dad ended up dragging him around the living room floor with a belt around his neck. I started crying begging him to stop because his face was turning purple and mom was screaming at him to let him go. Dad was laughing saying "I'm just playing with him."
I think it was around this time period but I remember Billy and I had gotten it in our heads to build a camp fire and I made a small one just outside his bedroom window but he wanted to make a bigger one and set half the damn desert on fire. Three different fire departments responded and the story was put in the paper with a photo of my little tiny camp fire. I don't remember being punished but am pretty positive that we were.
Another memory from around this time was when my mom and dad were fighting and he threw a hard plastic cup at her and it made her head bleed and then he threw a fork at her and it stuck in her leg. That was one of the times she left for a while. I remember hearing Billy at his bedroom window begging to go with her but she would never take any of us kids.
I remember the huge sunflower that is behind us. My mom was so dang proud of that thing! She also had beautiful blue morning glories and grew some vegetables. It's funny how our taste buds change over the years...when I was a kid I hated radishes and onions but now I like them. My mom grew radishes, cucumbers and lettuce I think.
One of my most favorite memories from my childhood is when we visited my dad's friend who we called "Har Har" and it was a rainy day but not pouring rain, just drizzling and we were playing and running through the rain. I distinctly remember the fresh smell of the rain... I don't really know how to explain why this is my favorite memory...I guess because of the summer rain, the fresh smell, the freedom...
We have had many earthquakes throughout my life here in California but there are only a few that I actually remember. This was one of them; 6.1 magnitude, centered in Desert Hot Springs, CA. I remember I was walking on the walkway out side that dad had made from wood pallets. I could feel the wood start moving under my feet and I looked down and could hear the rumbling. I ran into the house yelling "Earthquake!" That's all I remember. I used to get so excited when there was an earthquake.
Billy, Rita and me at the Sutter St house.
I remember these photos were after we had gone to Boulder Beach that summer.
I don't remember my teacher's name in 5th grade. I do remember my classroom and that I liked her. I also remember stealing this girl's diary and using it most of the rest of my childhood. (I really need to find that ding dang thing!)
I remember my brother Billy playing on the tether ball with his friends; they would hang onto the ball one at a time and the others would push them around the pole and when it was Billy's turn he flew off and broke his arm and had the ambulance called. The ambulance was always being called for Billy because of his hives he gets. They can get real bad to where he can't breathe...
I remember one time at home when he was flying a kite or something and backed up right into a Joshua tree and the thorn went into his the back of his head. My dad had to get pliers to get it out.
I don't know how old we were, but we were playing outside at home and my dad had all kinds of junked out vehicles and stuff all around the property. There was this van that was cut in half that we would climb up on and jump down off the back into the dirt. The ground behind the van had been dug out so it was a farther jump and the sand was softer. Well, this particular day was a Sunday I know because I still had my Sunday school clothes on and my parents were at the store. I was wearing a dress with thick leotards underneath and these dress shoes that were pointed at the toe. When I went to jump down like normal my shoe got caught in the roofs lip and I fell face first into the dirt. I just missed a big stick right next to my eye and it felt like my arm was broken but I didn't tell my parents when they came home because I knew we would get into trouble for playing on the van in the first place.
I don't know how old we were but I do remember one time Billy was picking on me and I picked up a piece of wood and threw it at him and it had been broken with pieces sticking out and a piece about 10 inches long went through the palm of my hand and dad had to get the pliers to get it out. I don't remember going to the doctors but the scar on my hand looks like I had stitches. But it's possible it just healed that way, dad didn't take us to the doctor's that often unless absolutely necessary.
This was a very scary memory this same year. We went to Silver wood Lake to swim and camp and I remember my dad bought my little brother, Clint who was about two years old a toy boat to play with in the water. My brother Billy and I were put in charge of watching the kids in the water while my mom and dad went out to the jeep to get high. I remember having fun and forgetting about Clint, I started looking around for him and saw his little toy boat floating in the water and I got really scared. Then I saw a group of people on the beach and went over to see what was going on and right there lying on the ground in the middle was Clint. He looked grey and some man was giving him CPR. I felt such terror! The first thought I had when I saw my dad running up was "Oh My Gosh! I am in so much trouble!" And I ran. I don't remember getting a whipping but I remember him yelling at us and telling us we will never come back again. Which, we indeed did not go back for years. Clint was okay and we obviously left right away.
It's too bad that someone tore this photo up but I still wanted to include it because dad is in it.
Mom, Dad, Gabe & Clint
This is my class picture when I was in the 3rd grade. I am the one in the middle with the mouse on my shirt.
I remember that Mrs. Allen was a very strict teacher.
I believe it was this year when a girl that I thought was my friend attacked me on the playground. Her name was Kelly Ketchum (I think it was Kelly) and we were playing chicken fight on the monkey bars. In case you don't know what that is: one person gets on one side of the bars and the other person on the opposite side and they meet in the middle and use their legs to make the other fall by wrapping their legs around the other person and pull them down. Well, I kept winning and after a few times she pulled me down with her hands and jumped on top of me and started actually choking me! The girl was obviously a psychopath! I didn't hang out with her again. 😕
I do remember this photo. It was when Grandpa Less came to visit and he took us all to burger king and got Rita and I the dresses we are wearing. It was a real nice day. Family hardly ever came to visit.
I have a slight memory of this photo… I remember mom helping me put the handkerchief on.
I am not positive on the year but I do remember that it was not long after the Cabbage Patch Kids came out that the school had a Christmas Party for the poor kids and gave presents away. Most of the presents consisted of clothes; which I was so happy to receive brand new clothes! (We generally shopped at the thrift stores and never got brand new clothes) I even got a brand new jacket that had a hood that zipped on and off.....gosh I remember I loved that jacket! But one present was a toy; all the girls got a Cabbage Patch Kid! I was so excited! Mine had long brown hair and green eyes like me. I named her Elizabeth. My sister, Rita got one with short light sandy hair and she was so mad because she liked mine better. Her doll didn't last long; she ended up smashing it's head on the concrete floor. I still have my doll put away.
I only remember a few times when it really snowed in Lucerne Valley. I remember it was night time and my dad had a real bright light outside the house and I remember the glow from the light coming from the other side of the house and the snow falling all thick. It was so deep: up to my knees at least. Of course I was only about 9 years old so I was small lol The most significant thing about the memory is how the snow looked coming down with that light in the background and of course how deep it was.
I remember the swings used to be my favorite thing on the playground. I used to pretend that I was flying...I do remember playing dodge ball and jump rope occasionally. I also remember another girl named Angel (I don't remember her last name). She was my best friend for a short time before she moved away. She was trying to teach me to flip around on the bars backwards and she pushed me back and I fell right onto a rock and cut my head open. They called my parents to take me home for the rest of the day.
I remember when my parents brought my younger brother, Clint home from the hospital after he was born, they didn't have a bed for him so they put him in a dresser drawer. I remember I used to always carry him around.
I think it was this same year that I had the chicken pox and couldn't go to the Christmas party at school and was so upset that I was missing it.
I also think it was around this time that we got our first color TV. I remember it very well because when dad turned it on the show called Remington Steele was on starring Pierce Brosnan wearing a royal blue bathrobe and I just remember being so amazed at how bright and beautiful the color was. 😁
