…We now had five kids and two parents living in a 900-square-foot house! Although we owned the house next door for our office, we decided to begin an addition to our home—a second story. Cary was working on the plans, had started to build the garage, and was tweaking the upstairs floor plan before we […]
Continue reading excerpt CHAPTER 13 – BOY, BOY, GIRL, GIRL, GIRL
…During the late 1980s, Denver and most of Colorado was greatly affected by an oil boom—gone bust. The architecture and interior design professions were hit in the associated economic fall-out, and so my husband and I found our newly-formed design business without much work. A friend had recommended Cary as a possible college instructor to […]
…I had met my future stepson not long after I met Cary. As I mentioned earlier, Cary would bring him to the office where we worked. He and his dad chatted occasionally as they worked and played alongside one another in Cary’s work station cubicle, which was near mine. At that time in my life […]
…Life in 1950s America is often equated with the black and white sitcoms Leave it to Beaver, or The Andy Griffith Show. Life in 1960s America is often defined by the rebellion of Rock ‘n Roll, Civil Rights, and the Vietnam era. Both are appropriate analogies, and both show the colliding, confusing state in which […]
…Cary was a very bright, intelligent, creative, and warm person. His genuine charm and enthusiasm caught my attention in a non-romantic way as we began working together, he as the architectural draftsman and I as the interior designer on hotel and restaurant projects. We put in long hours, met our deadlines, and enjoyed the work […]
“…Father bought a ranch from Mrs. Leuce [sp?]. It had been her mother’s and the mother passed away. There was a small cabin with 1 full window and a window in the door, a small entrance hall inside the front door. So he went to the mountain to get logs to build more house. My […]
“…So, Bob McMinn was included in all our outings, activities, and meals. I remember two Easter Sunrise services – one at Garden of the Gods, but he would be gone in the summer to work in the oil patch. One summer Mertie went and stayed with him in a tent! That was the summer when […]
…By the time I was ready to graduate from high school, I was interested in going to college to become an architect. The designer in me was my core being, and I appreciated art and history, having a special love of ancient architecture. I headed to the University of Colorado in Boulder to enter their […]
…As I reached high school age, my parents had enough financial resources to join a country club. Prior to that, we belonged to and therefore swam at the Wichita State Shocker Club, then the eastside YMCA. When we were able to join the Crestview Country Club, it was a real treat. Tennis, swimming, and golf, […]
“…Our dad, Carl Lewis Howard, attended Kansas State University (KSU) in Manhattan, Kansas. His brother Frank and Dad each pursued a degree in Agriculture Engineering. To do this, he taught rural school every other year to earn money for his college expenses the next year. Both Uncle Frank and Dad were in ROTC. Dad was […]