Sunday, March 11, 2018

Happy Birthday Madi!

Today we are celebrating with our dear friend Madi

on her 16th birthday!

Madi invited us to share our favorite road trip or 
how we (or our peep) learned to drive


Since neither Hazel or I drive, 
Mom said I could tell you the story 
of how she learned to drive


First I must tell you 
that these are not the actual photos of the events
Since this happened almost 50 years ago 
we had to do a re-enactment


Mom grew up in Redwood City, California



When she was 15 she signed up for Drivers Education

Mom is very short -
she couldn't see over the dash very well

The Drivers Ed teacher was a big grumpy man
and he made Mom nervous 
whenever it was her turn to drive

One day the grumpy man
 instructed Mom to turn into a skinny driveway.



Let's just say it did not go well
and Mom almost ran into a fence post!


Then the big grumpy man


turned into a big angry man



That was it for Mom

She decided that she was never going to drive a car

So what did she do??

Mom bought herself a bicycle!


But by the time Mom was 18
she realized that if she wanted to go very far, 
she really needed a car



Mom found a 1961 Volkswagon Beetle 
and bought it for $400.

She learned to drive it
and got her drivers license

A few months later
Mom decided to leave California

She drove that bug all the way to Idaho

One week in Idaho and Mom had a job at a potato processing plant
44 years later she retired from that potato processing plant


Be sure to hop the hop 
and visit Madi
to wish her a Happy Birthday!


We are the PugRanch Kids
Hazel & Mabel




22 comments:

  1. Love those VW bugs! Your mom was very adventurous after just learning to drive!

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  2. that beetles are like magic rides... the mama had one too his name was Purple Snail (because of the highspeed lol)
    I wonder that so much driving instructors are big grumpy guys... either we all had the same or they came from a furmily with many boys what became big grumpy guys...

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  3. Hari OM
    Oh, my word, thank goodness your mama got 'back on the horse' as it were - or you and she and Blogville would have a very different relationship!!! Hugs and wags, YAM-aunty xxx

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  4. What do you mean there were no photos? I love the photos!! And I love the story.

    Mara from Norway

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  5. It was cool to hear how your mom ended up in Idaho!

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  6. Great story and the graphics are very expressive!

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  7. That's a great story! We enjoyed it!

    Happy birthday Madi!

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  8. What a pawsome story!! Our Mama just loves that your Mama's first car was a Volkswagon bug...Our Mama drove her pawrents VW Van around when she was in high school!
    xoxo,
    Rosy, Arty & Jakey

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  9. Your Mama is an amazing lady...44 years in one job!?!? Thats the sorta loyalty rarely seen these days.
    AND, I LUFFS Beetle cars, such characters
    Loves and licky kisses
    Princess Leah xxx

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  10. What a great story! We love the illustrations.
    Cam and Mags
    PS: We are trying to get back into the blog-visiting groove. We're sorry we've been absent. Mom's fault.

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  11. Bravo, very well done. Mom had an aunt who couldn't see over the steering wheel either. She put a pillow behind her and under her to make it all work. We love the drawings - so cute!!!

    Happy Birthday, Ms. Madi.

    Woos - Lightning, Misty, and Timber

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  12. Hahaha! I learned to drive a VW van and my mom bought a green VW bug that I drove in high school.

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  13. Ohhhhhhhh my word...I read it copied the card p,which was beautiful, and went immediately to my blog to add the card! I thought I commented. Ohhhh my stars I cannot believe I didn't come back. Madi is gonna kick me to the curb!
    I surely meant to ask how you did the graphics. I loved the Idaho or bust on the VW. What a brave move to Idaho on your own..... But obviously the place your were meant to live and thrive
    Hugs to my Puggies and their most talented mom
    Madi and the forgetful old gray marešŸ’‹šŸ’‹šŸ’‹šŸ™€šŸ˜»

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  14. Great story!! Our mom's first car was a VW bug too! She paid $900. it was a 1969 stick shift (lemon yellow) and she killed it at every intersection for a week, trying to figure out the clutch! BOL

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  15. Thank you for sharing your mom's driver ed story with us. She shows what true perseverance and $400.00 car can do. A tip of the tail to you and happy birthday to the birthday girl

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  16. So that's how your Moms left our fair state! Wells, she sure did it in style! I loves the Bugs! Ma had herself a Rabbit, and it was the bestest car to drive! Our Drivers Ed teacher was a mellow dude, and we had a station wagon to drive! (yes, that's is how old I am ☺). Wish you could have had it in our school!
    Kisses,
    Ruby ♥

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  17. Who did the great drawings? That's a good story about learning to drive, and it's not often anymore that someone stays in the same job for 40 years!

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  18. We love your story and think the illustrations were perfect.

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  19. Oh how I LOVE LOVE LOVE your Mom's story (and accompanying cartoons!) My Mom used to be obsessed with VW Bugs, she LOVED them and to this day still does! YAY for your Mom driving all the way to California!! She rocks!! Love, Cody
    catchatwithcarenandcody

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  20. These reinactment photos are terrific! And now we know the whole story!
    love
    tweedles

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  21. Oh we wuv da picsurs and dis story of your Mama's driving experience!!

    xoxo,
    Matt & Matilda

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  22. Wow...maybe you mom thanks the big angry grump now. What a great story. And your reenactment photos were 'pawfect!'

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