Four.Twenty.Eight

Oldies But Goodies

Over the Thanksgiving Holiday, I raided my parent's computer for pictures.  You see, I can remind my parents a hundred times to please send me the pictures from the ski trip, but they forget.  We are almost ready to go on the next ski trip and I still don't have their shots from the last trip.  Ah, well.  Since I was there, I plugged in my USB flash drive and took matters into my own hands.  I thought I'd share some of my finds on their iPhoto library.

Nope, this isn't us skiing "old school."  My dad is on the far left ready to go skiing with his brother and sister.  Those skis might be in the Smithsonian by now...



Yes, this is us coming back from our last day of skiing in Vail last year.  I recall this day being COLD, COLD, COLD and we threw in the towel early.



Me and my parents - looks like my dad's been at work... his pants are grubby.



Here's a few pictures of my dad when he was in the Navy.  He was stationed on the John F. Kennedy Aircraft Carrier in the Mediterranean Ocean.  Handsome!









This was taken at my grandparent's house when they lived in New Mexico.  I remember playing with all those necklaces.



And then there's this wild and crazy picture of Axel.  He was in my parents backyard and discovered their Golden Retriever's digging spot.  He was like a dog possessed.  Going crazy!  He looks all wild-eyed!

A Blog Post Leftover From Christmas...

I keep meaning to post a picture of one of my favorite Christmas gifts. My mom makes quilts. I believe I have about 7 that she has made and I am sure I will end up with many more. She made me a "crooked cross" quilt for Christmas that is really beautiful that I wanted to share.

As usual, the picture doesn't do the colors justice (click the picture to see it larger). The fabrics are all hand-dyed batiks and the colors are vibrant. You can't see the quilting, either, but it is amazing. The entire quilt was custom quilted by machine (not my mom's work - she pays to have the quilting done). The crosses are quilted to look like a woodgrain, the borders have swirls and fleur-de-lis, and the green background is quilted with leaves and vines.

I've never been interested in sewing quilts as much as I have other things (such as the tote bags), but who knows... maybe someday!

A Trip Through Time... Volume II

You might remember my former post with a portion of my collection of old family photos from my dad's side of the family. I truly have an extensive collection in my e-mail, so I thought I'd share a few more.

You probably wonder why I have never shared any photos from my mother's side of the family, though. Essentially, my father's side of the family seems to be more inclined to technology. Also, they all live at different points across the country and seem to use e-mail more as a communication tool when it comes to photos and history. There are much fewer family members on my mother's side that have the savvy to use a computer, much less a scanner! Maybe I should try to round up some photos myself. Well, until then, I'll try to explain all of these to the best of my ability! If you click the photos, they will pop up larger.

Looks like this was a fishing trip and the catch was good! One of the blond girls is my grandmother (my dad's mother) and the other is her twin sister, Sue. The other girl, I assume is their other sister Wanda, but I am not sure. The fellow on the far right is my great-great grandfather - isn't that amazing? I also love the car in the background with the door that opens differently.

The two girls in the wagon are my grandmother and her twin sister Sue (obviously, by the matching dresses). The girl standing is their other sister Wanda and the gentleman is their father, my great-grandfather that I did not know, Elmer. The photo said "College St., Norman, OK - 1931-32."

I love this one. I do not know the two women on the far left and right - maybe they were friends? Who knows. The man is Elmer, my great-grandfather and the woman to his right is my great-grandmother, Tommie. I suspect this to be another dating photo, judging by the age and dress of the people. My favorite part of the photo is his smile - how handsome. I also love their clothing - amazing!

This is my grandmother, Sara (dad's mother). Looks like she'd been playing basketball and some others are playing a little baseball in the background. LOVE those shoes.

These three photos were scanned together, so they are a little small, but the one at the top might be my all-time favorite. That shot is so neat. These are all photos of my great grandparents Elmer and Tommie while they were dating. This was probably sometime in the 1920s.

And, last but not least.... here's a picture of my dad doing what he still does best.

A trip through time...

Isn't it interesting to see old family photos that were taken long before your time? What people looked like, their relation to each other and to me, what they were doing, and what they did for a living always fascinate me.  Here are a few from my dad's side of the family that my mom gets periodically from a cousin of my dad's.  Enjoy a little stroll through my family's past with me - I'll try to give a thorough enough description.

This is my dad's mother's parents (my great grandparents), Elmer and Tommie, when they were dating.  Look at the clothing!  I think he was quite the handsome guy.  He grew up on a farm in Indiana and was the only of his brothers and sisters to leave the farm and achieve a college degree.  He, for many years, was a Ranger Naturalist who worked in Yosemite National Park in the summers.  My great grandmother was very cultural as well - she was once president of the American Rose Society and traveled to Japan many times studying art and culture.  How many people do you know that have a picture of their great grandparents while they were dating?    I think it's pretty cool.

 

My dad's mother (Sara) is in the middle with the bag in her hand and on her left is her fraternal twin sister Sue.  Sue died in a car accident in India in the 1970's.  Her husband worked for the state department. On my grandmother's right is her other sister Wanda (with the trumpet) and in the center back is their mother Tommie.  The other woman in the photo is unknown.  This photo looks so "Americana" to me and I really like it.

 

Ah, a little color.  My dad is the boy standing in the back behind the bench.  In the back from left to right is his mother Sara (note the gloves, brooch, and very chic fur collar!), his father Bill, her sister Sue, her husband, and my dad's grandfather Elmer.  The children seated left to right are Sue's son (can't remember the name), my dad's sister Christine, my dad's brother Paul, and Sue's son Rick.

I really like this picture.  My dad, Stephen, is on the left next to his younger sister Christine.  Paul is the youngest sibling with the big smile.