I’m scanning photos while they’re still in decent condition, and because various people wanted copies at some point. Some of these are ancient — and yet there are readers here who remember me this way! Enjoy!
8 weeks old/January 1958:
May 1958:
First Birthday/November 1958:
Misc. Chicago 1960-61:
Grandpa and Zia Lia, Paterson, summer 1970
Uncle Tommy, Wayne, summer 1970
Here are some of the photos from this weekend. It is very challenging, trying to upload them onto the web site from this computer!
Nope, not a ZIP code! I’m participating in this annual walking thing through the school district. That’s how many steps I took today (approximately 5.3 miles) by the time I got home from the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum!
Dottie’s niece Linda and her husband Myron came from out of town. I had heard about them for years but never met them. I went over there Friday after school and finally got to meet them. They’re both former teachers, and they were both wonderful people. Today we went to the Desert Museum: Buz, Jaeden, Linda, Myron, Dad, Dottie, and I. It was a very long day, but a lot of fun. Naturally, I took a zillion pictures.
The last time I went was shortly before I left, in 1994. I went with the mothers and kids from the Haven’s Mother/Child program, and this lunatic lady drove the van. We almost fell down the side of the mountain through Gate’s Pass on the way there because she was so close to the drop-off on the left. On the way back she again hugged the outer side of the road, scraping the passenger side mirror! Of course I remembered this as we went through Gate’s Pass this time!
We saw a raptor show while we were there, which was pretty cool. The hawks were just beautiful!
If you see people you don’t know in the photos, then that’s Linda and Myron!
Linda and Myron on Friday, in Dad and Dottie’s livingroom
Myron
The left edge of those mountains is Mexico!
dinosaur bones (real or simulated — dino bones were found in the area at one point)
Buz and Jaeden
coyote
Dad
me
Linda and Myron
If this is the first post you’re seeing, the word “more” is a clue. If you scroll down, there are pics that I posted yesterday as well.
Today Dottie, Aunt Bobbi and I went for a walk around their condo complex, and then sat by the smaller pool talking. Eventually we went back, and when we did Gary and Deb were there along with Joyce, Benjamin, and their friend Jonathan. Joyce and Benjamin had taken a trip to Israel, Italy/Sicily, and Purgatory (currently located at the Budapest airport). They made a bound book of their photos, complete with captions. The photos were breathtaking, and I learned a few things I didn’t know! Then we all went back to Risky Business (where we ate yesterday) for lunch and more photos.
Still in the midst of a ton of work, but wanted to get these posted tonight!
PS — The dates on the photos are totally wrong! They were taken today!
I have a lot of updates to do, so I thought I’d try to do them separately but get them all done today. That’s why I’m starting with the photos: When you get to this page (tomorrow or later today) you’ll know that you have read all of them. In theory.
So: Unless you are my father, you are looking at those pictures and asking yourself “Who are those people?” My father knows, of course, because a couple of weeks ago Mike and Donna spent the weekend at his house. Mike is Dottie’s nephew, and Donna is his wife. They were great fun! They came here by motorcycle. School things prevented me from spending more time with them, but I did get to see them that Saturday and then Sunday morning for breakfast. As you can see, swimming was on the agenda. I’m really gonna miss that pool when it gets too cold to swim! Then again, I suspect that for Donna and Mike there’d be no “too cold to swim.”
I went to Dad’s yesterday, though, and the water really was rather chilly! Buz and I suspect it was because of all the recent rain, because the weather has certainly been warm enough! The pool has a hot tub, though (unlike mine!), so when I get cold I can get in the hot tub to warm up and then get back in the pool!
So I think Mike and Donna came two weekends ago. Last weekend Dottie and I took a shopping day. We haven’t done that in a LONG time! Well, when I had the time, I had no money to spend! I was looking for tops, because I don’t have many blouses that I can wear to work with slacks. Most of what I bought last year is for skirts, which I’ve only worn a couple of times. I tend to wear more when I wear my boots. I’ll wear a couple this week, though, for parent-teacher conferences. Anyway, Dad, Dottie, and I met for breakfast at The Good Egg at 9:30 and got home around 4:30. We went to a few stores all over town, and then hung out at the mall, mostly sitting and drinking iced coffee things from Gloria Jean’s. I also got her into Bookman’s. Dottie’s eyes make it hard for her to read, but she is able to read more than she could before. Both Buz and I thought she’d like Bookman’s, but she wasn’t interested in theory because she didn’t have the right glasses and was still undergoing eye treatments. I took her anyway, and she totally loved it! What’s not to like? The place is huge because it’s a former grocery store. In addition to books they have games, CDs, cassettes, 8-tracks, DVDs, videos, magazines, and sundry antiques and junk. If they had a coffee pot or teapot I’d move in! She looks forward to having enough time to spend a couple hours there. We may have to do that some weekend. No sacrifice at all!
I’m looking forward to John and family coming over Halloween weekend! The Tucson Mall website isn’t looking that far ahead, but I know malls have trick or treating so I think that would be great fun for Betty and I and anyone who wants to join us. Assuming my sister’s here that night, she’d like that too, I think! I can’t say Anthony would enjoy the trick or treating part (although he might), but hopefully he wouldn’t mind going, or else he could stay home with whatever folks are staying home. If I ever get his e-mail I’ll ask him.
That’s about it for the family news portion. Dad and Dottie went to a party at the neighbor’s last night. I can’t imagine squeezing 30 people into their living room! But it was catered, so I’ll have to ask how the food was and if they made any new friends!
PS — the photos were taken with my cell phone because I can’t get my camera to work!
The nice thing about this blog is that all sorts of relatives can keep up on people and events that they would normally miss. That’s why I like posting photos. Relatives who want to can see how nieces/nephews, sisters/brothers, parents/aunts/uncles, sons/daughters, grandchildren, etc. are doing.
Today’s photos are courtesy of Liane. The first two are from her trip up to see Uncle Mil and Aunt Bobbi after she left Dad and Dottie’s. I have a photo of Kyle when he was nine months old and I see it often, so that’s how I remember him! But he’s seven months older than Anthony — Anthony who has a job and is old enough to drive. Time passes! I also noticed how much Liane looks like her mother and Anne looks like her mother!
Now, the last photo. The first time I saw it was when it arrived in my e-mail. It was taken in April of 1969. Going from memory, because I’m too lazy to look at my e-mails: I spent the night without the family at Liane’s on the occasion of the birthday party for her 12th birthday. I was still eleven. I remember a birthday and staying overnight. The following day apparently, we went to Gingerbread Castle. http://tinyurl.com/69ky9d
When we lived in New Jersey, we often (it seemed, anyway) did things with our cousins, and Gingerbread Castle was one of our spots. We probably went there at least once a summer. I have fond memories of that. As to the photo, note the lovely hair ties! Those were yarn rope-things. They were comfy. Remember this was 1969. I don’t understand the thing that looks like a mouse that I’m holding (that’s me in front, followed by Liane and Janet). Liane knows what it is. 
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I got my back-to-school letter in yesterday’s mail. Still no contract. So I go back on Monday but have no paperwork?? I’ll have to call the district again! Bummer 
This is the picture on my desktop now. I discovered that I could use a photograph if it hasn’t been resized at all. Otherwise they come out blurry. This was taken the night of the firepit fire and roasting marshmallows. I like that you can see the farm not far from there.
Other vacation pics:
This was at the zoo — part of a huge climbing contraption for kids.
The lake across the street from the zoo — where we had the picnic lunch
For those of you who don’t know, Mt. Horeb is big on trolls. Yesterday Carrie and Jim and their daughter Daisy came, and we walked to downtown Mt. Horeb for the annual art fair. While we were there, I tried to get photos of some of the trolls. Then we went out to dinner at Solo Sopore, which apparently has quite the colorful history. This afternoon, John and I went back to the art fair to pick up Lisa, and so on the way back we did the photo op thing with another troll.
I love the art fair. I saved a lot of money by reminding myself that I don’t want to have to take things home on an airplane! Otherwise I would have spent a lot more money!
This morning John drove me to Jefferson so I could go to church at my old church. That was great! There were roads closed on the way, but those are apparently for repair and not flooded. According to Jacob, though, FEMA declared that Jefferson had the worst flooding in the state.
I got to see many of the people I wanted to see, but there wasn’t really a lot of time. Afterwards I thought “I barely got to talk to Heather! Or Mrs. Z!” And then I think Carissa said hello in the parking lot and I didn’t even know who she was until we were driving away! So if you live there and you see her, apologize for me and tell her that I was just being clueless, not rude! Next year I’ll try to be out there longer. I wasn’t even sure if anyone would be that interested in knowing I was coming, so I didn’t tell that many people. But everyone was very nice, and I had a great time! But geez, the kids all grew a foot I think!!!
Then we drove down to Burger Corner because I wanted to see the damage (and I got to see the new WalMart as well). It was stunning to see a building so far from the river really with a water line half way up its side!!!! That was some flood!
Then John and I went to lunch at Lazy Jane’s in Madison. It was a great place! We ate upstairs, where it was like eating in someone’s living room! They had lots of couches, etc.
Went over to see Carla and Julia (and Amanda, Carla’s sister) for a little while until Sue got there. Julia talks clear as a bell and is a sweetie. She showed me her new shoes, which are pink Dora shoes. I told her that pink’s my favorite color, and it’s hers too!
When Sue and Joe and Annie came, we went to lunch at the Grumpy Troll. The food was great! I had something with a silly name but it’s really a mushroom swiss burger. I also had Grumpy Chips or something like that, which were also tasty. Then we walked around beautiful downtown Mt. Horeb. OK, not for long. But still, it was great to see each other!! I gave her the birthday presents that I didn’t send in February (oh, and the card) and I got to see Joe’s graduation photos. It’s nice that I’ve been in touch with them over the course of the year. It was great fun to see them again!
By the way, I’m writing this with a cat on my shoulders and the back of my neck. Sammy insists on laying there while I type! I keep moving him off, and then he climbs back on again. In the meantime, Betty is in bed sick.
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