Happy Halloween

It's that time of year again and soon I will have pictures of our own Halloween to post. Pan has a new little (zombie) girl this year and I can't wait to see her in the yard instead of in one of my dining room chairs and sitting at the table. In the meantime, though, here is a photo of mom and dad at a costume party at one of the NCO clubs. I believe this one might be while we were stationed on Guam. And notice...Mom's shoes are off (again).

Mamma & Daugher lookalike days

When scanning in some of mom's pictures I remembered a similar pose by my own daughter. How cute is it..... And amazing how much she looks like her grandmother. Same delicate features and small face.

Brother time

Even big brothers can get in on the fun. But I wonder just how much fun it was for the younger boys being towered over by Petey who doesn't have to reach far to get the ball in the basket. Pawny is the one in the top photo with his back to the photographer.

More on crusin'

Well I didn't exactly pick this one for the boy factor. They just happened to be in it. But I picked it for the store. It doesn't exist anymore. How sad for us. And now just a little history on the place (and while it may not have filed for corporation status until 1968, this picture is proof that it was a viable business in the middle 50's):

Gulf Coast Mercantile Co. filed as a Domestic for Profit Corporation in the State of Florida and is no longer active. This corporate entity was filed approximately forty-five years ago on Thursday, October 24, 1968 as recorded in documents filed with Florida Department of State.

Cruising' and looking for girls

Or maybe it was the girls strolling that was doing the looking, since they were the ones with the camera. Interesting to think of your "mom" doing something like that. Guess my own kids will think the same thing about me one day. OR maybe not.

Toys for Boys

Nothing like watching your father and uncle play with your toys and I really thought the Bug was going to shoot fire right out of those eyes. But the boys look like they were having a great old time playing with Lincoln Logs (now, who remembers those?)

Beverly Crusher

Beats the fact that the Bug was tagged as Commander Riker, LOL.
You are Beverly Crusher

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A good physician and a caring parent. You are devoted to your children and to your occupation.

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Swingin' good time

The years have passed and Pawny has grown up. He is spending some time with us in California. Is he trying to teach the Bug to dance or is she trying to teach him? Either way, they look cute together. ddpuppies watches on from the back while, I try getting "down" to the right.

Cuppo' Java

That first cup of coffee in the morning to get your heart pumping. Just looking at the date, I can tell this was taken in Blytheville, just two years before the Bug was born (but if you want to be accurate, it is just 20 months). I still remember the credenza in the background. And all of us girls have a copy of that picture of dad. ddpuppies has it on a shelf next to her television. Mine's in a memory book. Don't know where Bug has hers.

A woman's work

Yes my mother was a working woman. At least while we were stationed at Blytheville. But I can remember her coming home for lunch. She would sneak in and while Linda (our babysitter) wasn't looking would eat the things from the lunch Linda fixed us that we didn't like. 

Let's play cowboys

Or maybe just head out for some target practice. That's Petey in the very back holding the rifle over his shoulder (I wonder if he was starting to think about joining the Marines even then) and Pawny on the far left aiming the rifle right at you. Added bonus is the 2nd boy from the right is JP, my father's youngest brother.

Touchdown

Pawny in his football uniform, taken in 1960. That would have made me 4 years old and he would have been a whole ancient 13 years of age. Okay 13 and a half, if you want to get technical about it.

Oranges

Petey, mom (aka Gypsy) and Pawny sitting by an orange tree which I am sure was in their yard. My grandfather had once won an award for his oranges. I'll have to dig out the newspaper clipping.

Fishing anyone?

My grandfather and uncles and this is no fish tale. Look at the size of it. Poor Pawney, the fish is bigger than he is. He had better watch out or he may be fish bait next time.

Who says you can't have fun

Looks like mom is on the losing end of this fight, LOL. She had better give up while she still has a head. 

Swingin' on a ... set?

Well, I almost said star, but that isn't exactly where they are at, is it? Speaking of which, I haven't seen any of these types of swingsets around anymore. Of course, my kids are grown, but I don't recall any of my grandkids or their friends having one. Mostly what I see the gym sets with swings, towers, etc.

The gang's all here

More people I don't know. Though you can see mom peering out from the back and my uncle in the cowboy shirt and gloves kneeling in the front. I wonder if my other uncle will be able to identify any of them. Hope so.

Cross Country?

Off they head, but we know not where... And yep, mom definitely is on a boy's bike, so it must belong to one of the brothers. I haven't looked at bikes in years. Are there still "girls" bikes vs. "boys" bikes or are they all uni-bikes now.

Friends and Neighbors

While I know my mom and her two brothers as well as mom's best friend standing next to her (whom I got to meet many years later when we were stationed on Guam as were she and her husband), I have no idea who the little girl (?) to the left is.

Biking is good for you

Looks like she might be headed off to work with the hairnet and apron on. But it appears as if she might be borrowing one of her brothers bikes. Or maybe not.

Ride'm up Cowgirl

Maybe I should have saved this one for Halloween. Her brothers must have really enjoyed her "borrowing" their cowboy gear, including the boots. Do cowboy outfits still come with gloves and boots these days? Do kids even play cowboys anymore?

Once it's over

I would love to know what she was thinking about as she gazed so thoughtfully into the coffee cup. Did she take her shoes off as she entered the house or did she already have them off in order to dance, as she was prone to do in later years? 

Pre-Dance Photo Op

All dressed up. For a school dance perhaps? I wish I had known that the negatives had survived so that I could have gotten them scanned in prior to mom's passing. Then we could have spent our weekends perusing them and maybe learning just a little bit more. Like who she went to the dance with.

Farewell to Sunflower

Well, they weren't leaving yet, but it was the last picture I currently have of Sunflower and it seemed fitting that it they be waving a fond farewell to us, at least until we can find some more.

Tiny Southern Town

Another of Sunflower. Shame the picture was double exposed, but ast least you can still see mom and her brothers as well as the town's name. I visited Sunflower in the mid-70's and the building in the right background was still standing.

Sunflower AL

Taken in the early 50's is mom with her two brothers visiting relatives in Sunflower, Alabama. I remember mom telling me that Sunflower was the first time she ever remembered going out of town.

Mom and us

Then dad took this picture of mom with us three girls. ddpuppies on the left, the Bug on mom's lap and there I am on the right. Great memories transpired in that house and I find that I regret that we now are getting it ready to sale. But I hope that the family that moves in will build their own wonderful memories to look back on.

More time passed

More time has passed but not much. Mom and dad sit on the porch of the house they just bought in Florida. Dad will be leaving for Thailand soon and they wanted to be settled in before that happened. The house has not changed much over the years, at least from the outside. Well, the yard is more filled in with plants and shrubs, although I don't think they ever had any luck getting grass to grow in the front yard. I'm willing to bet that I got to take this picture of mom and dad. Well it could have been ddpuppies as well. I'm sure one of us did.

Some time has passed

It's now years later and we three girls have joined their little family. We were living in California at this time and having one of the numerous picnics dad would drag us out to. We definitely got to see a lot of the north part of the state while we were there. We even headed over to Tahoe one weekend. And yes, that little blond haired imp is none other than the Bug.

On the way

In the car and on their way. Dad was stationed in Puerto Rico at the time and flew home to marry mom when she sent his ring back. Guess he was pretty serious about her. Shortly after the wedding mom flew down to P.R. to join him. 

A new life

The ceremony is over and they head out of the church to the start of a new life. A life that was to last over 49 years. Married on August 25, 1955, they remained together until my father's death in 2004. There were good times and bad times as there is in any marriage, but they loved one another. I'm happy to know they are together once again.