Toss, Toss, Toss

Spending the last few days going through our life in photographs, the printed kind, I managed to do a little cleaning out, tossing and tossing ones that I either couldn't identify or others that were just plain bad. Who knows why I've kept way out of focus photos for s long but now I've tossed them out and have just one more shoe box to go. What prompted this action, you ask? I was looking for photos of Carol to take with us when we go to California in but ten days for her memorial service.

Here's a very early one with me in the crib and our Mother presenting my new sister .

I was 18 months old and rocking a full head of hair!

But this post won't be about Carol, rather I found some gems that reminded me that I once was a very busy lady, with a houseful of boys, one of whom has a birthday today and that would be Jonathan, who is in my lap, amongst his new brothers.

As I type this, Bruce is in our newly remodeled bathroom, painting the 5" baseboard he installed yesterday. It's who we are, makers, and it goes way, way, back. That bookcase in the photo? Bruce made it. The couch we are on was upholstered by me. How we had time to do these things back then is beyond me, but we found a way. Folks of a certain age will surely recognize the World Books, which was Google before there was such a thing. Most anything you wanted to know could be found in those books.

While we are still thinking about me with a baby on my lap, here's a gem from Christmas 1979. Do I look tired or what?

The above is a square photo long before Instagram made square photos cool. "Nothing new under the sun" is what my late Mother used to say, and isn't that the truth? Re-imagined maybe, but certainly not new!

The good thing about our family is that each son had a place and by that I mean, unlike some families where the order ensures that some don't get quite the attention, in ours it goes something like this: first born, twins, baby. Looking through those photos there are plenty of each one of them which makes me happy. That said, oftentimes there are photos of most of the gang at once. And then there are the mystery photos of one of the twins that I cannot identify and did not do so on the back of the photo. Anyone's guess which one this is, nevertheless, I just love the hole in his underwear. Can you imagine that making the cut in today's world of over-styled photographs? Oh yes, and he is sitting atop the big play structure Bruce made.

And here's one that I love in spite of the exposed end. Probably I didn't wind the film back far enough?

They twins are sitting on that hideous couch, purchased used because it was long enough for almost all of us. They are sporting some home made pjs, and for sure this is David, holding his Sunshine Bear that I made. It is so interesting that the bears we chose still reflect their personality. Dave is still a pretty happy guy. I have no idea which twin this is, but the unbridled joy on his face swells my heart.

By now we had moved to our four bedroom home but the couch remained. Eventually I did have it reupholstered in a blue fabric to match the trim on the home-made curtains that at the time I thought were very nice. That's the thing about home decorating, what you love today you may not love tomorrow. As to our new bathroom, I think it looks super good, but will I in years to come? Time will tell.

Going back a long ways is this photograph of Main Street at Disney World while under construction.

Bruce's dad was the superintendent for both the Contemporary and Polynesian Hotels, and he brought us out to the construction site a few times. I think it is fair to say that at the time, no one could have predicted how much Disney would change the face of Orlando. Then too, in those days it was so far from town that most of us could not imagine going out there much, and as it turns out, we did not because it was far too expensive for this family.

Mostly we hung out at home, as evidenced by the photos in that box.

It's a shame this one is so bent up because it is definitely one of my favorites.

Back to the birthday boy, there are countless photos of Jonathan sitting in this chair at the computer. The only thing that changes is how big both the computer and he are.

From the looks of it this was before a big party at our home. Jonathan and his long suffering friend Ryan were inseparable in those days. Ryan had more patience with Jonathan than I did, driving him to school at Boone and having to WAIT for him every single morning. I had just taken a full time job to pay for the twins at college and wasn't home to hound him! For sure that is Bill.

And just as Jonathan couldn't have made it without Ryan, when I was a young mother of twins, I could not have made it without the neighbor's granddaughter, Sherry, who never tired of keeping the twins busy while I did my best to keep our home together.

More often than not, it was just me with the boys because my dear husband had to work two jobs to keep our family going.

And he did, as did I. Our sons grew,

and grew,

and grew.

Remember recently I mentioned Bruce's folks throwing us a 25th wedding anniversary party. The above would be the time.

I just finished reading a memoir by the celebrated photographer Sally Mann, entitled Hold Still, in which she doubts that photographs can really be a true representation of a person. Having nearly completed my fifty year journey through our lives, I disagree. In more photos than not, I see my family's personality coming through big time, even in those photos that I don't initially like. I remember that I nearly threw the one below away, but looking at it now, through the lens of time, it clearly says a lot about personality.

Then again, I wish Jon boy's eyes were open!

The good news is that I found loads of Carol pictures to share with her friends in California. I know they will love seeing her as a young woman-- going to the Oscars with Bill, one of her first art shows, a gallery opening, and even one in the bathtub with me when we she was only three.

So, while I did do some serious tossing, I've got loads left that all bring back fond memories. And isn't that what photos are all about?

your friend,

Gail

Looking Through the Shoeboxes

In spite of that adorable picture I posted of Jon boy in my last post, to tell you the truth, he was quite the rascal. Ask his brothers, if you don't believe me, however, they might say unkind things which really don't need to be said. Take it from me---he could be a hand full.

So much so, that to go along with that sewing room photo, I went rummaged through photos this morning looking for one that may have been taken later that same day. Sadly I could not locate it, but it depicts string, lots and lots of string, that he has roped around everything in the room with a big grin on his face. Wonder where it went?

Looking through old photos--who doesn't like doing so? I have four shoeboxes full, I suppose loosely, one for each decade of our married life? Thinking of it in another way, one for each son? I, for one love seeing our life in photographs, especially because there are only about three professional shots in the bunch--the rest are candid. Sing your life? You bet.

Let's do some looking together, shall we? Here is Bruce not long after we began going steady in 1968.

Sorry for the blurriness. He's standing alongside our family station wagon parked in our driveway. Note the VW bug in the background!! Then too, this brings back a funny memory---because our brother Pat was serving in Viet Nam, the lawn mowing was left to us girls, more specifically me. Even back then Bruce was super sweet, and being the gentleman that he was, he mowed the lawn in my stead. Except, that darn mower got away from him, and ran into the chrome rocker panel on the bottom of my Mom's car!! Anyone who knew our Dad will think of this next bit as classic Tom Price. He only slightly let Bruce off the hook, by making him buy the part (around $11 as B recalls), and not charging him for the labor! I'm still chuckling at the recollection. :)

A few years later, make that 1971, here is a shot of us when we were going to the prom. My dress, homemade. Then too, note that long before Instagram, photos were often square.

I think I may have shown a version of this before but, really, it's worth showing again to see how cute Bruce was!!

Have you ever wondered what Walt Disney World looked like under construction? Now's your chance to see Main Street when it was still dirt! Bruce's Dad was a Superintendent for American Bridge, building both the Polynesian Resort, and the Contemporary Hotel. We got a sneak peek.

Speaking of Tom Price, here's another classic--he wore those boots everywhere, except for work, including with shorts!

This was taken in 1971, after we had moved to Melbourne. The line up goes thusly---Dad, Mom, Pat, Maureen, Gail, Carol, Nancy, and Lisa. I only wish Lisa's bell bottoms weren't cut off! And, of course, that it were not so faded. I suspect my Dad set up a tripod to take this one? It was not long after this that I left home to attend x-ray school. Then, not too long after that, I was a married woman. Here's a shot of me when I was 21, but I look about 12!

Can you guess what I was doing here? Painting the bathroom of our first home!!! You're not surprised are you? B and I spent six weekends painting the outside, before moving to the interior--my house painting career began on Hargill Street.

Matt was born on Hargill Street, however, when he was one year old, we moved to California, then moved back to Florida a year later. We found a house for the three of us, however, before we could move in, I discovered I was pregnant. Fast forward about three months, and I discovered we were having twins! Bill and Dave were born on April Fools Day in 1979. Here I am on Christmas of that year, looking pretty worn out. Adding insult to injury, I see I'm sporting a cold sore!! Look at those toys on the hall floor!! Look at that carpet!!

Look at those twins!! That was some lapful, wasn't it? Here's my sister Nancy, with Matt, and the twins when they were around the same age as above.

Have you seen strollers these day? Looking like little space ships they are so complicated. There's a funny story I've told countless times regarding this stroller. B & D were rascals themselves, so much so, I ended up getting harnesses to keep them in the stroller. So, they were not only rascals, but clever as well. Or maybe not. One day I was shopping, and had my back turned for probably not very long, when I turned around to see the stroller in a tug of war, if you will. Both of the boys had climbed out while wearing their harnesses. One went one way, and vice versa. Those were the days! Furthermore, this is super weird--one day while walking the boys in the above stroller someone asked me, "aren't you glad you didn't have Siamese twins?" In today's language, cojoined twins. Anyway, how does a person respond to such a stupid question?? I will say, 35 years ago, twins were very unusual, nothing like today, so people stopped me all of the time to see them. At the time, identical twins accounted for 3 in 1,000 births. No telling what it is today.

Then along came Jonathan, four years later. On the back of this photo I wrote, Jonathan loving Matthew, 10/84.

This was in the kitchen of the same home pictured above with Nancy. You can barely see it, but this most recent time painting the kitchen cabinets was not my first. I did the ones in this kitchen using oil paint. DO NOT ask me how I pulled that off with four little children in the house because I have no idea!  Here's another shot of that ugly as sin carpet with all four of our tow heads on Matt's 8th birthday.

No comments on the couch please! I love everything about the boys in this photo, with their silken blonde hair all askew. The twins are wearing home made pjs.

And in this photo, taken for our church's directory, I'm wearing a home made blouse.

I'm pretty sure it is David on my left, although I'm never certain looking at old photos. Anyway, both the twin in the front, and Jonathan, are wearing shirts I made. There's that perm again!

I seemed to have come across a number of Jon boy photos--here he is oblivious to the weather, wearing a long sleeved shirt, shoes and socks, and a diaper.

Probably snuck out of the house before I could get his pants on! At least he's wearing a rain coat in  the one below. By now we'd moved into a four bedroom home giving this big family a little breathing room.

I'm super glad I have this photo because not only is it cute of Jon boy, but it also shows my white station wagon which in itself has quite the story. I think it was David who went with me when I was trying to sell it, meeting a potential customer in the parking lot of a Marriott on International Drive. The paint on this car peeled pretty significantly and we were later to learn that it was the subject of a recall. We did our best to make it presentable, not knowing about the recall. B. did some sanding, and then hit it with some spray paint, or so I recall. Seeing the paint job the man exclaimed to me, "Gail, it looks like someone took a Brillo pad to this thing. " I was embarrassed to say the least. Aside from that story I can't recall how we got rid of the car....

Matt and I were talking the other day about photography and the limitations that come with it. While I am super glad we have digital photography today, I am also glad it was not around when we were raising our family. No fancy photos, just everyday life, and how we lived it. There's something to be said for shoeboxes full of life. :)