1982 Again and The Big Sort

Here is our family photo taken the same day as the larger group family photo I shared the other day.

Yes the dog is in this one.  The cranky old photographer said “Yes that dog can be in the photo but I don’t fuss with animals.” So Snuffer just looks like a pile of fur facing the wrong direction.  I liked that photographer until that day.

The sort continues… progress is slow. ( I should not READ everything.) I did a big sort of family genealogy papers…Far Guy has a good bunch of Family History all in one place now (was that even on my original list?) I have asked a cousin on his Mother’s side of the family to share the Canadian/English History. 

I managed to get a couple of obits typed up…ran into a name problem…Almeada Clara was really Clara Almeada according to her obituary and funeral pamphlet…so I made that edit at Find A Grave.  I wonder what her birth certificate says….census records say Clara A.  Finding that info lead me down two different rabbit holes….and still no birth record…but I found one for her husband in Canada.  All this time I thought he was born in Wellington County Eramosa Twp …wrong it is West Luther Twp…I saw the record of birth online…it also said he was born on Jan 27…family history/find a grave/obituary says Jan 26.  See now I have more questions that I bargained for.  That is what happens some days.

Our weather is lovely …sunny and in the 30’s F…we sat outside ysterday…and it felt good.
 

Flashback to 1982

I am still in the process of sorting and organizing.  I should be ashamed of myself for tucking so many things away in different places.  I will blame it on the three moves between 1995 and 1998 and putting “stuff” into storage several times.

Yesterday I found a piece of heavy cardboard in a drawer, tucked inside were many old 8 x 10 photos. Now they are on my desk to be scanned. They will make good blast from the past blog fodder.

We gathered at the top of the hill overlooking Straight Lake at my parents resort (Bass Bay).   Mom had hired the cranky old photographer from town.  He really didn’t take his time to get good photos.

The year was 1982.  At this time my parents had six grandchildren. My Mom is holding Katie (6 months old) and Dad is holding Benjamin (2 months old).  Jennifer (age 7) is sitting uncomfortably on the edge of the two lawn chairs.  Trica has her eyes closed (age 10).  Our dog Snuffer is running around someplace…irritating the photographer.

Back row: Julie (my sister), me, Far Guy, Jody (my other baby brother) She who sees Robin’s first with Josh (age 2), Beth and Carey(my baby brother) holding Kirk (not quite 2).
This summer will mark 35 years since this photo was taken.  It seems impossible…but the calendar doesn’t lie.

Wistful Wednesday: Cake Week

There are three of us with September birthdays. Years ago there were just two of us…then along came Adam to join us.  His birthday is at the beginning of the month and I have not blogged about him because I wanted a new photo!

This is what we used to call “Cake Week” and it seems to be coming up faster every year.

Here is a cake and a child almost 33 years ago.  It is not her birthday quite yet a few more days…not mine yet either.

Jennifer and I in 1982 when she was 7 and I was 31…goodness was I ever that young?  It looks like a cake with clowns and balloons and seven candles.  Isn’t Jen cute?  Her haircut  suits her…we were lucky enough to find one fellow in all of Moorhead Minnesota who could give her a decent haircut and he cut her hair for years.  I cannot remember his name but I can see him plain as day…silvery hair and quite handsome and he owned his own hair salon. (Dwayne’s House of Beauty maybe?)

Jennifer would have been in First Grade at George Washington School, I should remember her teachers name…but it has escaped me….no face to go with a name either. ( All that info is in Jennifer’s School Days Scrapbook at  her house.  See if you make a scrapbook it is okay to forget a few things. )  I cheated and looked it up in her baby book…I still have that.

Mrs. Fridgen was her teacher and I wrote:  Jenny is very interested in Math.**  She can tell time, count money, write numbers to 200.  She can read quite well but doesn’t like to read.  She can spell some words~ she spells them like they sound.  Mrs. Fridgen said “Jenny really enjoys life.”   Jenny likes school but it is hard for her to get up in the morning.  Jenny took an after school dramatics class and enjoys art, coloring and drawing.

Jennifer and her Grandmothers.  My Mom(age 53) on the left and Far Guy’s Mom ( age 68) on the right.  Jen must have wanted to see the photo and her Grandfather H.  obliged…he loved that Polaroid Camera. (Those bigger than a boat spectacles must have been in fashion!)

The photo was taken at Far Guy’s Parents home in Park Rapids.  They are standing in the dining room, through the doorway I see the strawberry wallpaper in the kitchen and yellow curtains above the sink.

**Jennifer hates Math and loves to read! She has changed a little in 33 years!