I love this picture because it shows me happily playing the piano... or at least messing around on the piano. It was around this period of time... age 10 or 11, that I remember my siblings hollering at me a lot, to STOP playing! Over the years I have had so much enthusiasm for the instrument, that it is an amazing thing... that I play so poorly. Memories of Lessons: Age 7, I was nervous riding my bike to Grinnell College for my first lesson with Dr. Goodbro. I got lost and cried. But he was gentle and kind and I was in awe of his 2 grand pianos. At age 15 I begged my parents to let me take lessons again. My friend Jenny and I took lessons together from Mrs. Dixie Bullock. Her name sort of amused us, but it was Ms. B's growling stomach that gave Jenny and me giggle fits, in the middle of our duets.
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I don't like fog when I'm driving or when I crave sun. But I love the cool, mysterious look of fog in the morning. This was taken 2 years ago, in Washington, Missouri. We wandered down by the river and watched some boats moving slowly by, like sea creatures. Fog Memories: Waiting for the early morning fog to lift off the beach in California... Running at dawn on a foggy morning towards 2 billowing creatures, who turned out to be women in colorful saris... Driving through Rocky Mountain National Park and missing all the scenery due to fog... foggy rides on the Staten Island Ferry as a kid... chasing the "bug truck" with its smelly bug killing fog!
This is a mighty happy photo from the summer of 1990. Don and Scott were cooling off in a colorful blowup pool, but a sprinkler or hose could have done the trick just as well! Pool Memories: Learning to swim at the late age of 9 at the SMS pool in Springfield, MO... Balmorhea, TX State Park's 1.75-acre fresh water swimming pool with fish... My 4th date with Don to go lap-swimming at an indoor pool in January...
I love old county courthouses. Texas has a lot of them. Of course for some, a courtroom image brings more fretting than laughing. But this photo scene makes me smile. I took the photo in 2012, when visiting Monroeville, Alabama. It was in this very courtroom that Harper Lee watched her own father, during trials. This interior was used to design the Hollywood set for the trial scenes in "To Kill A Mockingbird". Those scenes were not happy ones, but as a child I adored watching Scout as she peered down from the balcony. Courthouses I Love: The old St. Louis County Courthouse, framed by the Arch... Caldwell County Courthouse in Lockhart, TX... International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands... Court scene in 1947 version of Miracle on 34th Street!
This may be a serious picture of my First Communion, but it makes me chuckle. It was such an important event, as you can tell from my solemn expression on the front row. But I was giddy inside, knowing I was wearing a veil and that my new white bible and rosary were tucked inside the purse on my arm. It was even okay that my white dress was the only one without a poofy petticoat. (Mom dressed me in more rickrack than ruffles) I love having this photo to remember one of the landmark events from my growing up years. Landmark Photos I Wish I Had: PIcs of any school performances, Riding a bike for the first time, My first birthday, Any school graduations, Photos of me and sibs moving into any of our many homes, Photos of me with any of my teachers, First date...lol!
Any kind of arch is a pleasing to stare at, but I'm partial to this one! This arch makes me long for St. Louis, where my mom grew up. I didn't move to the city with the Gateway Arch, until I was 18. But I met Don there and our kids were born there. Even though I took this photo at sunrise, the day before Mom's funeral, it still makes me happy to see it. Mom had such an appreciation for every tiny part of St. Louis. She taught me to love it! Pleasing Arches: Rock arches in nature, Bridges arching over the water, Arched windows and doors, Famous monuments like Arc de Triomphe... and how delighted I was as a kid, to spot those Golden Arches holding up that wonderful building, where burgers and fries awaited!
It's hard to tell that Heidi is holding a soggy cone in this photo, but her blue ice cream is clearly all over her face. I don't remember what she was looking off towards in this photo, taken in Michigan n 1988. But I do remember moments before, she had been chasing her grandmother with her drippy cone. Grandma was wearing white and giggling frantically as she dodged the silly girl's attempts to dab her with the cone! Best Summer Ice Cream: When we'd hear the music of the ice cream truck and dash out with coins... ice cream at night, near any kind of fountain.... sitting on a porch with a cone.... AND! My favorite routine as a kid, stirring and stirring my ice cream in a bowl, as if I were preparing batter. Then sampling over and over to see if it was just right. Then "Oops! It's all gone!"
For someone who doesn't really care about what kind of car I own, I can get pretty darn enthused when I spot an old vintage car. We actually came upon these cars parked near an old covered bridge in Iowa... where Bridges of Madison County was filmed. I was just as excited about these hefty, colorful vehicles as I was about the sweet old wooden bridge! What's to Love? Their faces! Old cars have the best... Big ole steering wheels, that my grandmother could barely see over... Colors! If they've been spiffed up over the years... Big doors, that seem to make entering the car so festive... Space! So much room, especially if you're a kid, before seat-belts and you can climb into a nice hiding place!
Don and I often travel with a prop or two to enhance our adventures. This was taken a year ago when we were met up with Jennifer & Kate to hunt for some Oklahoma property owned for generations by my family. It was no easy task and we knew we'd need to celebrate our find, if we were successful. We brought along a few bonnets, cowboy hat and boots (think Oklahoma Land Run) and champagne! This pic also reminds me of just yesterday, when Don delighted me with a Happy Shirt to accompany me to my first chemo. I love costumes and props for everyday adventures. Travel Props: Harmonicas, when traveling near the Mississippi River... Retro apron when renting a vintage trailer... Tiki mugs, if staying anywhere tropical, Baseball when visiting the Field of Dreams film location in Iowa... Lots of Western clothing when visiting Cody, Wy...
I doubt I'll have any tonight, since I'm starting chemo today, but I can still enjoy the idea. This was the view from our room at an eco-lodge in Guatemala, last year. We only had a few nights but it was the most peaceful place I think I've ever been. It's hard to beat this wine and sunset combo for memories. Others? Big Bend National Park in Texas, when the sun dropped right into the an opening of rock, called "The Window"... Sitting & sipping on the porch at Grand Canyon's North Rim Lodge is hard to beat... Adirondack chairs on the porch at Pere Marquette Lodge, looking down the hill to Missouri River and sun... Anytime, sitting at sunset on our own patio with family!
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Happy List
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