Instant Ancestors

BBBH dug out an old shoe box quite filled with old pictures.  A few of the photos had been labelled, most had not.  Beautiful has an excellent memory and she did a credible job identifying many of the snapshots, but some of the really ancient postcard mounts were beyond her ken.

As she called out names, I pencilled notes on the backs.  Occasionally I would find an unidentified character that I found interesting.  A probably not-too-productive activity for a hot summer afternoon, overall.

She did identify these three ladies as her aunts, sisters to her father.





This work crew reminded me of some highway department crews I have observed, less the horses and wagon, of course.

I remarked to her that the unidentified people should be placed in a separate box so that when she has her garage sale, (she is always "going to have a garage sale") she can vend them as "instant ancestors" to people who lack old-timey family photos and would like to have some!

Would you not just love to pass these charming children off as your
great-great grandparents?
















This fellow, frozen in time, may want cigarettes, or a chew.  Or perhaps he simply needs some ice.

My Sister Ilene...

eat your heart out, Emily Kimbrough.

A while ago, I was rummaging through a box of photographs from times past.  I came upon this photo of my sister, Ilene.  She is no longer a little girl, but rather a pretty grandmother.  She lives in New Jersey.  I don't get to New Jersey all that often, and in fact I have not been there since my sister moved to that area. She doesn't get to the Midwest often, so our visits are pretty much limited to electronic media these days.

It is possible that I have mentioned some of this on the blog, but it has been running for some time now, and my recollector isn't necessarily as proficient as it might be.  Ilene was born when I was thirteen years old.  As a proud brother, I had the fun of having a baby sister around.  The thing is, though, that I left home before her fifth birthday.  This meant that my relationship with her was limited in scope and growth to snippets of time, not all that frequent, when I visited the old homeplace, wherever that happened to be at the time.  I married when Ilene was eight and established a home of my own.  Thus it was that we didn't really get to know each other until we were both in our adult years.

Ilene, of course, went off to college, married, and established a home of her own.  Physical distance between us remained an impediment to growth of brother-sister relationship.  Well, we are neither one any longer young, but she is still my sister, a circumstance with which I am well-pleased!

Happy birthday to my little sister, Ilene!

As a little girl, Ilene playing with her dolls and imaginary playmates, could be heard singing, "Hollywood in my soul, and on and on and on!"  Indeed.  Ilene, retired now, had a career as a teacher of drama and a director of stage plays.  Of course, she's still involved, working with her community theatre.

Memorial Day, 2012

In honor of those who served; in memory of those who gave their all.

Photo, Memorial Day 1938 

Indiana Fall in Black and White

A long time ago, another time, but in this place, I shot a lot of black and white film. I processed the pictures myself. I never got really good at photography, but occasionally I got lucky and came up with a decent picture. This one has long been a favorite of mine. It serves here as a header to "Indiana Fall in Black and White."

This was the vechicle which I drove back and forth to work. It is already twenty-six years old at the time this picture was taken.

Hangers-on. The leaves don't all fall at once.

Hmmm. If we rake now, we'll have to rake again. Decisions, decisions.

Falling leaves. Serendipity, for one cannot simply "order" the leaves to fall in front of the lens.

My daughter's car in the driveway. If you can identify it you are a true "car geek."

Two gables. Jerkinhead gable; straight gable.