Wedding Day

A catholic church wedding followed with a military send-off - very cool.  My parents look quite at ease in this photo, and the fellow officers appear to be holding their positions in step.  I like this style of a send-off.  I think it could be rather clever to recreate this for their 50th wedding anniversary.  I also should find out what church this is - it makes me realize I do not know where my parents got married.  My mom was from Salem, and dad from Spokane.  They met at Gonzaga University, and today are still faithful Zag fans. I have some research to do.  And with that I want to challenge others out there - find out a bit more about what is going on in your old photos.  If the people in them are still alive, scan the photo and ask them about the scene - I promise you will most likely learn something new!

House #3

I lived in three different houses growing up. The first house I remember just slightly. The second house we lived in until I was nine, and then we moved from Seattle to Kennewick, WA. This is the house I lived in until I went to college. I think this photo was taken within the first year or so, it was a new house, and the landscaping still looks a bit bare. I do not have any emotional attachment to this house.

This past summer we drove through the Tri-Cities on our way to Idaho so I thought it would be fun to show the kids the house I grew up in (my parents had moved from this house before my kids were born).  Navigating there was simple, funny how you do not forget things like that, but as we approached the house at the end of the cul-de-sac I was somewhat saddened. It was not what I remembered. The house looked poorly maintained and there were larger campers, trucks and boats parked on the properties and in the street. The kids looked unfazed, but I was not happy, so we drove around to the back side of the house (there was another street that allows you to access the home from the back). We parked the car and the kids looked over the fence in to the yard. They thought it was cool that we had a pool and a big yard, but I saw things differently - maybe I am, after all, a bit more sentimental about house #3 than I initially suggested..

The Great Grandparents

This photo took me back. I must say I was probably 7 or 8 when this photo was taken. My clearest memory of my Great Grandparents is actually just of my Great Grandma. She was in a nursing home in Mt. Angel and I remember hating the drive to get there - the roads were windy and I had a weak stomach (still do). The nursing home was sterile and white and not welcoming; and because my Great Grandma had Alzheimer's I questioned why we were even visiting. But I also remember running around in the large acreage surrounding the nursing home, the green grass and fresh air.

I am the one in the colorful striped dress, right next to my Great Grandma. I do not think I look too happy, but in this photo I do know that both my Great Grandparents were living together in their home. My Great Grandpa took care of things, but when he passed my Great Grandma was not able to safely care for herself and her home.

At this point I would like to  introduce my only sister - she is in the pink dress and is 4 years younger than me. She looks just like her 4 year old daughter in this picture. My quick observation would be to say she looks just as uncomfortable as I do - look at how we are holding our hands. Clearly this is a large family celebration how come we are the only kids up front? Were we told to stand there? I will probably never know - and there in lies why we need to make sure our photos get saved and our stories shared.

Paternal Grandparents

Grandma & Grandpa Perko, I miss you a lot. It has been 35 years since you celebrated your 50th wedding anniversary. I remember the party and the festivities but I was way to young to comprehend what it would be like to be married for 50 years. I have so much to say, and am on emotion overload, but I cannot put it on paper right now. I have so many wonderful photos of you to share so there will be lots of time to talk. I wish you the same happiness in heaven that you had on earth. May God always bless you. Love, Rita

First Child

It's a Boy! My mom and dad look extremely proud holding their first child. I remember holding my first born too, except my hospital gown was significantly less colorful, and my husband was not dressed in white scrubs.  I assume my mom brought a housecoat from home.  I did not think to do that, nor was I wanting to be in any picture at the hospital.  I must say the joy on their faces is pure and genuine, at 23 they were young parents.  Not sure I would have known what to do with a newborn baby at 23!

My brother was born on the base in Fort Lewis, Washington. My dad was officer in the Army at this time, and my mom, a degree in hand as a teacher, devoted her life to being a stay at home mom. I am blessed that my parents are still both alive, and very healthy.  I wonder what they would say if I asked to have them comment on the picture.  I won't, not because I don't want to share, but because I want to surprise them and turn these posts into a book to give them when they celebrate their 50 year anniversary in 18 months.

Maternal Grandparents

When I pulled this photo I could not help but smile.  There are so many stories just waiting to be told.  This photo was clearly about capturing a photo of my grandparents, however, it is the house that really resonates with me.  This mansion, framed by white pillars was a magnificent playground. There were dozens of bedrooms and two TV's and a each time we made our annual Christmas time visit we were welcomed by our cousins and aunts & uncles.  I am not sure when we stopped traveling to Salem to celebrate Christmas, possibly when the families (of the 9 children) started getting to vast to fit in the house, but the memories are vivid and for that I am thankful.

My grandma is now 92 and she is awesome.  She is healthy and witty and fashionable to boot.  My grandpa died many years ago from ALS.  ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.  My grandpa was diagnosed and then passed about 6 months later.  My memories of my grandpa have faded, which is sad, but seeing him here in front of their house is comforting.

In my last post I talked about looking deeper into photos to see the details, and along that line I just want to mention the distance apart my grandparents are standing.  My grandpa seems to be smiling and my grandma looks a bit stoic...I wonder what their relationship was like...I probably will not ask my grandma about this but I will ask my mom - it is a story I have an opportunity to learn more about.  Is there a story you are wondering about?  Learn about it before the storyteller is no longer around.

Day 2

It is Christmas of '68 and my brother, who is 13 months older is not happy. I speculate that he has to give me a present and this is not what he thought Christmas was all about. My dad seems to have quite a stern look in the photo too - I wonder what he is pondering. I appear completely pleased with the situation and to top it off my dress is quite stylish!

The stories in old photos are in the details that are not the focus -- for example, I see a wagon, a flocked tree, and a monkey barrel on the couch. I loved playing with monkeys in a barrel!  My kids (12 & 14) would have no idea what that was - I wonder what happened to that toy?  What photo will you dig out of your shoebox today? 

Debut

It occurred to me as I rifled through thousands of photos in shoe boxes that there were stories not told, forgotten faces, and overall details of our families lives that were literally fading away.  Do you also have shoe box stories? What about carousels of slides?  I often correlate the "If walls could talk" saying, to our old photos and movies - what stories would we learn, what part of our history have we lost?

The shoe box stories will share a photo a couple times a week - and if I know the story I will share, and if I don't I might make one up - who will know the difference?

So this is me - when I was 3.  I contemplated starting with baby pictures and moving forward but instead decide to pull a photo from the middle of the box - after all I am a middle child. I don't mind the lawn chair in the background to me it says this photo was intended as a candid shot - a happy 3 year old.  I will note, however, it is a little funny to have a short-sleeved turtle neck on in the summer, that is a look that makes me smile.  And that is it - there is my first shoe box story.