Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Digging through Old Pictures

I've been digging through stacks of old photos these past couple days looking for specific ones my sister needs for a project she's working on.

It took me longer than I anticipated because there are hundreds of pictures, and some I forgot I had and they brought back memories that I had to sit and think about.  Some were just good for a laugh. 

Here's a few I found of me taken 'back in the day'.  Feel free to laugh.


This is me when I was six.  We were all dressed to go to my sister's Christmas concert.  Mum had washed my hair and put millions of pin curls all over my head.    When it was combed out, you can see where Mum tried to make nice smooth curls, but it mostly just went frizzy.  My hair was pin straight back then.  On a positive note, I loved, loved, loved that dress.  It was yellow with little white flocked dots all over it and the belt was a blue velvet ribbon.   I wish Mum had kept it for me to dress my little girls in.  I would even have put pincurls in their hair and taken a picture of them too! ;)



Fast forward 13 years.  I was now a single working girl, living in an apartment with three other girls, two of whom were to become my sisters-in-law.  I had a pet budgie who I used to let out of his cage.  He would sit on my head, or shoulder, or book, or whatever I was holding.  And would you look at those glasses - I started wearing them when I was 18, just for reading, and got the most fashionable ones I could afford.  Look at those upswept points! Really cat's eye glasses.  I wouldn't be caught dead in them now.



 I was 20 or 21 in this picture.  For some reason I was determined to get, and play, a banjo.  When one of my boss' post doc students asked me if I'd type his thesis for him, I used the money he paid me to buy this lovely instrument.  I took two lessons, realized I'd have to practice a lot, and quit.  I think we eventually sold it at a garage sale.  Oh well.  It was a good photo prop.



I went home to visit Mum and Dad the summer I was 20.  Dad had bought a pool table and he and my brother would play every chance they had.  I had to try too.  I don't think I ever got a ball in the pocket (except for the white one!).  See that glass-fronted bookcase at the left of the picture - the one with my sister's high-school graduation picture on it?  That was in our home for as long as I can remember.  I occasionally had the job of dusting it, inside and out.  It is now in my home, and I love it.  Dad always had books in the bottom three shelves, while Mum kept some knick-knacks  and fancy glasses on the top shelf.  That's exactly what I've done with it in my home.  One of my daughters has already spoken for it so it'll be in the family for a long time to come.  I don't know what happened to the pool table.


Now isn't this the most glamorous shot you've ever seen!.  I was 23 and 8 months pregnant with our first son, Rob - a very exciting time in our lives.  Now, see those two owls in the lower left corner?  They were the start of my owl collection.  The big one was Hoot and the smaller one was Screech.  I was better at naming my kids than I was at naming owls.  I was so excited when I brought Hoot home when I was still living in an apartment with my roommates.  When I brought him in the door, his head banged the door frame and came off!  I managed to glue it back on and he 'lived' with me long enough to meet at least three of our children.  One of our moves did him in, and Screech soon followed.

You know what the great thing about pictures is?  It doesn't matter if you don't always look your best - they are real pieces of your life.  How much would I not remember if I didn't have photos to prompt my memories?  That's why I have so many, and why I don't mind sharing them with you, even if I look weird or wore weird clothes.  You should see some of the outfits I dressed the kids in! They looked good at the time, but oh dear! what was the fashion world thinking??

Pat

15 comments:

Chatty Crone said...

I really enjoyed those pictures Pat. Real life. And I think I had glasses very similar to yours! sandie

Bev said...

Wonderful memories! Cute Cute Cute pictures!!

just call me jo said...

I think those cat eye glasses are back in style. I had a blue dress with those flocked white dots. I loved it. One of my favorites ever. I think I still have it in a trunk somewhere. Thanks for sharing the memories.

TARYTERRE said...

Who hasn't seen a pregnancy from that angle? Loved Budgie and the banjo pics. You were such a sweet little girl. I remember wearing pincurls, big bows and beautiful dresses, too. For the record, I'd buy those glasses in a heartbeat. They are so retro. Just awesome. Photos blink our lives into permanence. We reconnect with old memories and keep the past alive for generations to come. Ain't life grand?

Mickey said...

Some I've never seen! I love getting lost in photos! Must be the time of our life that we're getting so nostalgic! Like the pregnancy photos. I think I have one of each of my unborns!

Magpie said...

Oh, I love the pictures and you're so right about them being moments in time. I still love looking at old photos...especially of my kids.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Your pictures remind me of some times in my life too. I can spend hours and hours reviewing old photos. It seems that we took them at happy times and so they bring back all good memories. Hope your Wednesday is a wonderful one!

Granny Annie said...

My favorite dress was Navy blue dotted Swiss. My sister had the pink one. I was six when I wore it to the church annual Sweetheart Banquet. Yep, pin-curls for us always.

Yep, I had those same glasses.

College had me pictured holding a guitar and I gave up that potential career because all I could learn to play was the Winnipeg Whore.

Learned to play pool at 20 on my first husband's family pool table. Had never even heard of the game before.

Pregnant at 23 with my first child...a boy.

And I let my children wear very strange clothing.

Looks like we lived in parallel worlds.

Granny Annie said...

Oh and I almost forgot. I too had an owl collection until I got tired of everyone learning about it and all I got for presents on any occasion were owls!

Anonymous said...

Love the photos. I'm very jealous of that baby bump ...... mine was so small, I wore ordinary clothes (he may have been a small baby, but he's now six feet tall!!)

Sush said...

Pat, what fun to go down memory lane with you! Until I read your story I thought you were a real pool shark!
I love old pictures

Haf Dozen Reasons....... said...

Those glasses are so rad! Totally!
LOL
Fun to see old pictures!
Your post about your time with Anson was a tearjerker yet so heartwarming. You are such a great mom and grandma!!

Raindrops and Daisies said...

Hi Pat,

Your photos are great,
thanks for posting them.

x Fiona

Delena said...

Love these old pictures. Must dig up mine when I get back home.
Pat I am happy to tell you that you are the winner of my giveaway.
Please send me your mailing address I and I will send it to you from Yuma. My email is
delenaj2@gmail.com.
I will mail it Monday or Tuesday!

Desiree said...

You did not look at all weird! But, yes, we lived through some pretty grim fashions and wore some pretty awful hairdos in the day. I always think young folk have so many wonderful options today and feel cheated. I so enjoyed this trip down memory lane and particularly loved the picture of you with your banjo. What a funny story!