Queen B

Archive for the ‘Flashback Friday’ Category


Flashy Friday

In Flashback Friday on July 16, 2010 at 5:01 pm

I’ve got vacation on the brain.  With all of the planning and excitement and decisions to be made, it’s not surprising.  I truly can’t believe how much thought has to go into it!  I guess it’s just been so long that I had blocked that part out.  It’s so easy to only remember the good, isn’t it?  I was looking at the digital photos saved on my computer the other day and I came up with this little gem:

Which would have been taken on my LAST vacation.  Let me tell you, a few things that will be different this time around, starting with the exposed middle.  As I shove puffy cheetos into my mouth, I don’t have to wonder why I will never again be able to get that suit above my big fat knees.  I’m coming to terms with it.  Also…. notice the hair color?  Yes, it’s brown.  As in not grey.  If it would go back, without chemical “enhancement,” I would seriously swear off all snack foods in my repertoire altogether.  I wish to jeez that you could zoom in on that photo just to see that I was also wrinkle free, but since  you can’t, you’ll have to assume that I’m telling the truth.  I’m gonna go with calling them laugh lines, on account that I’m always so flipping happy.

This time around we are planning a mountain vacation as opposed to a beach vacation.  We will drive rather than fly.  We shall camp.  If a bear doesn’t get me, that fact alone may be enough to put my husband right over the edge.  I will not be packing any knives, axes, or blunt objects.

, , ,

Flashback found objects

In Flashback Friday on March 26, 2010 at 9:08 am

I have made an executive decision that there is absolutely NO REASON why I need to KNOW the people I am featuring on Friday.  Yes, it’s nice when I do know them, and maybe it’s nice if you know them as well.  Certainly I know plenty of people, and have plenty of lovely photographs of them.  Today I wanted to tell a different story.

As I mentioned previously, we are moving all of our old books from the basement to the room previously known as the Living Room, now lovingly changed into essentially the Library.  It sounds so serious and formal.  It isn’t, I promise.  When my son was home sick from school last week, I used that time to move many, many more books, because (as usual) the project was stalled at the half way point and I just wanted it DONE.  I love books.  I love old stuff.  I love looking through old stuff, most especially when I find treasures.  These books have it all.

First off, when you have someone’s entire library of books, and you go through each and every book, you end up connecting to the previous owner.  You learn about them through the books they kept.  I could probably tell a story about these people and their life based upon their books.  Seriously, they’re telling.  But really that’s another post.  Right now, I just wanted to show you what I found in one particular book.  National School Series, by Richard Greene Parker and J. Madison Watson, Published by the A.S. Barnes & Company, 1872.  The description of the book indicates that it is a textbook sufficient for work in advanced classes in Reading, Elocution, and English and American Literature.  The book itself is in pretty poor condition.  Some of the pages have been taped, the binding is peeling back from the front cover and the leather is literally worn off of the cover in spots, front and back.  It’s obvious that this was a book that was used, abused even.  Of course I had to open it.  It’s beautifully old, the pages are yellowed, and the text is fantastically old fashioned in the way it’s written.  Then, things started falling out.

I found this first:

Notice the one cent stamp, the lack of zip code or street address.  I’m not sure how old this envelope was, but I was so disappointed to find it empty.  The postal stamp reads simply Chicago ILL.  No date.  Still interesting to me though, in and of itself.  And then this photograph fell out from another page.

I wish to death that I knew the story behind this one!  Are the envelope and the photograph supposed to be together?  Is Mrs. Margaret Billups in the photograph, or related to the people in it?  I had to let my imagination go on this one.  The best part of all was when I started to inspect the book itself.  Among other things, I found this inscription in the last pages of the book:

Forget me not forget me never

When your bright sun is set forever

And i to you the same shall be

Farewell farewell remember me

Mary, Nov 3rd (illegible year)

Sweet, isn’t it?  Well, and a little sad too.  I don’t know if this was a stanza from within the text of the book, or if this is an original writing of Mary, but I’m so glad I took the time to poke around in this book, because it so easily could have been missed.  It is written in pencil, and is badly faded.  Mary’s words could have been lost forever, I’m so glad I didn’t overlook it!

Happy Friday everyone!  Try not to miss the small things.

, ,

The Happy Couple

In Flashback Friday, They're... family? on February 5, 2010 at 6:17 pm

If you knew my grandparents, you’re laughing at that title.  As much time as I spent with them, I wouldn’t exactly say that my memories of them were necessarily as a happy couple.  They were definitely a couple, committed until the end, but happy?  Such a strong word in this context.  Well, go ahead and just take a look at them.

I do admit that grandma is smiling in this one, but they were usually pretty stoic looking.  I don’t remember a ton of smiling and laughter, but maybe that’s just me.  By the time I remember, my grandmother was already having health problems, my grandfather Cal spent most of his time smoking in his recliner.  He had his own issues as well.  They bickered.  I loved them dearly, happy or not.  My grandma Kate would always hold my hand until I fell asleep.  They let me take showers for as long as I wanted.  We drank buttermilk with salt and pepper, and made deep fried donut holes for breakfast rolled in sugar.  She introduced me to the saltine cracker covered in butter and strawberry jelly that my kids have just this past month grown to appreciate.  I sat on the armrest between them in the car, and experienced the first car accident in my memory right there between them.  I always got to pick their ripe tomatoes planted by the fence.  They let me cut the lawn on the riding mower all by myself when I was way too young.  Their house was the half way point on my walk home from school.  They let me watch scary stuff on TV.

They brought the family together.

, ,

Friday Twofer

In Flashback Friday, Serious Fun, The then and the now, They're... family? on January 29, 2010 at 4:37 pm

Today is Flashback Friday, and I just had to share these photos of my basement from 1979. My kids think I’m a liar when I say we used to roller skate in the basement. They have so many toys and things down here that it’s hard to imagine it being open and empty enough to have a roller rink.

POW!!! And then there’s more….

POW!! POW!! Do you see that smile?

The first photo is my cousin Craig, grown up now to be a distinguished and successful (and one of the coolest I’ve ever met) businessman, and the second is my cousin Robin who grew up to work at the DMV. Hmmm. That doesn’t quite fit. Well, at least it isn’t the IRS.

I have to tell you a story about Robin. When I was a big time property manager (and I use that term loosely), I used to have to visit one of my properties way up in Waukegan. When I would be coming home (or back to the office), I drove past the DMV where she worked. One day I stopped in just to see her in action and say hello. You’ve been at the DMV. It’s sad, and grey, and the people working can be kinda…. well….. let’s just say abrupt. The people there to get a license aren’t any better. They’re irritable, and cranky, and bored, and somewhat annoyed because they are spending a perfectly sunny and otherwise pleasant day in the stale, colorless storefront that is the DMV. I remember thinking what a miserable place it seemed to be to have to work day after day. Not that I was super impressed with my full time gig at that point, either, but still. There was not one color in the place, not on the carpet, or the walls, or the seating. The blinds were mostly drawn on the windows, the people were expressionless, if they weren’t downright surly looking. I made a quick scan of the place to see if I could spot Robin without having to make too big of a deal by asking one of the unhappy greeters. Let’s just say it wasn’t too hard. Here is my happy, sunny, hippy cousin back behind a counter in the corner. Unmistakable. Beautiful blonde hair done up in a twist, big old smile on her face, laughing of course, wearing a fuzzy bright pink sweater to boot! She seriously shone like the sun in that place. There is no doubt that she was making the process a little bit brighter for the lucky ones who had to be helped in that corner of the DMV that day! I’m hoping she’s rubbed off a bit on her coworkers by now, but I’m not holding my breath.

Happy Friday everyone, I hope we all get to enjoy a bit of sunshine this weekend, even if it’s at the DMV.

, , ,

Two pounds

In Flashback Friday, Healthy shmealthy on January 15, 2010 at 5:02 pm

First and foremost, I have to say that I am annoyed.  I just barely squeaked down the last of the gallon of water before I went to bed last night.  Needless to say, I had to get up in the middle of the night.  So I woke up cranky this morning, wishing that I could just stay in bed.  Of course I couldn’t.  Annoyed.

I gained two pounds.  I think that if I put all the food I ate yesterday in a pile and weighed it, it wouldn’t have weighed two pounds.  Venture a guess that it might be… uh, I don’t know…. WATER WEIGHT?!!  So much for the magic water causing weight loss.  Annoyed.

I took my urine Ph and as much as I read online that the Ph of your water can’t change the Ph of your body because of something very medical and technical that I don’t understand which is going on in the stomach… I was at or very close to being at a Ph of 6.2 which is less acid.  Sorta irritating.  BUT, is it because I have dramatically increased the amount of my water intake, or is it because I have started taking in drastic amounts of this particular water?  I don’t know, dammit, I don’t know!!!  Do YOU know?  Can you explain it to me?  I rule out the placebo effect, because I am skeptical, right?  I didn’t go into this expecting it to DO anything.  I am trying to save my parents lots and lots o’dough.  It’s only day two. Maybe I will drop 20 pounds by tomorrow and my Ph will fluctuate wildly every day until the end of time.  I have no idea, but it’s bugging me.

In other news, work sucked today.  My boss fired one of the property managers, and regardless of my feeling on the firing itself, it made the office suck today.  It was eerily quiet, there was crying, and whispering, some swearing, and a couple of creepy comments, and drama and all that sort of stuff which makes for a crappy day.  Never a dull moment.  And then I remembered that I have a THREE DAY WEEKEND this weekend, and it made everything better.  Well, for me anyhow.  Martin Luther King is the MAN!!  Da Man?  Eh, forget it.  You know what I mean.  I’m so tragically unhip.

Oh… and it’s Friday!!!  Here you go:

Don’t say I never gave you anything!  I, of course, am the one making the funny face in the glasses.  An only child suffering from middle child syndrome for sure!  The other two hooligans are my (step-, again only for clarity’s sake) brother and sister.  This photograph was taken in December of 1974 at the Shriner Christmas Party if the back of the photograph is accurate.  That puts Mike and I at 4 and Kelli at 6 years old.  Check us out, rocking the 70′s Christmas garb.  Apparently there was only one pair of red socks between us.  I’ve got to step away from Christmas…

, ,

You thought I forgot?

In Flashback Friday on January 8, 2010 at 11:27 pm

Well… almost.  But NO, I didn’t.  I was laying on the couch, all comfy and warm with my faux fur blanket my aunt Joanie gave me, when I realized it was Friday.  I have been slacking in the Friday Feature department, so I hauled myself off of the couch to pick my photo.  It’s really the least I can do.  Truly, the absolute least.  Just so you know, now I’m cold, and my husband has very quickly taken over my spot on the couch AND my blankie.

Grandma Z

Who’s that, you ask?  Why that’s Grandma Z!!  Probably one of the silliest and happiest women I’ve ever had the pleasure to introduce to my kids.  She is the only one of my grandparents to meet both of my children.  CC misses her and talks about her to this day.  Yes, I do have a grandmother in Texas who is alive (and will be for quite some time, I might add), but she has never laid eyes on my little CC in person, that poor woman.  That face Gram’s making?  Pretty much sums her up.  She also used to dance in a little circle, wagging her pointer fingers in the air, if you can picture it.  That’s who she was!  Fun for the kiddies, full of wet kisses, just happy to see you.  This is my step-dad’s mother.  And just to clarify for those of you at home, I use the word “step” for clarification purposes only, because Pete is really my dad, the one who raised me, the one and only.  If I didn’t clarify, at some point you would start to wonder how in the HELL I have so many grandparents, assuming you’re paying attention.  There would be seven, for those of you who aren’t.

Happy Friday, almost Saturday, everyone!

, ,

Flashback Friday Potter Edition

In Flashback Friday, The little roomies on December 11, 2009 at 5:30 pm

Oh my gosh!  Once I start looking at pictures of my kids from “back in the day,” I might never stop.  Seriously, who can resist the cuteness?  It’s overwhelming.

Harry Potter and Hermoine

In case you didn’t notice, this is the infamous Harry Potter cape as previously discussed.  I knew that eventually I’d find it.  This photo was taken the night that the kids dressed up for the HP book release party at a local book store.  A. won the first copy from the store, free of charge.  On account of all the unbearable cuteness!  Funniest part of that night that you don’t see in this lovely photo is that my husband and I dressed up as well.  My DH was dressed as Snape (with a black wig and all…), and I dressed as Professor McGonogall.  Wait, isn’t she like ancient?  No matter.  Halloween be damned, we’ll take every opportunity to dress in costume.  No shame between the two of us whatsoever!

In case any of you are getting any bright ideas, it took over a week to get that black out of the boy’s hair.  I believe that the elementary school passed a no hair dye rule due in large part to our family.  Ahem.  Did I mention that in less than two weeks that precious little boy will be a teen?  Oh dear.  I’m maybe freaking out a little.

Happy weekend, everyone!  Whatever you’re doing, don’t get caught!


Flashback Friday

In Flashback Friday on December 4, 2009 at 9:40 am

I am loving the Flashback Friday, just so you know.  I love it that my parents left most of the photos at my house when they moved.  I think I’m going to ask for the rest of them, just for this purpose.  To share.  Every week now I go to the basement and browse an album for a new photo.  It lifts my spirits.

This week I selected a photograph of my dear second cousin Britt, who it just so happens recently bought her first place!  At one point she lived in this house like so many of the family, myself included.  Truly this home belongs to all of us.  I am feeling more and  more grateful every day that I was able to buy this house from my parents and keep it, it holds so many memories for so many.

This photograph is just so darned cute I couldn’t resist.  It seemed perfect for the holiday season that is so (scarily) quickly approaching.  Unfortunately the photograph wasn’t dated, so I can’t say how old she is, but she is as cute as a button.  She still has that adorable smile to this day.

Brittany at Christmas

Happy Friday, everyone!  Get ready to get your weekend on, with your bad self!


Flashback Friday

In Flashback Friday on November 27, 2009 at 9:05 am

It’s that time of the week again!

Lest you thought that every flashback photograph would be of my mother, I would like to  introduce you to my cousin Paula.  Always full of fun, only she has the guts to ask the horn guy to do this at the Arlington Million.  Those horn players are normally a bit stuffy.  This photo made me giggle, and that’s always a good thing.

This is just so Paula.  I love it.  I can actually SEE her personality in this photograph.

Happy Friday, everyone!  Get ready to get your weekend on, with your bad self!


Flashback Friday, Birthday Edition

In Flashback Friday on November 20, 2009 at 9:05 am

So I messed up.  I should have held off on Flashback Friday for a week or so.  Today is my mom’s birthday, her 60th.  I can hardly believe it, she certainly doesn’t look 60.  And no one thinks she acts 60, for sure.  But either way, it is what it is, and she truly is 60 years old today.

In honor of her day, I present you with the following photograph of my mom in full grandma mode.  Circa 1997, with the first born grandchild in the backyard of the home I currently live in.  Love is their eyes, they have been BFF from minute one.  Literally.

A grandma and her boy.

Happy Birthday Mom!  We love you so much.  I hope you have the best day EVAH!!

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 69 other followers