Friday, June 05, 2009

Welcome to the Gang



It was over 40 years ago that Omega came into our family. This is the Motley Crew that greeted her arrival. Since I am so broke and really can't afford frivolous things such as real birthday cards any longer, I make my own by gluing photographs to blank cards.

I love this picture I dug up the other day. At first glance it is just a picture of five of us six kids and my Dad. As I really look at the photo I see so much more. First, when I dream about my Dad this is the way he appears to me 90% of the time. Young, happy, smiling, in black wing tips. I see my little sister dressed like a doll, she was the apple of my Grandmothers eye. In later years she and Omega would be dressed alike in dresses made by my Mom. My Grandmother, or Nana as we called her, taught my mother to sew on an old Singer sewing machine that still sits in the family room of Mom's (and Dad's) house though it no longer works. Just a relic that I am thinking of asking for and having repaired sometime in the future, hopefully when I land a job. Nana also taught me how to sew and the dress I am wearing in this picture she actually made with me! I am also wearing gladiator sandals, which I adored and loved and wore everywhere until I wore them out. My youngest brother is in the front, hogging the camera and since my Mom always took pictures with the sun behind her, we are either squinting or closing our eyes. My two other brothers are known as Irish Twins, born with-in 11 months of each other. They both wore glasses and had to have braces. How I lucked out with good eyesight (until I hit 40!) and relatively straight teeth is just pure Irish luck. Though one of my Irish Twin bro's threw a baseball at my face, a wild pitch, and broke my front tooth when I was in 6th grade. I'll never forgive him for that! Never!!

I loved that station wagon. It was a ford something or another and we had it for many many years. It had a super engine in it, since it was a Ford, maybe a 454. Joe could tell me, but he is not here. I do know that thing could fly! We would get it up to 100 miles per hour (we were teenagers!) and make the usual hour trip to Louisville in, oh, 30 minutes. I would always take the Station wagon for the drive through town, which was a loop from one Convenient store on the South side of town to the Dairy Queen on the other end of Main street. You would honk and wave at every one you knew who were also cruising the Main Drag. The station wagon was good for piling lots of bodies inside.

I can not place where we are, though it looks like the campus at UK with the dormitories in the back ground. What we would be doing there is also a mystery. I may show (give back) the picture to my Mom prod her memories. It could be the Airport.

I scanned this picture and then transferred it to a SD card so that I could print off a copy. It did not come out so good, so I went with my next selection...



.......... Omega in the Tweetie Bird pj's talking on the telephone. Omega was a precocious child, calling her much older friends at an early age.

I think she will like it. I think she will enjoy it much more than a store bought card. And I can not find the card of the little kid asleep (passed out) on the floor with an empty wine bottle clutched in his hand.

5 comments:

Lulu LaBonne said...

That's a lovely post, I really felt for you after reading the last one, I'm a stepdaughter and a stepmother so I know those intense feelings from both sides and can imagine how difficult it must be for you.

Nelle said...

Our childhoods have SOO much in common. I was in fifth grade when the youngest of our family, David, was born. I am nearly twelve years older. I also had a dress similar to yours that I made and we had a similar family station wagon. I am second from the oldest and there are 3 boys and 2 girls. The 3rd, bob and 4th Dot are 18 mos apart. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a job for you. Have you considering temping? I have done that at times and there are some advantages.

Sage Ravenwood said...

I actually love the ideal of the photographs pasted to a blank card. I think it's more personal and to the heart. (Hugs)Indigo

Martha said...

I love the idea of making cards like that! Love the photos too - you should think about linking up to Friday Photo Flaskback meme with this post :-)

Chris said...

I love looking at old family photos like this and then being puzzled as to where the hell you were or what you were doing in the picture.