Flashback Friday...

I miss my parents.

That is all.

Flashback Friday...101 W. 181st

January 25 marks 27 years since Grandma Fern passed away.

She was the only Grandparent I ever knew as Mom's side had passed away before I was born and I was just two years old when Grandpa Vandercar died. 

I was a lucky kid, 'cause her house was a stone's throw from my front door.

101 W. 181st Street.

She was my constant companion while growing up.
If she ever tired of me running thru that white door, she never let it show.
She never refused my requests for snacks or sleepovers or marathon games of double solitaire or chinese checkers.
I can close my eyes and still see every nook and cranny of the little red house...from the mission style rocker to the chalk ware Chinese people on the tall dresser, to the pictures on the wall.

She was there.
Constant.
Every single day of my life.

But little kids grow up.
I can remember, in my teenage years, getting off the bus and walking by her door and thinking, I should stop in more.

I can only imagine how hard it was for her to see that little kid grow up and seem to need her less and less.

I wish I could go back to the 14 year old me and tell me how good this advice was.
I wish I could go back and sit and listen to EVERY WORD she said.
I wish I knew the questions I have now and I wish I would have asked them.
The questions about The Kenney Store, Grandpa Tilton's finger, Orchard Grove School, houses they lived in, recipes she knew by heart, Indians in the woods, Uncle Ralph's house, the house before Uncle Ralph's house, Christmas day weddings, gypsies at the door, heart stopping telegrams and on and on and on.
I wish I could ask her the questions I have about people by the name of Stella Wallace, Jeremiah, Aunt Tin, Tossie, Flossie, Persis, Hattie, Effie, Fay, Albert,...the endless list of people, places and things that only she would remember.
She would know all the answers.
All of them.

But alas the Poet/songwriter is right:
               "But there never seems to be enough time to do the things you want to do once you find them."
                                                                                                                        Jim Croce

And 14 year olds don't ask, cause they don't know the right questions and they don't know then what they are gonna know later.
And answers fly away.

But there is one thing that has remained true.
Whether a child, teenager or adult....

I love my Grandma Fern.

I miss you too, Grandma.

Directions to here:
whether you are
4, 14, 24, 44, 64 or 94....share your questions, stories, memories and answers!

Happy Birthday, Adrienne!

Flashback Friday...Photo Booth

Is there anything more beautiful and sentimental than a simple Photo Booth strip of pictures? 

Love. Love. Love.

These pictures

Photo Booth Fun......with Dance with Nance

dance with nance and Jerm

 dance with nance and Jamie-roo

  dance with nance and J-to the Cinda

 dance with nance, the Big Boy and Blondies

dance with nance incognito

Photo Booth Fun......With Friends

The Kinder Gang

"Arndt they cute?"

South side - represent!

Eye on You!

Cinda Sandwich

 Jackie and the crew

More Haydens...and family...

 noise makers

 The Mrs. Haydens

Shirley and the Working Man

Lon & Lori

 Bob photo bombs the Childress Family

Photo Booth Fun......With the Family

Jamie rockin' the Y2K hat

 Cinda rockin' the mic

The Emperor and Princess

Mr. Wynstar, Himself

a man of many hats

 Another Mr. & Mrs. Vandercar

 Can you tell we're related?

"Drewbie! look at me."

"Erin! Look at me!"

 

waaaaaahhh!

"waaaaaahh........er!!"

Aunt Sandy and Zacher-doodle.

Rockin' the boots!

Ready for the next Bears game!

Cousins

We Three

Joe/Bob and Nina

Cinda ridin' the "Portable Photo Booth"

Photo booth Fun......with the Haydens

So...
the first camera memory card we used...malfunctioned : (
....so the Guest of Honor and hostess, Thompson family and the church ladies and their "props" are now a part of the witness protection program.

But here's a few of the hosts of the party!

Photo Booth Fun with the

Haydens