Dog Day : The 20th Anniversary

Today is Dog Day.  Dog Day was established when Bear was born on September 1, 1995.  At the time we had Oppey,  Buddy & Jezebel -- Bear was the last in that long line of great Labs.  Rather than celebrating so many birthdays I declared September 1st as Dog Day.  The celebration has continued throughout the years, even after the incredibly sad loss of Bear.  It has become less a birthday celebration and more a day to honor all dogs and the place they share in our lives.  In spite of the name, the day is also for cats, indeed any pet, because they are all members of our families, and they all give us great joy and comfort.

Dog Day is a celebration so today I will remember Bear and Buddy and Oppey and Jezzie.  And I will both mourn and remember Blackie the Brown Dog who I lost in 2012, and my sweet Lucy who I just lost this past April. I will remember them all with love and gratitude for all they have given me.  

Blackie (the Brown Dog)

Lucy

Lucy was my last dog.  My new life is no longer suited to caring for large, rambunctious Labs.  But I now have the adorable Mister Pip, still a kitten but already a member of my family.

Mister Pip

So in honor of Bear, and in honor of all our fur-friends past and present, please celebrate a very happy Dog Day.

Mom's Birthday

Mom would have been 94 today.  Sadly this is the 11th year without her here to celebrate.  And she did love to celebrate.  She loved getting presents.  It didn't much matter what the gift was, she just loved getting them.  One year I got her a canary from Woolworth's -- poor little thing didn't last long but she so enjoyed his singing in her kitchen.

She always wanted a picnic in the backyard, surrounded by her gardens.  We would have all of her favorite summer foods on the oilcloth covered picnic table.  Burgers, well-done as only she liked.  There would be thick slices of homegrown tomatoes, thin slices of red onion, a plate of pickles (sweet gherkins, dill, and olives), and the ever-present bag of Wise potato chips.  We would have corn on the cob with plenty of salt and butter.  Along with iced tea there would be birch beer, root beer, and 7UP.  Even though it was her birthday she would make her German potato salad (never recreated though we have all tried).

I miss those picnics.  I miss Mom.  

Things to Remember

I have finally started hanging things on my new walls.  Today, appropriately, I came across this Mothers' Day gift from 5 year old Gus (and his wonderful teachers at Kenwood).  Now, twenty-eight years later, I am very happy to remember that he was once quite little and his hands were very small.

A Pixie Tradition

Rosie got a hair cut yesterday, and she looks adorable, complete with chocolate ice cream face.

I've noted more than once that my Mom was a big fan of the pixie cut.  This photo of me is from 1957ish, when I was about Rosie's age.

I would never have given Gus a pixie cut on purpose.  But here he is at 4 in 1986 and I can't deny he has a similar look.

Mom

I recently discovered some things I didn't even know I had. It is a box full of memories.  I found this photo of my Mom that I do not recall having ever seen before.  I think this would have been the early to mid 1950s, behind our house in Albany -- I lived there until I was 7 when we moved to Delmar.  My Mom loved gardening and this would have been her first flower garden.  It makes me happy to see her so happy and relaxed.

Dog Day

Today is Dog Day.  Dog Day was established when Bear was born on September 1,1995.  At the time we had Oppey,  Buddy & Jezebel - Bear was the last in that long line of great Labs.  Rather than celebrating so many birthdays I declared September 1st as Dog Day.  The celebration has continued throughout the years, even after the incredibly sad loss of Bear (http://ddramblings.blogspot.com/2012/03/sad-anniversary.html).  It has become less a birthday celebration and more a day to honor all dogs and the place they share in our lives.  In spite of the name, the day is also for cats, indeed any pet, because they are all members of our families, and they all give us great joy and comfort.

Dog Day is a celebration so I will  remember Bear and Buddy and Oppey and Jezzie and Blackie the Brown Dog with love and gratitude for all they have given me.  And my beautiful Lucy who is still with me, will have the traditional dish of venison and all the cookies she wants.

So in honor of Bear, and in honor of all our fur-friends past and present, please celebrate a very happy Dog Day.

2014 West Coast meets 1985 East Coast

While I was visiting Portland for Rosie's 3rd birthday, we spent the weekend on the Oregon Coast.  When Gus was 3 we spent a week on the Massachusetts Coast.

Rosie, July 2014, West Coast

 Gus, June 1985, East Coast

Playing in the sand

29 years later and Gus is still making sand castles.

Running on the beach

Happy Anniversary Gus and Meara!

Six years ago today Meara and Gus were married.

  

It was a beautiful wedding.

And a lot of fun.

I Know That Face

Yesterday Meara posted these 2 photos of Rosie enjoying kolaches full of Nutella.  YUM.

I had a memory of Gus enjoying a similar treat.  Here is Rosie's Dad eating jelly doughnuts in 1984.

Born to Read

This was taken August 1983 when Gus was 18 months old.  I love this picture.  As a lifelong reader I am happy to remember that Gus has always loved books too.  And now he is passing his love of books on to his very lucky students.

I am pretty sure that is a Little Golden Book.  I am guessing there is red Juicy Juice in the sippy cup.  I have tried zooming and cropping but I still have no idea what is on the step under his right elbow.  If you can figure it out, please leave a comment.      

Ghosts of Birthdays Past

Today is Gus' 32nd birthday.  I just got a scanner so here are some photos from his earliest birthdays.  

My baby boy's very first birthday -- February 28, 1982

Gus is 1 - February 28, 1983

       With Cousin Jonathan.

Gus is 2 - February 28, 1984

With his Meme and his Grammie

Gus is 3 - February 28, 1985

His first real birthday party.  Always the ladies man.

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thirty Years Later

I just found this photo of me with a bad 1980s perm.  The saddest thing is that after a really bad perm that my mother inflicted on me as a kid, I still went ahead and got another one when I was an adult and certainly should have known better.  The picture was taken around Gus' 2nd birthday, February 1984.  I was 31.  I just shared this photo with a friend who asked if I could still get in that position on the floor.  That made me think of the second photo -- this was taken last July, with Rosie on her 2nd birthday.  I was 61. So yes, I still can.  But definitely no more perms.  

 

50 Years Later, I Still Love the Beatles

February 9, 1964 The Beatles made their first American television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.  I had just turned 11 in January of that year -- by that time I was an established Beatles' fan.  My best friend Patience had a pen pal (raise your hand if you remember pen pals) who lived in England.  The pen pal sent Pat the British release 45 record (raise your hand ... never mind) of the Beatles.  We listened to that record so many times you would think the two songs on that single would be burned in my memory but that is not the case. So I searched and I am fairly sure Love Me Do was the cover song with P.S. I Love You on Side B.  Over the last 50 years I have remained a Beatles fan.  The deaths of John and George will sadden me forever.  Paul has occasionally frustrated me with his life and career choices but never for long.  I was a firm believer that he was 'The Cute Beatle' but as I aged I found George the most attractive.  And Ringo, I think I have learned to appreciate him the most.  Teen-aged girls just don't want a sense of humor in a boy -- they want the dark brooding artist and poet.  So to celebrate the Beatles on this anniversary I am posting some of my favorite memorabilia.  All I think are from 1964 and 1965.

All of the photos are so staged.  What could have been the reason for taking a picture of them with their feet on a stuffed donkey?

     

This is why Paul was the cute Beatle.  This particular photo was obviously held and gazed at lovingly many, many times.

In April 1965 The Albany Times Union published a series of 4 articles over 4 days.  

This is on the back of the first article.  I am sorry that I didn't cut out enough of the article to have the complete photo of John Kennedy Jr. with Mickey.

This photo is included with one of the articles.  I have enlarged it so that you can read the caption.  "Womanhood lies prone ..."  OMG!

Thank you John, Paul, George, and Ringo.  Thank you for 50 wonderful years.  I will always be a fan.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 1960 

I wish you all a Thanksgiving that is as much fun as sitting at the kids' table.