Vacations

As you can see, not everyone enjoyed vacations all the time. 

Or maybe Comfort Suites wasn't so comfortable. 

Lego

Got some at work too!
(with noticeable lens distortion)

One of my favorite toys growing up was Lego.  Back in the 60's and 70's, Lego was quite primitive based on what we have today.  It primarily consisted of red and white bricks, and if you were lucky, there were some thick plates and wheels.  I remember creating buildings, vehicles, cities, and all sorts of red and white striped structures. 

As with most toy companies, Lego has evolved to become much more sophisticated, so that some purists believe that it isn't the same type of toy that it used to be.  Now, you can get buckets of "regular" Lego, but much more is sold in various models and kits.  Castles, space craft, monsters, robots and cars are just some of the items that are available for purchase, all with their own assembly instructions for "proper" assembly. 

I, for one, have succumbed to the dark side of Lego assembly.  I have buckets of Lego, some dating from the 60's, that can be used to create my own creations, however, virtually all of my purchases lately have been of the model variety.  Star Wars specifically. 

I carefully unwrap them, get out the instruction books, and assemble them exactly as shown on the book.  Following assembly, I admire the craft it went in the design, put them on the shelf to collect dust, and go off and get another model.  

Have I lost my originality?  Have I succumbed to the Toy Story II syndrome?  Am I treating them as collectables (read investments), not toys?  Am I too old for playing? 

Some people may find this frightening, some people liberating.  As for me, I find it a relatively cheap mid-life crisis.  That, and I'm getting a head start on my grand kids.  They will think I'm the coolest grandpa on the planet. 

Sketches from the Young

When we went to visit my parents years ago, we did not have the luxury of taking devices with video games or other diversions.  The kids would have to pack some their own toys, or become creative.

We ran across this page in a notebook when we were visiting my parents recently, and it reminded me that one of the favorite activities of my daughters was making stories.  The stories had fanciful characters and far out plots. 

Apparently, this story was about dogs.  Valerie was always very good at creating fanciful worlds filled with furry friends.  Her attention to detail always included naming her pets as well. 

The story may be lost in time, but the images remain. 

From Mother to Daughter II

Maria's daughter just turned two years old today.  For her birthday, we passed down a memento from her Grandmother.

When Gail was little, her father made her a cradle for her doll.  As she grew, her parents stashed it away and when Maria was two years old, passed the doll cradle down to her.

Now, years later, Maria's daughter turned two, so we pulled out the cradle from storage, cleaned it up, gave it a new coat of varnish, and made her a quilt that matches a quilt Deanne gave her when she was born.  By that evening, it once again had a doll inhabiting the cradle and was being taken care of by her "Mommy". 

From Mother to Daughter

Long ago, when Gail was growing up, her parents gave her a small rocking chair.  As a young child, she played with the chair, first sitting in the chair then using it for her dolls and other stuffed animals.

When Maria was a year old, Gail's parents found the chair, cleaned it up, and presented it to Maria for a Christmas or Birthday gift.  She followed in her mother's footsteps, sitting in it and then using it for her dolls and other stuffed animals. 

A year ago, we took it down out of the attic, cleaned it up, and gave it to Maria's daughter.  It sits proudly in their living room, and is used daily for sitting and displaying dolls and stuffed animals. 

It's held up this long, so maybe in another thirty years or so, it will be used by another generation.  Only time will tell. 

Summer Vacation 2003 - Washington, Oregon, Northern California

As the kids were growing up, we made it a point to take summer vacations, and given the number of people, it was usually a road trip.  We frequently traveled long distances, so we had plenty of time in the car.  One popular activity was keeping a journal of our trips.  I found this while cleaning out some boxes late last year.  It contains our road trip to Oregon.

I apologize for the lack of resolution in some of the pictures, the scanner had difficulties with some colors.  And I made the images pretty big so that there's a chance you can read them. 

This was also the trip where one of my favorite pictures was taken.