Perfectly Lovely

It's a bright and warm Sunday afternoon in July, one can feel a soft breeze while the wind chimes trickle.

I am feeling the sunbeams hit my face as they are strewn across the white carpet. I try to keep papers in a particular order to make some collages with some old family photographs. 

I don't want to lose this afternoon light that is slipping through my fingers. I gather a few items here and there and try to coordinate some colors that will go with a particular theme. 

And with that, out came some of these sweet and gentle photo collages, with just a touch of Summer left in them, but as we all know, the tide is turning to a less frantic time - Autumn is just before us. 

Please enjoy!

Grandpa's feather watches over my Grandmother, a photograph of her in the 1940's. After my Grandpa passed, I found this feather pressed into one of the photograph albums we gave him while he was in the nursing home. He had it with a picture of my Grandma. I hung onto the feather, knowing just what it meant to him, and now to me.

The Braun girls and a calling card

The Murphy family and Braun family. Christiana Braun married into the Murphy family, a well-to-do farming family from Brentwood, CA. This is a collage of the family members of these two families that combined together - all photos are between the 1880's through the 1920's.

Life as seen through a Bird Cage - The Murphy daughters - a mix of Irish and German heritage, are photographed here, circa 1900-1901.

If Summer days could last forever...

Summer is fast approaching us. Summer, as a child, was my favorite time of year, because it's the only time you'll get off for three months of having no duties whatsoever. It's the most carefree time of your life. If only at that age we didn't take it for granted and could put into full perspective just how important those three quick months are.

Wonderful times during Summer always make me think of swimming for hours on end in our in-ground Doughboy pool, the smell of fresh paint in our hall ways after my mom would use Glidden Antique White to paint over areas that needed it, the smell of clorox and soap when my mom would mop the kitchen floor clean, the husking of farm fresh corn from our local farm stands, having endless sleepovers, making up skits, playing school, making forts to sleep in over night, having sock wars, singing oldies songs in the car into the wee hours of the night, making houses out of card board boxes, playing barbies all day and afternoon and even into the night, playing ball outside and flying kites in the front yard, dancing around the house for no reason, playing video games against my brother and kicking his butt, watching the Summer Olympics, eating ice cream and watching fire works on the 4th of July.

Yes, Summer is like the time of your life when your a kid. When I was younger, we generally had full traditional school schedules where we still started school in early September instead of the mid-August schedule that most schools follow now. Because of this, Labor Day was usually our last hurrah for any kind of last minute fun. When I was 6 in 1988, our parents planned a trip to Disneyland. It was my first time and I was super excited. My Dad had gone to Disneyland as a child, too, and had fond memories of it.

My mom had ordered a special Minnie Mouse jacket and I couldn't wait to wear it to Disneyland. When we got to Disneyland, I remember some specific details - watching the Electric parade, climbing up the Smith Family Robinson Tree House (now it's Tarzan's Tree House), riding in the Mad Tea Party Tea Cups, hopping aboard the Monorail, riding the Matterhorn ride 5-6 times at night with my mom and brother, going on the Dumbo ride with my mom, and I even remember going on Space Mountain and watching Captain EO (I remember it was so full that we had to stand towards the back to watch it and we couldn't get the full effect of it). The big and new ride at the time was Star Tours. I remember waiting for what seemed like an eternity to go on that ride. But, I loved it.

I was a precocious child. I saw a lot of detail in things that many children my age may have overlooked. I'd remember years later the sign of the "French Market" in Orleans Square always fascinated me. I'd remember distinctly the smell of "Pirates of the Caribbean" and most of all, I was very fascinated with the dancing ghosts in the dining room on "Haunted Mansion." These memories, and many more, left lots of indelible impressions in my mind.

And so, with returning home from Disneyland, came the inevitable reality that school was about to start. I'd always feel a bit down about school starting. I knew once my mom starting taking me to Target to purchase school supplies and a new pencil box to hold my supplies in, look for a new backpack and start ordering uniforms for us (we went to a private school), that Summer was coming to a close. Nevertheless, once the school year would start, I'd find myself back with my old friends - with some new ones coming on board, and realizing a few not returning. Our teacher would walk in, and now the fresh smell of newly sharpened pencils would fill the air. Yes, Summer was officially over.

But, year after year, I'd reflect back on one great Summer after another. Each one of them presented new and exciting fun times. I am very thankful and lucky to have had wonderful Summers that felt like they could last forever, and sometimes when I think back on them, they really have stood the test of time, and in essence, do live on forever in my mind.

Those Places Thursday - My Childhood Home

I grew up in a very family friendly neighborhood throughout the 1980's and early 1990's. There were many kids on our block that were close to my brother and I's ages. Looking back, it was an idyllic time. We didn't have iPods, computers, cell phones, Playstations/X-boxes, Netflix streaming and instant TV (well, we had Pay-Per-View - but that was a rare treat as it was quite expensive!)

What we did have was a lot of fun with the neighborhood kids (and our cousins!) - lemonade stands, baseball, basketball, bike rides, swimming parties, games on Saturday mornings, fort building, camping out in the backyard, Saturday morning cartoons (stuff like Looney Tunes, Richie Rich, Pee Wee Herman, Fraggle Rock, etc.). I loved watching Johnny Carson late at night. And, then tune in on Friday's for Friday Night Videos then later TGIF- then Saturday's we had "227" and Saturday Night Live, followed with Showtime at the Apollo.

The neighborhood is only about 20 miles from where I live now and every once in awhile, we will drive by to see how our old house looks. It brings so many memories with each drive. I still envision our tall palm tree in our yard and then the day we had it torn down. I remember our yard being redone in the front. I recall the juniper shrubs that used to line our front window and when my brother and I would play catch in our yard, the ball would get stuck in those shrubs and they used to scratch up my hands and arms when I'd try to get the ball and then I'd start to itch.

The inside of the house I remember clearly - mostly colors were still indicative of the '70s, but was done in good taste. Our front entrance was tiled and we had veined mirrors in our entrance and our family room. We even had the cork pattern with mirrors - yeah, it was very 1970's, if I think about it! We had plush semi-shag carpet, but it was very nice - it didn't look cheap.

We had a lovely backyard with a pool which my dad and some of my uncles helped him install - an in-ground Dough boy pool in 1983, when I was one. This pool meant a lot to me! I think close to this time, we got a Smurf swing set. I loved that swing set. We really used it like crazy, and it was in shambles by the time we had our back yard redone in 1991 and had it removed - that was a sad day for me :(

This childhood home held many wonderful memories. It's been over 20 years now since we left it, but I have never forgotten those early formed memories that I still hold onto close to my heart.

Me in our backyard, on my brother's 10th birthday, 1989.

My 6th birthday at home with neighborhood and school friends, May 1988.

My Aunt on our couch (notice the cork and mirrored design - yikes!), circa 1992.

Me on Christmas Day, 1985, I was 3 1/2 years old.

In our wallpapered bathroom, I was about 7, circa 1989.

Selling Kool Aid and Balloons at a garage sale, circa 1986-87 - Melissa, Me and my brother

My brother and I, already taking control of the TV at age 1 1/2, circa 1983. 

My brother and I eating McDonald's chicken nuggets on our TV tray, circa 1986

Me playing in my kiddie pool, circa 1983-84.

Me posting after coming home from school (wearing my uniform), circa 1989.

Me pretending to vacuum our plush "shag" carpet, circa 1989

 My cousin Melissa and I in my kiddie pool, circa 1987

Our house just within months of it being purchased, circa 1979.