From A Simple Kiss To All This

Today is the anniversary of the day Kelly and I knew we wanted to be together, something I had suspected for some time before she did. During those early, glowing days, I came across this photo, on a postcard that one of us sent to the other. The image represented what we felt, the intimacy, the closeness, the trust, the safety so long missing from our lives. It gave us hope and comfort.

Looking at this photo six years later, I still feel what I felt then. After all this time, after all the things we’ve done and endured and enjoyed, although I know the gender of the characters in the original, in the image above, I still can’t tell which is Kelly and which is me.

I swiped this image of Cupid and Psyche
studying a butterfly from here.

Riddle Solved

Looking for photos to give Kelly's dad for Father's Day, I came across this one, taken just hours before our wedding. Now we know.





This Little Piggy Went To Market

The long-awaited Walmart Neighborhood Market has opened in our neighborhood, which saves us an 8-mile drive through thick traffic, and helps us avoid the much-too-expensive grocery store over by the college. Saving time and money is good.

I like Walmart. I know they’ve lost the vision and community Sam Walton built into the company years ago, and that low price at any cost has cost their reputation. But I believe Walmart is good, and that the corporation can get back to its original motivations.

My first trip to Walmart in my hometown, some 40 years ago (man, can that be true?) is still vivid in my mind. It was so big and had so much variety, I loved going there. I even liked Walmart for the two crazy years I worked there.

 

Yes, the stores can be crowded, the lines long, the employees surly. But I like shopping there because I don’t like paying $8 for something I can buy for $5 at Walmart.

People complain about the poor mom and pop shops closing, but that doesn’t bother me. If mom and pop can’t sell what I need for the price I want, maybe mom and pop can go get jobs at the typewriter ribbon factory. Or open a $5 cupcake shoppe….

Shirt Happens, I Guess

From a trip to Memphis. I love Memphis.

Can a guy have too many t-shirts?

A gift from Kelly.

I used to tease Kelly because she had 97 sweaters, but not now. One, she gave away many of her sweaters, and two, when I swapped winter clothes for summer clothes, my t-shirts didn’t all fit in my closet. Somehow I have 80 short-sleeved t-shirts and about a dozen with long sleeves. That seems like a lot.

I've seen the Everly Brothers live five times, and
named one child after them.

It is faded, but this one is autographed by Kristen Schlukebir.

To be fair, like Kelly and her sweaters, many of these shirts I’ve had more than 25 years. Several  were freebies from the blood center, where I’ve donate every eight weeks. Most are from discount racks and flea markets, because I don’t like paying more than $3 for a shirt. Quite a few were gifts. Some I wear just for sleeping, some I’ve never worn.

Being the Best Dad is easy when you have the best kids.

Some of the ones I don’t wear are my most prized, but I think I’ve made a mistake. For example, two of the girls were summering in another state on Father’s Day, so they sent this shirt with their hand prints on it, and two sisters added theirs. I was so proud I wanted to keep it forever, so rather than wearing it, it’s been in the back of my closet since 2005.

One of my favorite live bands, unfortunately disbanded.

The same for one of my Big Smith shirts. My son Bradley and I bought it together at one of their shows, but neither of us ever wore it. I finally put it on for one of the band’s last concerts, and now wear it regularly. Of course, when you have 80 shirts, regular doesn’t necessarily mean often.

December 8, 1990

Some of my favorite shirts have come from the John Lennon tribute concerts we have in our town, like this one that has an original image drawn by Lennon and used with Yoko’s permission. I guess I had 10 or so Lennon shirts, but I wore them out.

Lou Brock is my favorite of all time, Ozzie is high on the list.

So what would you do in my position? Would you cull some of the shirts, and if so, how would you decide which to give away?

My wife and two daughtes are listed on back.

Or are you in my position? Do you have a bunch of shirts you love but don’t wear? Do you have just a few that you wear out?

A cool gift from Libby.

I would like to know.

Summer Reading: It’s Hard To Beat A Convention Of Dental Hygienists In Atlanta For Rediscovering Friendships

June is nearly half-way done. If you haven’t picked a book for your summer reading fun, let me suggest one – All Summer Long by Bob Greene (not Oprah's Bob Greene). Greene was a long-time columnist for the Chicago Tribune who appeared in hundreds of newspapers, and has published more than a dozen books. He also has excellent taste in music.

This travel blog photo's source is TravelPod page: Las Vegas -- Viva Vegas! Viva Elvis!!

The idea behind the book is simple, three old high school buddies who, 25 years later, decide to spend one last summer together. They leave behind jobs, homes, families and just take off, visiting places like Wrigley Field, a state fair, the Hilton Elvis suite in Las Vegas, a movie house in California, and a convention of dental hygienists in Atlanta. It’s hard to beat a convention of dental hygienists in Atlanta for rediscovering friendships.

It’s a personal, humorous, genuine and satisfying adventure, and if you’re over age 30, you’ll feel at home reading it.

Let me know what you think.

"What Kind Of Camera Do You Have" And Other Discourteous, Ill-Mannered, Insolent Questions

I’ve taken and sold lots of photographs, and even put myself through college taking pictures. I can’t count the number of times people have asked, “Ooooh, what kind of camera do you have?”

Why is that?

I’ve written and sold many dozens of stories and articles, even wrote a book or two, and no one has ever said, “Hey, nice article. What kind of word processor do you use?”

Why is that?

Aren’t photography and writing both forms of creative expression? Don’t both require technical skill enhanced and empowered by individual sensitivity and emotion and vision? Aren’t they both the result of perspective, of thought, even passion? Aren’t they both intimate and personal, and when done well, universal?

Aren’t they both, you know, Art?

So why is it that the one seems to be the result, perhaps the inevitable result, of mere equipment, while the other is not? Did anyone ever say, “Leonardo, that’s some picture – what kind of brushes you using?” or, “Michy, that David, it’s nice. What kind of chisel you do that with?”

I doubt it.

Is it just me? Has this happened to you?

What do you think?

Grandchildren Rock - Sadie Is Back In Town

Callie on the right, Briane on the left

One was with us every day for more than two years. Another lived just two blocks around the corner. Then they moved away, as grandchildren so often do and we are sad, but we treasure the time we had with them and every call and text and photo.

Lucy not too long before she left.

We have four grandchildren, all beautiful little girls (with two others on the way, gender unknown). They are delightful, but the nearest one is 1,400 miles away, and one is 500 miles beyond that. I gotta tell ya, for Kelly and I, that’s no good. We wish they all lived close, so we could see them every day.

Sadie when she left, months ago.

Kelly’s parents moved here from California years ago so they could be near Libby, and I understand that, and admire them for it. But it will be quite a while before we are in a position to do that.

Sadie today.

In the meantime, we sometimes get a little gift. Our little Sadie, who isn’t so little anymore, is in town for a few days with her mother, and we got to spend the afternoon with her. She walks and talks and can reach the piano keys all by herself. She is adorable.

We want them close, but for now, we’ll settle for short visits, whenever we can get them.

Good to see you, Sadie. And your mother, too.


Check out Grandparents Say It Saturday over at Family Home And Life for more from grandparents, or add links to your own post about your grandparenting experience.

Center Of The Universe Actually Determined To Be In Jefferson City

We like ice cream, and used a trip to our state capitol yesterday as an excuse to visit one of our favorite parlors, Central Dairy. Their ice cream is, as their advertisements say, “fresh as a Missouri morning,” or as I say, “Oh, man….”

Don’t be fooled by the uninspired façade. The ice cream is good, good, good and good. It is difficult to choose among their 42 ice cream flavors, but the four of us with all our different tastes and textures, were pleased. They also have 6 frozen yogurt flavors, 5 low fat varieties, 5 sherbets and 2 no sugar added versions, but this is America, and we are Americans. None of that sissy stuff for us, right?

Aubrey and Eric Estrada enjoying a cone.

There is always a line waiting to get in the door, but the line breaks down as customers dart between each other trying to look into the freezers to make the best selection. The 8 or 9 red-shirted servers somehow always keep track of whose turn it is and get the orders right.

Yesterday, I asked one to help me choose between the Bear Claw – “A dark chocolate ice cream filled with chocolate coated cashews and swirled with a luscious thick golden caramel” – and the Tiger Tracks – “Golden ice cream loaded with chocolate coated cookies, decadent chocolate truffles and stripes of rich fudge.”

She leaned over conspiratorially and whispered, just above the din, “try the Muddy River,” which, I thought, was perfect since we were only a matter of yards from the original muddy river, the “Big Muddy” Missouri. “Gimme two scopes,” I said.

The Muddy River is “Rich brownie batter ice cream swirled with butter fudge ribbon and sprinkled with chocolate truffles and white chocolate flakes,” and boy, is it good.

If you find yourself in Jefferson City, check out Central Dairy on 610 Madison Street. I’m pretty sure that’s why GPS was invented.