Thursday, March 22, 2007

Photographic Memory

This is... let me think... this is round three of the Back in Time Photo Journey. The selection is once again random, yet sentimental and quite limited in comparison with the 16,000 in the library. We finished 2003 with a Christmas visit to Capitola, then suddenly we were in 2004 and adjusting to life away from our beloved Rancho. Let's time travel together, shall we?


Driving north in our own miracle van, we came across this Miracle Van in Santa Barbara.

Come to think of it I have seen many different wild cars, and decorated bicycles in Santa Barbara. It's a bit highbrow in that town, but clearly it's a funky artist haven too.

Here's one of those loaded shots, that brings all kinds of memories to the surface. I call it "dork-in-law." Bill and Alison entrusted their beautiful waffle maker to me. We were all at their Taqueria to make a Christmas morning breakfast buffet. Alison walked in to the room just as I had managed to overflow batter Everywhere, like a total dork. I was equally as stunned as she was. I wish I had a picture of her expression, which was of disgusted bewilderment and doubt. It was so bad, she looked ready to fire me and she had to ask, "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" My bad.

I've made 100s of waffles, with no floods or deaths. Oh well. I never told anyone that I was pregnant at the time. Would that have made a good defense? I definitely do lose skills when I am pregnant.

The new year. William is in this 2004 sunset picture, taken in Del Mar. We were on a family walk. Even without photographs, I would remember this evening. It was beautiful and we were feeling good, expectant, and happy.

Aloha time. I was in Kona without Geoff. He was working, and joined us for the last weekend of our stay and his birthday. Here are the boys at their favorite Hawaii park.

We stayed busy on this trip. Ruth and Corm were busy too, working their day jobs and commuting to Honoka'a to finish building their home. This is the trip when we learned about "Crocagators." A very local guy, in Kealakekua, explained that this was "a Lady Jackson chameleon and not one of those crocagators you sometime see."

Not a crocagator.

This was a fantastic weekend. Holly, Rich Nicholas and our family caravanned to Napa for James and Deanne's wedding. They are such generous and dear friends, and we had a lot of fun both at the wedding and all around Napa. Holly, we must return. Wasn't the hotel deal too awesome?

The day of the wedding, Holly and I had our four boys at an outlet mall looking for dress shoes. Boys and dress shoes! They are hard to find, fit and rationalize. Ours still look brand new, but of course they have outgrown them. May be Nick could wear Alex's by now.

Our boys looked handsome, they were very well behaved, and cute too. Nick is checking out the spaghetti method of another wedding guest. Deanne made sure there were Lego bricks, as gifts, for all the children. Very thoughtful.

This picture is my memorial to Stuffed French Toast. 101 Diner hasn't been the same since Dominic left. He made the place. Bill and Delia know what I'm talking about.

Here is my handsome husband, up a tree in Kona and surveying the land. I highly suspect we are not through with Hawaii.

Anne, look at these children! She and I know that they have grown, and once again, I am extremely grateful to have the pictures to remind me that Jacob, William, Tamsyn, Alex, Adam and Max were once much smaller.

As soon as we are cold-free, I want to meet at the pond and play again. How about a hike and picnic?

I like to see the things children will do, when sticks, leaves and water are available, and nothing else but imagination.

Joy, pride... I feel good thinking of this day.

Did you know there is more you can do with cheap shaving cream than shave?

Choose a shaving cream with a tolerable fragrance, then find a smooth surface and willing participants. My boys have sensory issues, so I actually consider this therapeutic.

What begins with timidity and trepidation, soon evolves.

It actually feels good and it cleans the surface quite nicely.

Max overcame. Totally.

More later. You know I can't help myself.

No comments: