Family Portraits-Shock Therapy

I have been thinking about my childhood a lot lately, summer seems to bring back a lot of memories. Looking for photos to share. There are not very many to be dug up, but I'll get the job done little by little.

So, today, to steer away from any prior topics altogether, and to add some humor, I thought I would share this hilarious photo of me and my sister and brothers (L to R, Robert, myself, Georgia, and John).

This photo was taken after my sister's high school graduation. So, it dates right at 21 years old.

Dig my big glasses! I thought those were the coolest! A boss at work, a really funny one, used to say she loved my Vogue glasses, but she pronounced it as Vog (bog) - ue (you). Hysterical! The round face, the perm, and there were more than likely combs in my wild hair. That was quite the style in 1988! We have all put on a few pounds (except me, I have lost a number, thankfully). And we now have either more grey hair, and some (not me) prefer to add blond to cover the grey. Tee hee. My sister will whack me for saying that!

Hope you all are enjoying your Saturday! I am...I am feeling very much better, still have a climb to go, but the sprint in the step is coming back.

Now...how about some of your lovely past photos? Dare to share?

Who Remembers Penny Candy?

Penny candy holds special memories for me.

I rarely eat candy. Now put a plate of cheese in front of me, or fruit, quite the treat. Candy, no.




I grew up with a father in the United States Army. We traveled quite a bit. We even moved three times in a matter of two years within the same large army base.



I really cannot remember where my father was stationed at at the time, he was definitely not home. That summer my mother would give 50 cents a month to my brother and I. She would walk with us to the Ben Franklin store, off base, and we would spend what seemed like a joyous hour finding all the treats that we could spend our wealth on. We would walk out with a little brown paper sack bulging with candy.


But wait...there were other things in that sack. Do you remember the little girl's fake watches? They had a metal face and a piece of elastic for the band? I loved the pink ones! My brother would buy little painted metal cars and still buy candy with his 50 cents.


And I believe the bubble gum was two pieces for a penny.


Fake lipstick candy. Candy necklaces, which I see children still enjoy.


But see, it isn't about the candy. It is about the memory. It is about taking that tiny amount of money and so carefully spending it. Maximizing it. Making sure it was not spent on something that went away in a few hours. And the memory of my mother, surely it was good for her to take that walk, and I would imagine it made her feel good to see her children happy. None of those things I was aware of because I was a child. As a child should be!


So...do you remember penny candy?