Who are you?

As many of you know, I am immersed right now in sorting many years worth of photos for a scanning project.  This project has intersected with some photo sorting that has been going on at my mom's house.  When siblings come to visit, they help my mom go through boxes. And during that process, many more photos are found.

My mom can identify many of the pictures that are found.  But many are totally foreign to her.  When my Grandpa Clayton died, Grandma Connie gave boxes of photos, papers, and other documents to my folks.  I'm sure they went through them at the time, but apparently only in a cursory manner.  Then they were boxed up and put away.  And we all know what happens when you put something away!!

It's entirely possible that the above photo is of an ancestor of ours.  Or it is just as possible that it's an ancestor of Grandma Connie and it got in the box by accident.  Or it could be an old photo that somehow got in the box a long time ago and just stayed there.

Whatever it's source, it's a little bit sad to think that such a darling photo goes unclaimed.  On the other hand, it's a charming photo that can tell us a lot about a time and place that is no more.  It could be a boy - because boys wore dresses until they got into short pants.  It's probably a loved child.  And the family had some means, to have such a nicely made dress - and to even be going to a photographer!

I am quick to say there's a lesson here - and the lesson is:  label your photos.  That's almost moot though, since digital photos always have dates - and usually ask us to identify what we're putting on the computer.  But some detail would probably be helpful.

And if you print out photos, some identifying is called for.  And don't forget school pics that come home and get sent off to doting grandparents - be sure to identify them!!  (School photos, although they do show a progression, can get very confusing.)

I have not been good about identifying photos over the years.  And that is making my job harder.  On the other hand, it's also sharpening my skills of deduction as I try to figure out what year the photo happened.  And in the case of photos of babies and small children, it's a job sometimes just to figure out who it is.

Meanwhile, sweet boy or girl above, we're sorry we can't celebrate you here on the blog - at least by name!!

Saturday night musings

Several years ago I was visiting Michelle Silcock, and she showed me around her garden. She pointed out a rose bush she had planted just to get a particular bloom for her daughter's wedding bouquet. It was the Marilyn Monroe Rose. I mentioned that I thought it was striking, so Helen then proceeded to get a Marilyn Monroe rose bush for me. It does not produce lots of blooms - I'm sure I'm not doing something right. But the ones it does produce are beautiful!!

A big shout out to Robbie for sending me the link to order Quaker Puffed Rice by the case!! I cannot find Quaker Puffed Rice anymore - no one seems to stock it anymore - now I am covered. Mmm - you know it was my Grandma Stevens who introduced me to Quaker Puffed Rice. (No off-brands for me - only the original!!)

Took Mom and Donna to lunch today. And then a marathon shopping excursion around the Northridge Mall. For someone who hates to shop - which would be both Mom and me - we have been doing a lot of shopping together of late!! But Mom found what she was looking for - watch for pics from Donna! (I found a black skirt too - and you all know you can never have too many black skirts!!)

Side note: Donna called out my name - I was looking through the racks - and the woman next to me said, "My name is Barbara too." We had a nice conversation about how no one is named Barbara anymore except those of us of a certain generation. Having the same name as someone is quite the bonding experience!

Harry knows how to pick his women - he and Margit Holakoi know how to pick the flowers too!

And a florist deliveryman brought me a corsage today - the note said, "Happy Mother's Day from Bonny and the Bolanders." Sounds like a singing group from American Bandstand or something!!

I will post a photo of me wearing it on Mother's Day!!

Got a phone call from Leslie. We had a nice chat. Got a nice longish email from Alice. That was nice too.

It was a good day!!

"Turn around and you're a young wife . . ."

I come across random photos from the Young Women days. I get very nostalgic. Maybe it's just me, but I remember those years as a wonderful time.

Especially on the heels of having seen some of these same young women - now wives and mothers and returned missionaries - and I hope the work we did with them helped them become the wonderful women they are today.

I know the whereabouts of all of them except Crystal.