Collage of Circus Animals & Toy Train

Collage of Circus Animals & Toy Train, originally uploaded by confections.

This is a pristine toy set that I got a number of years ago at Pier One after Christmas. Since I am a doting aunt and great-aunt (!), I have a stash of little gifts at the ready for birthdays. This one is about to be put into the mail for my 5-year-old nephew, Lirit.

He is a lover of all creatures (especially bugs), and I know he will appreciate the zoo animals included in this circus train set. I wrapped up a few additional Schleich animals that I found at Target, too, so he can have a proper animal parade! Happy Belated Birthday, sweet Lirit!

My Cousin and I at the Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, 1964

My Cousin and I at the Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, 1964, originally uploaded by confections.

My cousin and I are all dressed up here for my brother's high school graduation on June 16, 1964. My Mother took the photo.

For musical/cultural context, the Beatles were taking the world by a storm, and the top hits of that spring/summer were:

May 30 - June 5, 1964:
Love Me Do by the Beatles

June 6 - June 26, 1964:
Chapel Of Love by the Dixie Cups

June 27 - July 3, 1964:
A World Without Love by Peter & Gordon

On the Beach at Ostend, Belgium, 1971

On the Beach at Ostend, Belgium, 1971, originally uploaded by confections.

In the days of my youth as an exchange student in the summer of 1971. My friend Reenie (Maureen Thomson) took this photo. She was my traveling companion and fellow exchange student at the University of Cologne, Germany.

Stained Glass Peace Sign, Ocean Beach Hostel

Stained Glass Peace Sign, Ocean Beach Hostel, originally uploaded by confections.

This peace sign is a local landmark above the OB International Hostel in Ocean Beach, San Diego, California. I snapped this a while back at the local farmer's market that takes place there on Wednesday afternoons/evenings.

A similar sculpture used to sit atop a rock just off Sunset Cliffs at the Pacific Ocean, but was apparently removed by vandals. This one, I understand, is by the same artist.

My Grandfather & My Brother, 1956

My Grandfather & My Brother, 1956, originally uploaded by confections.

My paternal grandfather, age 71, and my little brother, about 8 months old, circa April 1956.

I love this tender study of my grandfather holding my baby brother. I remember this corner of the dining room very well. Usually there was a rocking chair at this spot, where both grandparents would rock the babies of the family.

My grandmother would sing "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" or "We are Marching to Pretoria" or "Are you an angel, my glad heart sings, are you an angel, where are your wings? Are you an angel, are you an angel? Tell me, dear."

My grandmother's indoor plants are visible on the little side table. Her glass-front china cabinet was in the opposite corner, and the sideboard that held the cookie jar was just to my grandfather's right.

I loved exploring the contents of that sideboard reverentially. In addition to the cookie jar and lovely embroidered linen scarf beneath it, the drawers and cubbies of the sideboard held many treasures. I recall thumbing through my grandmother's yellowed copy of The White House Cook Book which she kept on an inside shelf.

Above and behind my grandfather was a photographic portrait in an oval frame of my grandmother in high-button shoes at about age six--lost to posterity as far as I know.

My grandfather's preeminent realm, however, was the basement (in my child's mind, at least). He had an old-time crank Victrola and an extensive collection of 78 rpm records. We played a lot of foxtrots, as I recall, and danced around.

Every year he made sauerkraut in huge crocks, following a tradition that I'm sure he learned from his grandfather. I have a vivid memory of going with him and my parents to Trax farmstand in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, to buy bushels full of cabbage in preparation for this ritual.

He made potent red wine that aged in the cellar where my grandmother kept her canned tomatoes and piccalilli and homemade ketchup. He, alongside my father, built a cabin in the Pennsylvania woods that served as a hunting and fishing camp and family gathering place.

He and my grandmother cultivated flower and vegetable gardens and five strapping boys and lived to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, a grand fest which was documented on 8mm film by my uncle.

I'm still trying to solve a family mystery about the identity of my grandfather's father. I have a few clues, but no hard primary data. The genealogical research continues.

I know I have mentioned this just recently, but I reiterate: please conduct oral history interviews with significant people in your life. Future generations will thank you.

The Corner Room, State College, Pennsylvania

The Corner Room, State College, Pennsylvania, originally uploaded by confections.

The Corner Room, long a gathering place for Penn Staters....

My contribution to (almost) Wordless Wednesday blog posts. This was one of my favorite places to have lunch with friends when I was a student at Penn State many long years ago. It warms my heart that it is still going strong.

Collage of My Parents' Garden (2)

Collage of My Parents' Garden (2), originally uploaded by confections.

If I were Shakespeare or Elizabeth Barrett Browning, I would write a lilting sonnet about my parents' riotous garden, so full of beauty and life and grace.

But I will let this collage of photos that I took (probably in 1987) speak instead. Please click on the photo to go to my flickr site to see more detail.