Day 37: Pool Party Pics Part Two

I believe this one is from 1981, when Mikey and Kevin were both in my band. I wonder what they were talking about.

July 1982: Here is one of the signs that hung in the back yard when we moved into the house. This is the back corner of the yard and I am standing with Christina while Mike Livingston looks on in the background... (Just what is he up to?!) I got the Yoruba shirt at an African fair. Later that year Stuart Green gave me a Teach Yourself Yoruba book for Christmas. I never did.

 Back to the summer of 1981 for the rest. I believe I was sent this photo by Michael Uhlenkott, but if I'm wrong, please let me know! David Wiley arrives.

Twinkletoes Kevin and Geza X (I think!); photo from M.U.

 Michael, P.J. and Regina; another one from M.U.

 Michael U., David Wiley, Mikey Borens; photo from M.U.

Another sent to me by Michael. Look at these young things!

Day 36: Halloween on John Street

My parents never decorated the house for Halloween apart from my mother carving the odd pumpkin, which would usually be smashed during the night. (I never understood that, nor, especially, TPing someone's house - what a waste!) But in recent years, the Halloween displays of other people in this neighborhood have become extreme - way bypassing the now tasteful and subdued Christmas displays. There are sound and light shows at timed intervals, whole front yards turned into graveyards (one had a tombstone with Sid Vicious displaying the incorrect year), a veritable miniature Knott's Scary Farm.

Well, for the first time in decades I was going to be home on Halloween, here in the family house. I went to the 99 Cent store for something else, something which they no longer carried, as about eight aisles were given over to Halloween stuff. There was even a sale on, so the 99 cent stuff was actually 49 and 79 cents, so I loaded up my basket. And this was the result.

The front door has not always been painted white, but I believe that the bead curtain was in place when we moved in in 1972. Those 1970s earth tones are the right shade for autumn and Halloween.

Purple seems to be the new Halloween color, along with orange and black. This purple glitter pumpkin sits happily atop the rusty oil drum, formerly filled with moths.

Tarantulas don't spin webs, but then again they also don't have green rhinestones on their legs.

 This one has managed to attract a moth, even without a web!

 A real spider incorporates the glitter skull trim into its web, and enjoys the juices of a moth.

The porch light has always been a haven for spiders. My father would leave them the specimens he did not want.

These mini pumpkins were on sale at Trader Joe's. A couple of them are still turning to mulch outside in a planter. I think one was eaten by a raccoon.

99 Cent Store fun.

Porky the Stork dons cobwebs and a witch's hat.

Dig those tiny glitter pumpkins!

Day 35: My Mom's Costume Cupboard Part Two

More photos from my niece and nephew's fashion show, digging into my mom's costume collection.

Luke

Annabelle

Drake

Day 34: The Puzzles of my Father Part Two

My father had two copies of this puzzle showing the old Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. I might have given him one for Father's Day in 1999.

He completed this version of the puzzle on 28 December 2004, 13 October 2006, and 6 October 2008.




I believe the numbers 42 x 15 or 41 x 12 do not refer to inches, but to the number of pieces across. This irregularity would have irked my engineer father. But at least all the pieces were there!

I think the tramway puzzle was only 500 pieces; my father preferred 1000.

I remember working on this puzzle with my father at least once, probably in 2005.

It received the Ron Leuschner seal of approval: "A GOOD PUZZLE!", on 6 September 2003. On 5 March 2005 it was "STILL GOOD!" Ditto for 3 May 2006 and 5 October 2008. (Scroll above and you'll realize that at least the last time he did the tramway puzzle, it only took a day.)

Day 33: Yuletide on John Street Part One

Here are a couple of photos from our 1984 Christmas party that I missed in the party post. The first one is upstairs in the living room.

And here are Craig and I downstairs in the family room.

Plus... It turns out I have the invitation for that Boxing Day party after all! I must admit, my humor was of the blackest variety. I was a great fan of the Weekly World News in its heyday.

This is a photo of the Christmas tree above that same year. I used my Poloroid camera and moved it around in circles. I believe I used this as my Christmas card in 1985.

Let's move forward to the 21st century. Here is my nephew Drake in 2012. He is standing in front of the metal sculture by Daniel Gluck and in the background you can see my grandma's musical spinning Christmas tree (plays Jingle Bells) and the organ of course.

Now Drake is in the living room in front of the mantelpiece, where the ancient stockings have been hung with careless abandon, and the glitter Xmas trees from the 99 Cent Store keep falling down.

My sister had given him this magician's outfit.

Some peppermint whirls I made that Christmas, on my grandmother's china (never intended to go in the microwave, but it does) and my mom's Christmas tablecloth.

And finally, our downsized fake tree from Target in 2012. Through the window you can see one of our pine trees, which has now been fully murdered by pine beetles.