Happy Birthday, Annette - 1960

Happy Birthday, Annette

1960

Nancy holding Annette, our oldest daughter, at two weeks... in Ames, Iowa.

Slides from that period, especially cheaper film, it seems, are starting to deteriorate. Got most of them scanned a couple of years ago, but a bit late, on some of them... Ah, the memories, though!!! ;-)

Throwback Thursday - Remembering PhD Study Days - early 1990s

Throwback Thursday

Remembering PhD Study Days - early 1990s

I came across this photo recently that brought back a lot of memories to me. I believe I was starting on my dissertation, perhaps '93... we had moved to a small apartment near campus at the University of Arizona in Tucson, from our house in the suburbs, so I could concentrate on finishing my degree.

Pretty heavy reading ahead, it appears. Even as Christmas approached. What fun?!?!?! ;-)

Throw-way-back Thursday - Another world of the early 1940s

Throw-way-back Thursday

Another world of the early 1940s

Roy Rogers and Lash LaRue at the local Lyric theater on Saturday were the 'heroes.'
Long before television. West-central Iowa farm community - look at that tractor and that barn.
Cousins played together on Sunday, after church...on the farm, or in small town...perhaps that hasn't changes so much...what was your experience??
Mom and Dad worried about sugar rations and such from a war, far, far way; hoped the boys came back safe... but, otherwise, it was a good life. What do you think?

Families are Forever!! ;-)

Photo: Cousin Kathleen - Bill - Cousin Karen, my buddies!

Throwback Thursday - 2001

Throwback Thursday - 2001

Sixteen Years ago the week

At Ben and Arrion's wedding, in Springfield, Illinois... Blues Brothers glasses, I think, and doing the YMCA dance, among others... not my normal activities, for sure... one good time!!

Throwback Thursday - Spring 1974

Throwback Thursday

Spring 1974

This is time-period I rarely revisit...aren't we spiffy?

Nancy and Bill Smith, if you don't recognize us! ;-)

What do you recall from the Spring of 1974?

Throwback Thursday - 4th of July Celebration

Throwback Thursday - 4th of July Celebration

I've used this a few years for a 4th of July photo because of the Silver Dollar City flags in the background...however, I notice we are both wearing jackets... really the 4th of July or not?!?!

P.S. Later: Stumbled upon what suggests the date of this photo was 26 Nov 2010...

Still a fun photo!! Have a Very Happy, Safe and Sane, 4th of July this next week...even a very long weekend for a number of you, I'll bet!!

Throwback Thursday - May 1961

Throwback Thursday - May 1961

This photo from the past has a number of things going on... and some things I don't know. This was one of many occasions, I believe, where Nancy's family and my family were together during one of our visits back to Coon Rapids, our home town. Nancy, Annette and I were about to move to California following my college graduation from Iowa State at this time. 

In the photo are Nancy's younger sister, Janice, at left. My next younger brother, Jim, is in the white shirt. He would have just had his 17th birthday. Far right is my maternal grandfather, Paul Kinnick. Ah, the memories! ;-)

Throwback Thursday - 2 February 2017

Throwback Thursday

2 February 2017

Spring of 1954, I believe. Freshman in High School. First Instrumental Music Contest. Solo on the Baritone. Western Iowa, small town school... off to a nearby 'city' for the contest.

So much to note. The setting is 'The Porch' of our farm house near Coon Rapids, Iowa. This was few years off from having actually torn the 'porch' off the house and building this beautiful 'family room' that we still called "The Porch" It was large enough that my younger brothers played basketball in it. Of to the right, in the photo, far end of the room, was a stone fireplace in a wall of bookshelves. To the left, in the photo, was the piano... with the rest of the house on the other side of the wall. Behind me, is the stairs down to the basement. The door to the outside was behind the person taking the photo...no doubt, my mother. That is a toy box behind my legs. I do note on the counter, to the left, is my younger brother, Jim's, trombone.

How about that tie? Not to mention the 'sport coat,' and blue shirt! Those were the days, my friends.

Think Positive, Do Good! ;-)

Throwback Thursday - 26 January 2017

Throwback Thursday

26 January 2017

When I was a young father, this was my image of retirement...

These are my maternal grandparents, about the early 1960s, on their front porch, in the small town of Bayard, Iowa, in their small house. He died at 75, from emphysema, at age 75, in 1968. She lived to 95.

I am now probably now ten years older than they were in this photo. I don't feel nearly as old as they seemed, at the time. Likely, they did. Times have changed some, for sure.

What are your thought as you read this, and see this photo?

Use the Comments below, Facebook, Google+ or Twitter, to get us started. I’ll be back here, next Wednesday, with more of my thoughts. I await your comments…

Think Positive, Do Good! ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Throwback Thursday - January 19, 2017

Throwback Thursday

January 19, 2017

It is May 1962, my mom and dad, Eileen and Pete Smith were visiting us in Winslow, Arizona. We had just arrived in January to start our Air Force life with Detachment 9, 11th Radar Bomb Scoring Squadron, Strategic Air Command, living on the civilian economy. Dad is holding our first daughter, Annette, of course. That is also my cool youngest brother, Paul. They are standing in front of the neat little cement block home we lived in while in Winslow in 1962 and 1963.

Dad would have been approaching his 47th birthday, Mom was 43 years old. Paul was 6. Annette would be 2 in August. Ah, what memories.  ;-)


Think positive, do good! ;-)

Throwback Thursday, January 12, 2017

Throwback Thursday

January 12, 2017

This photo image takes us back to rural Iowa in the Fall of 1953 - Don't you just love the curtains and the wallpaper???

I am drinking a Pepsi straight from the bottle... real cool! How about that shirt, as well. We were Freshmen in High School, this was a gathering of the MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship), on a Thursady evening, as I recall. Our MYF was affiliated with our rural Star Methodist Church, but I think we had invited the nearby Coon Rapids MYF young folks to join us, as well, though not shown here. The young lady in the middle is my future wife (of approaching 58 years), Nancy... though we were still nearly two years away from our first date, at this time. She was much more sophisticated, and I was still pretty much a country bumpkin, though improving, slowly!! ;-)

Our friend on the left in the photo, Pat, died recently I am sad to report.

Though Nancy and I were 'just friends' at this point, we had many interactions that fall. We were in all the same classes in High School, except gym and Home Economics/Future Farmers of America, of course. We were also together in both band and vocal music. That fall, we were assigned to the same mixed quartet to try out for All State Chorus... and we were selected!! Recently, in the Coon Rapids Enterprise, there was a big story about a student being chosen all four years. Well, Nancy and I were also chosen all four years... from the same quartet... with the other two being different each year. In addition, a classmate, Andy, was also chosen all four years... one year with us. It was both an honor, and a great experience.

Think Positive, Do Good! ;-)

Throwback Thursday - January 5, 2017

Throwback Thursday

January 5, 2017

I have never seemed to be real good (consistent) at Throwback Thursday (TBT) postings of photos, either on my blogs or on Faceback. I have many, many photos that should be shared, but I tend to use the same hundred or so over and over... like the one above, probably the most 'famous' of my early photos... May 31, 1942...nearly three years old. Even my High School 'Prophesy' played off of this photo by saying I'd be a chicken farmer in 20 years after graduation. Everyone knew I was going to college and would never be a farmer. It was a 'put-down' of sorts. [Though, if I'd have become a chicken farmer, I'd likely have much more wealth than I have today... but, that is a story for another time!]

 

So, looking ahead, my pledge to you my readers, and myself, is to attempt to share some personal and family photos here each week this year, that mostly (or totally) have never been published online before - suppose I'll be able to do that??? ;-)

 

 Think Positive, Do Good! ;-)