Weekly Photo Challenge: Juxtaposition (Bob with Big Shoes, and Grandpa Henry David?)

Going through more of Bob’s dad’s photos, I found another one of Bob and his father. Like the photos I posted last week, this one looks like it must be from a trip. If so, it got away from its album.

Perhaps the lesson here is that when these guys left the planet, they left some big shoes to fill.

I’m going through old photos from my family, too. There’s synchronicity in this: I’m snowed in today, and about this time 12 or so years ago I got snowed in while visiting my mother. We decided to spend our extra day together going through old photos. I’m glad we did that. We wrote names on many that I wouldn’t know how to identify now, without her. Not all the photos are marked, though.

Juxtaposition #2, here’s a selection of photos from one box I unpacked … see anyone you recognize?

The large one in bottom row center didn’t have a name on it but seemed familiar. His style of beard and hair, his light-colored eyes with a dark rim around the irises, all were consistent with some photos I’d seen of my paternal great grandfather. When I showed the photos to Sam, I told him who I thought it might be.  “Dear,” he said, “That’s Henry David Thoreau. Is Henry David your great grandfather?”

Well, no… *blush* so what’s that picture doing with my family photos? Two possibilities occur to me:

1. A prankster parent? Possible, but not likely.
2. A secret “acquaintance” great-grandma didn’t tell us about? Not likely there either.  So here’s another time-capsule mystery I don’t suppose I’ll ever solve.

As for Henry David Thoreau: he’s a great role model for downsizers. And, transendentally speaking, I guess we could justify his inclusion in my box of family photographs by saying we’re all from the family of man. Even feminists like me can accept that. We know that half of mankind may be women, but we’re all “men” — it’s just that the wo(e) is silent.

And here’s a good thing to think about while downsizing:

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” — Henry David Thoreau

Have you looked at your family photos lately?

Check out the other Weekly Photo Challenge posts here.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Family (Photo albums, Copenhagen, and Hoarding Memories)

Bob’s father was the ultimate memory-hoarder. When Bob worked for the airlines, they took at least one international trip together each year as long as his dad was able to travel. I knew in the back of my mind that Copenhagen was a favorite, but that trip happened before I knew Bob very well. Bob always said he wanted to go back, but with going to new places, and then later spending time on health needs and hospitals, it was a trip we didn’t get to take.

After Sam and I came home from our own Copenhagen trip last October, I had a slap-upside-the-head moment, and remembered Bob’s father’s photo albums. Now I’ve got them out, and marvel at the detail: neatly organized prints, typed captions, and a three page trip journal. Does memory-hoarding get better than this?

Copenhagen street corner fountain, July 1982

Trip Journal, Copenhagen

Tourist’s Copenhagen — Bob’s father with the Little Mermaid, and that’s Bob in the blue shirt, lower right.

It gives me a jolt to see these photos from 30 (30? yes 30!) years ago and know that we so lately walked some of the same paths.

The trip journal doesn’t give me any details about where they stayed. I know they went with three friends, stayed in an apartment, and when the apartment’s owners came home from vacation, they all spent time touring together.

It dawned on me that Bob had a framed print that might be related, so I found it and pulled it out for a look. The names in the captions are the same as the people they stayed with, though the date is an earlier year. I don’t know if they’re connected, or if so, how their connection came about, and there’s no one to tell me now. This will have to remain one more mystery.

“København’s International Settlement”

Detail: “Københavns International Settlement” with captions

Speaking of connections, I realize now that this explains the set of Royal Copenhagen dishes that Bob took such care of (but didn’t use), why he had the teak bookcases, the lounge chair and ottoman from the House of Denmark furniture store (all of which sit in my living room today), the Bing and Grøndahl Christmas plates he gave his mother each year, his favorite beret and navy wool sweater, and oh yes, that bottle of Aalborg aquavit that I found on a shelf the basement. This was a trip he cherished, and I’m sorry he didn’t get to go back one more time.

Color prints are not archival, and like all memories, these photos are starting to fade. I’ll scan some more now, and pass the album forward to the next generation of family while it’s still colorful.

What’s your favorite way of hoarding memories?

Copenhagen album: one more look

Thank you WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge for choosing the topic Family and reminding me to honor Bob’s father by sharing his album.

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Family

I’m de-hoarding photos again.

Frida Kahlo’s Love Embrace of the Universe, the Earth, Myself, Diego, and Señor Xólotl. I think of this as the ultimate family portrait: Frida, Diego, the Goddess, the door to the underworld, the sun, the moon, the Universe — what else could there be? I took this photo in summer 2013 at the Nelson-Atkins museum in Kansas City’s Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Masterpieces of Modern Mexico exhibition.

… and here’s a photo elsewhere in the exhibition. I liked how they painted the walls chili red and green for the show.

Family photos are on my mind now. One of my tasks this week is to get a start on sorting through my own, so thanks WordPress Challenge, for keeping me focused. (oops, no pun intended)

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Window (Part 2, mostly shop windows)

I saw this window full of red lingerie in Copenhagen and immediately thought of Battlestar Galactica…. what, wasn’t that your first thought too?   Six, the slinky Cylon often found in a skimpy red dress and red spike heels, might enjoy shopping here. (WW6D?)  I thought the disembodied red leg in the middle of the window was a nice touch.

Something for Six to wear. Fellow BSG fans: could a shop like this have saved Caprica?

Copenhagen SMK: In museums, I’m always on the lookout for people who match the art.

Copenhagen SMK, National Gallery of Denmark

Still in Copenhagen, window shopping again: Sam noticed the pooch on the desk before I did. It’s views like this that make window shopping so much fun. You can see me in this picture too — see the reflection of my point-and-shoot camera and the blue shoulder of my jacket?

Inside the lighting store: a helper on the desk.

Through the same window:  Lamps.  See why I didn’t notice the dog at first? I was busy gawking at these.

Lamps: cute in Copenhagen. Now if only they’d had a chicken.

Vintage shoes in Reykjavik:  Shoes again. What is my problem?

Reykjavik vintage shoes. And they’re red! (Six could wear these too)

Red shoes at the Atlanta Botanical Garden: Wait, how did this photo get in? … oh, there’s the top of the greenhouse that’s sort of a window, and of course, there’s me getting carried away with the shoes.

“Orchid Daze” 2013, Surrealist fun at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

And one more: Shoes in a shop window, New York, January 2013. A little something to deter muggers? What do you think — kicky or kinky?

NYC shoes: dressing for self-defense?

I couldn’t resist adding this second Windows post, or rather, this “Son of WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Windows” post.

How about you — do you have a favorite place for window shopping?

Weekly Photo Challenge: Windows

Here’s hoping that a photo challenge post isn’t too far off-topic for a hoarder — after all, I’ve been hoarding photographs for years. I have cabinets full of prints and slides, and now that photographs are digital, it’s even easier to hoard them.

This post is for the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge subject “Windows.” Well, actually it’s “Window” but  I got carried away.  Now pick a preposition, and let’s look at, over, under, in, down and out of windows.

Looking At: This display case window is at an exhibition in the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in New York City, January 2013.

Ambiguity of reflection in a MAD museum exhibition display case.

Looking Over: I took this next one at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). I was standing on the open walkway looking over the lower display area when my eyes were drawn to the silhouettes of people on the windowed staircase opposite. The angles in this pose caught my eye.

MOMA staircase, New York 2013

Looking Under: (or is that looking through?) I took the following photo at the Victoria and Albert museum in London, October 2012. The large display case protects the carpet inside; the mirror above reflects it, and from this angle reflects the surroundings as well.

Victoria and Albert Museum, London, October 2012

Looking In: Still in London — why do I always window-shop the shoes when traveling? I wouldn’t (couldn’t) wear these, but I had to have a picture.

Shoes in a window near Covent Garden: what would I wear them with?

Looking Down: Closer to home– here’s a screenshot from a mini-movie I took at the Peachtree Plaza’s Sun Dial restaurant.

Looking down at the revolving dining area, Sun Dial, Peachtree Plaza

Looking Out: Back home again, a moth takes a rest outside my screened porch. I love the feathery antennae, and regret it was too high up for me to see from outside.

A visitor to my back porch. Is it a polyphemous moth?

Is anybody out there a John Irving fan? If so, you may remember the catchphrase the characters from The Hotel New Hampshire repeat to each other — “Keep passing the open windows.” In other words, keep working, persevere, pass those windows and don’t be tempted to jump. I used to use that as a tagline at the end of my emails. All this talk about windows just reminded me.

Back to work now. I’ll keep passing the open windows and persevere on the task at hand. How about you?

Related articles:

One more time, here’s the WordPress link: http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/photo-challenge-window/

Best Holiday gift: a blogging award!

Happy Holidays and a much appreciated blogging award —

Thank you to One Girl One Suitcase for a Sisterhood of the World Blogger’s Award nomination. I love reading about her travels, and learning new things (my favorite: seeing her photos of Art Nouveau buildings in Riga, see it here). And read her post on setting goals for the New Year here:

Now I get to pass along the Blogger Award with new nominations — first, here are the Rules for new nominees:

1. Display the award logo on your blog.

2. Link back to the person who nominated you.

3. Pass on the award to other bloggers and link to them.

4. Let those bloggers know you’ve nominated them.

5. Answer the following questions  (here are my answers)

Your favorite color: It’s hard to pick just one (but I’m partial to hyacinth blue).
Your favorite animal:  Kitties!

Sam’s KoKo, between snoozes.

Your favorite non-alcoholic drink: root beer, no wait: coffee, no wait: spice tea… all of the aforementioned.
Facebook or Twitter: Facebook– my long-ago hometown has a community page.
Your favorite pattern:  A medieval sward of “nature nurturing” — Unicorn tapestries anyone?

Photo from “Web Gallery of Art” image collection.

Do you prefer getting or giving presents:  Giving. I have way too much stuff.
Your favorite number:  I have so many, all of them prime.
Your favorite day of the week: Friday, for its promise.
Your favorite flower:  For January, hyacinths.

Three days of root growth on my January hyacinths.

What is your passion? :  Writing, visual arts, travel.
My Nominations:

The Acceptable Sin: Connie’s blog is centered on health-related issues, and keeps us mindful in an entertaining way. Among her other hats are children’s writer, reader, puppeteer, and cowgirl.

Pipmarks: her posts on “Environmental and Social sustainability in a brave new Internet World” are always thoughtful, yet presented with a twist of humor. I love it that she’s in Australia and I’m in the US: I can read her blog and see what’s happening tomorrow.

Treading My Own Path, another blogger from Australia, writes about a sustainable lifestyle and inspires me to work toward being plastic free. She’s just home from a trip, truly a Sister of the World.

Paula B Puckett’s “Random Thoughts from the Creative Path”: She’s an artist, a writer, and a craftswoman. With a nod to Richard Brautigan, I’ll say that Paula’s blog is “all watched over by alpacas of loving grace.”

Happy New Blogging Year to everyone —

Related:

All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace: http://allpoetry.com/poem/8508991-All-Watched-Over-By-Machines-Of-Loving-Grace-by-Richard-Brautigan