Friday, April 21, 2006

photo booth friday - fortuitous.


You know, I have enjoyed PBF for quite awhile. It is actually one of the final deciding factors in my choice to join the blog universe. I have many photo strips that I began collecting when PickleBoy was little. They all look essentially the same although he is just a little older each time.

I've been a bit envious of the others who have old photobooth pictures from members of their own family throughout history. I had just resigned myself to having recent memories to pull from and then...

...on Easter Sunday, my aunt (father's sister) pulled out a little satin pouch full of little mementos that her grandmother gave to her before her passing (when I was only 3 months old). Can you imagine my face when this tiny single photo fell out onto the table? I just looked at my Sister and mouthed the word "MINE". She smiled knowingly and nodded her head. See, except for Sis, PickleBoy and eldest nephew Big G, no one in the family has a clue that I have created this old blog-o-mine. They know nothing of photo booth Fridays. Fate I say.

So who are these people? This is a photobooth picture of my grandfather as a boy (the same age as PickleBoy is now) with his grandmother. Nothing is written on the back...we know not when or where this was taken...my sister and I have never even seen a picture of this great great grandmother Evans of ours. My estimate is that it was taken around 1925. This side of the family is where the Welsh and Swedish comes down the tree via Swedesburg, Iowa. She was probably visiting her daughter's family in Southern California at the time. We are the only branch of the tree to have landed in California (PickleBoy is 4th generation Californian although he is half Australian, too).

I love how beautiful and happy my grandfather seems here. You see, he was an only child who subsisted on pure adoration which later evolved into fame. So far, the only 'star' in the family but he came from an era that did not prepare him for the inevitable time when the fame fades into the ethers. He did not transition well. I only knew him in his later years but heard regularly just how golden he used to be.

Having this photo come to me feels fortuitous in more than one way. For the blog, yes, but it has also reminded me to continue finding a way to keep the sparkle and shine in my eyes and, more importantly, my life.

I wish you all a sparkly and shiny weekend and life, too.

(more PBF love here)

7 Comments:

Blogger Diz Rivera said...

I can't believe the quality of the photo. That's amazing. And how badass is your g-g-grandmother's style? See? I'm rocking some hats all the time when I'm older.
(Hi, Mr. FatBoy)

1:10 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Excellent job. See, you didn't need me! Love ya!

4:36 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh! This is wonderful in so many ways! Family history and the who, what, why thoughts it puts into your head. It's so exciting to see a little piece of your family fall into place like that! Such a wonderful treasure!

(Mouthing "MINE" to your sister cracked me up because my sister and my boyfriend are well aware of this growing obsession of mine. My sister has been instructed to get my nephew back into the Sylvan Beach booth as soon as it opens for the summer and also to search our other grandmother's albums to see if photobooth pics can be found. My guy, he greets me every Friday with "It's Photobooth Friday!! Which one did you post?"

6:12 AM  
Blogger angela said...

i love her. the hat, the glasses, the necklace, WOW.

this is what it's about!

6:50 PM  
Blogger Teri M. said...

This is unbelieveably gorgeous!

thanks for stopping by mine. :-)

1:15 PM  
Blogger Vanessa/NessieNoodle said...

FABULOUS!!! wonderful wonderful picture- and how cool is that??? fate. yep yep.
and yeah, that hat- way too sweeeet for words.

3:25 PM  
Blogger andrea said...

okay, I've been wanting to comment on this since I first saw it LAST FRIDAY... really, this is absolutely FANTASTIC! the quality of the image, the facial expressions, the style sense. hello, your greatgreat grandmother? style for days. that hat is killing me. lovelovelove.

and I also love the story of how you found it-- what a superb treasure this is, truly (and we are so lucky to get to share in this treasure with you)...!

5:06 PM  

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