2001: A trip down memory lane

This afternoon, I had a phone call from my favorite brother (whose family is finding it hard to pray for our house to sell in Colorado as they'd really like us to move back...) ... and that started the memories.

Then dh and I were talking (while my sweetheart was cooking dinner -- gotta love this guy!), about all the places we've lived in our almost 11 years of wedded-bliss ... including our visits to said brother and his family in Ripon, England.

Then we started watching our favorite Saturday evening entertainment ...

And, so ... here is a blast from the past ... from our first year in Austria ... and our visits to England

So, we're all a bit older, (and we've added a little sprite since then), but otherwise ... welcome to our world!

UM strikes again ...

... but this one rates a blog post!

I have an uncle, Uncle Matt to be precise. He is my dad's youngest brother (which makes him mid-60s as he's more than 10 years younger than dad would be) and I can remember him visiting when I was little. At one point, he thought he had a calling to the priesthood ... was even in seminary down in Camarillo, CA. But God had other plans for this guy.

I remember one time he came to visit ... riding a Harley ... and gave us all rides on it. This uncle was way cool! He worked for TWA and lived in a camper in their parking lot in LA. This uncle was way cool! He was the first guy I ever saw wearing huarache sandals ... this was in the late 60s in California. This uncle was WAY cool!

I remember after my Grandma died, I finished an afghan she had started for Uncle Matt. I was in 5th grade. He loved that blanket!

He never had kids of his own ... we rarely saw him ... and yet the memories of the times we DID see him are still very fresh.

A year ago, I had the joy of seeing him for the first time since Dad's funeral back in 1995. Uncle Matt had aged ... but he was still the cool uncle he'd always been.

He frequently sends me jokes or notes or "cocktail tidbits" (since you never know when you'll need to make small-talk!) all via email. Some are cute, some just goofy and some not worth the ether used to carry them to me.

Occasionally, he sends a real "pip".

Today, here's the email he sent:

I'm just hoping I NEVER shop at that particular store!

Books: memories that truly last a lifetime

Over at 4real forum, we've been discussing book memories in the thread, when you were a kid. This is a thread about THE favorite picture book of each poster's youth.

Well, that got me thinking about books and the wonderful ones I've read over my 40+ years of reading. The first book I ever read was part of Maurice Sendak's Nutshell Library -- my favorite in that collection too -- "Pierre". (I was in trouble ALOT when I was little ).

The first chapter book (with minimal pictures and boy wasn't I sad about that! ) was B is for Betsy. I can still see the orange cover on the book I bought when Mom and I (just us -- when you're the 6th of 7, that's memorable!) went downtown San Francisco on errands and I got to pick out a book to buy.

I've been buying books ever since -- and many have carved their titles in my memories! But I think none are so special as Pierre and B is for Betsy!