Sisters and Hairdoing

Anna turned five just before her sister Maura was born. This fall they’ll be five and ten. Or should I say, ten and five?

The eldest and the youngest with two boys in between.

Sunday morning I looked down the driveway after Laura and James had just pulled out with Laura’s new car (they’d driven over to show us)

I saw Anna fixing Maura’s hair as they stood the end of the driveway. Very intent.

Maura doesn’t really enjoy getting her hair braided or brushed but her hair is long and they swim a lot so it’s necessary.  She’ll let Anna do it and Anna has a nice way about it- getting her to cooperate…

convincing Maura it’s a good thing to brush out the tangly knots!

Both girls pretty much ignored me and my camera, the concentration to get it right on the hair made them forget about me, so I took some shots and approached them slowly.   You can see when they became “camera aware”.

I like it when they ignore me.

Here’s the link to Francine Russo’s interesting article The Science of Siblings that my sister and I read last week.  Sibling relationships and their importance in your life.  Some note about only children as well.

These are taken Canon 50mm 1.2 L series lens so no zooming possibility. Have to move myself.  Good practice.

Sister Doing Hair

Hair still wet from washing it.  Anna in the

Concentration

Anna (in the pink) can get Maura (in the yellow) to do what she needs her to dao

Doing Hair

Sisters fixing her sisters hair

Sisters hug

They see me now

Sisters Smile

Big sister Little sister

Mini-Celebration in the Midst of Sadness

When we gathered in to Aunt Linda’s and Uncle Frank’s to mourn the passing of Aunt Theresa, there was lots of food to share and it kept pouring in from generous neighbors and friends and relatives.

Anna’s other Grandma, Marlene, sister of Aunt Theresa, Aunt Linda and Aunt Georgeann wanted to acknowledge the excitement and accomplishment of Anna(9) qualifying to swim Freestyle and Breaststroke  in the Junior Olympics in Ohio next weekend.  Marlene bought a cake- a 3 pound 12 ounce cake!  (We read the label, didn’t we Aunt Linda?)

Because the occasion was the gathering in and remembering Theresa who had passed, I never took my camera out of the car.

It didn’t seem like a time to take photos.  But of course when the cake came out and Marlene was videoing our singing Happy Junior Olympics to you, I felt compelled to take a photo and slipped out the trusty old iPhone and took one shot.  This is it.   Of course we are so proud of Anna. On the left standing up and smiling is her Mom, Erika. And cousin Shannon, in the red on the right was very gracious.  Lots of love and affection over this past week.

Cake

Weekly Photo Challenge: Forward

Forward on the soccer team?  Forward as in pushy, aggressive?

I’m thinking FORWARD motion cause that is what I came up with as I skimmed through my photos.

The Weekly Photo Challenge seems like a real challenge to me this week. Guess I am taking the word Forward, literally.  The sensation of moving up, plowing ahead, going forward. Here are the photos I chose for the theme FORWARD.  (I like to think a bit of blur illustrates the forward motion!  HA!) 

Trying the new option, well new to me…..click to see the photos.  Let me know if it works.   Continue reading

Weekly Photo Challenge: Kiss

For the weekly challenge I looked to my own family to help me out.

I figured they wouldn’t mind. The wedding clothes photos are the ones I took 6 months after the wedding.  Thanks Laura and James.  (Hope it’s okay!) Love, Ma

Short North

 

 

 

 

 

Columbus Ohio Wedding

 

 

 

 

 

 

kiss cheek

 

 

 

 

 

The Paper Anniversary- The First

Happy First Anniversary Laura and James. It was a happy wedding.   There’s a list of traditional and modern wedding anniversary gifts for each year here.   I knew that the first anniversary was paper.

Laura took this photo of the paper items I sent to them to mark the occasion. James said he came home from work to find some large boxes on their front porch and had no idea what was in them.  I know I had fun thinking about sending the paper products and figured it would be a gift that would get used. Actually, used up!   Shipping was free!

 James had the idea to call me on SKYPE and here they are at home talking to me.

 

Last week at breakfast in Columbus at First Watch

and the weekend they came to help me with the House Concert in Pittsburgh

with Penny the Golden Doodle

The Six Months Photo Shoot in Short North Columbus Ohio

Waiting for the Vintage Plane to Land

Bolton Field, Columbus OH, Sunday afternoon in the hot June sun.  My grandsons and a friend watch the sky for the Liberty Belle.

The boys loved going to the airfield to check out the B-17.

Waiting at the Railroad Crossing in Ohio

Gates down, red lights flash, bells clang- the freight train rolls by. Count the cars, kids!  Long trains in Ohio. Lots of cars.  Sit and wait.

Columbus Ohio, Railroad Crossing
Another opportunity to practice patience

Seeing a Zamboni for the First Time

When you are little there are lots of “firsts”.  First tooth, first words, first steps, first day of school, first time on skates, first time for any number of things.  As we age the number of “firsts” decrease. Everyone cleared the rink.  Michael was mesmerized by the “Mighty Machine” (his favorite show) that drove out onto the ice.  You see an ice machine the word Zamboni comes to mind.  He barely blinked as he watched the man drive the Zamboni around the ice.

Erika hoists Michael, skates and all, to watch the Zamboni clear the rink

Halloween Night Sky

Halloween Night Sky
Taken From Porch Where I Passed Out Treats