What I found in my desk while digging for my birth certificate

I have an old drop leaf desk in my front hall.

It’s the repository of my important papers. And old birthday cards, ticket stubs, cancelled checks,  yellowed newspaper clippings and _

although I did NOT find what I needed, I found these old Garbage Pail Kids Trading Cards from the eighties.

“originally released in 1985 and designed to parody the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls, which were immensely popular at the time.” Wikipedia

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excerpt from Wikipedia- for more indepth information click here

“The series was the brainchild of Topps consultant and Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Art Spiegelman, ……..Spiegelman and fellow cartoonist Mark Newgarden worked together as the editors and art directors of the project, Len Brown was the manager, and the first run of the cards was drawn exclusively by artist John Pound” 

 

 

Photographing Four Kids in One Frame

These are four of my own grandchildren. Should be easy, right?

Try to remain patient, I tell myself.

Don’t worry if it is not the day for a photograph.

Even if the weather is perfect and the colorful fall leaves are still on the trees.

Get kids involved in an activity to take their mind off the lens.

Two different days.

The idea is to get a nice photograph to send in a Christmas card, show how they’ve grown.

Hats make shadows on faces and  features obliterated. Oops!

Solids are least distracting.

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and yesterday’s attempt

You can always resort to running and jumping as I have in the past, when all else fails.

grandkids christmas card

Let them make a funny face, then a serious one.

Remember it’s a bit easier WITHOUT the dogs

 

Impromptu, candids can come out the best

IMG_1373Waiting at Von Maur while Mom shops.

Change: Weekly Photo Challenge

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Change.”

One minute you have babies, then toddlers and teenagers, young adults. Before you can catch a breath, they are all grown up and gone and have families of their own

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1984

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Portrait of Pap, Captured by Maura

If You Give a Kid a Camera….

Her view from the shopping cart.

Maura (who’ll be 6 next month) captured her Pap while shopping.

With her mother’s phone. They sent it to me.  I asked if I could blog it.

Good one Maura. Thanks for sharing Erika. Here’s the guest blog of the day.

I thought she did well to freeze a moment in time- Saturday afternoon at Costco, after the swim meet.

Looking good, Pap!

Pap shopping at Costco

Ohio Katydid and the Kids Via My Son Mark

A fun series to receive on the phone from my son Mark.

Looks like a depth of field exercise, too.

This is a “leaf bug” or katydid.  A relative of the grasshopper and also called a bush-cricket in some parts of the world.   Looks like such an interesting creature and is the perfection of camouflage.

Thanks Mark for sharing your Katydid and Kids study.  love you. Mom

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Can you see him/her?

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Can you see him/her? Probably snacking on the foliage.

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Do Not Rock Cars!

Atop the Ferris Wheel.  The sign said Do Not  Rock  Cars.  

No kidding,  but Jack (6) my grandson would have loved to rock the car when we were stopped at the top!

Mr. George Washington Gale Ferris although born in Illinois  founded a company to test metals for railroads and bridges- G.W. G. Ferris in  Pittsburgh PA.  Mr Ferris lived on the North Side and died in Mercy Hospital Pittsburgh of typhoid fever.

Atop the Ferris Wheel

Dry Ice from a Gift Box Evolves into a Science Experiment

 

Another photo essay today. An iPhone essay.

My friend J sent a huge styrofoam chest filled with fancy steaks, filets, chicken breasts, some gourmet franks and burgers, too. It arrived today.

Going to be a birthday grill out but Mark’s mind started thinking………  memories of science class?

Mark carried the package to the basement. We  put the food in the upright freezer and then he proceeded to entertain and teach the four kids about the properties of dry ice and how it could be used for special effects on stage or movies.  He was careful and warned them about how you couldn’t touch it and why it was doing what it did as he poured water of different temperatures onto it.     It was quite a show and much appreciated by all.

Well, Maura(4) hung back. Said she didn’t like it.

Solid Carbon Dioxide- dry ice

Thanks Joanne for the lovely present. Who knew the packing material to preserve the food inside would become a blog today!

 

Mark shows the kids dry ice with water

 

 

dry ice

 

 

overflow

 

 

 

 

from the balustrade

 

 

 

 

kids wait

 

 

 

 

 

dry ice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Show’s over.

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Dry Ice Cautions

All the precautions on the bag.  I am sure most people just dispose of it. But maybe not.

 

 

 

 

 

The Girls Eye the Mobile Ropes Course at the BSA Booth, Ohio State Fair

 

 

Girls Eye the Mobile Ropes

 

The Girls at the Boy Scouts of America Booth-  Eyeing Mobile Ropes Course

 

 

Kids and Goldfish

 

Michael and Maura eye Goldie and Tiger

We didn’t play any games but these goldfish were foisted on us by a girl who won them.  Sadly, both are deceased already(the first within 24 hours) despite the investment in an aquarium with filter and lights and pretty gravel and conditioning the water etc etc.

 

 

Railroad display

 

The Railroad Display

 

 

Patting the Calf

 

 

Petting a calf.  The calf was a prize in a drawing.  No, we did NOT enter the drawing.

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

 

Why did the chicken cross the road?

 

 

Mobile Ropes Course

 

 

 

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Mobile Ropes Course

 

 

 

 

Kids at the Fair

All seven kids on the inflatable chair at the State Farm Booth.  And obviously had them pose for this shot.

 

Feeding the Horses in Virginia

When the kids visit their grandparents in Virginia, they love to feed the horses next door carrots and apples.  Marlene must have had ten pounds of carrots for our stay!  The neighbors are generous with allowing all the children to visit the animals at the barn, too.  You might remember the pigs. The grass was so high from all the rain in was hard to see the bare feet!

feeding the horses

 

 

The fence where we took  Christmas card pics last Thanksgiving.

 

 

 

Maura and the little horse

 

 

Maura feeds the mini horse a carrot.

 

 

Michael and the horses

 

Not sure what Michael is communicating to the horses or they to him……

 

jack and the horse

 

 

Jack

 

 

The next morning, saying good bye. Horses keeping cool in the shade of the woods.

Anna and the horses

 

and the much used but almost always successful running grandchildren shot.

 

They really respond to on your mark, get set, GO. Must be all that swim team practice and meets!

And the running shot

 

The four of them are making my summer vacation a lively one!