DP Weekly Photo Challenge: Rounded

This week, the Daily Post says share your take on “rounded.”

DP Weekly Photo Challenge: Scale

The Daily Post:  Have some fun with perspective and show just how big, or little, the world can seem.

Law and Order

The Daily Prompt: Snapshot Stories — Open the first photo album you can find — real or virtual, your call — and stop at the first picture of yourself you see there. Tell us the story of that photo.

Okay, you asked for it. Well, maybe you didn’t really ask for it. But I’m going to give it to you. First album, first photo of me that I find. I must admit I ran across quite a few early photos. But what can I say about this one? Really, all I can tell you about this photo is that it is of me. I can’t tell you how old I was (guessing somewhere around two maybe?). We were in Columbus, Ohio but I’m not sure if we were living at the Jefferson Hotel (father was manager) at the time of this picture. As you can see, I don’t know anything about photo restoration and this one is in very poor condition.

I grew up loving mysteries, and like many young girls during the 1950s and 1960s, I voraciously read (and vicariously lived) as Nancy Drew. When I was older, I worked with the police department from 1974-75 as a patrol officer.  But reality set in and I realized I didn’t want to be the one GOING TO a shooting in progress. So my working life was spent working with attorneys safely tucked behind a typewriter/computer. But I never lost my love of a good mystery and I still love good old target shooting! And I must say, I’m pretty good at it even if I do say so myself!

Daily Prompt: Papa Loves Mambo

What sort of music was played in your house when you were growing up? What effect, (if any) did it have on your musical tastes?

Oh, my stars! When I opened up my email and saw this Daily Prompt, I actually laughed out loud.  The words to that song, Papa Loves Mambo, popped right into my head along with several others from the mid-1950s. At that time, most of the music I listened to belonged to my older brother (11 years my senior). I, of course, had songs such as “How Much is That Doggy in the Window” and other popular tunes from singers/actors such as Burl Ives, Gene Autry and Hopalong Cassidy. But the ones I remember most and thought of first when I saw this prompt were my teenage (then) brother’s records. I assume they were pretty much the hits of the day. Sometimes when I want to be silly around people now, I’ll start singing or saying the words to such tunes such as these:

Green Door

Me Make Um Pow Wow

Istanbul (not Constantinople)

Okay, if you’re through laughing, you can pick yourself up off the floor. Sheesh, I was only about six years old. Obviously, they were my formative years because the words and music stayed with me! Of course, it wasn’t long after that (probably somewhere around 1957-1958) my best friend and I taught ourselves how to jitterbug to some of these 1950s hits by watching American Bandstand!

Yes, I really do like a lot of the 50s music. But the truth of the matter is that I have always liked and will always prefer the sounds of the 1960s and 1970s. And that’s just the way it is — I mean the way I am! I’m not about to start listing all my favorites from my teen years. We’d be here all week!

Daily Prompt: Our House

From the Daily Prompt:

What are the earliest memories of the place you lived in as a child? Describe your house. What did it look like? How did it smell? What did it sound like? Was it quiet like a library, or full of the noise of life? Tell us all about it, in as much detail as you can recall.

I lived in this English Tudor from about 3 until I was 6.  That house has, I believe, formed my entire taste in homes and furnishing styles.  Course, I guess they do say those are the “formative” years!!  I still have so many memories from those few years in that house.

I remember Dad’s strawberry patch in the back yard. I can still remember him complaining about the birds getting his strawberries. So, he took some chicken wire and made a frame to cover the patch. He said it worked perfectly to keep the birds out; if he could only find something to keep the little fingers out!

There was Mom’s flower garden and rose bushes. She had every color rose and tulip and I can still smell that beautiful strong floral scent. I don’t know all the different kinds of flowers she had. But I remember the beauty. I’m just sad that I have no pictures. I have great memories of that backyard. That’s where my mother would sunbathe on her quilt while teaching me the alphabet and to count to 100.

I remember my Dad stopping the car at the end of the driveway when he was getting home from work, putting me on his lap and letting me “drive” the car up the driveway!

This is Mom and me in the living room. I’m all dressed up because I was a flower girl in a wedding. I have no clue whose wedding!

Our house backed up to the high school football stadium. My Dad and brother would go up on top of the garage after each high school football game to gather up the lost items/money from the overzealous patrons!  Having the stadium there also gave us the PERFECT view of the fireworks each 4th of July.  I remember picking and eating the wild rhubard that grew behind the neighbor’s garage; climbing trees — including the neighbor’s cherry tree and eating the good ones at the top; learning to ride my bike; my best friend Dodi.  As a side note, after 60 years, I have reconnected with Dodi via Facebook and email! Amazing.

One time when my aunt (my mom’s twin sister) was visiting, she and the rest of the family were outside.  I was probably no older than four. I went up to the attic, which had been converted into my brother’s private sanctuary (he’s 11 years older than me), where I had no business. But, for whatever reason, I decided to look out the open, screened window at everyone. Lo and behold, next thing I know is that the screen starts to fall. Well, since I didn’t want to get into trouble, I held onto that screen while hanging half in and half out of the window. I remember screaming my head off. Next thing, my aunt just happens to hear/see me and she starts screaming and running. Needless to say, they got to me in time! So much hugs and yelling. Imagine nearly falling out of the third floor attic window because I wouldn’t let go of the screen when it fell out. You can almost make out the window at the very top on the side of the house. 

I had my Boston Terrier, Happy, then. My constant and faithful companion. Bostons do have bull dog traits — no wait, that’s bull headed traits! I was upstairs on the second floor getting ready to take Happy for a walk in the neighborhood. He had his leash on him and we started down the stairs. We were about halfway down the stairs and something excited him. He took off and dragged me down the remainder of the stairs. At least they were carpeted and I was just scared and not hurt. My dad caught me at the bottom and tried to console me by telling me I should have just let go of the leash. Hmm, I see a pattern developing.

I remember the playroom off my bedroom entered through my closet; my Mom decorating my bedroom in pink and white, stenciling and handpainting a big “L” on my bed’s footboard.

So many more memories of that time and place. But please don’t ask me what all I did yesterday! I can’t remember!

Daily Prompt: Let’s Dance

Krista on The Daily Prompt asks:  What are your earliest and fondest memories of dance?

So that got me all nostalgic again! So it was back to the old photos!

I don’t remember of ever really dreaming of being a ballerina; I just always loved to dance.  When I was three, my mother enrolled me in tap and ballet classes.  I don’t know how long I attended.  Not long enough.  It might have been because we moved.  Who knows.

I remember taking ballet classes again when I was around eight.  There were classes in the basement of the Marsh Hotel (click for earlier entry for story of the Marsh) where we lived in Van Wert, Ohio.

The next dance involvement I had was in high school.  When I was a junior (11th grade), a friend talked me into trying out for a girls’ marching drill team.  This was in Lexington, KY.  It was a high school program sponsored and operated by the County Recreation Department.  And was I happy when we made it!  We were the KY KADETTES.  I performed with them for two years.  My senior year, I was voted “Miss Congeniality” and appointed Captain.  I had two Lieutenants.  This was probably one of the best things I ever did as a kid!  I had more fun and it was good for me.  As the Captain, I was out front by myself, my costume colors were reversed from the others and, best of all, I was the one with the whistle!  When we were marching in parades, I would turn and march backwards, raise my baton and blow the whistle to signal the start of our routine.  I loved it.

The two snapshots below are the only pictures I have from those two years.  These costumes were obviously for  dance presentations rather than marching.  I can’t even remember exactly where we were performing for these. 

We did a lot of parades, a lot of half-time shows at basketball and football games.  Once we even did a performance at the Lexington Trots (horse surrey racing).  They said that ESPN was going to be filming and we might be shown on their show.  Well, I think we made the cutting room floor!  I never saw or heard about it being shown. 

I’ve lost touch with all my Kadette friends. I have no photos of any of our performances.  I really wish I did.  I tried to find some of the girls who were in the KY KADETTES with me but I’ve not had any luck in my search.  Oh, well.  It would be fun to connect up with them or find some pictures from then. 

After high school, I attended the University of Kentucky. One of the classes I signed up for was a modern dance class that our former coach/instructor from the KY Kadettes was teaching.  I also performed in a modern/jazz dance troupe that she choreographed.  I started out as a dance/physical education (P.E.) major.  After my first semester, I met with one of the college counselors about my major.  Darn if she didn’t convince me back then there was no future in P.E. unless I wanted to just teach. HAH.  Hindsight.  Good grief, who knows what I could have done with it!  Oh, well, guess it doesn’t really matter now!

 I got this great graphic from Donna who used to be on AOL Journals with me a number of years ago.

Well, you know what they say – DANCE LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING!!  That’s me!

Daily Prompt: Land of Confusion

Amidst the confusion of the times,
the conflicts of conscience,
and the turmoil of daily living,
an abiding faith becomes an anchor to our lives.

Thomas S. Monson

To view more Confusion, click here!

Daily Prompt: Safety

The Savior has always been the protector of those who would accept His protection. He has said more than once, “How oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not” (3 Ne. 10:5).

The Lord expressed the same lament in our own dispensation after describing the many ways in which He calls us to safety:

“How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a trump, and by the voice of judgment, and by the voice of mercy all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the riches of eternal life, and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but ye would not!” (D&C 43:25).

There seems to be no end to the Savior’s desire to lead us to safety. And there is constancy in the way He shows us the path. He calls by more than one means so that it will reach those willing to accept it. And those means always include sending the message by the mouths of His prophets whenever people have qualified to have the prophets of God among them. Those authorized servants are always charged with warning the people, telling them the way to safety.

From the Daily Prompt: Photographers, artists, poets: show us SAFETY.  Click here for more entries.