Who Are We?

The NovelFriends are four writers who met through Wisconsin Romance Writers and initially became bonded by our love of books. That connection has expanded, grown, and deepened into true friendship over the years. We look forward to sharing our experiences with you, so follow the blog and join in the fun - we're always happy to have more NovelFriends!

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Where I Came From

Hello! For my first post here with my NovelFriends, I'd like to share some pictures I came across while looking for my baby picture to put on the About Us page. Did you look at that page yet? Go ahead, I'll wait.

....[insert Jeopardy music]...

Aren't we cute? A few of us more so than others--and I don't mean me!

I come from a big family. Four kids on my mom's side, nine on my dad's and so many first, second and third cousins that I can't remember all the names at our family reunions. I learned long ago not everyone remembers me, either, so I usually just introduce myself as "Butch and Judy's daughter, Stacey." That's if my dear dad hasn't already put me on the spot with "Do you know who this is?"

Anyway, as usual, when pulling out photo albums, it's so much fun to look at the old pictures and hear the inevitable "Remember when we did 'this'?" or  "So that's where Becky got her taste for beer." (she was draining the empties off the picnic table and back then apparently parents didn't rush to take the bottles away, they snapped a photo) and "Oh, my God, look at my hair!"

My kids giggled at the boy's cut my mom gave me so she didn't have to comb all the snarls out each day. By her third girl, she didn't have time to be combing hair for an hour and a half each day. (Which is why I don't make my daughter cut her hair even though it sometimes takes me twenty to thirty minutes to remove the tangles before school.)

But again, I digress. I'd intended to share some cool pictures of my parents, not meander down memory lane. In the midst of looking through these pictures, my mom pulled out an album of old portrait studio pictures. It'd been so long since we'd seen them, it was like discovering hidden treasure.

So here we are at the reason for this post. I thought these pictures of my mom and dad were so cool that I just had to share them with the world and show where I came from.

  

Mom's all glamorous and beautiful; Dad's handsome as can be with those bright blue eyes.

Actually, I just realized there's a better reason for this post. When was the last time you sat down with your kids, your parents, your siblings, or maybe your grand children, and looked at your old family photo albums? If it's been awhile, then I suggest you do it. For my dad's 70th birthday a couple years ago, our immediate family all got together and had a slide show. We're planning to do the same for my mom's 70th in a couple weeks. Everyone from age 9 to 72 has a great time - boy haircut pictures and all!

There are stories behind your family pictures that need to be told and remembered and passed on to future generations. For that matter, print some of those digital pictures and put them in an album, too. (I'm guilty of not doing this and need to.) Digital is great, but there's something to be said for having a hard copy back up.

And now I'm done before I start rambling again.

Have a great day and go enjoy your pictures as you create new memories while remembering the old.

Stacey


8 comments:

  1. Love these pics, Stac... It's been so long since I've seen your folks. It's so funny looking back at my mom's pics too when she was young. She was compared to Ingrid Bergman. Your mom looks like a movie star indeed in this shot. I can see so much of you in both your parents... I remember when I was little - looking at my family photos which were mostly all black and white and thinking that was how the world looked back then! All black and white!

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  2. Great pictures. I can see where you got your looks from. I should bring out the boxes of photos the next time the family is over.

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  3. Love the pictures of your parents, Stacey. Wonderful post. I love looking through old pictures with my kids, but haven't done it as much in the last few years. I think it's a good time to take a few hours to look at them again and keep those memories and stories alive.

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  4. I see bits of you in both your parents, Stacey. Very very handsome couple.

    I love old photos and have been going through them lately--mainly to to some organization. Great post.

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  5. Tracy-too funny about the black and white world. :) And I can see that about your mom. Thanks for visiting.

    Edie--definitely do that. We have such a blast when we look at ours.

    Jamie--enjoy!

    Casey, I've enjoyed your old photos on your blog lately. :)

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  6. What great pictures of your parents! You and Troy look so much like your dad it's uncanny, though I can see your mom in you, too. :-)

    I also pulled some extra pictures to scan while I was looking for my baby pic, so I'll probably share some as well.

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  7. Looking at pics of your parents when they're young is so weird, it's hard to imagine them ever being teenagers and in their twenties. Then I realize that my kids feel the same way about me. Yikes!

    Photo albums are so big and bulky, and with our transient lifestyle, hard to move from house to house. I dismantled all our albums, put each picture in a manila envelope with the year written on the outside. They're currently crammed in a Rubbermaid tote in our barn. I am SO unsentimental. I suppose I should scan them or something some day.

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  8. Funny what other people see that we don't. Well, I know Troy and I look alike, but never really thought of my dad in me. Looking forward to your pictures, Donna.

    Delia--just don't lose those pics. Your kids will love to have them some day even if you're not sentimental. Or maybe even your grandkids. :)

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