A Trip Down Memory Lane

 While scrolling through pictures for Barb's birthday post last week, I could not help but stop, look, wonder and reflect on some pictures I saw. Pictures of our parents, our siblings, pets and some scenery from 'back in the day'. So, I thought I would share some here. Some brought back specific memories, others, were well before we were even born. You may not find the subjects of the pictures as interesting as we do, but I thought you might get a kick out of some of the peripheral items in the photos. 

Like this one. This is a picture of 5 of my 6 siblings. I am guessing somewhere around 1965. Based on the poinsettia, I would have to say it is a Christmas picture. Starting on the left it is my sisters Beth, Becky, Carol, Judy and my brother Bob. 

I of course do not remember a thing about this picture, but what I do remember was that ashtray next to my sister Carol. What do I remember about it? I remember it because it met its demise when my sister Judy broke it over my head several years later. (I know, that explains a lot, right?)

This picture of is my brother Rod and me. Probably the same year, maybe the same day as the picture above. I am on the left and was probably 3? Check out those toys we got for Christmas!

This picture is a few years later, same house. As a matter of fact, I only lived in this one house in Roseville MN until I moved out on my own. What stands out in this picture, besides my sister Becky, is the radio right behind her and the orange cookie jar on top of the cabinet. We used to wake up to that radio every morning listening to Boone and Erickson. It is also the radio we would huddle around listening for school closures on snow days. The cookie jar on top of the cabinet? Mom used to keep it on the top shelf so Rod and I could not reach it. We used to sneak up there anyway and steal a cookie or two despite my mom's best efforts. Sadly, it too met a tragic demise when the lid was dropped during one of our cookie theft adventures. 

I am jumping all over here, but this one is of my dad, in the 1930's. I know nothing of the picture other than that it was my dad. 

 

My dad again, he is probably in his 50's in this picture. We used to spend hours downstairs playing pool. That ceiling was eventually pockmarked with blue chalk from us kids getting too careless and hitting the ceiling with our cues. 

I only have a few pictures of my mom, I am guessing they are in their 40's here. Maybe my sister Becky's wedding?

Patches, our first dog. She and I used to spend hours walking the fields in the neighborhood just exploring. I still have her collar which is hanging on my memory wall. 

My dad's place up in Shell Lake Wisconsin. That's me in the yellow stripped shirt. I used to spend hours on that sailboat and have not sailed since the early 80's. The cabin is long gone, having been destroyed in a flood, but my brother still has that canoe somewhere. 

The last two from my side of the family, here I was 18 having just graduated high school. After graduating, I set out on a hitchhiking trip from Minnesota to Washington and back. The next picture? That was a woman who picked me up, I think it was in Glacier. She was traveling with another woman. I am sure they have long since passed by now. Looking at it now, they probably thought it was a great adventure picking up a hitchhiker on their vacation. Something that neither of us would think of doing nowadays!

That's it for this week's trip down memory lane. Next time I will share some pictures from Barb's childhood and pre-childhood days. Hopefully she can add some context!