Fair photos by Natalie :) Silly photo of Mom and daughter by Mom :)
Night at the Fair

Natalie and I spent a terrific evening at the fair. After a spin around the fairgrounds looking for a parking spot, we finally parked and walked ever so far to the fair. But, the weather was pleasant and by approaching from the back side, we were able to see some of the miniature horses close up. They really are miniature horses - not ponies, but actual small horses. Really fascinating - I guess I never thought about it before.

Anyway, we spent hours looking at the photos (my niece, Alissa, won a blue ribbon for one of her photos) and the rest of the exhibits. We ate "fair" food, including a funnel cake - my very first. What could be better than deep-fried dough covered in powdered sugar?? They are huge - we shared and were really stuffed when we were finished, but a fun stuffed. We walked for what seemed like miles, rode the ferris wheel (from which Natalie took some really neat photos) and, in general, had a really good time.

I wish I had photos of our experience to share, but I am not able to fit this particular event into a picture frame - I did not take my camera. If Natalie shares some of her photos with me, I will add them later. We had a great time and, hopefully, she will want to go again next year. :)

Happy Birthday Dad/Grandpa!Dad turned 83 yesterday - and a spry 83 at that, I might add! He is a remarkable person - having had heart surgery and both knees replaced - he just keeps on going. As John Cameron Swayze used to say, he "takes a licking and keeps on ticking." He has lived by himself since Ma died in 1997, but has managed to make it look easy when we all know how much he still misses her (because we all miss her, too). He is extraordinary and we are all grateful to have him in our lives!
This was a "hat" birthday! This hat represents the USS Minotaur, the ship he was on in the Navy during WWII. The ship is long gone, so it is really special that Bob was able to find the hat! How neat is that??
Chip gave Grandpa this hat - perfect for a "died in the wool" UK fan. The UK lights up - blinks actually. Pretty clever!
Of all his gifts, I don't think it would be exaggerating to say that Dad/Grandpa would say that the best gift is having all the local family onhand to celebrate. Despite difficult schedules, everyone managed to be there. And, for those of you out-of-towners, hopefully you can enjoy the party vicariously through the photos!
Happy 83! We love you!

 

Faux pas . . .

Here are a few examples of my photographic prowess! Actually, two things prompted today's rambling . . . 1) The first picture of Matt on yesterday's post is clear as a bell on my computer, but somehow by the time it reached the blog, it was slightly blurry; and, 2) my niece was asked why she takes so many pictures and I thought, "Hmmmm, it must be hereditary!" Fortunately, her pictures are much better than anything I take, but we are a family of photograph hounds, that's just the way it is. Anyway, Gary and I just returned from vacation and I took more than 200 photos. I'm lucky if half of them are worth looking at, but I saved nearly all of them on my computer anyway - because some of the lousy ones are the funny ones. Thought I would wow you with some of my 'better' shots . . . .

I think there was a helicopter in this shot - but, I missed it. They fly faster than I snap - obviously. :)
I'm particularly proud of this one! This one proves, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I am my mother's daughter! We used to tease Ma relentlessly about her photographs. She didn't have the luxury of being able to delete the potentially embarrassing pictures - she used 35mm that required developing - so we saw each and every picture. :) If digital cameras had been around when Ma was alive, I'm sure she would have had a ball taking photos - like those of us she passed her photo gene along to! She would love this one because, as I recall, she photographed a lot of feet in her day - her own, in particular!
Ahh, yes - a tank on Camp Lejeune. Photos through the windshield are not such a good idea - but since I've had the digital, I take lots of them! You never know, one in a hundred might turn out and I sure don't want to miss that one!
Another attempt of the tank out the side window. I'd say we were moving at a good clip, judging by the degree of blurriness! You only have my word that there was a tank in the vicinity! :)

See? Life is good!

Alissa, if your friend thinks you take way too many pictures, be sure to share this with her. She will see that you come by it honestly and, by golly, we are proud of our photos!! :D

Happy 27 to you!
Matt turned 27 today. Happy Birthday to you! I remember the first time I held him. Nothing compares to the feel of your baby cuddled up to you with his head nestled under your chin. The memory is as vivid as if it was yesterday - not 27 years ago. I wish I had a scanner so I could post a shot or two of him when he was brand new. We knew he was a "keeper" then and we still think so today! Love you, Matthew!
How do you like the cake - it was marble with cream cheese frosting? Whitney decorated it. You have to look really hard, but HB is spelled out in the upper left corner for Happy Birthday (obviously) and MA is spelled out in the lower right corner for Matthew Alan. In the middle is a happy face. Pretty clever. We know how to party, don't we?? A cake, some candles (27 of them) and a bag of M&Ms and we are all set!
27 candles generate a lot of smoke! We are lucky the fire department didn't show up! :)
Whitney and Matt - Cute couple, huh? And, they are lucky to have one another and we are lucky to have them both. Life is good!