Dang, these people look so happy.
Those are our kids, Alaric, Skatje, and Connlann (l-r) and their Great-Grandma Westad. Of course they’re happy — the kids are thrilled to be on vacation and hanging out with their favorite great-grandma, and great-grandma was always so excited to see them. This was probably the early 1990s, when we were living in Salt Lake City, Utah, and we didn’t get up to Washington state often enough. I found this photo in a pile and it reminded me of how much she loved to see her great-grandkids. She’d usually take them out to Dairy Queen for a Blizzard, or to Arby’s. She practically lived on Arby’s roast beef sandwiches, buying them in bulk and freezing them, and thawing them out for her dinner. Poor, you know, although she owned that house in the background. I think her greatest joy was her grandkids and great-grandkids.
She also had a yard full of flowers. Way back when I was dating my wife to be, she’d cut flowers and tell me I had to bring them to her — she was always telling me I had to marry that girl. I was happy to obey.
Unfortunately, these notices were also in the pile.
I wish I’d visited her a few more times before it was too late.
Wow, I’m a little jealous. Glasses on someone so young! I must have been 6 or 7, walking headfirst into doors and falling down hills for people to figure out I might have a vision problem. I suppose we were more expendable back in those days.
Anyway, that photo is super cute. I may have some pictures like that on a CD I was given.
Those were corrective glasses for strabismus, to keep both eyes functioning during a critical period in development. They were no longer necessary after a few years.
I love that you share stuff about your family :)
Of course, you yourself are now a grandpa, and married to a grandma.
(Gotta wait for the Great bit)
Love seeing your old family photos. After seeing you as a kid in your old home movies, Conlann here looks like he could be your twin brother. Also interesting to notice many similarities (with plenty of differences) in your family history and mine.
I get you. The last photo I have of my Mother (who lived to be 100!) she was in a hospital bed but her face was glowing and her smile was radiant. She was being visited by her newest great-grandson. My Mother had 10 children and in spite of that, she loved to meet the new babies!
Thanks, PZ. That bit about Arby’s brings back memories for me. I was born in the Youngstown, OH area in very same year that Arby’s was founded in nearby Boardman, OH. It was always a place that my family and relatives would go too for those quick meals on weekends. I had relatives that were also crazy about them and did the same as your grandmother. It remained a favorite of my dad up until he died. People up there at that time also created many recipes using the Arby’s barbecue sauce which they sold in bottles at the stores. When we moved to Lexington, KY, my relatives were so envious that there was an Arby’s just 1.5 blocks from our house – so weird that a fast-food restaurant was such a big thing in my extended family.
I have fond memories of my grandmother. Her garden was also rich in hydrangeas.
PZ, it is so nice to see posts about your family–I grew up in MN and live in the PNW now. Like many, I visited here for your posts on atheist topics and I now really appreciate spiders too. Sadly, where I am at, the spiders seemed to peak around 2018 and now I hardly see a web despite the last two mild summers. Planted 7 ounces of regional specific natural grasses and flowers seed mix hopefully that’ll help some; if it works well I’ll replace my whole lawn.
Anyways, I am getting more scientifically literate between my own work and your posts–I just read the one after this and it came to me with ease despite so many words that I had to look up. Keep up your prolific posting :)
The last time we were in the PNW (around August) we saw so many cross spiders everywhere!
Gee, I wish I was that poor! :)
BB, for you: https://www.midcenturymondays.com/p/about-those-1950s-home-prices