Monday, April 3, 2006

Because These Pics Were The Easiest To Find At The Moment

The title says it all. Most of my pictures are in a closet. A tightly packed closet. The kind of tightly packed closet that you risk life and limb if not your very life when attempting to remove things from said closet. It's bad. Reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaallllll bad. It's also behind my dining table. And chairs. And my sewing machine. Get the picture? Sorry, couldn't resist. It's one of those projects that really needs to be done, but I just haven't gotten around to doing. I know it will take at least half a day to do it right, because there are some of those things in there like everyone has.

You know, like those wedding gifts that are 20 years old, and you've never or seldom used, but you really feel obligated to keep. And that *__________* that Great-Aunt Gertie Mae and Great-Uncle Lester Ray gave you and she asks about it every year at the family reunion. So you either keep it packed away in the least-used space in the house, or get rid of it and feel guilty about lying about it. Then there's the "really don't like it, it doesn't go with anything you have anymore-but it cost too much to throw away or give away" stuff, and the "don't know what else to do with it" stuff that you just throw it in that closet and hope you figure out what you want to do with it by the next time you're forced to open the door and look upon the misfits and rejects of your past lives.

Don't try to deny it, I know you have at least one place in your house, garage or shed like that. If you don't, we have nothing in common, so why
are you reading this? You should be scrubbing your sidewalk, or cutting your lawn with scissors, or something else you organized cleaning freaks do. By the way, I have a YARD, not a lawn. Back on topic. Ahem. What about that kitchen drawer? You know, the one you use for a catch-all? Come on, admit it!! Those bread twisties? Yep, there they are. Unless you're looking for one, then they go hide somewhere. It's one of the laws of Physics they don't teach you about in college. Now the CIA, maybe. The Culinary Institutes of America, that is. They probably teach you about the junk drawer and wandering twisties. I hear they're pretty thorough that way. You probably have some of the same things in that drawer that I do. Like those wide rubber bands they bunch broccoli together with. They're too good to just throw carelessly away, but I never seem to ever use them. What about mysterious screws and bolts? Like the ones left over from one of those "Easy Home Assembly" projects? Unexplainable parts found in the washer or dryer? Things that look vaguely familiar or important, but for the life of you you can't remember what they pertain to? But you know if you throw them away, they will become very important and necessary to some expensive piece of machinery or equipment as soon as the garbage truck drives off.

Don't sit there with that smug look on your face! Yeah, you there! You know who you are! Would your closets and drawers pass the Mom or the Mother In Law test right now? Oh, WhatEver.......... Mine sure wouldn't, so don't send the Cluttered Closet or the Junk Drawer Police to my house. I wouldn't just be convicted, I would be sentenced to Death By Cleaning. RIP
, and all that.

Now that I have confessed all (a few) of my dirty secrets, on to the pics. I think the first three are pretty self-explanatory. October 25, 1985. A lifetime ago, it seems, and it really is to my 18 year-old daughter. She was born 2 years later. I turned 23 two days before these pics were taken. How do you like the b-i-g glasses? They were all the rage at the time, so hush. Ma, Pa and all the sisters there. That's Mom, Sue (oldest), Lisa (AKA Cecil, youngest), Martha (AKA Ducky, next to oldest), and Donna (AKA zztop, middle). I am next to the youngest in the lineup. And Ma and Jessica, AKA Irma and Kahildabob, among other nicknames. Jessica is 6 months old there. She and Ma were having a high old time, and it was a beautiful spring day. That day is one of those magical moments that are frozen in time in my memory. Life was good, and all was right in my world then. I have learned to savor those moments, and appreciate them. I know those are special times, and even more special because of their rarity. I like to take out those memories and look at them again. It makes me happy. And blessed. Because I am blessed. Every day, more than I deserve. And I'll bet you are too.






18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like the pics. Doesn't having a scanner make you want to scan anything you can get your hands on? When my parents bought their scanner, I made several attempts to scan my actual face. It doesn't quite work like a Xerox. :-) When I first saw the pics, then first started reading your post, I wasn't sure if it was about the wedding or a lecture on admiting that we all keep junk in one place or another. :-) Seriously, though, it looked like a nice wedding.

Diane@Diane's Place said...

Mike,
Why, I'm surprised at you! Silly, it's about both, LOL. ;) And it was a nice wedding, thank you. My sister Ducky made the dress, a friend of the family made the wedding cake, and we had cake and punch. Period.
We planned for about 100 people, and about 250 actually showed up. I barely got a bite of the cake, and one small sip of the punch. Cheap, but memorable, LOL. :)

Jeana said...

Okay, guilty! The junk drawer, I mean, not the big glasses. But they're back, girl!

Diane Viere said...

You caught me! You know me! You understand! Ah! Same photo dilemma, same kitchen drawer...same gratefulness for His undeserved blessings!

Great post!

Diane

Diane@Diane's Place said...

Jeana,
I knew that gauchos were back, but big glasses? I haven't seen that one yet. And I don't think I have much in common with someone who doesn't have at least a junk drawer, if not the death-trap closets, LOL. ;)

Diane,
You know, I just kind of suspected that we had a lot in common. :)
Thanks for the encouragement. :)

Sister said...

I love your photos! But, where's the handsome groom? :)

Diane@Diane's Place said...

sister,
These just happened to be the only pics out where I could get to them easily, and he just isn't in these particular ones. I will post one of him as soon as I can find one, though. :)
Thanks for the visit, I know you've been busy lately. :)

boomama said...

My current sunglasses? AT LEAST as big as what you're wearing in your pics. David calls me Jackie O when I wear them. Which is constantly. :-)

Greeneyes said...

Hi Diane,
love them , everything is so nice and you look so pretty, keep digging you might pull out some other goodies to share ....everyone has a kitchen catch all drawer, well almost everyone (for those nit pickers out there)ususally when I cant get it closed or opened with ease I know it is time to clean it . But you're right , you never know when you might need the very thing you just threw away, I thought that only happened to me !
Hope your good
Greeneyes

Diane@Diane's Place said...

Boomama,
I guess I am truly behind the times, living in the sticks here in Northeast Arkansas. :)

Green Eyes,

Hope everybody is feeling better at your place. :)
Thank you for the nice words, too, and we are doing very well. Visit here anytime. :)

Andre said...

Hi Diane,

For what it's worth, I love your pictures. They're all incredibly fun.

I'm forever reminded of Nickelback's song "Photograph" and how incredible it can get for us to relive memories through our photo albums.

One of the cool things about pictures -- I think -- is that the memories behind them are permanently etched...even if when the times have totally changed since the pictures were taken.

This pics need to be preserved!

Diane@Diane's Place said...

Andre,
I agree totally. My Mom's and Dad's house burned in 1987, and all they had left was what they were wearing. They lost so much, but the things that mattered the most, and that we miss the most, are the pictures and irreplaceable things. Furniture, clothing, etc. can be replaced. I think of something every day that is gone, and I wish I could see it or have it back. Not to be, though. :)

I suppose the pics I have posted on here are preserved forever in cyber-space. :) Glad you like them. I enjoy your visits, friend. :)

Anonymous said...

hello agin, i rally lik yur pictures. you are a realy purty gal. i bet zztopper is just about as purty. where is she anyhow? i am puting in a picture of my new bird dog. he is gonna be a goodun cause he always lands on his feet when i throw him up to catch the birds. tell zztopper i lake her alots. thanks fer leting me tipe on your paper. also i have a whole shack that looks lik your drawers.

Diane@Diane's Place said...

anonymous,
Hello, again...It's been a while now since you've visited. Thank you for the nice words about my pictures, and zztop is the one on the right in that picture of the girls with Mama and Daddy. Of course, those were taken almost 21 years ago.
I puzzled a while about that "shack and drawers" reference, LOL. I thought you were commenting on my underwear for a while, then I figured out you were talking about the junk drawers and your shack. I sincerely hope your shack is not as junky and cluttered as my drawers and closets, let me tell you. :)

Come back again soon, anonymous. You keep things interesting. ;)

zztop357 said...

hey girl, those pics are showing our age.that was a few years before i got smart,you know.
you and cecil both were married at freer were'nt you....lol...i was married at anderson tully.
talk to you latter.love you


anonymous...is your shack paid for?
or do you sell junk for a living?
zztop

Diane@Diane's Place said...

zztop,
I was murde...oops, I mean, married at Freer, but Cecil and B got married at Providence in 1992. We were already going to Prov. then.
And we ARE getting old, sis, LOL. :)
I dug out a bunch of my pics, and I am scanning them in all the time. I am posting some new ones now, just took time to comment on your comment, ;).

Love ya'll too, Sis. :)

Anonymous said...

hey aunt diane we all love and miss grandma too.and and i love your blog that is very sweet,and i miss you all very much.luci lue said to tell you she loved you and tell uncle mar hes smokin hehehe,love you all and god bless you and zztop i love you and see you all soon.i cant wait to come home for alittle while and see our family love smurfette

Anonymous said...

hey aunt diane we all love and miss grandma too.and and i love your blog that is very sweet,and i miss you all very much.luci lue said to tell you she loved you and tell uncle mar hes smokin hehehe,love you all and god bless you and zztop i love you and see you all soon.i cant wait to come home for alittle while and see our family love smurfette