A COUPLE OF OLD PHOTOS FROM 1973 AND EARLY 1980'S AND A FEW MEMORIES.

 I have mentioned that we've been downsizing, getting into the closets, into the garage, into the basement, etc. Oh boy, I knew this would happen. We have been finding things that we have forgotten all about, and it has slowed us down to a snail's pace today. Memories come flooding back as they do, and we have been having fun looking at old photos, old passports where I found the photo below, and goodness knows what else will be waiting for us when we start again. In the meantime we have boxes everywhere, and are gradually sorting things out. 

But, we did get rid of a few garden odds and ends that were of no working value to anyone. Off they went to the trash center, as well as three large plastic bags of 'no-one is going to want to do anything with those'. 

Two of the photos we found were getting a bit worse for wear, but I couldn't throw them away. Our son put the photo of the three of us through his tidy-up app. The old passport photo was taken when I was 23. It's been in an old Rubbermaid box in the garage for longer than I care to say, long forgotten. I paid 60 pounds sterling for that passport, which was more than I did for my 10 day-holiday in Austria, and it was a real nice hotel. I saved up the whole year and then some for that holiday.

A group of good friends and I were off on a skiing trip in March 1973. None of us knew how to ski but the package included skiing lessons. I wasn't a very confident learner. Once I remember ending up hanging over a fence at the bottom of a nursery slope, looking into someone's private home. True story and this proved to me that I was not built for speed. Very embarrassing but fortunately no one came out to see what was going on, and there was no damage done to their fence. I had a feeling I was not the first unintentional visitor over their not so very tall wooden fence. I wasn't very good at skiing, and I remember my skiing instructor not being too pleased with me. But, fun times with a bunch of great friends, and we used to look out for each other. One of my friends brought her husband along. He was/is the sweetest guy and looked out for all of us. I still keep in touch with them.

I remember the hotel vividly, where we danced all night in their nightclub, went to the coffee shop (also in the hotel) in the early hours of the morning after dancing, and then to our rooms to grab a couple of hours sleep, and to the slopes to learn how to ski, again. We were in a town called Seefeld, surrounded by snow-covered mountains (the Austrian Alps) and it was gorgeous! We had fun walking around town, doing a little shopping and souvenir hunting, small gifts for our families back home, then back to get dressed for a night of après-ski, more dancing till four o'clock in the morning, back to the coffee shop, back for a couple hours of sleep in our room, to start the process all over again. 

One time we caught a train to visit another area one of our friends had always wanted to see. It was many miles away which involved an overnight stay. Finding ourselves on a train going through the most incredible scenery, we didn't really know which stop to get off at, but a kind Austrian man who spoke English overheard us and said, here is your stop. 

Off we got, found a hotel (no ahead booking) stayed one night, had a good look around and back on the train again to finish off our holiday. I don't know how we did it and my parents would have had a conniption if they knew, especially my dear mum. Oh boy! Anyhow, here is my passport photo, a little worse for wear but yes that's me.

We went two years in a row on our skiing holidays. In subsequent years my friends met their life-partners, and two years after my last trip I met Gregg, which leads me to the second photo.

It was taken in the den of my in-law's house. That den was a haven for not only my in-law's but all the family and friends who visited. It was a happening place. There was always someone there, they knew no strangers. 

A big picture window looked out on the back of their garden. My dear mother-in-law sat doing her crossword puzzles, with a pair of binoculars on the end table. She used them to watch the birds coming to her feeders and had a book to identify those she didn't know. She was very good at identifying her birds, she didn't need the book but rarely. We both had fun watching them and I remember her squirrels too. 

On a Saturday Morning she and I would watch old Westerns, TV shows and movies. We both enjoyed those. Gregg and his Dad would be in the garage where father-in-law worked on his old cars.

 On a Sunday morning Henry delivered the New York Times and she would get stuck in with her crossword puzzle, but first we'd have a chat with Henry who was older than my in-laws at the time, probably only a few years older than I am now. He had bought the Sunday newspaper for years and was always invited in for a refreshment of some kind. He had become a good friend and was a fixture in the neighborhood. Everyone knew Henry, a friend to everyone.

Memories of 4th of July Picnics, Thanksgivings and Christmas', and everything in between. We lived in Washington DC for a couple of years when we were first married and drove down every second week or so. Later we lived nearby for a couple of years when Brad was about four years of age. Memories of Brad in his paper tricorne hat we made him out of Henry's newspaper once read, beating on the drum with his Nanna marching in front of him, with them both singing a good old marching song. She was wonderful, and so much fun!

Now, I wonder what we will find in the next clean-up session?

Enjoy your weekend everyone and thanks for listening.