SOL26: June 2 Messy, Mismatched and Hidden

Today, I am sharing bits and pieces of my life with my Slice of Life community, During the rainy Memorial Day weekend, I began looking critically at the old photos. This one, time stamped 2-18-04 stopped me in my tracks, even if it did not make it into the "keep" pile!

In the days long ago, before social media suggested we post images of picture-perfect homes rather than real, lived in ones, I for some unknown reason snapped an image of the corner of the kitchen where I wrote lesson plans, student reports and my dissertation in a flea-market-chair on same rickety kitchen table where my Grandmother "set up house-keeping."  I filled my corner with a hand-me-down desk-top computer and the benches that once held my young children and used them to hold paper, books, and research papers. 

Looking at that sparsely decorated corner from a 2026 perspective, I realize I was not even a little bit concerned about the mismatched decor or lack of creature comfort in that space! There were no need for a theme or color coded bookcases in the background in those times before zoom turned our home spaces into curated images.  In fact, that purple image on the green chair was actually a pillow, covered with an old sweatshirt, used to "support" my back sometimes and prevent my "writing sores" at others!

 I could almost hear the usual evening noise of the dishwasher, nearby, doing its thing and the television, in the other room, as I got to work on the task that needed to be done before bedtime, as I concluded this image had no family or historical significance leading to its destruction. Those were thegood old days when real life was messy, mismatched and hidden from the world! 

June 1: Jeremiah

 

My blogging friend, Kim Johnson, who blogs at Common Threads, hit a nerve with a proposal to share family photos in June. I have been doing a bit of cleaning myself and have been looking critically at the old photos I want to keep. I like the idea of making a digital copy and sharing, if only for my own benefit.

This first photo is me, a few months old, with my parents. Based on other pictures from that day, I think it was at my Aunt's apartment in Manhattan. Most likely it was a weekend and a summer day in an apartment without air conditioning; yet, my dad wore a dress shirt and tie!

As a farmer who grew up and went to college and became an engineer, he wore a shirt and tie, most of the time. Growing up, his farming roots emerged at times as he planted a few tomatoes or roses; but the expected dress code for engineers, even if they were out in the field surveying, was what is now considered dress up! 

He's on my mind as I write this, as last night, I went to a dinner to honor my daughter-in-law, Sue  for directing the revival of the Rockland Community Farm Network, non-profit, organic, educational farms in the same town where my dad helped design and build the dam that provides their water! Honestly, I know he was smiling in the heavens to know that farmers, now, can dress up in suits and ties and attend fancy dinners.  

I also suspect that he would be thrilled to name that new baby goat on the farm and might even suggest some derivative of Jeremiah, such as Jeremy, appropriate for that new little babe. 

Dad

Known for one-liners 

That quieted the ruckus

Pursued his dreams, 

Kept his roots and beliefs,

Would be proud of those

Full-circle moments.

!