2014 HOME MOVIES

When I was a kid, my Uncle Joe and Aunt Pauline traveled a lot--or so it seemed to me.  In the 1940s, Uncle Joe discovered a gift for playing the market and paying $0.25 an acre for godforsaken Kansas dirt that covered huge pools of  pricy and sought-after oil.  Uncle Joe was a quietly wealthy man.  He and Aunt Pauline had no children, no real responsibilities, so they traveled.  They did Europe in a private car with a French driver.  They spent weeks at a time in China.  They frequented Acapulco resorts and, most exciting and scandalous for me, were once arrested and briefly detained by the feds when Uncle Joe loaded up the trunk of his expensive car with cases of bourbon in Kansas City, Missouri, then illegally crossed the border into a very dry Kansas City, Kansas.  Their lives had a certain panache that was missing from ours.

Although I loved many things about Uncle Joe and Aunt Pauline, I especially loved being invited to their house when Uncle Joe showed his home movies.  It was still rare for an individual to own a movie camera in those days and I was awed by the magical atmosphere in their darkened living room as the film flipped from reel to reel in his temperamental projector. Uncle Joe's running commentary, interrupted frequently by Aunt Pauline's corrections, was detailed and long.  It drove my mother crazy, but it was heaven for a little girl who ached to see the world outside of her neighborhood.

Moving on now, but in the spirit of Uncle Joe, I'm putting up a few photos from our recent Midwest Odyssey.  I did all the photo work with my trusty iPhone and, not unlike Uncle Joe, I find correct focusing to be elusive and subject matter often a bit mundane...but I was inspired at the time. 

Day 1:  A decent time for lunch has come and gone due to our ever so slightly late departure.  We're in Holbrook and the selection of restaurants, lunch spots, diners, drive-ins and dives is severely limited.  We've always turned left at the intersection and been disappointed.  Today, we turned right.  Within a few blocks we were making a U-Turn on Bucket of Blood Street.  That's nearly as appetizing as Deadhorse Lake and Bloody Basin Road, both of which we've passed by this morning.   Let's move on.

    
Day 5:  We're back at the farm recuperating from the 60th Annual Jamestown All School High School Reunion which, I'm pleased to say, came complete with a really good steak and passable wine.  We sat at a table with a small group who graduated from Jamestown High the same year I was born.  They were cool and I found that to be encouraging.

Day 6:  Memorial Day.  Note to family.  If you ignore my instructions for a cremation, at least humor me with a creative headstone.  Thanking you in advance...

Day 7:  We've handed off the BMW, my hostess is volunteering at the Wichita Zoo and I'm craving a bit of Headspace Meditation.  It's been a week without.  As Headspace Andy works his low-key magic, Sadie visibly relaxes.  Sadie likes meditation.  A lot.

Day 8:  How many hundreds of pictures have you seen just like this?  I know, but, they're just so darned cute when you're right there!  Maggie (the furry girl on the left) fell in love with Addy (the near-naked baby on the right) with no hesitation.  Perhaps Maggie used to live in a Day Care.  We don't know.

  
Day 10:  It's Friday, May 30, 2014, and Mario Kart 8 is officially available to Mario afficionados who pre-ordered it some time ago.  Change of Subject:  I just went on to Wikipedia to remind myself who my avatars had been for the hundreds of games I played with Grandson Jackson over the next few hours after this photo was taken.  (They were Peach and Daisy, neither of whom can drive worth a damn.) You would not believe--there are pages and pages of Wikipedia information on Mario Kart 8.  I'm not smart enough to read it...nor  to understand it.  But, what a franchise!  You've got to go there--it's apparently very scientific and statistical.  
  

Day 11:  Since becoming a G'Ma some years ago, I've seen my share of zoos, but the Oklahoma City Zoo is really very nice.  This is just my little bit of social correctness and a reminder that our environment is going to hell in a hurry, so be careful!

Day 11, cont:  I really wanted to show you the great medical facility recently completed for the elephants at the zoo, but I took the picture through glass and it's more reflection than commentary on how huge and strong an elephant really is.  If you've ever seen a modern equine facility, the elephant quarters make that look like it was built out of Tinkertoys.  Impressive!  Since I blew that, I've substituted a really neat rhino who is about to go swimming.

Day 13:  I love nothing more than babysitting children with creative imaginations, but I'm beginning to wear down.  Jackson, I think your Mommy and Daddy are coming home today!  Yes!!  Today!!!  Hooray!!!!