Polaroids

I can't believe that Polaroids are coming back! I think I took the last of the cameras to Goodwill just last year! Yikes. Not a problem, though. There's an app for that. Pretty darn cool, eh? 

Self Portrait Puerto Rico 1978

While this one? It's an original. This is one of my all-time favorite original Polaroids. The oldest one I was looking for was of me at my Aunt Ollie's, wrapped in a fur rug when I was about four years old. I can see it; I just can't find it. The following aren't quite as old, but they are pretty darn old, kids!

This is probably about 1975 at work. I would have to walk over to the bank every Friday and get cash for payroll. I was the banker! No, really. My father paid our employees CASH every Friday! Nice!

This is at the Grant Memorial at the Capitol where our photographs were taken. After I finally got my diver's license, I'd have a little freedom to drive up to the Capitol, pick up the film and then take it back to the shop to develop and print. I must be killing time here waiting on a shot. This looks like a "dad" pose to me! Too funny. Note the Dr. Shoals!!! brahahahahah I had just got my first pair of glasses--hippyish, of course, no frames. My dad said they looked like granny glasses. :( 1978

Here I am at the shop. Looks like I was cutting a small mat for a print. Where's the print?? Perhaps it's a practice piece for my photography class. 1979

 

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

1977

El Yunque National Rainforest, Puerto Rico. 1978

Posing perty in the L.A. hills. HA! 1982

     Skiing in the Poconos. 1983

Twenty-fourth birthday with my mom's new English Bulldog, Brittany--better known as "The Brit." I miss her handwriting.

The Brit has grown in a year! Twenty-fifth birthday.

1985

Hey Kell!

This is the first time my brother Johnny met the hub-to-be. 1986 

This could be the first time my father met the hub-to-be in my first apartment! New furniture had just arrived--finally something to sit on!! Oh, and by the way, I literally JUST got rid of the set this year. It held up pretty well until the last couple of years! Here we are with my dad. 

Freshly back from our honeymoon at one of my oldest friends' wedding, Larry. 1987

I didn't like the size of this Polaroid film. I got it right before the Kid was born. He wasn't even a month old here! Little Boo. And the Teenager! Ahmazing! This was a test shot for a Christmas card with the kids. 1993.

Ok, now that this has taken WAY too LONG to write, I have to get back to my photo sorting! Geesh. I am out of practice here!           

Labels: Brother John, California, Dad, Dogs, Family, Hub, Kid, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Teenager

Photo by Bill Ivey

I've been concentrating on scanning my father's negatives this year after receiving a new scanner for Christmas; and yes, I've been busy. Only thing is, ya see the box to the bottom left? Each one of those envelopes contains the negatives of up to 36 exposures. Ooooof. This is a job! You can't tell, but I AM making progress. And, I'm finding some long-lost family shots to boot! This week, I switched over to scanning his photos.

L-R Bill Ivey, Faron Young, Tom 'Cat' Reeder 1970s

As many of you know, my father, by trade, was a photographer. His passion was country music. During the week, he would concentrate on his business, but when the weekends came, he and my mom were somewhere listening to someone. After befriending a local disc jockey in the late 1960s, Tom 'Cat' Reeder, the two were inseparable. Given carte blanche at the shows, Bill would not hesitate to get up close and personal.  Tom once said to a friend, "That damn Bill Ivey. He's always up in my face with that DAMN camera blinding me with that DAMN flash. But, thank GOD he is!" Yes, indeed. Thank goodness he shot all of those photos. Wonderful memories--now that I'm old enough to appreciate it all. A pre-teen? Oh how I hated having to go to all of those shows then. I was too young to be left at home with my brothers; so I went--kicking and screaming. Normally, I would sit in the car, listening to the radio . . . all night. (I, to this day, wonder how I didn't run the battery down? Hmmmm.)

There were times, however, when I did "participate." Here we are on someone's bus -- with mom and Bobby Stephenson. Look how styling my mom was. WHO KNEW??? lol

Tom signing a photo for Connie Smith. Me looking awkward. Who's the looker on?

Here, dad may just be cramping Jerry Lee Lewis' style. Note his bandaged hand. The Killer truly WAS a bad ass back then, and I loved it! Ahhhhhh, rebellion! YES!

"Mr. Lewis, Mr. Lewis, please LOOK at ME!" hahaha. I finally did catch his attention, fangirled and got his autograph and a photo with him. Hmmmm. I put the photo somewhere really safe, as this was quite a moment in my life. Can I find it? Nope. LOL

Different night, yet another bad ass,  Merle Haggard. Hmmmm, there's a correlation here, I think. (Check out his boots. Python, perhaps? DANG.) I shoulda grabbed him. HAHAHA. Never. Can you tell I was terribly embarrassed by just being there???!!

This one, I just had to throw in. I love this photo in so many ways. This was the usual scene behind the stage at the outside shows. Someone always had a complete bar in their trunk--that person would also be Bill Ivey. Look at the face on the beehive lady. If looks could kill. And the tall man next to her cracking up. Then, if you look to the left, the gent with a pipe has a tie wrapped around his head. And, of course, my mom, posing with a soft smile.

Now you see why I sat in the car and listened to the radio?!! These "old" people were having a good time! How embarrassing.

Labels: Childhood, Dad, Mom, Music

Ninety-Eight

Dad would have been 98 years old today.

Happy Birthday, Blue.

Labels: Dad

Return to Your Beloved Sea

During his visit, my brother and I were able to release our father's ashes into the waters that reach into the Gulf of Mexico and beyond.

 The hub took us out on a beautiful morn.

 It was absolutely breathtaking.

We brought hydrangea from the yard which I think fascinated the dolphin. It all made my heart dance.

He would have been 98 this month. 

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

--John Masefield

Labels: Brother Jim, Hub, Dad, Mobile Bay

Happy Father's Day

This is my favorite picture of all of us. We were in New York City for the 1964 World's Fair. 

I was three, Jim was five and Johnny was seven.

Dad was 50.

Labels:  Dad, Brother John, Brother Jim, NYC

Music in the Ol' Bones

 

Here you see why my brothers and I are so enthralled with music and photography. My father, Bill Ivey (above right) was a professional photographer who took photographs of country stars as a hobby. Here, one of my favorite photos of him, he's with Freddy Fender. (Y'all see what happens when I start looking for something -- like my resume!? I come up with something all together different.)

Stuffed in a drawer (and other places), I found a box of my father's photos that mom had saved.  As you know, one thing leads to another and long story short--over the years, I've had several requests to put together a book of my father's photos. Well, now that I have them all out (and my brother Jim has all of the negatives), what better time than now? This is one of my favorites of mom with one her faves,  Faron Young.

A lot of my parents' love of country music stems from a very dear friend, Tom 'Cat' Reeder, a local DJ and MC back in DC. During the 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond, they spent most weekends together at various country shows; my father the unofficial photographer and bartender. (He would keep a full "bar" in his trunk; and once he pulled up, the trunk would open and the party would begin!) There is a story where George Jones got so drunk before going on stage, they wouldn't allow him to do the show! Oooopsy. Oh well. Don't know if it's true or not, may have to check into that story! Anyhoo, my dad was always passing out photos at every show and never asked for a penny for any of them. I can only imagine how many hours he spent in that dark room. Yea, this is way-back-when--before digital cameras. But I know it brought him so much joy. It was his passion. Tom 'Cat' above with Ray Price.

Mixed in with the old photos, I found some programs that mom had also saved from the day. I had no idea that my father's photos were ever used professionally. I'm happy he did get credit, at least. Oy, teenagers don't pay any mind, do they. I never did, anyway. Couldn't care less. Shame.

His photos were used throughout these programs over the years, like the one of Tom and Jerry Lee Lewis to the right (not the Harrison/Dylan/Russell photo, unfortunately!). Wow, what memories these Top Ten lists brought back! Yup, that's about what I was listening to.

I was never allowed to stay at home with my teenager brothers, Lord forbid. So, yes, I spent many a weekend sitting in the back of my daddy's Cadillac listening to Three Dog Night, Alice Cooper, and the Top Ten. I don't know how I never wore the battery down, I often think about that. I'm talking HOURS with the radio on, probably A/C too!  Country music was not cool in any way or form according to me. Well, I guess I did come out of the car every once in a while because that's me with Faron Young (obviously before I became a moody teenage girl). One of my fondest memories around this time is dancing with my dad at some honky tonk; and Johnny Cash and June Carter came on (not live, mind you) singing "Jackson." Up until a couple of years ago, I thought the words were "We got married in a beaver" which I thought was a euphemism for a VW Beetle! HA! Lawds, help me.

Well, you know of course I did come out for the Killer! Always did like a bad ass! (Of course, I had to hide the photo of ME and Jerry Lee somewhere SAFE--which means I cannot find it to kill me. It's probably with my resume!)

I wonder if mom or I took this photo as there is dad on the right. He must have liked Jerry Lee also. He hardly ever got in front of the lens.

Love, love love! Mom with Hank Williams, Jr.. Just look at that baby face! Wow. And mom's beautiful smile. Aw. I'll never forget when Hank had his horrible accident and almost died. Tom got a phone call in the middle of MCing a show; and he left right then and was on the next plane out to be with him.  Now, that's friendship.

Here Tom is with another bad boy, Merle Haggard. Wonder why he's wearing sunglasses??? lol

Mom looking good with good-looking Conway Twitty.

Beautiful Loretta Lynn smiling for the camera. Talk about Angelina being skinny!

Tom with my brother Johnny and Grandpa Jones. Great pic of Johnny.

George Jones and Tammy Wynette. Check out the lamé outfit. Oooooohweeee. George and I go to the same optometrist! Next time I see him, I'll ask him if he remembers the "trunk incident!" NOT!

Mom with Hank Snow. Wonder if that suit is in the Country Music Hall of Fame. What a beaut!

The sweet Mel Tillis.

And take a look at these youngins'--Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. LOVE Porter's boots! Oww! Now those babies could crush a roach in the corner, as we used to say.

And, here's mom and Mac Wiseman yuking it up about something.

I can't begin to tell you what memories have been flooding my brain today as I've scanned all of these orginals. It's sad that so many of these folks are no longer with us, including my parents and brother Johnny. Tom 'Cat' has had some recent medical issues and it breaks my heart. He has brought so much joy to so many over the years and has always been a decent man.

I dedicate this post to him. 

Get well, Tom 'Cat'!

Labels: Music, Dad, Mom, Brother John, Friends

A Good Day

It all started good enough. This morning I called the smashergram office to make sure I was going to the right place to have my mammogram done today at one. K. Set. Drove into town, parked, walked into the above-mentioned smashergram office to check in. "Hmmmm, seems your appointment is for next Friday, Ms. Rosa." Wha??? I called this morning to confirm and they said it was today. "So solly." K. No prob. I didn't want to have it done anyway. So there. :-P

I then called the hub who works up the street; and he just so happened to be heading out for lunch., So we met. :-) See, not so bad after all. I never make a trip in vain. Never. It was a gorgeous day to beat! A day-time date with the hub. Perfecto.

After I got home, Sherrie arrived with mom's lunch and then we had our little 20-minutes in-the-sun-vitamin-D thing. The kid arrived home and started snapping photos.

I love his eye for composition!

He captures the strangest things.

After Sherrie left, I went looking in the basement for a pot to put my new-sprouting orchard in. One thing lead to another and I started looking through boxes. I have been corresponding with an old friend, Paula, way back from school days and remembered finding some old notes we had written to one another when I cleaned out mom's attic. Not only did I find the notes, but I found some pictures, circa 1977 when I was 16. That's my dad. LOVE that handle-bar mustache!! (We were playing with the new passport camera!) And you won't believe this, but in an old high school wallet, tucked away behind some pictures, was a $50 bill! I kid you not! Now I am notorious for putting large bills away in odd places to find at a date when they are a totally unexpected surprise. But, there is no way I would have thought I had put a $50 dollar bill away in high school! We're talking mid to late 70s! Geesh! I'm rolling in it baby!

Here's my brother Johnny and mom (on the right) with a friend of our parents on the left. I think this is at Tom Sarris' Orleans House in Arlington where I got all that auction stuff when it closed down (St. Bea at Riverside for one).

I found Paula's high school graduation photo (in that $50 bill wallet) and sent it to her on Facebook. (PS She looks even better now--makes me sick. lol) She happened to be on and sent me her phone number and I called her! OMG. I don't think we have seen each other since my wedding! We talked forever about what's been going on and it was as if we had never been apart!
Paula had posted this on Facebook and I had to crack up! This is us in jr. high school, probably 1973-74ish when we were about 13 or 14. That's Paula on the left sitting, then Pam, above Pam is ME! and then Laura. Obviously we were in gym class, probably running the 600. Yuk. Check out Paula's knee socks! Too cute! Of course, I never showed my legs but would roll my sweat pants down to hip huggers to show off the curves, ya know. LOL! Check out the pig tails! Laura's aunt ran a beauty shop so she was always ahead of the curve. Look at the shag with the bleached front! Woohooo. You can barely see it here, but I had two 1/4-inch blond streaks in the front too. I wasn't quite as bold as Laura. But, we were too cool for school.

Anyhoo, I gave Paula my blog site and if she's reading this! OMG girl! It was so much fun talking to you!! Cant' wait to catch up more!

Gotta run, the hub is waiting for us to head out to dinner. But, can you tell I'm just a little excited????

xo
ro