Heathen Family Revival: then and now

Showing posts with label then and now. Show all posts

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Then and Now Thursday

I love amusement parks. Growing up, trips to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio were the only vacations we ever took. My parents were also extremely practical about the trips. We never stayed in a hotel, or bought souvenirs. Not even the keyhole photos they take of you when you enter the park. As a teenager, with my own discretionary income, the first thing I did was buy a souvenir keychain.

Circa 1995.

I'm the girl on the right being strangled and yes I actually took this photo through the little eyepiece on my key chain souvenir. Notice, my best friend and I have included the requisite flannel shirts in our wardrobes for the day.

Last week, my best mommy friend and I took our girls to King's Island. Our trip was much different from the trips of my youth. For one thing, we had to drag along a breast pump (not for me) and make time to use it throughout the day. Luckily, we looked so innocent at the gate, no one checked our bags. We were relieved, but we also would have enjoyed the embarrassed look on the security guard's face. Would you like me to demonstrate, sir? We also had to employ two babysitters in separate locations to take care of my friend's other children. When I was a teenager our biggest problem was figuring out gas money. We fought hard for this day to happen.

We did get our picture taken, but by a kind stranger and not an employee of the park. We didn't ride everything, but the kids got to go on whatever they wanted, as many times as they could stand it. A passing storm cleared the cowards out of the park and we didn't wait in line all day. Oh, and we did buy one souvenir. I just couldn't help myself.

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Thursday, August 20, 2009

Then and Now Thursday

Yesterday we saw Annie at the La Comedia dinner theater here in Dayton. I realize today that I may have judged the production too harshly, mostly because I was seething with nostalgic jealousy.

Damn. I miss trodding on those boards...

...or, in this case, the grass. I'm the one in the knee socks, in case my acting had you fooled. This outdoor production of The Curate Shakespeare As You Like It was actually "professional". My friends had their own theater company and we put on shows wherever people would have us and we sometimes charged admission. All of our costumes were homemade or borrowed from the university. It was a good time, but it was a LOT of hard work. My tiny Chevy Nova lugged it's fair share of props and scenery.

So, seeing this just made me yearn for those carefree days when staying up all night and spending ALL of my free time working on a show, wasn't such a big deal. It was my life. Someday, when I don't have to worry about what to do with Violet, I'll go back. More likely than not, I will be escorting a certain budding performer to her own shows. I'll keep my fingers crossed that I don't turn into a raging stage mother.

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Thursday, August 13, 2009

Then and Now Thursday

I'm really not a narcissist, but I have been known to take self portraits. I am slightly obsessed with documentation and memory. I indulge my urge to preserve the mundane by photographing myself at my most ordinary. Each photo is kind of unremarkable on it's own. I like the juxtaposition of photos separated by many years and many lifestyle changes.

Here I am in my used-to-be-a-sleazy-motel studio apartment back in 1998. I decided that day that I wanted a snapshot of what I look like in the morning, in all my groggy, angsty glory. At the time, I thought this would look edgy. A portrait of the young artist deep in contemplation of the universe. Ha!

Notice, the careful placement of my pjs, so that my tattoo just barely peeks out. I took this picture with a timer and a real 35 mm camera.

Fast forward, 11 years. Same hour of the day and I have been awake for hours. I believe I was hosting an all-day playdate. I stopped for a second to capture my bemused expression in the bathroom mirror. My powder room has great lighting. I probably took a dozen shots with my digital camera and then I picked the best and edited the crap out of it.

It is comforting to note how much of me is unchanged. Of course, I no longer allow myself to be photographed bra-less, but I let that option go when I decided to become a mother. It's a fair trade I think.

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Thursday, July 30, 2009

Then and (almost) Now

Thanks to facebook I am occasionally ~~horrified~~ delighted by recently unearthed and scanned photographs from the days of yore. This photo doesn't need much explanation, other than it is a cast party. Also, it is an extremely rare glimpse of me in a swimsuit.

I am vain and water is not my best look.

Fast-forward nearly ten years and my swim look is very different. In fact, it makes me pine for those days when I was merely worried about blinding people with my alabaster skin. Now, I must concern myself with how best to maintain my dignity while dealing with enormous, rogue boobs. I wear it well, but there are trusses and bungee cords under that swim dress, straining to keep my bosom under wraps. This was the last time (2006) I allowed myself to be photographed in a bathing suit. My need to document every aspect of Violet's life trumped my vanity for one morning.

Needless to say, we have not kept up with parent participatory swim lessons. Next year, she can go in without me!

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Thursday, July 16, 2009

Then and Now Thursday

I'm not reaching very far into the vault for this one, but my baby will be 4 on Sunday and I'm feeling a bit weepy.

Here is Violet protesting the organic, all natural, fruit juice sweetened cake that I made for her First Birthday. She was so tiny, but she screamed like a big girl for the entire length of the party.

She's all grown up now and keenly aware that crying at your birthday party makes people NOT want to bring you presents. Although, we are still working on staying awake for the festivities. Fingers crossed for this year!

*Wanna play along? Secret Mom Thoughts would love to have you join the fun.