SPC - 'Portals' - #1

The challenge theme for September is 'Portals.' Doors, windows, gates, tunnels, etc.



Access -- A means of approaching, entering, exiting, or making use of.

Star Wars Childhood

For the final week of the 'Childhood' theme over at Self Portrait Challenge:



Well, those of you who know me well knew this was coming, right?

I was only three years old when the original Star Wars was released in 1977, but it played a role in my childhood, so I had to acknowledge it this month for the 'childhood' theme.

This photo on Flickr has 'notes' attached various places with these explanations, but I'll guide ye blog readers through them here:

Chewbacca, Lando, Leia (sans Boushh helmet) and the busted Landspeeder are the remnants of my once impressive Star Wars action figure collection. Han Solo and Greedo were recent gifts from a work colleague (Thanks, Adam!)

The panorama on the top half were two separate shots, but when I put them side by side for the mosaic, I realized they worked together, so I just smudged the line where they met and now it's just one wider shot.

In the bottom left corner is a photograph of the entire set of Ralph McQuarrie's published drawings from Star Wars. Christy's Dad found these around their house a few years ago and gave them to me. Just don't tell her brothers. It'll be our little secret.

The bottom right frame makes the collage qualify as a 'self-portrait.' It also features my Empire Strikes Back blanket as a background. You know how women save their wedding dress in hopes that their daughter will someday want to wear it on their wedding day? Well, this is the father/son version.

The big STAR WARS logo laid out over the entire collage is a photographic element, too. I photographed my Star Wars Soundtrack liner notes and used the logo here.

When I was a kid -- even up to college -- I used to think I was a Star Wars nut. Then I discovered the internet. Now, I know I am extremely low on the scale of Star Wars fanboy Geekdom!

Just one example (minor, but pretty cool):

Sillof is a friend of a friend who does custom action figures, as in, he makes his own action figures to look the way he wants using spare parts, molding, painting, etc. It's really incredible stuff. You know those Ralph McQuarrie drawings to which I referred earlier, well Sillof has done action figures for many of them.

Photo Friday - 'School'

Last week's theme was 'Young and Old.'

Meant to get this posted but never did:


Christy's Grandma, who has since passed on and Hannah (~2 years old)

First Day of Second Grade

SPC - 'Childhood' - #3

Alternate:
Not a self portrait, but fitting with the 'Childhood' theme, I thought. I was mowing the lawn Monday night and Harrison decided on his own to help me out a bit. He did a pretty good job following along.

Missing: Two Front Teeth

Just a couple of days after Hannah lost one of her central incisors, the other one wiggled free, too, for the classic "All I want for Chrithmath" grill.




This one of Harrison is a repost, of sorts.

I put the color version in the previous post about Hannah losing a tooth.

A Flickr friend suggested that I try this one in black and white and she was 100% right. I like this version much better!

SPC - 'Childhood' - #2

For Self Portrait Challenge - 'Childhood'

I spent much of my childhood on wheels. Following is a random assortment of bicycle-related memories that I don't have the energy to organize into anything with a discernible narrative:

Growing up, my family lived out on a State Highway where there was a good sized driveway for me to ride my Big Wheel, etc. but I can remember my Mom and my Sister going for bike rides out on the highway. I always tried to convince them that I could keep up with them on my Big Wheel (I really believed that I could) and should be allowed to tag along, but the answer was always "no."

One time, my Dad decided to give me a thrill and catch up with my Mom and my Sister. He put me on his handlebars and established an intercept speed. It was all fine and good until I decided to hop down off of the handlebars. Between trying to catch me and maintain control of his bike, we experience a rather gruesome wreck. I have no first hand memory of this.

The summer before I started First Grade, we moved into town. It was a small enough town that once I was old enough, I was allowed to ride my bike up and down our sidewalk. Then I got to turn the corner and go halfway around our block. Finally, I got to go all the way around our block.

My reaction to receiving my first 10-speed bike is still a topic of conversation among my family and there is photographic evidence (think genuine hands-on-head, jaw-dropping surprise) of the event.

Eventually, I was given a great deal of freedom to ride my bike just about anywhere around town -- and I did so on a regular basis.

"Mom -- I'm going for a bike ride" equaled sweet freedom. As long as I was back for dinner or before dark and didn't cause any trouble, I could pretty much go where I wanted.

My first couple of jobs involved riding my bike. I used to haul around a mower behind my bike to go mow lawns and then I got the ideal bike riding job, the paper route.

The bikes from my childhood I can remember:
*Small black bike with banana seat and sissy bar - this would have been the bike that received the old "playing cards in the spokes" treatment. Classic!
*Aforementioned 10-speed
*Mountain bike
*Trick/BMX bike

That is all.

Recent pictures of the kids

Hannah lost one of her central incisors yesterday (Thursday):





Here are a couple of recent shots of Harrison, too!

He insists that his teeth are falling out, too, but they're really not. :-)

SPC - 'Childhood' - #1

An SPC friend wrestled away from me control of the theme for the month of August, but I'm not disappointed at all because she came up with a great one that I'd never considered before.

Childhood


Cheating at Candyland....an institution since...well, since just a few moments after it was invented, I suppose.

It's hilarious to see a kid take the entire stack of cards into the other room and return insisting that nobody shuffle the cards. "No, you go first. I insist!"