Telling the Truth

Time for a bit of end-of-the-week fun! Our son and daughter are in the den of our Altadena home. Don’t miss the double door knobs. One worked and one didn’t; it was that way when we moved in.

It looks like Son is deep in thought. I don’t know what that red thing is in front of his mouth. I think he has a bandage on his middle finger. The cushion leaning against the cardboard box is probably a ‘door’ into his make-believe music studio. Note the xylophone mallet in his right hand. Daughter is bouncing on a rocking horse powered by strong springs. A great find in a thrift shop!

I often walked into the den and discovered household items re-assembled into imaginative spaces, games, and home-made musical instruments. Each project was endowed with great significance, so that it was painful to take them apart and put the pieces away.

As for the sewing machine, I almost always had projects going for our children and for myself. Plus an occasional tie for D! My Kenmore sewing machine was second only to my piano when it came to prized possessions I couldn’t live without.

Outdoor activities included lots of trike and bike riding. Son is trying to tell Daughter something. I think her headgear came from a visit to Universal Studios. She has grit and determination written all over her face in the second photo! It’s not easy being #2.

Universal Studios in Hollywood! Not far from where we lived.
We went more than once, and the wonder never wore off.

Note Daughter creeping up behind Son with a mischievous look on her face.
And aren’t those two left feet above? (and below)

Oh no! A huge shark is trying to swallow Daughter!

Son to the rescue!

All’s well that ends well!

Our first kitty, Ivan, was euthanized due to cat leukemia. One day he became super aggressive toward our daughter. She ended up with multiple stitches and an eye infection. Not fun. So we had our veterinarian come to the house and put him to sleep. Ivan was almost 2 years old. One of his favorite spots was our swivel rocker in the living room. It was months before I could walk through the living room without seeing him sitting there.

The first photo below is Ivan. He’s exploring our front yard under the watchful eye of a family member. The second photo is Ivan’s successor, Rosie. He’s lounging on Daughter’s bed.

Our daughter had the honor of naming Rosie. She chose a famous woman tennis player’s name, Rosie Casals. When we took Rosie to the vet for a first checkup, she took a long look at Rosie Casals’ anatomy and informed us that we were the proud owners of a male kitty!

So we kept Rosie’s first name, and rechristened him Rosey Grier! He lived a long and comfortable cat life before dying at the over-ripe old age of 19 years. Rosie moved with us across country to Nashville, Tennessee in 1979, and then up to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1983. A well-travelled cat!

Finally, here’s our first Halloween in Altadena.
The swing set is in our back yard. The costumes are home-made.

Hoping you have a great weekend that includes something safe and fun!

Elouise♥

© Elouise Renich Fraser, 21 January 2016
Photo credit: DAFraser in and around Altadena, California, early 1970s