Shadow Shot Sunday - Pasta Rustico

In the last post on this blog, I opined about the seeming debacle of the same day cancellation of the 2015 Ansonia Harvest Festival. As chair of the Ansonia Cultural Commission, this was my first event planned exclusively by myself...and with the rain, wing and flying vendor tents, the Mayor Cassetti made the call that it was to be cancelled - now! He is a real leader for sure, and we are refunding all vendors for the lack of a true cancellation or postponement policy.

What does all of the preceding have to do with Shadow Shot Sunday 2? Well, Patti, Allegra and myself decided that a meal of comfort food at the Original Antonios in downtown Ansonia would be a help. And a it was, the Pasta Rustico (cavatelli, sausage, roasted garlic, broccoli rabe, white beans and olive oil) along with a side order of shadows on the floor behind. The day was son forgotten...for 24 hours at least :)

My FB ruminations are here...

Wordless Wednesday - Historical Naugatuck Valley

This is a train layout at the Derby Historical Society (DHS) that was built to evoke the past with a layout that covers the Shelton, Derby and Ansonia CT communities in the early 1920s. Of course, I also feature our darling daughter and DHS docent Allegra (obvious bias :). Is the detailing accurate? I'm not old enough (yet) to say! See WW 

Wordless Wednesday - Living History

Our daughter has always had a fascination with history, and although working on her Masters, is able to get a taste of the past, dressed for 1762 and 1913 at local historical societies. She looks great in either era...See WW and WW

1762, Derby (CT) Historical Society

1913, Shelton (CT) History Center

Shadow Shot Sunday - Escape from Ansonia

Shadow Shot Sunday 2 takes me back to a recent function on Long Island Sound. Lovely Allegra was captured by personable photographer Patti who thought this scene similar to Dorothy telling Toto that we’re not in Kansas Ansonia anymore...

This is a great sentiment on a beautiful Summer evening on the salt water tidal estuary in Wast Haven. As well as shadows that are following my favorite ladies above the seawall. Blue sky, fluffy clouds and happy shadows are all here in our 20 minute escape from our home in the Ansonia Uplands...

Shadow Shot Sunday - Fathers, Kids, Shadows

Tomorrow is Father's Day, perhaps a faux holiday to some, but not to this dad! The weekly meme Shadow Shot Sunday 2 allows for father's day shadows where I found a couple that include myself and the each child - not necessarily of the same era, but shadowy at least :) 

One is our first-born, Allegra, in her first days in our then Derby home, maybe a month old, January 1989. The other pics is son Cameron, where he was a college student at the University of Hartford at age 19 in 2010. Both have the requisite shadows, a dad and a kid. I like this holiday!

Wordless Wednesday - The Graduate(s)

Our daughter graduated (again) on Saturday, this time for her Master's in Education. She will make a fine teacher...a nine year journey is continues onward...see WW and WW

2015, Sacred Heart University

2010, University of Hartford

2006, Ansonia High School

Wordless Wednesday - Hotel Pool

On family vacations of yore, the favorite attraction of all for the kids seems to be the pool at the hotel - at least for ours anyway. The year is 1999, our children aged 10 and 8 are frolicking away in this chlorinated oasis...see WW and WW

Ruby Tuesday Too - Roses are red...

For this week's version of Ruby Tuesday Too, I am traveling back in time to 1991 when our daughter Allegra was a mere two-years old. She is peering at the photographer while being nicely framed by the ruby red roses in bloom. She is much bigger now, the fence and rose bushes gone. But the memories remain!

Wordless Wednesday - Wearing of the green in days of yore

Ah, the memories of when our children were much younger - on St. Patrick's Day 1996. Kindergarten and Second Grade, their green outfits of green paper, plastic and cloth are wonderful emerald fun...See WW and WW

SOOC - Tricolour in the Mist

Daughter Allegra captured one of my favorite pics ever - even isn't one of hers. So I am making it the subject for Straight Out of the Camera (SOOC). It was taken in Paris in February 2004 on a cold and gray day, nearly devoid of color...except for the French Tricolour flying proudly on thee building to the left. In a sea of gray, the simple red, white and blue stands out very well!

Shadow Shot Sunday - School Project

Given the old pics I am rediscovering on my old family photo archiving project, my post for Shadow Shot Sunday 2 takes me back. The year is 1999, and daughter Allegra's presentation of her fifth grade project at Ansonia's Willis School. She chose as her subject the Canadian Provence of Prince Edward Island. Specifically, her interest in the island stemmed from her love of the six Anne of Green Gables books she had read by then. Of course, slight shadowy lighting descends upon he project board - and we parents were happy that she chose a literate project...

Shadow Shot Sunday - Cozy Coupe Cute

My computer woes are solved, for now, When the Mac died, I purchased a used Windows 7 machine locally. Since I had to retrieve my data and pics from iDrive and my Mac external drive would not upload into a Win computer, I have spent a large part of the week e-mailing myself photos and such from Patti's computer. I finally have time to post a post (!) for Shadow Shot Sunday 2. It is a photo I found from 1990, and Allegra about to enter her ride to 'drive', her first car - a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe. We parents were not afraid...how much trouble could an 18 month old get into driving a pedal powered vehicle?

Wordless Wednesday - A new Beginning

A new mom sees the new life with awe and wonder...
Patti with Allegra (R) and Cameron (L). A new beginning...
See WW and WW

Shadow Shot Sunday - Presents and presence

Shadow Shot Sunday 2 and holidays go together well. And for the upcoming Christmas, I am reprising these re-edited views of 1994 on Christmas Day, with a shadow or two, of our (then little) children. With presents opened and unopened, the magic of the day for both is apparent :)

Wordless Wednesday - Merry...

Christmas is so often for the children - we are happy at their joy at receiving,  and even happier by our giving. This is from Christmas morning 1993, kids then aged 3 and 5. Joyful we all were, and in this season - still are...see WW and WW

Wordless Wednesday - Thankful for their growing...

Always thankful for our kids - (L) first day of school, kindergarten and second grade; (R), the high schoolers reprising their classic steps nine years earlier...see WW and WW

First day of school, 30 August 1995

Nine years later...much bigger!

Whimsical Windows - A Salute to the showman

Toby's architectural meme Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors is back, and with the world in such commotion, now a bit of whimsy is warranted :)

We visited the town of Bethel Connecticut and we knew a famous person who was born there, none other than the famous showman P.T. Barnum. We actually made the trek to the hilly Fairfield County burg of Bethel to meet a friend for lunch and as we were passing through, saw the statue of the impresario at the town's library. Windows of this 1800s building are part of this post but of greater importance is our daughter Allegra and her relationship to the bronze statue of P.T....Patti capturing her pose and selfie. So the windows are peripheral to the charming whimsy...

Shadow Shot Sunday - More Happy Birthday

Shadow Shot Sunday 2 returns this week the day before the birthday of my two favorite ladies, Patti and Allegra. That the daughter and mom celebrate their birth on the same day is amazing, the firstborn had a due date of December 22 but chose to wait a week for Patti's birthday. As I see it :)

The photos may have been posted before. However, I like them, especially the mom and newborn just from the hospital on 1 January 1989, and the Paris school trip. Happy Birthday ladies, and a happy two years for SSS2!

Shadow Shot Sunday - First Christmases...

24 December 1989, E.Windsor, CT

25 December 1990, Derby CT

Shadow Shot Sunday 2 arrives this week near Christmas Day. Naturally in life, parents like to chronicle their children in the holiday for the first time. And given my look back at the past, shadows small and large on Christmases past seem are the theme. Our daughter was eleven months old on her first, however our son was only a month old. Yet the lights and such provided a wonder to both. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all participants in this meme's shadowy world!

SOOC - Beached

SOOC - Straight Out Of the Camera - takes us back to the past decade and daughter Allegra exiting the waters of Barnstable's Craigville Beach on Cape Cod. Given her smile, the bobbing on the float in Nantucket Sound was a success...