Whimsical Windows - Snowy Suburban

Winter is upon us now as it was 1963, and as I age I am not so fond of the season. Back then as a kid, it was very fun, especially the morning after a snowfall.

Thus, for the meme Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors, I revert back a number of decades and the Villers children are frolicking under the sun at our East Hartford (CT) home. And under the watchful eye of Grandpa, aka: The Sage of Steubenville, pictures were taken by our Dad.

Grandpa most likely gave his complicated Dresden built Exa SLR Camera to Dad with the admonition "Don't touch anything - just push the button." The request/order was complied with :)

Whimsical Windows - Final approach

I am back today to a great meme, Toby's Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors. Given my computer issues, I have missed a post or two (or more than I'd prefer :), and do believe that my MacMini needs a new hard drive as it barely works. A normal hard drive or a solid state one is what I need to consider and per usual, the $$ will dictate my choice. All that said, Patti is letting me use her computer when she is not working - thanks!

This view was taken from the right seat, by myself in my walking days, I believe in the Autumn of 1983. The plane was the ubiquitous high winged Cessna 172. This is over East Hartford Connecticut as the pilot was turning 180° to land on Runway 2 at Hartford's Brainard Field. Of interest to me that day, is the large office building, my then employer, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft (the corporate UTC logo directly below). The pic was snapped on my film SLR, a Pentax K1000. Lots of windows in the distance, my passenger window offering a unique look at the world...

Whimsical Windows - Upward perspectives

I aim skyward for Toby's meme Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors, and the subject is a wheelchair height is the ubiquitous congregational in the center of a New England town, this being in urban East Hartford CT on a warmer (than now) day. Under a splash of sun, it appears almost as a skyscraper. I know it isn't, but being seated so low, things appear to climb on and up. Unusal perspectives combined with an active immagination can be a fun thing, at least if you are me :)

Shadow Shot Sunday - Easter past

For Shadow Shadow Sunday 2, I revert to Easter past and early Spring shadows, spanning the 20 years from 1948 to 1968. The earlier pics showcase my dad and his sister, Aunt Terry on Easter Sunday 1948 in front of their homestead at 1645 Oregon Avenue in Steubenville Ohio. They are dressed in their finery including hats and suits.

The newer photo is their dad and my namesake, Grandpa (aka: Ralph, the Sage of Steubenville) in front of our East Hartford home in 1968. All were dressed nicely in honor of the beauty of the day and the new life that Easter represents...

Shadow Shot Sunday - Sequential

Seq.1 - Menu

Seq. 2 - Apéritif

Seq. 3 - Accompaniment

Shadow Shot Sunday returns again to the past, and of restaurant meal treats from Sage of Steubenville Grandpa. When he visited the family in Connecticut, we would all go to the old Marco Polo in East Hartford. As the photo gatherer in these situations, he did like to have a sequence of photos as a memory. Family siblings might remember that: 1) Holding up the menu; 2) Holding up his beer bottle (either Miller High Life or Miller Lite); 3) Holding up the wine bottle (always). Item 1 was usually taken by the waitstaff, the others by my father, conspicuously absent...always fun when he treated!

Shadow Shot Sunday - Snowy Suburban Memories

8 February 1978, Wickham Drive, East Hartford

December 1963

Shadow Shot Sunday 2 arrives in the winter season up here. I am not a fan of winter so much these days, yet photos of long ago in East Hartford CT do leave lasting memories. These seen before and recently re-edited photos do reinforce memories...

Since we are near the 35th anniversary of the 'Blizzard Larry' (as Channel 3 in Hartford called it) of February 6-7 1978 on Wickham Drive in East Hartford. With no snow-thrower at home, many kids were needed to finally move the 24 inches (61 cm) of not-so-fluffy snow. At least we were left with snow Alp shadows. 

The old picture is from around Christmas 1963 and maybe 4in/10cm, a far more pleasant snowfall. I believe Grandpa is in the window, directing my father in taking the picture from the road. Seasonal snowy shadowy scenes both...

Ruby Tuesday 2 - Christmas wrap-up

Holiday rubies and more, 24 December 2012, East Hartford, CT

Ruby Tuesday 2 returns as the Christmas holiday season has now passed. Since ruby predominates during that season, one more peek at December decorations might be in order :)

The day is Christmas Eve, 24 December at the family get together at my sister's house in East Hartford. Inside the house, gifts, food, children and this table of holiday items: the ornament tree, the angel and the lamp from the movie A Christmas Story. A fun trio of style. See more ruby from any/all seasons at the fun RT2!

Ruby Tuesday - Merry 1975

Clan Villers of Wickham Drive, 24 December 1975

Ruby Tuesday 2 returns us to Christmas Eve 1975 at the family homestead in East Hartford, CT. It includes all seven of us kids and a niece and nephew and now-ex. Plenty of ruby worn in this nice memory of holidays past... 

Shadow Shot Sunday - Aerospace place shadows

Office Buildings at Pratt and Whitney Aircraft from 1000 ft, East Hartford, CT, August 1984

Shadow Shot Sunday 2 reappears, and given my recent scanning frenzy I found this view that transports me back to August 1984 seated in a single engine to Piper Cherokee. I was invited in my walking days to take a ride with a pilot acquaintance. 

At this point, we are at about 1000 ft (305 M) flying over my then employer, big jet engine maker Pratt and Whitney Aircraft in East Hartford. In the foreground is the building where I worked in purchasing. Normally filled with cars, this was a Sunday with most workers away. Outside shadows and cockpit reflections emanate...

We are about to make a 180° turn to land on Runway 2 at Hartford's Brainard Field. On this warm day the workplace looked and felt way different than Monday to Friday...

Tina's Pic Story - 'K' is for kids

Tina nicely hosts the fun foto meme, Pic Story where we add pictures to match the weekly theme she kindly provides. This week is the letter 'K', and for me the obvious selection is for kids. Hard to believe, but I was the second of seven children of our family in East Hartford Connecticut - here in 1968 with all in school dress, some in uniforms (like me in the maroon blazer). Plenty of kids here (clockwise from left, me. Michele, Claudia, Sharon, Chris, Vicki, Sue)

Our brood these days is smaller though, with son Cameron and daughter Allegra - here on the first day of school about 28 August 1996. He was in first grade, she in third grade. Time fies as she graduated college in 2010, and he next month - but like my family growing up then ours still grow now...

Ruby Tuesday - Midget football back when

Ruby Tuesday reminisces and returns back to 1977 and a recently found print of a midget football team that features my then 13 year old brother on the team (CP) was number 60 if my eyes are not deceiving me. The town is East Hartford, Connecticut, the place is Labor Field in the Mayberry Village (really) section of town. I cannot recall the team's name, and the quality of the scan is helped by modern means - so the past comes alive...

Shadow Shot Sunday - Shadows and breadsticks

The Marco Polo (MP) Restaurant in East Hartford CT is my theme for Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Located on Burnside Avenue at the east end of an 'S' curve, this iconic landmark takes me back to my old hometown. Even though we now live an hour away, I haven't been here for decades.

I found an old washed out color print of me from 1977. Back then, I ate here more than any other restaurant in the Hartford area - the best warm breadsticks with kosher salt baked onto the underside (crying out for real butter - never could lose weight at the MP :)

I imagine that the pizza and Chicken Marsala has not changed...the original photo was printed on that 1970s textured paper and is not in great shape. So B&W and sepia edits still include the shadowy apéritif. Breadsticks anyone?

Tina's Pic Story - H

Hedge in front of our Home, Ansonia CT, early spring

Tina's Pic Story is back for the week, and we are happy to participate. She thoughtfully provides the weekly theme that we provide the photos for. This week, it is the letter H, and I have visited the photo archives for examples of that letter which includes Hedge, High Tide and Hounds...I hope this works!

High tide     Big sister Michele, Atlantic Ocean, 1961

Hounds, Maggie and Tasha, East Hartford, CT 1980

Whimsical Windows - Atypical

First apartment, Hillside Street-Burnside Avenue area East Hartford, Connecticut - 1979

Toby hosts the very fun meme Whimsical Windows-Delirious Doors in which we look for portals of distinction - or not so serious. Today I am traveling back decades, more specifically somewhere in time about 1979. This was the living room my first apartment after college. I refer to this post as atypical, as this defies the usual stereotype of the slob single male at the end of the disco decade. What is different here is the foliage, the plants that sit in the window instead of empty malt beverage containers...I always had the idea of plants in the window. The scan of the old print is faded and full of blemishes. Happily my memories have not faded too much :)

Shadow Shot Sunday - Kids will play

Shadow Shot Sunday 2 is back this week, and often I return to archives for shadowy memories in black-and-white. In this photo posted before, this is a view of suburban East Hartford in my youth in 1964. I straddle my Columbia bicycle on the drive.

The players are jumping rope and other activities we rarely see neighborhood children partake in anymore. The vehicles beyond the rope are a French SIMCA Aronde, the family VW Microbus, a tricycle and the neighbor's Rambler. Shadows abound this neighborhood playground on this sunny winter day. Thanks to SSS2 for prompting these memories...

Also posted as part of Tina's 29 Days

29 Days-17-Family, 1970s style

Tina's 29 Days is a great meme, we certainly can provide the memories of today or quite awhile ago. I am choosing the past today, in early 1976 (only a scant 36 years ago :)

The family includes me and five of my six siblings. The place is our home in East Hartford Connecticut. Three were in college, two in high school and one in middle school...the car is an AMC Matador (few remember these). Siblings and snow pair well!