I came across this photograph today as I searched for a picture of an old neighbor. It was taken in 1984 at the first party we had in our new house.
Tom and Judy had just bought their first llama earlier in the day. They didn't have time to take it home, but they didn't want to miss the, party so they brought the llama with them.
None of us had seen a real llama before so it was the hit of the party. They brought it inside on its leash.
I smiled when I rediscovered the picture today. It also made me a little sad because three of the people are no longer with us.
The big guy on the right is John Elliott who was the son of Congressman Carl Elliott. We saw him at a Super Bowl party in January of 1993, and he seemed fine. But he died of an agressive form of cancer during the snow storm of the century that swept through Alabama in mid March of that year.
Joel Robinson and his wife Ann died within the last few years. We sang at their funerals.
The thing I love about photographs is that it snatches a moment in time that lives on long after the people in the photograph have gone on.
This moment is a happy one. I can still remember the smell of the hot apple cider brewing in our party brewer, I can taste the spinach balls that was one of Jilda's specialties, and the sound of laughter echoing off the walls of our new house.
I'm thankful I had the forethought to gather us together in the yard to snap this picture.
That's why I take so many pix...even though sometimes people don't like to take the time to pose, or don't want their picture taken because they don't like how they look...it's a moment in time that can't be redone. The memories are so much sweeter with a good reminder in a photo. I did laugh when "old" was 1984...I was expecting maybe 1894 to go with the word "old"! Time does fly fast!
ReplyDeleteYa, pics bring back so many memories. It's nice when you have a lot of good ones, times when you laughed and shared special moments.You can't believe it when people slowly disappear.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful memory that is, Rick. I was going through some papers today and a picture of my broher fell out. He died very suddenly in February from a very aggressive fast moving cancer (less than 5 days from diagnosis). It was the first time I had seen a picture of him since the funeral and it was bittersweet-oh-so bittersweet- xo Diana
ReplyDeleteHow could you possibly ignore a llama at the party?
ReplyDeleteBittersweet memories but it sounds as though there is a good deal more sweet than bitter.
You made me smile and cry at the same time, since I know exactly what you mean!
ReplyDeleteThe picture doesn't even have to be old. Take a quick one of someone you love and watch the smiles. It instantly becomes another happy memory, and might be a topic of future conversations such as: "Do you remember when you took a picture of me sleeping when my teeth fell out and the dog started licking them?" You bring out the picture. lol
ReplyDeleteTime rolls on, Ricky babe. We only have so much time. I'm going to go dig out, my old box of photos somewhere lost amongst the shoes at the bottom of my closet. Look at all my old friends, most gone now, either moved, died, disappeared, or just forgotten about.
Remember those pony pictures... back in the fifties. Black and white. For the top of your television set? Card board frame. Door to Door photography. What happened to those times?
I wish I had a llama who would go everywhere with me. He'd be the life of the party. The Hurricane got to go with me to do an article on a school principal who kissed a llama because her students had read 1,000 books (she kissed something different at the end of every school year). After the kids went inside, the llama gently took crackers from between little Hurricane's teeth and ate them. I guess she really wasn't a Hurricane yet. More of a Tropical Storm.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
wonderful memories captured, you are right.
ReplyDelete