Sepia Saturday - 196 - Reading Between the Lines

"You can't be everything to everyone, but you can be everything to a few people."

"Don't you see, driving is by far cheaper than flying my dear!"

SEPIA SATURDAY





For a change I'm posting at the beginning of this week's Sepia Saturday call for #196.

Marilyn's theme photo may not be of sepia nature, but it's one of my favorite styles from ages ago, especially for advertising.  Although, today I'm more of a fan with the likes of this photo below. 

 

 

Reading Between the Lines

 

Marilyn's choice of photo this week brings family to mind for me. 

Family, is what consumed my life last week with a family road trip back home to Michigan. 

 

Yes, we drove rather comfortably in a good sized Grand Caravan.  On the first day of our trip we drove through 5 states.

Seriously!

Beginning in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and ending in Michigan

 about 8:30 pm that first evening.

 

 

We didn't have it so bad, I mean really, caravans often appeared much like this-

 

Don't you just adore her smile?

That smile can only arrive

via fun-family-fun-ing!

 

Oh, and lovely flowers too!

 

 

 

This was more often

the way it was.

 

 

I know, for the lucky ones.  Not every family had the luxury of such a fine automobile equipped with the latest of travel trailers.

 

 

Many of us had tents!

 

 

 

But, how lucky can you get? A daddy that plays the guitar, how incredibly wonderful that is.

 

Doesn't that picnic basket bring back the memories?

 

Another favorite thing my family often did was sit beside our car and enjoy the goodies my mother prepared for us.  Note: I brought boiled eggs just like my mother did.

 

Our quick meals back then resembled this first photo below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This last week, our quick stops (the first day) were more like this photo below!

 

 

HEY! There's a Mac and Don's ahead!

 

 

"Can we stop?  Can we please, please!"

 

Reading Between the Lines

of family

and why far too often, we let so many years

pass between trips.  It's mostly about time, and the amount it takes to travel so many miles.

 

Thankfully, we arrived safely at the Life Tribute

of my great aunt who lived a vigorously, pack filled and wonderful adventure all the days of her life.

From July 1913 to June 18, 2013.

 

Just a few photos from our day there.

 

 

 

 

My great aunt Doris, is sitting on the left at this family camping adventure, in 1923.

 

Later, they got their first family cabin pictured in the board below.

Here is another family grouping taken in 1927.

This is during my Great Aunt Doris and my Great Uncle Elgene's "Honeymoon" to Northern Michigan in 1937.

 

What a unit they had to drive in!

 

Just some family times throughout their lives together.  The baby in her arms is my second cousin Roberta.  The bottom right photo of the building, was Elgene's Maytag Store in Lansing, Michigan.  They owned and operated the business from 1952 through 1975, and quite some time ago I posted a photo of it and a brief story about their family business.

It was interesting to hear about the ups and downs of their life together, and much about the woes of running a family business, especially during the crime filled years.  The Lansing Police Department played a dramatic roll in their lives together, and a few even shared the day with us.  I can see quite a story ahead about their life, and Roberta and her husband, Larry are just the writers to do it too.

 

 

We truly enjoyed catching up with relatives and bringing out the stories of her life.

Complete with photos from her childhood, with days working at the Bartlett Resort, to honeymooning and the raising of their daughter, Roberta to her final days of living (as a widow) and spreading her joy, love for family and even her move to live with her daughter, Roberta in 1996 to garden in sunny California.

 

To see more Sepia Saturday posts go here

 

http://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2013/09/sepia-saturday-196-28-september-2013.html