NOSTALGIA!

I was cleaning out a cabinet and found some photo albums. I actually used to put photos in them! Now, everything gets thrown into a box. I scanned these directly into the computer quite easily. I think I will do more of this and then put them on a CD for more efficient storage. One of the albums was from my college graduation from San Francisco State in 1981. What a trip down memory lane I had this afternoon. I had one year of college after high school. Financially, I couldn't afford to continue so I went to work, got married, had children and moved to San Francisco. I was able to return to college after being here (Ca.) a year to get my residency requirement. It was practically free, too good a deal to pass up. I loved every minute of it. So I managed to graduate at the age of 39 right before my boys started college.

I celebrated with a wonderful party. My folks came with KC barbecue provided by my Dad who smoked all the meat and carted it all the way from Kansas City. We had a hayride and square dancing, to boot! I decided to award door prizes of some of my paintings from classes I had taken. These are photos of the winners. Joyce, a fellow artist, is the first winner and has stayed a true friend all these years. I shall have to check her wall of paintings to see if this one is still up! Shelley is the second winner and also a best friend for over 30 years. I am at her house constantly. I wonder which closet this painting is in. Noreen is the third winner. She was our next door neighbor then and the loveliest person. She and her husband retired and moved to central California. Claire is the fourth winner. She was a great buddy in college and we graduated together but I have lost track of her since she moved away. Lastly is Ben. He looks ecstatic with his slightly obscene posed painting! I'm pretty sure that one didn't make it up on a wall. Ben succumbed to liver cancer a few years later. He was a great guy and missed by all who knew him.

I saved a few of my paintings from college classes so I can see if what kind of progress I am making with my art. I really didn't put paint to paper or canvas after graduating until 2000. Now the paintings are piling up again. Maybe I'll have another party.