Modeling, a Dog, and a Baby Doll

The first two photos are from a modeling gig I once had. Ok, I was 3 and doing some various poses for my sister, Linda, who was completing a Girl Scout badge...but, hey, I was her model. This is when we lived in Rockville, Maryland. I only have two memories of that house. The first was when my dad and I went out for a walk one afternoon. I was pushing a baby doll stroller and police were all around the neighborhood searching for some guy who was holed up in one of the houses. I remember we had to get back to our house quickly. The second memory is when our dryer caught on fire and my mother sent me to the neighbor's house across the street. I stood at her door and watched the fire trucks arrive. I remember being really afraid that my mom was still in the house. As a side note: all was well...the dryer, my mom, and me.

Moving on, the next photo is another sweet shot of dear ol' Lucy! Boy I sure did love her.

And finally for today, a photo of me taken in 1975 on Christmas day. There I am in my jazzy new peach outfit with my precious little baby doll. Ok, I guess the baby doll thing is genetic.

More fun photos to come. Shelly's birthday party is this weekend. So, some of the pictures might acutally be from this decade when I return.

Animals I Love

When I was five years old, my sister, Kathy, got a dog. Specifically, a beagle from Alaska. That's where we were living at the time. I loved that dog to pieces. Long after my sisters left home, I still had my sweet little Lucy. She would curl up in her basket and I would snuggle up next to her and lift that long beagle ear to tell her my deep dark secrets. She was just the best. When I was 20, Lucy died. She had lived a great life and had become old and ill. My sister, Linda, had to have her put to sleep becuase my parents and I were in Pittsburgh. I remember the phone call we received from her letting us know Lucy was gone. I cried myself to sleep that night. I loved her so much.

When I was 16, I got my first pet. She was the prettiest long hair gray kitten from the SPCA. I named her Twinkle only to have her name changed that next morning by my mother. She was now Mini and would continue to go by Mini the rest of her years. She was so small she could curl up in a Cool Whip container. I loved that cat so much. But, she loved my mother (and father) more. In 1996, she became ill and had to be put to sleep. She was a beautiful regal cat. I miss them both.

Little Mini with my dad (cool sideburns pop!)