ces

I made this Adobe Lightroom preset. I call it, “1973.” That’s the year of my birth. I liked the 70s.

At least, I liked the early 70s, before I had to go to kindergarten at the tender age of 4. After that, it was all downhill.

To immortalize those glorious early years, I attempt to make it seem as if my children are alive & well in the 1970s.

It helps a lot that we have mostly old toys. And those toys of ours that are not old— those ones are antiques.

…at least once per week.

We got a wagon at a garage sale! It cost us ten bucks. Worth every penny.

1.

2.

3.

We went down to Althea’s river. It’s a kind-of a magical place. It is a place of dreams. There are woods one might want never to leave. I didn’t stop while walking to take any photographs, so we will just have to remember on our own. But I can tell you. One thing that makes it magical is this. Iris chose Althea. It seemed to me to be a child’s crush upon a child she admired. A friend she wanted for her own. Her first friend chosen with no input from her mother. Iris chose Althea. Friendship. Woods and rivers. Magic!

And not one good photograph to prove it, so you’ll just have to take my word.

Iris wanted a party for her birthday.

We’d gone a long time discussing who would and

who would not be invited until, in the end, Iris decided the right thing to do

would be to invite over everyone from Terri’s Morning Garden.

As a gift for us, the sun shone sweetly after a week of rain:

I had no alternative plans to holding the party outside.

We meandered down to the river, played in the water, then returned to eat fruit salad and chat.

The worst part, according to Iris, was the fact that I asked everyone to sing Happy Birthday.

“It was too long after my birthday,” she said. “I just wanted a party.”

Iris was, as usual, correct. It had felt awkward.

Left to right: Althea, Iris, Ivy, Lottie, Eva, Enza. Missing: Hanna, located off-camera to the right.

I brought my two bears into the city and unleashed them.

They prowled around.

Exploring an overgrown ravine before the leaves come out,

before the wildflowers and grasses carpet the edge-woods,

we find an old dump.

Car parts, sheet metal, glass. Glass, glass, glass.

I dig through graves of glass, much of it broken, & chose a few to bring home.