Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Week 24- Hats

2004

2015

My kids, Andrew and Kris, have always been avid hat wearers. While Andrew has settled into collecting yellow baseball caps, Kris’s collection covers a wide range. The most recent hat is a floppy one, which will shade his head nicely this summer.

My babies came home from the hospital wearing a cute little baby hat (not the hospital cap but an actual hat that tied) and from that point on, always wore hats outside. Being fair skinned, they needed that extra protection from the sun- especially Michael and Andrew, who got buzz cuts every spring. Now that they are grown up, Michael rarely wears one but Andrew always does and Kris is hit or miss, depending on the weather.

Since I don’t want Michael to be left out, I’m sharing his hat, which sits in our living room right now. He came home from work one day and said, “My helmet got run over.” I asked if his head was in it at the time, not overly concerned because he was fine and actually waited an hour before sharing this information. I would like to think that if he had been injured we would find out just a little bit sooner. He assured me that he was not wearing it but would be needing a new one. After laying out the groundwork, he brought in his helmet. Just a reminder of the importance of a helmet….and how incredibly strong those helmets are!

This post was in response to Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Week 24- Hats.

 

 

Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Week 23- Season

I cannot wait for warmer weather….. like say spring temperatures….so we can enjoy the feel of sunshine and the cool breeze off the lake on our faces! This lake is not far from us and I can’t wait to get out and take some pictures, if it ever gets warm enough!

This post is part of Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Week 23- Season.

Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Week 22- Group

 

I’m sitting here listening to a CD that Andrew burned of arrangements he wrote. I’m feeling nostalgic.

I spent 13 years listening to my kids perform in various ensembles- from Concert, Jazz and Symphonic Bands to Wind and Brass Ensembles, quartets and solos. The majority of my time was spent driving kids to rehearsals or sitting at concerts. With Andrew being a hardcore musician, the last 7 years were especially hectic, filled with performances every month.

I spent a lot of time looking at my kids on a stage filled with other kids who were dressed identically and most of the time seemed to have the same hair color. I came to recognize different quirks each of my children exhibited.

Michael hid. He was the master of positioning himself just out of sight behind a music stand or the person next to him. The only time he was not able to disappear was when he was in jazz band, and then he was front row and almost center. (He did not like that although he loved jazz band.)

Kris was always looking for us. The entire time he was playing, his eyes would be darting around the audience until he ensured that we were there.

And then there was Andrew, the hardcore musician. We spent the most time watching him on the stage. I learned to recognize the expressions on his face and the roll of his head that he does for some unknown reason but is unique to him. He turned hiding from our camera into an art form, waiting until mere seconds before beginning to play to shift his chair and music stand, causing us to have to scramble to change our position to catch him on video or in a picture.

I miss that, as odd as it might sound.

For the past two years, I’ve had to content myself with seeing Andrew play when we are able to visit him at school, which has been twice a year.

I miss the driving to and from rehearsals. I miss the concerts. I miss hearing Andrew play in some very cool venues. I miss the sound of the trombone filling the house and drowning out the tv or my own music. I miss the never-ending saga of the lost black sock. I miss reading the programs from front to back. I miss doing some of my best writing under the cover of darkness during the concert. I miss it all.

And when I saw the prompt – Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Week 22- Group– the groups that came to mind were the many groups of musicians I’ve seen over the past 15 years.

Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Week 21- Fresh

For me, this is about as fresh as you can get. There’s nothing quite like a newborn. When my grandson was born 16 months ago, I was immediately transported back to 1990 when his dad was born. Being a grandparent is so different than being a parent. There is a wealth of experience and information brought to the relationship that makes it SO much easier!!! Watching my son navigate parenthood has been fantastic and frustrating all rolled up in a neat little messy package but I wouldn’t miss this time for the world!

You can view more images of fresh items at Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Week 21- Fresh. 

 

Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Week 20- Solitude

Ari, Netflix and a warm crocheting project

What a timely topic! My son, along with his wife and two children, moved in with us temporarily six months ago. It was supposed to be for a month, maybe two. They moved in one month after my college kids left and my husband and I were looking at an empty nest. The last six months have been less than empty…. This time has been a blessing, giving us precious time with our grandsons but it comes with a price.

When spring break arrived and I was looking at an empty calendar, I took advantage of the free time and ran away from home, with my trusty furry sidekick in tow. Ari and I have been spending lots of time doing absolutely nothing while we cherish our solitude. The weather has not been on our side with freezing temperatures and snow forecasts but the silence has been heavenly!

Please be sure to visit Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Week 20- Solitude to check out everyone’s own versions of solitude and details on how to participate.