By Eilene Lyon The Slide Years is a series in which I select an image my dad took from 1957-1982 with Kodachrome slide film, then I write a stream-of-consciousness essay – a sort of mini-memoir. You may be looking at this photo and saying "What the...?" When Dad got the box of slides back from... Continue Reading →
The Schoolgirl
Week 36: #52 Ancestors - School Days By Eilene Lyon There are very few school pictures handed down by my ancestors. I've shared some from my great-grandmother, Clara Ransom Davis, in The Schoolma'am. My grandmother, Reatha Gusso is an exception. She did save some class pictures, and even photos of her teachers. Reatha's photo albums... Continue Reading →
The Slide Years: Winter Once More
By Eilene Lyon The Slide Years is a series in which I select an image my dad took from 1957-1982 with Kodachrome slide film, then I write a stream-of-consciousness essay – a sort of mini-memoir. Nothing says "Welcome to OHIO!" like a blizzard. We'd just spent three and a half years in the "Land of... Continue Reading →
The Slide Years: Virginia Beach
By Eilene Lyon After we returned to the U.S. from France in the early 60s, we moved into base housing at Ft. Lee, near Petersburg, Virginia. That's where we met the Moores. Melinda (on the right) became my dearest friend for the time we lived there. I don't know who buried me, Steve, and Melinda... Continue Reading →
The Slide Years: R & R
By Eilene Lyon Dad, who took this photo of Mom, did two tours in Vietnam during the 1960s. He was an officer and worked in the Quartermaster Corps. His job over there during the second tour (1969) was to run the PX (post exchange - the store for service members). Because Uncle Sam considered Vietnam... Continue Reading →
One Stayed Home
Week 32: #52 Ancestors – Sister By Eilene Lyon My great-great-grandfather Richard D. Halse had two sisters, one older and one younger. Richard, his widowed mother, and all his siblings moved from Iowa to Dakota Territory around 1880, except for the younger sister. Her name was Elizabeth Sorby Halse and she married a couple years... Continue Reading →
The Slide Years: Wedding Portrait
By Eilene Lyon Back before digital cameras, my dad wielded a 35-mm camera loaded with Kodachrome slide film. Several years ago, I scanned many of his slides (a few, such as this one, taken by another person). The quality isn't as good as I would hope (though this one was poor to begin with -... Continue Reading →
The Drummer
Week 31: #52 Ancestors - Brother Steven Arthur Halse (1959 - 2014) Feature image: Steve was in a marching band for one season in the fall of 1973 at Cumberland Valley High School in or near Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. He played cymbals. Photo credits: Most of these were taken by Dad and are in my... Continue Reading →
Don’t Wait ‘Til Too Late
Week 28: #52 Ancestors - Reunion By Eilene Lyon Probably the most common type of reunion, apart from big holidays, is the funeral of a friend or family member. It's the basic premise behind countless movies, too. Why do we wait? It's not like people are going to die at some convenient time for everyone... Continue Reading →