MY GRANDPARENTS

When two people marry, for better or worse, their parents are part of the package.

I'm sure this is common with every family.  Up until now Mama's parents have

been in the forefront throughout my postings.  I'd like to take this opportunity to

introduce you to Daddy's parents.  

Gladys and James Embrey were from Roanoke, Alabama.  My grandfather was a

preacher.  His congregation loved him.  I remember being at his church and listening

to the hymns being sung by the church members and being able to pick out my

grandmother's voice no matter where she was in the church.  She wasn't bad and

she wasn't good, just loud.   

My grandmother was 6 months pregnant when she had Daddy. He was the first of 

four children.  The story is that she was moving furniture and that triggered labor.

Daddy was born at home that night, weighing one and a half pounds.  Everyone

thought he wouldn't make it through the night.  My grandfather's mother was there

and refused to accept that.  She put him in a shoebox and heated up bricks in the 

fireplace to make a homemade incubator.  Just to remind you this was 1933, and 

to make it worse, it was February.  I guess it must have worked since I'm here

writing this...by the way it was Groundhogs Day.  No coincidence that the movie

'Groundhogs Day' is one of my favorites.

Grandmother, Nannie, me and Mama

Remember movies where a couple turns up in the middle of the night at the 

preachers house trying to get married?  That's my grandparents.  I've been there

when those knocks at the door would wake us all up.  We'd all be half asleep,

grandmother in her robe, as my grandfather married them.  My grandfather also

married my parents, me, and my brother. 

Mamas andDaddy wedding day...

Left, is my Dad's parents

Center, my parents

Right, my Mom's  parents

My grandparents and Daddy

I remember spending the Wednesday before Thanksgiving at my grandparents.

We'd get up early on Thanksgiving morning and my grandfather would take

me and Jay to the Georgia Tech, University of Georgia freshmen game.

He was a Georgia Tech fan, and Jay and I followed suit.  I'm not sure if it

was the influence of my grandfather to get behind Tech or maybe because 

I hate the colors Red and Black. Karma got me,  I went to a college that the 

colors were red and black. 

My grandparents introduced me and Jay to the "Varsity".  It was called

Yellow Jacket back then.  They changed it to the Varsity at the present location

knowing that expanding to other locations would be a problem, especially if you

opened up a Yellow Jacket in Athens...Hmm.  To this day Jay an I are still

hooked on the Varsity, no matter what the doctor says.

Baby me and my grandparents

My grandparents were good about doing stuff with us.  They would take me 

and Jay skating, movies, and every year to the Lakewood Fair Grounds.

Our family had to go to every exhibit at the fair before we could ride anything.

It was so cruel, no food, no rides, no souvenirs until we saw every chicken 

and cow some pimpled face kid raised.  One year they had helicopter rides

and my grandfather was the only one who would go up with me.  I'll never

forget that.  Another thing I'll never forget is that I was with them when they

said that Marilyn Monroe had died.

At Christmas my grandfather had a riddle that he would tease us with.

When Jay and I would ask about what he got us for Christmas, he would say,

"...you can eat with it, 

...you can sleep with it,

...and brush your teeth with it."

I would go to bed Christmas Eve thinking about Santa and

my grandfather's gift.   It was always his gift that I could not wait to open.  

It was a puzzle I never could solve. No matter what the gift it was fun

trying to figure it out.  

My grandparents with me and Jay

For those of you who know me and my family,  you might be wondering

"Where did all this come from? "  Doing this post has taken me through

a lot of memories, some good, some bad.  Years of negative seem to  blur

with time.  As a family we've had our share of rough patches.  It's easier

to list all the bad things and make them  our main focus,   forgetting that 

in a lifetime there will always have been good to balance that list.

Am I saying that I'm changing my mind about the past?  No.

I'm just trying to remember it better...

.

Me and my grandparents

2013

THE GEORGIA AQUARIUM

When I decided to do this post I came upon a very odd conclusion.

I've been a free lance photographer most of my life and have had

a very limited "job history" to add to my vast resume.  Strange, 

I rarely made it past a year, 20 minutes the shortest.  Hard to believe,

I received a W2 form for that 20 minute mistake.   

Last year I got a job as a photographer at the Georgia Aquarium.

I was very excited to be at a tourist venue.  In Hawaii, I worked at a 

luau as a photographer with sales at the end of the evening.  I loved it.

The difference here was that I was hired as a photographer but ended

up primarily as a sales person.  I lasted 3 months and left when I got

sick with pneumonia.  

I loved the environment and the energy that visitors brought.

This was my world behind the scenes...

...this was my world as a visitor.

This is no ordinary alligator.  They say he once scaled his enclosure

and was found the next morning asleep on a rock at the food court.

They built a taller glass surround...no more field trips.

I heard that every once in a while they let the penguins have run of 

the place.  They got to walk around the main areas.

The aquarium features habitats for aquatic life.  Rivers, oceans,

and my favorite exhibit, Cold Water Quest.  This is where the 

most magical creature lives... the Belugas.  I'd spend most of my

breaks watching them.  I was never alone.  There is always a crowd,

all of us mesmerized.

I love them so much that I booked a "Behind the Scenes" training session 

on my 59th birthday.  They took us on a tour  throughout the facility,

showing us the labs, feeding stations, and all the systems that most people

never see.  We ended up on elevators up to the floors level with the

top of the Belugas tank.  We took classes and finally put on our wet

suits for our interaction with the Belugas.  The water was freezing cold 

and filled our suits.  Wasn't expecting that.  The most amazing thing

was touching and feeding them during their training.  I was surprised

that they felt like cold hard boiled eggs.  It was an experience I'll

never forget.

Working at the Aquarium was an experience I'll never forget either.

2013

AMANDA

A couple of weeks ago, I did a post on my childhood friends.

On of those friends was Ruth, the wife of my cousin Buster.

This is about their daughter Amanda.  

 In July Amanda was home for 2 weeks from missionary work

in Uganda, Africa.  I did a photo shoot with Amanda and her dog.

She told me that she originally signed up for a year, but liked it so 

much, she extended her stay for 3 more months.  The missionary

group is AFRICAN INLAND MISSIONS.  She works with

Dwelling Places,  mostly with children.  These are photos taken by 

Amanda of her stay there.  Of course, Santa and I had to get in

on some of the action.  Forgive me Amanda. 

  

Amanda and her dog Paige.

"I'm here."

"She's there..."

Look Ma, no hands.

Amanda and her fellow missionaries.

Ruth and Amanda.

Buster and Amanda.

Me and Amanda.

The reason...

You're so lucky to find your passion,  so young.

Not everyone finds their path to fulfillment.

Amanda Brown, 

2013