A WALLET

A wallet holds many things.  Everything from the usual, which would be

money, identification, etc.  For each person a wallet is a very personal thing.

Not many people like others going through their wallets.  It's not that we have 

something to hide, it's more like finding out who we are.

.  This wallet belonged to my grandfather.  Nannie gave this to me

when he passed.  I've been through it many times.  I'd like to share

with you what my grandfather cared about.

His name was James Erskine Reid.  My mother was his only child.

We're going through it together.

This was his temporary Drivers Permit.  He passed before his new license 

was issued.

My brother Jay.

 Next...

 Another photo of Jay.

 Me and Jay with the family car.

 You guessed it, Jay.

No clue about this car under Jay's photo.

Next...

Me and Jay

My Mustang Mach I.

Next...

Me and the family car again.

Me and my grandfather's Cadillac.

Next...

Me and Jay with my grandfather's old truck.

These are photos of me with my grandparents, Elizabeth and Erskine.

These were not in the wallet.  I just wanted to close with photos

of two very special people in my life.  It's nice to know that my grandfather

felt that Jay and I were special to him to have so many photos of us

in his wallet.  Grandchildren and cars.  

WHAT'S IN YOUR WALLET?

JAMES ERSKINE REID

1910-1977

2013

THE WAY WE WERE

Kids starting back to school made me think of a recent

trip I took with my granddaughter to Lagrange, GA.

I went to college there from 1971 to 1975.  This is where

I took an interest in photography.  I have great memories

of friends and my time there.  A lot had changed, new 

buildings etc.  but  what I remembered was still there.

QUAD our yearly annual.

My sorority AO PI

My freshman year at  Hawkes Dorm.

My last 3 years,  I was at, the then "New Dorm".

70's fashion, turtle necks and plaid pants.

Pitts Hall

Spent a lot of time here in the courtyard outside the Student Union.

Remember when basketball shorts were short?

This is the new library.  It used to be our parking lot.

Affordable dining on a college students budget.

They are just as good today.

Pepperoni, ground beef, and green olives.

I would sneak out before curfew during my freshman 

year, get a medium pizza, sneak back and ate it...alone.

Daddy liked that Lagrange was a private Methodist School...

Streaking was popular in the 70's.

Daddy raised cain when he saw this in the yearbook.

I never told my family that I was there when they took this picture.

This dark passage way led to the darkroom  lab.

Photography classes was in another building.

This was before digital, when everything was done by hand.

Standing here years later, I could still feel the passion and excitement

I felt back then.

My best friends for 4 years.

Paul, Scott, Me, Denise, Tim and Karen.

Lagrange College...

2013

G....A....L....

GEORGE ALEXANDER LOUIS.

Who would have thought the arrival of a baby would cause

such a split.  Millions on baby watch while millions could care less.

I've always been a huge fan of the Royals.  Maybe it's because

the year I was born was the same year as Queen Elizabeth coronation.

I was hoping the baby would have been born last week on my birthday.

But...no!  It was born on my brother Jay's birthday, a member of the latter

millions.  I wanted to be there for the celebration but not all of us could

 get there without buying a plane ticket.  So guess who got to go.

Hail Britannia!!!

A couple of pints with the Pensioners...

Sandy Claus

We have one of these in Atlanta...

The Tower Bridge.

We have Tower Place.

Gun salute, London

These didn't do any good in the South.

Telecom Tower

It's a boy...

...it's not official until  Buckingham Palace receives this document

from the hospital.  

This isn't the first time Santa has been a witness to Royal Births.

 The future King George, the future Queen mother with baby Elizabeth.

Princess Elizabeth with Charles.

Queen Elizabeth, Princess Ann, with first grandchild Peter.

Prince Charles, Princess Diana, with Prince William.

William, Kate, with George.

Makes me wonder how many other babies Santa has been around.

I sometimes feel that I've known him longer than 50 years.  HMM...

Maybe ME AND SANTA go back further than I thought.

2013