Swa(m)p meet treasure
Apparently, my bad hearing (or maybe it’s the inability of my brain to put two and two together) dates way back to my childhood. Growing up, I remember my dad talking about going to “swamp” meets. I just couldn’t figure out what a swamp meet was, or why people would want to meet in a swamp!
Swap meet, Kim. Swap. Sigh. On that note, do NOT look at the third definition for swap meet on urbandictionary.com.
I wonder if my need to search for local races when I travel is akin to my dad’s need to look for local swap meets when he travels. Probably. Make the most of satisfying your interests when you travel, right?
Anyway. My parents were in town last weekend and my dad went to a swap meet Saturday morning and brought this back:
“Oh, cute! Dad found a book,” I thought.
Wait a second. On closer look… this book looks familiar!
Yes – that is my dad’s dad featured on a two page spread in this book!
My dad was quick to point out his car is in there too, ha ha (see red arrow below, not foreground):
I really enjoy the text on the page with my grandpa on it:
Besides the rich (to me) history told in that short paragraph, it cracks me up that the author is asking where my dad and his brother were when it was time to wax the car. If I were going to choose words to describe my dad and his brother, lazy and unhelpful would be some of the last ones. So it just points out the humor of it, even more, to me.
Sigh. What a treasure, right? Apparently my brothers have copies, and my dad was on the lookout for more.
I’d like to put it up somewhere, maybe in a shadow box, like this, with the pages propped open?
Or maybe on a ledge?
How would you display something like this?
I can’t mention this book without talking about how it makes me feel. Seeing that picture of my grandpa, looking so strong and capable… sigh. I guess it makes me feel grateful I knew him when he was like that, and didn’t only know him for the last years of his life, when dementia took over his mind. But geesh. It just makes me feel robbed that he passed so young. Or, what seems young to me.
And the mention of my dad’s brother. He passed too young too, before my grandpa. I was just becoming adult enough to have actual interesting conversations with my uncle (meaning, I had interesting things to share, not that he didn’t, ha ha). Sigh. Feel robbed there, too.
So maybe, however I display it, I should put a picture of my uncle in there, too.
Themocracy
How cool is that book? Rhetorical question, I know. So cool, especially to me as I went to car shows with my dad. I wonder whether, with the help of a fancy scanner, you could have photos of pages and cover to display in a custom frame. It could be neat.
Feel better!
Does your dad have a classic?! My dad and bros are all in to it now. 🙂 They all have different taste though. Pretty cool. Steven and I enjoy car shows too.
I should try that! 🙂
Thanks! 🙂
Maybe copy the 2 page spread and then mount it in a shadow box with the book and photos of your dad and uncle.
What a cool way to remember your Grandpa! I’m so glad your Dad was able to find a copy for you. I am sure you’ll come up with a brilliant way to display it (but it won’t be from me, sorry! definitely not my area of expertise)…did you ask your snis?
I hope you are feeling a little better!
I should ask my snis. Derpitty. She is the expert!
I think I am turning a corner with my whininess (sp?)! Thanks for listening to me 🙂 This cold took me out even worse than the one from two weeks ago.
Love that book! So cool! Nice that you do have good memories of them and are able to look back at that. Treasure the memories…
That’s so cool!! I like the shadow box idea. It’d help preserve the book more than just having it out somewhere.
I know what you mean about feeling robbed. The way my dad speaks about his mom makes me sad I never got to meet her (nor did my mom, she passed away when my dad was in his early 20s). It reminds me of how I’ll describe Joey’s mom to our future children. Life is so short sometimes.
I know so many people who did not grow up with their grandparents and I feel so lucky I had all four of mine for so long!
Depends on the weather, some were “swamp” meets.
Ha! So maybe I am not crazy?!
(Whatever, I know I can blame my bad hearing on you too… it’s hereditary… right?!)
What?
Huh?
That is so neat! Yeah I think shadow boxes for your Grandpa and Uncle would be such a neat way to display memories and makes it come to life more…maybe because it’s three dimensional?! Hope you have a WONDERFUL weekend and are feeling better!
Valerie
http://www.the-style-files.com
Definitely do a shadow box of some kind. I like the idea of color copying the pages and displaying them along with the book itself. Putting it in a shadow box will also keep it from collecting (as much) dust like it would on a shelf.
That fact that you have stories like this to tell and memories like this of your family members that are gone is a true treasure. Yes, it is sad that they are gone but it would be even sadder if you had never gotten to know this side of them.
i am so happy you got a copy of this book!! Your post about it made my eyes water. Love You!
Aww 🙂 Love you too! 🙂 I will let you know how I display it!
And it’s a good reminder for me to see you read this crapola. I better tone some of it down.
Ha ha! Just kidding! 😉