Heritage, Retro, & Looking Back...

So they say, anything 20 years old or older is considered antique, heritage, or even "retro" as it may be referred to now.  I have been thinking a bit about the 1970's and early 1980's and found a few things I wanted to jot down here in my blog.  Sharing, so to speak.

Karen Duffy- My best-friend from my youth.

Above is pictured my best-friend from Heilbronn, Germany circa 1978.  We were in Jr. High School.  We attended J.F.K Jr. High School at Wharton Barracks.  I lived in upper housing and she lived in lower housing.  We became extremely close and we were quite the pair.  Karen had Bay City Rollers Posters all over her room.  She even had jeans with plaid at the bottom.  She was cool.  She and I, were cool.  We were part of the "in" crowd.  But she and I had a special bond.  She had to leave abruptly from Wharton Barracks and go back to the States.  She was from Washington.  Her step-father killed himself at the motor pool.  It rocked our little "Cold War Military Community."  She used to send me care packages once she went back to the States.

Wharton Barracks-Heilbronn, Germany Patriots Softball Team 1977

 Karen and I played lots of softball with the D.Y.A.  We were an excellent team to only be matched by 

Patch Barracks in the Stuttgart Area.  We were huge rivals.

Wharton Barracks closed down and the community and housing is now occupied by its true residents. 

 The people of Heilbronn, Germany.

As an Army-Brat, she was the closest thing to having roots, 

a bond, that special once in a lifetime friendship.

I have not been able to find her. 

Me (in the white shirt) and my cousin, Deborah- Fall 1980

This is when I returned to the States.  Charleston, S.C.  My parents sent me back to the States on a MAC Flight.  My parents had that kind of pull in the military.  I was sent back to go to high school.  I had started at Stuttgart American High School and waited for my permission to fly back on a MAC flight with the troops to attend school back in Georgia.  My parents were not pleased with the school and the fact I had to ride a double-decker bus to and from school for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening.

This was just not acceptable to them.  So, while the rest of my family was back in Germany...I was heading to Georgia and live with my grandmother to attend a new high school until my parents arrival and retirement from the US Army in the Spring of 1981.

Amazing that these photos seem just a few years ago.  Okay, more than a few but I see how curly my hair was then.  I remember having to iron it out when I would get dressed up.  I remember the impression that these years had on me.  On my flight back from Germany, the soldier that sat to the right of me said to me, "You will be in the States but your heart and soul will be in Heilbronn."  I thought he meant that statement because my parents and brother were in Germany and I was headed stateside.  But in actuality, it was the "Wonder Years."  The coming of age.  Yes, sometimes my heart is back there...in that time...in that place and with those people if only in my memories.

Design Team Call at 3 Scrappy Boys!

If you have never been to 3 Scrappy Boys,
then now is a good time to head over and register at the boards and get to know everyone!
There is a Design Team Call and you may go here, for all the details! It is truly a great team to be associated with and the kits are fabulous.

There are other activities as well to participate in that will allow you to dig into your scrappy stash and use the product you have on hand that will allow you to purchase the new goodies in the store arriving daily!

Here is a stash challenge issued just this morning. STASH CHALLENGE!

Here is my "take" on the challenge.

Can you believe it? It is March already and I am ready for Spring!

In the mood...

Yes, the Holiday Season has officially hit me! I was going through photographs that for whatever reason were old and neglected and decided to incorporate in the FINAL EXAM over at Bad Girls.

At least now, these photos will get their "look see" at Christmas time when the box is opened for someone inquisitive enough to take the lid off!

The Cosmo Cricket papers married with October Afternoon papers really was fun!

Now, I really must get back to creating!

Full Circle!

Well, I have recently celebrated another birthday. My wonderful husband surprised me and took me to Chastain Amphitheatre to see Cheap Trick, Heart, and Journey in concert. It was a hot humid evening but the atmosphere just could not be beat! So, I have been going through old photos and came across a photo that was damaged by time and light. I scanned the photo and cropped it to the best of my ability and tried to enhance the color. I am thinking it was too damaged to really show the fun and funkiness of a homemade outfit that my mother made for me. But I find it interesting that in 40 years this fashion of prints has come full circle and is once again in the world of fashion and it finds it way onto scrapbooking papers as well. Fun, Funky, and Full of Color!

I often wonder what happened to these outfits that my mother sewed with great detail and affection. Oh well, that is a story that will not have an ending. So, this brings me back to Chastain Amphitheatre Park. They will be having a "HIPPIE DAY" with the music from the late 1960's and early 1970's when the Age of Aquarius was in full bloom and ideas as well as music was stretching the envelope of reserved parents. I remember my mother was quite the BEATNIK and loved out of the box fun things. Beads, Flowers, Colors, and Art filled our home and my mother was on the cutting edge of women's rights and completing her law degree. Funny, I do not remember her wearing these funky colors to court. But then again, I am sure she only let me see and know limited things from this time. But I do remember being the center of her attention during a time when our country and the youth had much to say.