INSPIRED BY THE SHADY DELL, YORK, PA, AND DEDICATED TO ITS OWNERS JOHN & HELEN ETTLINE
AND TO MARGARET ELIZABETH BROWN SCHNEIDER, NICKNAMED "THE OLDEST LIVING DELL RAT"


Saturday, April 13, 2019

80 is the New 18 - Happy Birthday to My Big Brother!


My brother Keith was
born April 16, 1939.


I did the math, and unless
I am mistaken, it means that
he turns 80 this coming week!
(I am publishing this tribute now because
another VIP birthday is coming up on the 18th!)

The picture above was taken in the mid 50s
when Keith worked at the Flying A gas station
a couple of blocks from our house. My second
cousin, Albert Anderson, sent me the photo
a few weeks ago. It was the first time I ever
saw it. Thank you very much, cousin Al!


You might recall seeing my brother two months ago
in my post celebrating cousin Paula's 70th birthday.
Here above is a previously unpublished picture
of Uncle Paul, Paula, Keith and me taken
by my dad at the seashore.





Seems like only yesterday
that Keith and I were
doing the fun things
captured in these pics
taken a couple of
years earlier.

In winter we bundled up,
built snowmen and forts
 and threw snowballs
at each other.








When my little legs
and feet got bogged
down in the white stuff,
my big brother was
always there to
give me a lift.






In warm weather
months, Keith and
I enjoyed exploring
fields and woodlands
around our home in
rural York County, PA.





Thanks for the pictures,
dad, and thank you,
big brother Keith,
for happy memories
of good times spent
palling around with
 you in the country
in the early 50s!



Here's wishing you a very

happy 80th birthday,
Keith!

(...and many more!)


45 comments:

  1. 80 is quite a milestone, Keith! The pics that Tom posted captured brotherly love at its finest! Those joyous smiles alone tell the story that you had a fun adventurous childhood. Your shutterbug father took wonderful shots! He sure had handsome kids!

    I hope you have a wonderful celebration and the two of you can reunite once again!

    Happy 80th birthday, Keith!

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    1. Hi, Toni!

      Thank you very much for being the early bird and joining me as I celebrate my big brother Keith’s 80th birthday!

      80 is most certainly a remarkable milestone, especially since I still have vivid memories of the good times my brother and I had together in the early 1950s when we lived "in the country" (rural Manchester, PA). My dad and Keith were outdoorsmen. They enjoyed hiking, camping, hunting and vacationing in the mountains. Keith also enjoyed trips to the seashore, the vacation setting my mother and I preferred.

      One of my favorite memories of Keith is recalling the day we got caught in a torrential downpour as we walked home. He was probably 15 and I was 5. I can't remember if we had walked up to the Flying A to buy sodas from the vending machine or if we were returning from a visit to a friend’s house a few blocks away. On the way home the clouds burst. There was no way we could avoid being soaked to the bone by the time we got home. Our mother kept the house spic-and-span. We knew she would scold us for neglecting to carry an umbrella and for entering the house drenched, with muddy shoes and dripping all over her nicely polished floor and rugs. In spite of our predicament, my brother and I laughed spontaneously and heartily all the way home. Rarely have I felt such glee. It was a wonderful moment the two of us shared.

      Thank you again for being here to help me salute my big brother on his birthday. Enjoy your weekend, dear friend Toni!

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  2. Kathleen Mae SchneiderApril 13, 2019 at 2:19 AM

    This post is another one of your wonderful, caring tributes to people who made a positive difference in your life, Tom. The choice of photos is wonderful, and shows not only your father's talent as a photographer, but also how loving and proud your parents were to have such fine, handsome sons who obviously delighted in each other.

    It's good Keith held Baby Brother You in his arms or placed you on his shoulders for some of those pictures, because you probably would just be a blur otherwise. You looked like a typical toddler - bright, happy, and a bit "squirmy". Once on the ground and free to move, I bet you took off, ready to rumble! I apparently was similarly active, because in nearly identical poses from my family's photo albums, my older brother and sister appear to be restraining me as if to say to the photographer, "Hurry up and take the picture. We can't keep her here much longer!"

    Keith's gas station portrait reminded me of Sam Singer's Esso on Susquehanna Trail, just two blocks from our house. Look how good-looking he was with his shirt even tucked in! Unlike today's huge gas and food emporiums where we silently pump our own, pay with plastic and rush off, everyone knew one another in our North York neighborhood. So whenever Sam's son Melvin heard us run over the cable alerting him to our presence as he repaired someone's engine in the garage, he came out to "give a drink" to our old burgundy Plymouth, wiping his hands on a rag, always greeting us with a smile and a "Fill 'er up? Check your oil today, Ralph?"

    While the gas was being pumped, he brought the dipstick to the window protected by his rag, showing exactly how much oil remained and perhaps recommended another can be deposited to keep things running smoothly. That was followed by a windshield clean and an exchange about our respective families. One time I remember Melvin scrubbing away at the windshield with his squeegee and cheerfully saying to my dad, "It's good elephants don't fly!" I guess that's why they used to be called "service stations", and miss that kind of camaraderie and simple good will in our world!

    In the next beach photo, Keith has his t-shirt pulled up to cool off the same way by big brother Jim used to do. Keith strikes a pose reminiscent of Charles Atlas, and you dutifully smile for the camera, hoping no doubt to look just like him in a few years! I also find the snow and field scenes really charming, particularly the expressions on both of your faces. The one showing Keith holding you across his shoulders could have been captioned , "He ain't heavy, he's my brother"! (Remember that song by the Hollies?) I loved the "corny" one too. Like most kids, everything was a toy or object of curiosity for you, even a cob of corn left on the shock where you perched.

    I'm so glad you two had such a good and loving start to your lives. As we mark birthdays every year, those wonderful beginnings come to mind all these years later and we are grateful, aren't we? Too many children in today's world know little, if any, of the closeness and kindness of neighbors, plain courtesy and friendship, or the affection a solid family and decent neighborhood provides in their formative years.

    Thank you for this unique post, Tom. I really enjoyed seeing another side of Shady, and his interactions with his older sibling. For Keith, I'm sure these photos bring back those happy sunny days with his baby brother, and will make a fine gift. I bet he'll have a good time remembering the fun you two had together back then, as he celebrates his 80th trip around the sun!

    I add my wishes for a Happy Birthday, Keith!

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    1. Hi, Kathleen!

      Thank you very much for being here, dear friend, as I pay tribute to my brother the week of his 80th birthday! As usual your comment is extraordinary and provides ample fodder for discussion.

      I’m glad you enjoyed seeing what my big brother and I looked like in the early and mid 50s. I think you have me pegged as a “squirmy” little boy. Whenever I was asked to pose for pictures I was impatient because I couldn't wait to get back to having fun. My mother in particular was fond of using Pennsylvania Dutch slang words and she often called me “rootchy” and "shushly" (pronounced shoosh-ly, with the same vowel sound as “rootchy”) Rootchy meant that I didn’t like to remain stationary in one spot. I did lots of fidgeting. Shushly meant roughly the same thing, except it implied that my rootching made me accident prone, likely to do things like spill drinks, knock breakable knick-knacks off tables and hurt myself. Did your family use those two PA Dutch terms?

      Your comment reminded me that, along with Flying A gas stations, we used to see Esso stations around town before the company name changed to Exxon. It was exciting for me to ride along in the family car on a visit to the gas station. I remember as you do that when our car ran over the cable a chime sounded inside the garage, and soon a friendly uniformed man emerged and approached the vehicle. As did your father Ralph, my dad would instruct the attendant to “fill ‘er up,” and the man would start the pump running and then perform a series of tasks common to all stations during that golden era of “full service” – the dipstick and rag routine, check tire pressure, squirt the windshield with solution and wipe it clean with a rag, all the while making small talk to solidify the relationship with the customer. The era of full service with its benefits, tangible and intangible, is indeed missed.

      Through his work at service stations when he was a teenager, my brother introduced me to Bardahl motor oil and oil additives. Do you remember the brand and their 50s advertising campaign featuring the animated characters "Dirty Sludge", "Sticky Valves," "Gummy Rings," and "Blackie Carbon”? I’ll never forget how thrilled I was when my brother bought me Bardahl t-shirts with those iconic characters on them, nor will I forget how Keith introduced me to Elvis Presley and rock ‘n’ roll music.

      Charles Atlas was a name frequently mentioned around our house in the 50s. Bodybuilding was “in” thanks to Atlas and his fitness program designed to transform a "97-pound weakling" into Hercules. I also grew up watching fitness guru Jack LaLanne on TV. Then there was 20th-century strongman Joe Greenstein aka The Mighty Atom who appeared at the York Fair over the years. I learned that two of The Mighty Atom’s feats, biting through an iron nail and bending iron horseshoes by hand, are immortalized in a display at the Weightlifting Hall of Fame in York. One thing’s for sure. When guys like Atom, Atlas and LaLanne went to the beach, nobody kicked sand in their faces. :)

      (comment continued in next box)

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    2. You mentioned me holding a cob in the photo my dad took of Keith and me on the corn shock. There’s a very good chance my dad instructed me to do that. Dad studied photography and was a great believer in providing his subjects with props. Empty, idle hands resulted in less interesting pictures, according to my father the shutterbug.

      There is one distant memory I have of my big brother that is especially meaningful to me. When I was very young my mother always instructed us to give each other a kiss goodnight at bedtime to promote “brotherly love.” I still recall the smell of Colgate toothpaste on Keith’s breath and the taste of it on his mouth when he kissed me, giggling, and with a degree of embarrassment. (To this day I am reminded of those tender moments of childhood whenever I use that brand of toothpaste.) I wonder how many families nowadays are as close knit, as loving, and have the sense of security my brother and I enjoyed. I feel blessed, and I know you do as well.

      Thank you again for your kind visit and wonderful comment, dear friend Kathleen, and have a safe and happy weekend!

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    3. I so love this intimate reply to Kathleen, friend Shady … and of course it opened my flood gates aka tears was fallin from ma face … I have attempted to blog about my own family many times and almost always took them down right away cuz I felt right away I can't stand it. Your blog is always a pleasure to come to, friend Shady and I thank you. Much love, cat.

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    4. Hi, cat!

      Thank you very much for coming down and for this lovely comment, dear friend! I am genuinely moved by it. I have noticed that you occasionally remove a post after publishing. Now I understand is it because some posts dredge up painful memories and remind you of hardship and loss. I am very sorry. It makes me happy to know that you derive pleasure from your visits to Shady's Place. You are always welcome here.

      Thank you again for joining me as I pay tribute to my big brother who will soon celebrate his 80th birthday. I wish you a safe and happy weekend in Canada, dear friend cat!

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    5. Oh and one other thing I forgot to mention, friend Shady … smiles … https://youtu.be/8N_tupPBtWQ … Love, cat.

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    6. I knew where this was going right away, dear kitty cat.

      Mahna Mahna to you, as well, and LUBBINS! :)

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  3. I love all these old photos! I've got to get better at printing out the photos we take. Since most of them are in my phone instead of on a camera, it slips my mind. But I know once Alexis is grown, I'll want to be able to pull out photo albums and have those tangible memories.

    Reading Kathleen and your stories about the full-service gas stations makes me think of episodes of Andy Griffith I would watch with my mom. There's actually still a full-service (upon request) station in my hometown and one where I live now. One of the Wiregrass's TV icons, and former coworker of mine, is probably their best customer. I'm not sure exactly how old she is, but she has never pumped her own gas. If there's no attendant who can do it for her, she calls either her husband or grandson to come to the rescue!

    Happy birthday to your brother!

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    1. Hi, Ashton!

      Thanks so much for dropping by, my dear old 'Bama friend!

      I agree that you will thank yourself someday if you take time to print out and organize the best pictures of Alexis and store them in a traditional family photo album. Paging through that type of document is a more meaningful experience than flicking through a series of images on your phone. How can your little girl be age four already??? I got to know you when you were fresh out of college.

      I wish full service stations would make a comeback. I think there are many people who would be willing to pay a little extra for the experience. I mean, we could all cut and color our own hair, but isn't it nice to be pampered by a friendly barber (like Mayberry's Floyd) or a salon stylist?

      Thank you again for coming over and helping me wish my brother a happy 80th, dear friend Ashton. Please give Alexis a hug and a smooch for me and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

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  4. Happy 80th birthday, Keith!

    Thanks for the walk down memory lane, Shady. You all have had full lives. Celebrate!

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    1. Hi, Jessica Marie!

      Thank you very much for dropping in to stroll down memory lane with my big brother and me as he prepares to observe his 80th birthday.

      I appreciate you being here, dear friend JM. Take care and have a safe and enjoyable weekend!

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    2. Hi Shady,

      I also like the headline: 80 is the new 18! It's true - you are as old or young as you feel. :)

      I hope that you had a wonderful birthday celebration with Keith and I hope you get to see him often. I also hope that you shared this post with him. :)

      Have a great birthday weekend, Keith; and Shady, enjoy your Sunday!

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    3. Hi again, Jessica Marie!

      I'm glad you enjoyed my headline. There is more truth to it than humorous intent. I believe it is possible to keep thinking and acting young all your life, no matter how old the calendar says you are. My brother has remained much the same as he always was, with a keen sense of humor, and I intend to follow his example.

      Thanks again for the birthday wishes for my brother, dear friend JM, and have a wonderful week!

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  5. Happy birthday to your brother, Shady. Older siblings certainly hold a close place in our hearts.

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    1. Hi, Kelly!

      Thanks for swinging over, dear friend! I am pleased that you visited today and offered birthday greetings to my big brother as his 80th birthday nears. I know you lost an older sister and probably thought of her as you read this post. You have my sympathy.

      Thanks again for your kind visit and comment, dear friend Kelly!

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    2. Thanks, Shady. Interestingly enough, yesterday would have been her birthday. :)

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    3. Hi, Kelly!

      Thanks for letting me know that your sister's birthday is the same week as my brother's. My thoughts are with you as you remember her at this time. I am terribly sorry you lost her.

      I wish you a safe and happy week, dear friend Kelly!

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  6. Happy birthday to your brother.

    It's curious. Were my parents both still alive, my father would have turned 85 two months ago, and my mother that same age two months from now. Thus they would be only half a decade older than your brother, yet I gather from things you've written in the past, only about a decade separates your and my ages. Like I said, curious. I just hope no cats are killed in the process.

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    1. Hi, Kirk!

      Thanks for being here to help me celebrate my brother's 80th birthday, good buddy. I appreciate it!

      That is an interesting set of stats, my friend. My brother and I are separated by a span of 10.5 years. A few weeks ago, my mother would have turned age 101. Later this year, my dad would be 106 and I will be 70. If you do the math, you can tell that my parents were both in their 30s when I was born. All my friends had parents that were at least half a generation younger than mine, but I wouldn't have traded with anybody.

      Thanks again for stopping by on this special occasion, good buddy Kirk!

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  7. Hi Shady. What a couple of good looking guys! I love the gas station picture with that cool guy standing near the pump! And the beach photo is great! Looks like you were just a babe and so much smaller than your brother. I know there was an age difference, but it's hard to imagine having an 80 year old brother!

    My sister isn't a huggy person, but in the past several years when we get to visit, I make her hug me! I think she's getting used to it, because I really believe she wants a hug.

    It is so nice that you two have been close even with the age difference. I remember you saying in a previous post that your brother would listen to records a lot, and you picked up the music bug early in life. Both of you will always have that closeness, not to mention great laughs!

    This is a very nice Birthday tribute, Shady! Thank you for sharing the fun photos...love the ear of corn! Happy Birthday Keith!♥

    Have a safe weekend, dear friend, Shady! We've got a cool, rainy Saturday!

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    1. Hi, Suzanne!

      Thank you very much for joining me as I celebrate my big brother's 80th birthday, dear friend!

      As I noted in the fine print, Keith's birthday isn't until next Tuesday, but I wanted to get this post started a few days early to give it time to "breathe" before it gets bumped next Thursday for another time sensitive post, another VIP birthday observance.

      I'm glad you like that picture of Keith posing at the Tydol pump at the Flying A gas station a few blocks from our house. Flying A and Tidol were brand names of the East Coast based Tidewater Associated Oil Company. I loved it when my parents and I drove up the hill to the station and my brother filled our tank. We also had some great times at the beach vacationing with my cousin Paula and her parents, Uncle Paul and Aunt Norma. Happy memories abound!

      Yessum, as I told Kirk above, Keith is 10-and-a-half years older, but we had lots of fun in those early years before he left home to join the U.S. Air Force. I have always been proud of my big brother. Keith bought 45s by Elvis Presley, Fats Domino and Ricky Nelson and I learned to love rock 'n' roll by playing them on my tiny tinny turntable in the basement game room.

      Thanks again for joining me for this special birthday tribute to my big brother Keith as he prepares to celebrate his 80th birthday. I hope you and Scootie are having a fine weekend over there in Texas and I invite you to return next Thursday as we mark a very important date on the Shady Dell calendar - April 18. Thank you very much for coming, dear friend Suzanne!

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  8. Dear Tom this is such a lovely post . I would have loved to have a brother , that’s the main reason I decided to have two kids , I want them to grew up together , to have someone always by their side. Also you know I love looking at old pictures ! Happy bday to your brother ❤️

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    1. Hi, Katia!

      It was sweet of you to come over and help me celebrate my brother's 80th birthday, my cherished Italian friend. Thank you very much!

      I'm happy to know that you enjoyed gazing at these old pictures taken in the early and mid 1950s. I still remember posing for some of them, and I am sure Keith remembers even more vividly. You have a boy and a girl now, correct? What a blessing, Katia! Your children are much closer in age than my brother and I, and I am sure they will be close and share many experiences as they grow up. I wish them long, happy lives. They have the advantage of a wonderful mother to guide them.

      Thank you again for bringing birthday greetings for my brother and for spreading cheer, dear friend Katia. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and the week ahead!

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  9. Tom,

    Tell Keith that I wish him a very Happy Birthday ... even if he is older than dirt. (He's older than I am and I used to work with the guy who invented dirt.)

    Terry >8-)

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    1. Hi, cousin Terry!

      How are you and your kitty doing? Thanks a lot for logging on and posting a birthday greeting for "the ancient one"... your cousin Keith. You'll soon be closing in on the big 8-0 yourself, Terry, and stats like these boggle the mind. (Napoleon would be 250 this year!)

      Thanks again for offering birthday wishes to "Punk" and for reminding me that we could always count on you, Dave and your dad to inject humor into family gatherings. We had many great times, Terry, and I am thankful for being part of it.

      Have a happy Sunday and have a wonderful week!

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  10. Hello KEITH.... A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY !
    I always say I am older than dirt.... because I am.
    Have a wonderful day and
    Let there be Cake !

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. Hi, Gayle!

      Hi, Winston aka Mandibles of Doom!

      Thank you very much for coming to the birthday party as my big bother Keith gets ready to celebrate (or, as Winston would say, "salivate") his 80th birthday.

      I had cake to serve you, Gayle, but it looks like Winston already got into it. All that's left are the crumbs in his whiskers. :)

      Thanks again for spreading birthday cheer, dear friend Gayle. Take care and have a great week!

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  11. Tom,

    Happy Birthday to big brother, Keith! This is a sweet post. I can tell you have a lot of fond memories spent under your big brother's wing. Your dad did a great job capturing some true Kodak moments of you two boys. Your brother is a year younger than my daddy. His birthday is in July but today is my little brother's birthday. I meant to mention that in my post and forgot to include it but this would've been his 53rd birthday. While our brother are separated by many years, they do share the same birth month and days a part. I hope Keith has a wonderful day. I know you made this special occasion the bomb for him, my friend!

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    1. Hi, Cathy!

      Thanks a bunch for coming over, dear friend! I am sure my brother Keith will be pleased by your delightful comments and birthday wishes.

      It's true, Cathy. I feel blessed to have had a father who took so many family pictures, thousands of them, and carefully preserved them in sturdy family albums. I do indeed have fond memories of getting a head start in life and a helping hand from my big brother. I looked up to him in more ways than one.

      Thanks for sharing that your dad is close to Keith's age and that today is your little brother's birthday and that he would have been 53 this year. As I recall he died quite a few years ago and I am very sorry for your loss.

      Thank you again for your kind visit and for extending birthday greetings to my brother, dear friend Cathy. I hope you and DH had a fine weekend and I wish you a safe and happy week ahead!

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    2. Tom,

      Yes, that's right my baby brother passed away in 2006, a few months past his 40th birthday. Life goes on, though. I'm thankful for the good memories I have of him. I always wanted an older brother. In truth, I have a half-brother who I learned about when I was a teenager but never really got to know him well. There for a time my daddy and he kept in close contact but I don't know what became of that relationship. Of course this is one of those things were there isn't any DNA to prove it but it's a she said, he believes understand and maybe it's true. I guess there is always a skelton rattling around somewhere. Now you know a little more about me. Thanks for visiting today, my friend - you rock!

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    3. Hi again, Cathy!

      Thanks for coming back to continue our thread, dear friend! I remember when you posted pictures of yourself and your little brother as children. I am very sorry he died so young, and I do wish you had an older brother to guide you as mine did. I am sure you often wonder what it would be like to have a relationship with your half-brother. Maybe someday you will.

      It is always a pleasure to learn more about you, my dear friend. Thanks again for the birthday greetings for my brother (today's the day) and enjoy your Tuesday. I'll see you tomorrow over at CAAC!

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  12. Wow, what a wonderful post and tribute to your older brother...Happy Early Birthday Keith! From those fabulous photos he looks like he was a good brother to play with you even though you were so much younger. You both were adorable back then and probably still are! I wish him many more birthdays to grow young with! Have a good week Tom!

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    1. Hi, YaYa!

      Thank you very much for swinging by, dear friend! I am delighted to have you here on this special occasion and appreciate your kind remarks as I celebrate my brother's 80th birthday.

      With a difference in our ages of more than ten years, Keith needed to be patient with me. I remember when we had deep snowfalls and he and I went outside to play, I could never keep up with him. He was able to walk through the snow easily because it only came up to his knees. It came up to my chest and I got bogged down and stuck! :)

      I'm so pleased you enjoyed looking at these old pictures of the two of us taken by my dad in the early 50s. I will make sure Keith gets your sweet message and I know it will mean a lot to him same as it does to me. Thank you again for coming over and have a wonderful week, dear friend YaYa!

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  13. I love the pictures of you and Keith. I would like to add my Happy Birthday wishes to the blog. Tell Keith I wish him the best and many more birthdays!

    Cousin Paula

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    1. Hi, Paula!

      It was sweet of you to drop by to wish your oldest cousin Keith a happy birthday. I am going to call him Tuesday and I will be sure to read your greeting and all these other comments to him. He will be very pleased to know you were thinking of him. I am still smiling from the joy you and I experienced on your birthday two months ago when you were surprised with your own special tribute post.

      Thank you for making time for Keith as he prepares to turn 80 years of age, dear cousin Paula. Where did the time go? Have a wonderful week and please stay in touch with me!

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  14. Happy Birthday to your brother, Keith! I loved the photos you shared of him and you as kids. It looks like you had a lot of fun together!

    Enjoy your week!

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    1. Hi, Sherry!

      Thanks for coming to my big brother's birthday party, dear friend!

      You're right. Keith and I had lots of fun and lots of laughs. I probably got my sense of humor from Keith because he has always enjoyed hearing and telling jokes. Those earliest pictures were taken when we lived in a rural area before we moved to the suburbs. My memories of those early years are not as sharp as I'd like, but I do remember our house, our property, our garden, the outdoor fireplace and picnic bench, the neighborhood and the nearby farm fields and woods we explored.

      Thanks again for dropping in, dear friend Sherry, and enjoy your week!

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  15. Hi Shady!

    I can see in the genuine smiles, and hear in your words an enduring bond that embraced every footprint of time marching on. Such a wonderful life to reflect upon! Your father had quite a knack for capturing the essence of unaffected emotion in natural settings. We tended to stand at impatient attention – even the token photo-bombing cat looked stricken – in our family pictures. Your photo albums must be gold mines of treasured memories ;-)

    Give a birthday wish from me when you speak with your brother! 80 is nothing to sneeze at, but it certainly presents a lot of talking points. Will you reminisce on birthdays past?

    Have a terrific week!

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    1. Hi, diedre!

      How are you, dear friend? Thank you very much for being here!

      I am delighted that you dropped by to join me on this special occasion as my big brother Keith prepares to celebrate his 80th birthday tomorrow. My dad would be happy to read your kind words about his expertise as a photographer. He had a good eye, knew when a composition looked natural and when it didn't. He believed in having his subjects do something interesting with their hands such as hold props or reach for objects, and he sometimes experimented with trick techniques he learned from photography books, many of which he found at the city library. You are correct, diedre. My dad's passion for picture taking resulted in thousands of priceless images of our family members back through the decades. I am grateful to him.

      Keith doesn't use the internet, but I know he will be thrilled when I read your message over the phone to him tomorrow. I am sure he and I will reminisce about other birthdays through the years, his and mine, and the good times we had when he was still living at home.

      Thank you again for coming by and for spreading joy with your excellent comment. Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend diedre!

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  16. happy birthday Keith!!! If you're anything like your brother Shady, you come from fine stock.

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    1. Hi, Holliberry!

      Thank you very much for dropping by with birthday greetings for my brother Keith and kind words for us both, dear friend! Keith will be very happy to read your message having reached this important milestone, the 80 year mark of his life.

      Thanks again for coming to the party, dear friend Holli, and enjoy the rest of your week!

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  17. Jumping Johosefat! I did miss a lot of your posts and I am so sorry. I love these pictures of you with your brother. You obviously enjoyed your youth and it shows. Happy belated birthday to your brother!

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    1. Hi, Birgit!

      Thanks for coming by and leaving comments on my last three posts, dear friend. I'm glad you enjoyed these pictures of my big brother and me taken in the early 50s. Thank you very much for wishing Keith a happy 80th birthday!

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