Friday, April 08, 2011

My old friends

Can you stand a couple more old photos? Not quite as old as 1935... more like 1971!
My Dad worked as a salesman for Ilford  Photo for a few years, and went through a spell where he had quite a lot of black and white film, and someone at work doing prints for him. My Mum was the one who really liked to take photos, so I'm not sure if she took these or my Dad did.

Here's me (right) and my friend Judy in Agincourt (suburban Toronto), 40-odd years ago. The spotty thing is the middle was our English Setter, Gina. She was a lovely dog, so good with kids, and being an only child, I looked on her as a bit of  a furry sibling...



Somebody thought it would be good to pose us with stuffed animals!

I really liked Judy, who was a year older than me. Eventually her family moved away, but they were of Scottish descent. I will never forget the New Year's eves we spent with them. At midnight, we'd parade around the street with Judy's older sister playing bagpipes and us banging pots and pans. So much fun!

It's funny that one of my best friends now is also named Judy, and she is older than me too (but by 19 years, not one!)

Thanks for all the great comments you've been leaving. I'll catch up on responding to those soon, but I really appreciate them all. :)) 

7 comments:

  1. I can hardly remember the name of someone I met last week let alone a friend from 40 years ago! LOL Great pictures. Gina was one big dog!

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  2. English Setters are such sweet dogs. I have known many. Cute pictures. You were certainly a beautiful little girl (and still are, of course)

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  3. I had a stuffed bear just like that!

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  4. Anonymous8:16 pm

    What cute kids! You look like you could be cousins. And that Gina! Love her expression!

    My son's in-laws are from Scotland and every New Year's Eve they used to have a big party with Scottish dancing, fiddle music, all the men wearing their kilts. And I think they served haggis as part of festivities. (Never have tried that and never hope to!) :)

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  5. Paula, she was pretty large! :) A gentle girl though.

    Deb,thank you for the compliment. :) My mother had a string of English Setters, and I in fact inherited her last one when my Mum died in 1997. Tara lived to be 14-1/2 and we had to euthanize her in 2006. They are such affectionate, mellow dogs. But the coat maintenance, augh!

    Wandering Cat, I seem to recall my Dad bringing back the bear from a trip to Vancouver. Obviously had a huge impact on me. ;)

    TTPT, I have NO desire to try haggis. Gordon has tried a few bites of haggis and he says it tasted like finely minced, slightly spiced ground meat. He found it "neither yummy nor offensive."

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  6. Anonymous10:28 pm

    ok with a title like this, i couldn't resist having a look! ...and of course was rewarded with great pics!

    You look like a blonde Natalie Wood! ... like in Miracle on 34th Street age. :D

    and your friend is Adorable. I wonder where she is now...and if she still has all those adorable freckles.

    ...and of course the big spotted girl in the middle is BEAUTIFUL!! how wonderful to have grown up with those lovely dogs.

    ok ...nose back to the grindstone. waaaa. thanks for the break! :) (i checked here because all i was getting email-wise was spmail from the Nigerians...hahah)

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  7. Dr. Sloth, you know my Mum named me after Natalie Wood, right? :)

    And I do wonder what happened to my friend Judy. I was a bit in awe of her for being a year older and wiser than me.

    Glad I could give you a respite from emailing Nigerians! LOL

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Thank you for all your comments, which I love to read!