I was a Tomboy once. That could have been me on the left in the pink. I climbed every tree in the neighborhood. My favorite was a monkey tree on the University of Puget Sound campus in Tacoma (WA). I lived about 10 blocks away and would bike there whenever I could. Mishaps were inevitable.
"The Young Tomboy" (ca. 1900)
I fell out of another tree when I was six years old, puncturing the bottom of my foot on something hard. Billie, one of my playmates, had just returned from boy scout camp and knew everything there was to know about first aid. He ripped his white tee shirt off, wrapped it around my foot, draped my arm over his shoulder, and walked me home. ~~Swoon~~ I have been a hopeless romantic every since.
"Seaside Sunbeams" (1894)
(Underwood & Underwood/Jarvis/Littleton)
(Underwood & Underwood/Jarvis/Littleton)
I love the title "Seaside Sunbeams." It was too faded to read at first, but another stereoview online in better condition solved the mystery, and also gave the exact date. I am reminded of Point Defiance Beach as a girl in Tacoma. I liked to see how far I could travel jumping from one piece of drift wood to the next without touching the sand. Ever do that?
"Bobbing Party" (ca. 1900)
"Heavy Load" (ca. 1890s)
"Good Friends" (ca. 1900)
Good friends. Who are they really? For me, a good friend is someone who loves me unconditionally, in my best of times and worst of times. Emerson wrote: "I didn't find my friends; the good God gave them to me." I like that, too. Friends are a blessing, a gift from God. How about you? What does friendship mean to you?
Copyright 2013 © Sharon Himsl [stereoviews from Gravseth family archive]
Sharon M. Himsl
Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011.
Published with Evernight Teen:
~~The Shells of Mersing
You know, I don't think I've ever tried to define what friends are before. But if I had to, I'd probably say that they're the family you always wanted, rather than the one you got.
ReplyDeleteFriendship is...all the cliches, and then something else, something hard to define,something divine. Emerson's quote is brilliant.
ReplyDeleteWonderful pictures! I attended the University of Puget Sound! Wonderful school and beautiful campus. :)
ReplyDeleteLoved it, especially Billie. What a sweet story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my AtoZ.
Rhonda @Laugh-Quotes.com
Hi Kellie - I've heard this before. Our friends become our family.
DeleteDA - So true...friendship can mean so many different things.
Hey Margo...thanks for the follow. Cool you attended UPS. My parents wanted to send me there but too expensive. Went to Western instead.
Rhonda - Hi. Isn't Billie great? He was only visiting that summer and older than me. My first love...
These are very sweet. What would we do without friends to rescue us?
ReplyDeleteHave fun with A to Z!
Jenny at Choice City Native
Jenny, Thank you for visiting my blog and signing up to follow! True about having friends to rescue us, even if only one. That one fried can make all the difference in the world!
DeleteBillie sounded like a wonderful friend - a knight in shining armor!
ReplyDeleteLovely sentiment. Great pictures.
ReplyDeleteThese are great pictures. Billie sounds like a wonderful friend.
ReplyDeleteSherry - Yes, he FELT like a knight in shining armor :)
DeleteCathy - Thanks...hope the day went well starting your new book. Yay!
Jai - Good to hear from you again. Hope you're having fun in the A-Z.
This was a fun read. I don't really know how to describe a friend. My best point of reference is Connie, who was fun to play with, there to pray with, able to share with, and made me feel special. I miss her a lot.
ReplyDeleteHappy G day!
tm
I expect Billie grew up to be a doctor. Or a stripper.
ReplyDeletemood
Moody Writing
Ha I knew a guy that was both once :)
DeleteOH...funny:) Maybe he was related to Billie!
DeleteLove the ephemera images! I've been lucky to have a few good friends in my life. I'll take one or two over a mob of acquaintances any day!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog! Happy A to Zing!
Onery - Connie sounds like the kind of friend I refer to--one you can depend on through the good and bad times.
ReplyDeleteMooderino - Ha-ha. Never did know about Billie...he was only there for the summer.
C.B. - Thank you! Glad you're enjoying. I think we should never take friendship for granted.
Swoon, he sweet. I had my fair share of mishaps on tree's too - no blood just broken bones ;) Surely we could muse for hours what a good friend means, your idea is accurate enough for me :)
ReplyDeleteAgreed! Thanks for stopping by, Ida.
ReplyDeleteOh, your Billie story is adorable! I hope he ends up in one of your stories someday!
ReplyDeleteI think you (and Emerson) nailed the definition of friendship right on the head! I count you as one of my dear friends--truly a blessing from God!