HAPPY NEW YEAR: A New Year PAST

If you're awakened in the middle of the night by a ghostly spirit wishing to take you on a journey be warned; you may be forced to look at the past, the weirdly mysterious past.

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Watch out for dark corners tonight.

HAPPY NEW YEAR: Possibility 1

I'm going to give you three possibilities for how to spend your New Year. You'll need to come back the next two days. I can tell you the entry for January 1st is R-rated; so you've been warned.

So you have to ask yourself, "Buddy, are you feelin' lucky? Well, are ya?"

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CHRISTMAS: Ernie's Family and HUCKLEBERRY HOUND

I'm just thinkin', which in my case is probably not advisable (too many brain cells about to be damaged) and I'm a wonderin' if these here kiddies liked Huckleberry Hound why would they want to pummel him? Bozo I can understand, but Huckleberry is just a very relaxed guy and you know he's not gonna be a hittin' back.

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The evidence for your viewing pleasure.

CHRISTMAS: ERNIE'S children

For those who follow this site you'll know my fascination of a fellow I've named Ernie. Christmas Eve 2010 was when I first found photos of Ernie. Over the months this year I found more. I went back to the antique store the other day, Christmas Eve, and found another. Today I went back and found a few more. The seller has obviously torn apart an old photo album because many of the shots I found of Ernie and his family have glue on the back and photo corners. That makes me sad. I wish the album had been left intact. I could have had Ernie's life unfold before me instead of fits and starts. Oh well. At least I found a few more shots. I wonder who else has collected shots of him?

Ernie's daughter and son possibly taken by Ernie.

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CHRISTMAS: A sled UNDER THE TREE

Did you get what you want? Did you get what you need?

On the back of this vernacular photograph it says "Christmas 1951."

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CHRISTMAS

CHRISTMAS: A COLORFUL day

Wishing all a colorful vernacular photography Christmas!

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Happy holidays to all at Sepia Saturday.

CHRISTMAS: Laden with TINSEL

Christmas trees without people around them look often forlorn though they're trying hard to look majestic. They know they're dead and will end up in the trash heap. But they try darn ya, they try!

This poor thing has the problem of a sheep dog. So much tinsel it can't see.

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CHRISTMAS: Ernie RAPIDLY UNWRAPPING...

We'll never know what Ernie was unwrapping. A shot taken the same year as the Ernie Christmas shots last year.

Let's hope Ernie had a Merry Christmas and I'm sure he'd be wishing you the same. He's just that kind of guy.

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CHRISTMAS: Ernie's SWEETHEART

They seem to have lived in a trailer, single wide. Two adults and two children.

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CHRISTMAS: CAUGHT!

Ever open a gift before Christmas without letting anyone know? You know, you peel back the paper ever so carefully and then rewrap it, placing it EXACTLY where it had been. I did it once.

I knew there was a record album under the tree. I wanted Rubber Soul so badly that I was willing to break the tape seal to find out. What if my folks had given me something else? What if it was a Paul Revere and the Raiders album because my mother thought their outfits were cute? It had to be Rubber Soul. It just had to be. And it was. Phew! I ruined my Christmas surprise and had to walk around the tree for a week knowing John, Paul, George, and Ringo were waiting to regale me with historic tunes on Christmas. It was torture.

So did this little babe open her packages on Christmas or was she caught in the act?

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The joy of vernacular photography. Never really knowing the story, but being able to come up with many plausible alternatives.

CHRISTMAS: ROCKIN' AROUND the Christmas Tree

I'm guessing this was taken in a basement rumpus room. No idea who these jolly folks are, but I see a record player for 45s on top of the tv so I'm hoping that they did a bit of rockin' around the Christmas tree with Brenda Lee.

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CHRISTMAS: Opening packages with ERNIE

It's that time of year when we either gather with family and friends or make up an excuse to run full tilt in the other direction.

Here we have our friend Ernie gathering with one or the other. I'm guessing family. Ernie at Christmas; we've seen this before.

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Ernie is a favorite "category" of mine only available at one antique store. Every time I go to the store I hope to find a new image of Ernie. Just when I think I've found the last another one pops up. Keeps me going back. And each time I leave the store I fear I will never find another image of Ernie, another moment captured in his life.

Last year I featured 4 posts in a row following Christmas called "One Man's Christmas." You can see part 1 here, 2 here, 3 here, and 4 here. I'd found all of these images on Christmas Eve. Perhaps I need to stop by the store this Christmas Eve to see if Ernie is there celebrating.

There will be more of Ernie this week. Think of it as a buffet of Ernie and that's about as close as I can get to this weeks Sepia Saturday theme which means I'm not on theme at all.

CHRTISTMAS: Sedsons Greetibgs!

And a good Sedsons Greetibgs to you and all of yours from the fire department.

Funny how an angle of a shot can so easily distort signage.

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I just bought my tree from the local volunteer fire station tree farm. A great group to support with wonderful people.

CHRISTMAS: HIRE A BAND for the holidays

Well crikey, they're just so dang-na-bit cute! I imagine they're takin' requests. I bet they did a mean version of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" followed by "Your Feets Too Big."

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CHRISTMAS: It's a CATEGORY!

A photo that makes me smile because it fits into categories: office party, Santa, Christmas, and best of all...cutting the cake. Oh sure, it could be broken down even more...woman smoking, soft drink machine...blah blah blah. Categories really aren't made to organize all of this, at least not for me. They're to add an edge of the absurd.

Could it possibly be more festive? Wild office party with overdone decorating. I guess it's a secret Santa.

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CHRISTMAS: Charlie the STANDING MAN in boxers

I featured Charlie, the Standing/Sitting Man, back in September. I said to stay tuned because there was a holiday shot from Charlie. Even in holiday boxers Charlie looks better than most of us. So what will be next to your tree?

Previous Charlie posts: Sept. 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30

CHRISTMAS: TWO KEWPIES under the tree

A continuation of the scene from yesterday. Kewpie dolls, popcorn, and an older bored sister. A happy family gathering somewhere in Nebraska.

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CHRISTMAS: Watch out for HANGING POPCORN

I know of the tradition of putting popcorn strands around a Christmas tree, but I've never seen a display like this. I'm imagining a little mouse would find it quite enticing. Come into the room late at night and wee mice might be swinging from the ceiling with full bellies. It looks like they already tried eating the photo.

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CHRISTMAS: Go ahead, STRING UP SOME FISH and DECORATE THE TRAILER

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Christmas: MOM?

This weeks Sepia Saturday features a portrait of a mother and child. I'm on theme, really, I am.

Pinocchio, eyeing the logs, said, "Mom, is that you?"

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More Christmas snapshots to come the next two weeks.

ALL YOU CAN EAT!

All you can eat at the Puppy Chow Bar and Grill.

I'm guessing the little one in the foreground might be leaving a wet puddle on the paper.

The DOG OF THE THIN MAN

I can't help but think of the dog Asta from the classic film The Thin Man when I look at this shot.

And who knew, Asta had an online fan site? According to the site, this breed of terrier became quite popular in the 1930s and '40s leading to an overpopulation. I can only wonder if this woman was influenced by the Thin Man series.

NOBODY was making eye contact

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HEARING TEST for dogs

Do a dogs ears lay flat against its head if a woman cackles in the background? You be the judge.

ERNIE with a puppy and a baby

Really, there's nothing to say. It's Ernie. Welcome back Ernie.

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And for those who FAVOR BUNS

From the Three Buck Big Box of Photos.

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To see another photo of Michelle click here.