And again, I have access to these, so, in yesterday's post I showed my "house" pictures. That post came out of my dream and then actually running across these pictures.
But here are a few more I love. They are of Daddy from being very little in his childhood world in Troy to being a young man and then to being married with children and a job . The final picture is how I remember my Daddy - always conducting someone or some group in singing or making music with instruments. Getting it right.
Here we go.
This first picture - it has to be in Troy - but I love looking at the scenes around Daddy. The lady in the background, walking "down the street". I try to recognize that house - because I know most of the old houses on Murphree Street where Daddy lived - but perhaps they were on College Street visiting someone. Or going to church where Grandmother was a member of the Baptist Church. Granddaddy was a member of the Methodist Church which was around the corner. I don't know. Daddy is very dressed up - perhaps it was a Sunday or even Easter. The lady in the back is so dressed. I love the hat. And it looks like she is carrying a small purse. I also love the way Daddy's little hands are doing as he poses. It makes me wonder who is taking the picture.
Next is Daddy and his older brother Thomas, with their Aunt Allie Carroll.
She was the older sister of my grandmother. They were very close and lived across the street from one another. This is definitely in Allie Carroll's yard. That's part of her house in the background. And that is the same outfit Daddy had on in the first picture. I'm thinking Easter and at the very least, Sunday.
Daddy was born in 1913 and he looks to be about 2 1/2 or 3? So - maybe 1915 or 1916. Mother wasn't even born.
Next picture - Daddy in his yard in Troy - again posing for someone.
A young man now and again, very dressed. I like this look too.
Reminds me of clothes in the movie, The Great Gatsby.
You can see that all around Daddy in these pictures and his house from yesterday - there were pretty yards and nice houses and landscaping.
Well - to contrast - not so in Mother's world as she grew up in Evergreen - only an hour or so from Troy.
In this picture, I don't recognize it as my grandparents' house - but I think they must be visiting family members in Evergreen - who lived "out" from the small town. Like my granddaddy's parents maybe - or an aunt perhaps. But isn't she cute? With her doll? Stuff like this blows my mind. A person's life. In a safe family, and both my parents had that - probably not the same financially, but the same in security and safety and love - what matters. And watching how God orchestrates each of their lives and brings them together and the generations that grow out of them - and the choices - and decisions - and God meeting them at a point and their saying yes to Him and all that that means - Both Daddy and Mother reached a point in their lives coming to the understanding that He could give each of them spiritual life and they did say yes. They wanted it and wanted His sanctification. They desired yieldedness and His shaping them into His image. They wanted to "die to self". Anyway - this is Mother as a little bitty girl.
With her mother, Ella. Again - not the most beautiful, pristeen landscaping around them.
But a lot of fun and a lot of love. I know that for a fact. It was fun and lot of laughter being in the Northcutt family.
And with her daddy, Elbert
That so has a farm look. I'm guessing Elbert's parents' home. And as dressed as they are, perhaps a Sunday. Don't we tend to take pictures when we're dressed up - of the children, especially.
I love the little wagon Mother is in. I wish I had it now.
And I love that Elbert is about to carve sugar cane. I can tell that's what that is.
I love to chew on Sugar Cane. Get that juice out of it.
I haven't done that since I was a child.
Back to Daddy. so - Troy meets Evergreen.
Daddy stayed in Evergreen. He had the job and stayed there his whole career, until the very last few years - and it was back to Troy. That was a default situation and it had to do with the turbulent sixties and with all the racial tension - the music program no longer was priority. So Daddy scrambled and rode out his last 5 years in Troy until retirement. But Evergreen had become home and they returned.
Daddy married Mother in 1947 and gained 2 brothers in law and soon another brother in law when Mary married. It was a fun life and a lot of hilarity and gatherings and simplicity.
We all have a memory that defines, perhaps, our parents - each of them.
this picture is Daddy. His arms raised, the baton, the sleeves rolled up - the firm hands - the concentration. Sitting on the tall stool to see each member. His ears, listening, hearing, for any bad note - a wrong sound - is someone flat? If he heard a mistake that baton came down. Tapping, stopping the music. He would weed out the mistake and correct it. If you were in his choral group or band - you didn't want the mistake to be yours. It wasn't that he would be mad, just impatient - hard to get it that we didn't all have the perfect rhythm and ear that he had. And I certainly didn't.
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