G.I. Joe

G.I. Joe was around in the 80's when Jack was grade school age. He and his Uncle Chuck, who was about the same age as Jack, spent hours playing war with their G.I. Joe action figures. You did not call them DOLLS, by the way.

Poor G.I. Joe was shot, blown up, run over with jeeps and tanks, and sometimes even buried. Every time one was "killed" the boys sang the Queen song, "Another One Bites the Dust." They entertained themselves for hours with war.

Chuck was killed in a car accident at the young age of 18, on his way home from work in the morning hours. If Jack were to be asked, he would admit to still missing Chuck after all these years I'm sure.

In the midst of tragedy, there are happy memories, it just takes time to get to them.

Another G.I. Joe memory for me is the old Nissan commercial, where G.I. Joe stole Barbie from Ken. Loved it. I often wondered why it disappeared from the tv airwaves, and just recently learned that Mattel sued Nissan for copying their toys for their commercials. Ah, well, I still have a vivid memory of G.I. Joe driving off with Barbie. She made the right choice--I always thought Ken was a wimp.

Remembering the good times

Grandma in the yellow house

Is Collecting shoes Contagious?

Or is it something in the hereditary traits? The females in this family are not related to Imelda Marcos, but they are like her in the shoe collecting thing. I have seen Pattie buy 7 pairs at a time, 3 just alike except for color. Her hubby Randy built her a special shoe compartment in her armoire. When Debbie was here this summer she confided in Pattie that she has over 100 pairs of shoes. Sunshine loves shoes, so do Haley and Harley.

And along comes the newest family female addition, and she loves her shoes though she is only 17 months old. She arrived from Louisiana with 17 pairs of shoes. Most of them were given to her (hand-me-downs) and she is proud of every one.

Jessica says she will try on one and twist her foot around checking it out and smiling. Just like the big girls.

Here she is, checking out her collection with Jessica looking on.

They did not inherit this gene from me. I will wear the same shoes until they fall apart. My walking shoes are 6 years old and I hope they last 6 more. I do not like shopping, so perhaps that's why I tend to wear them until someone in the family gently suggests that I need a new pair.

Grandma in the yellow house, who does not plan to buy shoes for a long time yet.