(they call it) puppy love

In 1960, I was in second grade and living in Dayton, Ohio when my Mom took me to see a brand new Disney movie called "Pollyanna," starring British child actress Hayley Mills. My childhood would never be the same.

I fell in love with Hayley the same fan-girly way little girls fall in love with Miley Cyrus today. This was eons before anyone had even dreamed of videotape so instead of watching her movies over and over and over again, I listened to the soundtrack recordings on my record player. I could -- and did (much to my family and friends' chagrin) -- recite huge amounts of dialogue at the drop of a hat. "The Parent Trap," "Summer Magic," "The Moon-Spinners," and "The Chalk Garden" -- I saw and loved them all.

One of my strongest memories about my Hayley obsession was repeatedly telling my Mom that if I ever had a daughter, I would name her "Hayley" because I loved the name -- and the actress -- so much.

Well, I did give birth to three daughters and their names are Erin, Megan, and Molly .... nary a Hayley in the bunch. Not my fault, though. With every pregnancy, the very first girl's name I suggested to my husband was "Hayley" and he simply could not be coerced into considering it. I dearly love the names we gave our daughters but it would not be a lie to say that I still have an itsy bitsy teensy weensy smidgen of disappointment that Hayley never made it into the line-up.

up, up and away

While watching her perform these amazing aerial silks moves scares me more than just a little, I'm very proud of my daughter, Megan, for having the guts, the creativity and the drive to do it.

Megan also works full-time, is in the final stages of getting her MBA ...... and she made her costume, too!

it's nature's way

Dear Mother Nature, originally uploaded by sugarpie honeybunch.

I don' think that there is a female over the age of 13 who can't relate to this wonderful Kotex ad in the May, 1970 edition of Seventeen Magazine.

girls just want to have fun

Retro Girly, originally uploaded by sugarpie honeybunch.

This is a pink-centric mosaic I created with some of the hundreds of retro magazine ads I've uploaded to flickr.

you've really got a hold on me

Grandma braggin' time. The t-shirt says it all:  "Ladies Man"

respect

In addition to June 6, 1994 being the day my son, Morgan, was born, it was also the 50th Anniversary of D-Day. At the time of his birth, we made sure to pick up some books and publications about the anniversary for him so that he would some day understand the significance that the date of his birth shared with world history.

Turns out I had a lot to learn about "understanding the significance" of that date as well .... and I don't kid myself that I will ever be able to fully comprehend it.

When Bob and I took our cruise last June, we were fortunate enough to spend a day in Normandy, France -- we visited both the landing beaches and the American cemetery. The photo at the top is a monument built on the sand of Omaha Beach. The writing at the top is in French with the English translation below:

The allied forces landing on this shore which they call Omaha Beach
liberate Europe -- June 6th, 1944

Our visit to the American cemetery was gut-wrenching. Grave after grave after grave with the same date of death -- June 6th, 1944 -- it taught me something about what the word "sacrifice" really means.

During our visit, I walked through much of the cemetery and whispered "thank you" to each gravesite I passed -- I felt completely overwhelmed by both the courage of those who died and the loss of humanity represented there.

sunshine superman

 It was 16 years ago today that my life was changed in ways I could not have possibly anticipated. I gave birth to a boy ......... and I was scared to death.

It wasn't that I didn't have parenting experience -- after all, I was a stepmom to one girl and had given birth to three others -- goodness knows I should be an expert on raising little girls. But because I'd never had a son -- heck, I'd never even had a brother -- this whole "boy" thing really threw me for a loop. What the heck do you do with them?

I needn't have worried, of course. After I adjusted to the difference in diaper changes, I found myself absolutely revelling in just how different he was from his sisters and just what a unique individual he is. Sixteen years later, I still feel the same way.

Happy Birthday, Morgan!

skinny legs and all

Thermo-Jac, originally uploaded by sugarpie honeybunch.

I used to think that the age of the uber-thin model began with Twiggy in the mid-sixties but when I came across this ad from the March 1961 issue of Seventeen, I realized I was waaay wrong.

Is it just me or are the waists on these ladies just impossibly small??

abc

It was almost exactly one year ago today that our youngest daughter, Molly, graduated from high school -- it's a little late but I wanted to make sure that her accomplishment was acknowledged here.

Molly is currently going to a local community college and planning to both major in business AND ultimately become a hair stylist -- sounds like a great path for someone who wants to own her own salon(s)!

Mark my words: if Molly really sets her mind to it, there is nothing she can't do.

sugar, sugar

Oh! de London 2, originally uploaded by sugarpie honeybunch.

Of course -- this blog being what it is -- I can't reminisce about a trip to London without tripping down a different memory lane with this ad from the November 1965 issue of Mademoiselle:

Oh! Pout! Oh! Fizzy Stuff! Oh! Silly Curls! Oh! Flutter of lashes!

Oh! de London!

What a sweet, simple time it was to be a young girl.

winchester cathedral

In my effort to continue to update due to my inexcusable absence over the past year or two, these pictures show my hubby during our British Isles cruise almost a year ago -- it's how we celebrated our 30th anniversary (which I do consider a significant accomplishment for both of us!).

In the top picture, Bob is chowing down lunch at a pub in Belfast, Ireland (including the requisite pint of Guinness, of course!) and in the bottom photo, he's enjoying a cigar while lounging on the grass of beautiful Hyde Park in London.

We had a wonderful time. I'm fortunate enough to have been to England a number of times and there is always something about it that feels very "homey" and comfortable to me. I can't wait to go back.