It's MOTHER'S DAY! And hey, mother's are generally pretty great. So why not enjoy a tribute to moms everywhere?
First up is this wonderful photo of Sue B. and her mother, Donna, from an October 1963 photo. Aw, it's li'l Sue! They're in the classic, original-flavor Fantasyland, with two CIA agents who appear to be casually walking by, but are in fact making sure that Sue and Donna are protected from... well, who knows what. Donna is holding a souvenir children's menu from the Red Wagon Inn (or by this time, the "Red Wagon Restaurant"), which is pretty cool.
"M is for the many things she gave me".... in the spirit of sharing, here is a photo from around Christmastime, 1963. That's my older brother in the high chair, being fed Beluga caviar by my mom. It's all he would eat, if you can believe it! Eventually he would at least agree to have some toast points. Meanwhile, that's me vying for my mom's attention. "Maybe if I pull this caviar onto the floor...?". Oh, I was a crafty one.
Next we have this wonderful and artistic-looking photo of Grant McCormick's mother... here's what Grant said: This is a photo of my mom, Pat, at her desk in the Crane Co. Bathroom of Tomorrow exhibit. Some here may recall that she was one of the original Disneyland Tour Guides before accepting the job of managing the new BOT exhibit. She remained in the position until the exhibit closed in 1960. At that time she left Disneyland to be a stay-at-home mom. One thing I find interesting is her lapel badge says "Crane" even though she was a Disneyland employee. Happy Mother's Day mom!
And finally, our pal Chuck sent two photos of his mom, along with some wonderful commentary: This was taken in late 1970 or very early 1971 on a Southern Pacific passenger train between Fairfield, CA, and Oakland on my very first trip to San Francisco. On that day, I rode a train, a ferry, a Greyhound Scenicruiser, a taxi, and a cable car. I remember the bus and the cable car, and dinner at a restaurant in Chinatown that didn’t have any milk. I was just a shade over two.
I’ll also share another one. This was taken at Otsego Park, west of Toledo along the Maumee River in Wood County, Ohio. My dad had just gotten back from Vietnam, and this was a place he and my mother used to go when they were dating. I remember several extended family picnics here when I was small when we would visit grandparents, and i was excited to stumble on it myself unexpectedly on a country drive when I went back there to finish college. Mrs. Chuck and I went there a few times when we were courting, too. It’s still a special place to me. I was last there in August, a few days after my mother passed away.
THANK YOU to Sue, Grant, and Chuck for sharing their personal photos, and Happy Mother's Day to moms everywhere!
Major-
ReplyDeleteIt's a Mommapalooza today-! Donna scores points for those fabulous dark glasses (w/pink frames-!) and smart purse. And extra points for wearing 'sensible shoes'.
'Beluga Caviar'. My mom threw a fit if I had the audacity to request 'mere oysters'. Boy - some guys have all the luck-!
Thank you to Sue, Grant, Chuck and The Major for making Mother's Day a little bit more personal and special.
Those are some serious cat-eye glasses Sue's mom is wearing... and PINK, too! And hey! There's a dog in the photo! A rather large, orangey tan-colored dog. What breed of dog is Pluto, anyway? I want to say he's a Canidae Cartoonicus; but who knows? Sue seems to be enjoying Pluto's affectionate pat on the head, unlike some kids, who would run away in terror at the mere sight of a dog that's twice the size as they are.
ReplyDeleteMajor, your brother seems to really like his caviar. I would gag and retch, even now. That's a nice picture of your mom. I notice she has a firm grip on that kettle of 'caviar'. You may have been crafty but she knew what you were up to.
My mom made one of those tabletop Christmas trees, too. Styrofoam balls with toothpicks poked into them, then sprayed with gold paint. Toss a few tiny glass ornaments onto it, and voila.
My, that really IS an artsy photo of Grant's mom. The soft sepia tone creates a definite mood. There's part of a typewriter to the right, but I can't tell what that is above it. The back of a bench? Or chair?
A couple of sweet photos of Chuck and his mom, and some tender commentary to go with them. It's kind of amazing that you remember, at age two, that the restaurant didn't have any milk.
Thank you to Lou & Sue, Major, Grant, and Chuck for today's special photos.
Thanks to everyone for sharing the personal pix! Carnation Restaurant menu: Sue? Where is it? CIA guys: hmmmmm....their feet and gait are exactly the same. Who are they, and why are they marching in sync?! Maybe they manage the NASA guys? I am curious to know more about the Bathroom of Tomorrow, and why Grant's mummy needed a typewriter? Hair and peals: perfect. Everyone else is super cute! Happy mothers day to all...everyone either IS one...or has one...no. matter. what. :)
ReplyDeleteNanook, "Mommapalooza".....hee, hee!
ReplyDeleteSue is thinking, Pluto is fine and all....but I'd rather be having my photo taken with the DENT!
Major, you can't fool us. That's not caviar! It's gruel! At least, it looks like gruel...or mush. "You kids pour that milk on your mush, and EAT IT! BAAAAH!" (That's a Little Rascals quote.)
Grant, I'm guessing that there was a large window to the right of your mom (her left), because we can see what looks like one of the Tomorrowland benches just on the other side of it.
Chuck, with the bench seating and those curved windows, I would have guessed that you and your mom were aboard a monorail. But now that I think of it, some train cars do have the curved windows, to give a better view of the passing scenery.
Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there. And thank you to everyone who shared their personal pics with us, today!
Moms and their kids… …kids and their Moms.
ReplyDeleteThese are fun, seeing friends when they were very young.
Thank you, Sue, Grant, Chuck.
Happy Mothers Day to all the GDB moms.
JG
Happy Mothers’ Day to everyone out there who either is or had a mother. Yes, I’m talking to you.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that there was a Beluga caviar-flavored oatmeal. It looks like you are trying to put that on your head, Major.
Reminds me of a story (oh, no…here he goes again…). My dad was in Vietnam from just before my first birthday to just before my second, and a lot of growth and development happens during that time in a youngling’s life. Right after he got home, we were eating breakfast as a family and I reached out for a glass of orange juice with both hands. My dad was worried I’d spill it, so he put two fingers on top of the glass to hold it down.
Now, that would have worked just fine when I was 11 months old, but I had gained some strength in the ensuing year. I yanked upwards on the glass with all of my strength and doused myself in orange juice.
I think that may have been the start of my drinking problem.
JB, it’s funny what you remember from early childhood. The “Milk Incident” stands out because I remember I was thirsty at the end of a very exciting day and being a bit upset that they didn’t have any milk. I also remember my parents being surprised that they would serve meals to families but not stock milk.
That was the only time that we ever ate in Chinatown in the nearly six years that we lived in the area. Sometime relatively soon after our visit, there was a Tong-related incident where a restaurant was shot up during business hours and some patrons were killed, and my parents decided it wasn’t worth the perceived risk to go back.
TM!, I had never noticed the similarity to a monorail, but I see it now. That photo was taken aboard a three-quarter dome car, which would have looked similar to (and might actually have been) this one on display in San Francisco around the time of my trip.
Thanks again for letting me share, Major, and thank you, Grant & Sue, for sharing as well! Moms rock!
Nanook, it’s funny, years ago I made a CD of songs for my mom and called it “Mommapalooza” (this was when the Lollapalooza tours were a thing). Oysters, yuck! I’ve never understood the appeal. Hey, if people like them, good on ‘em, but I could easily go my whole life without eating another.
ReplyDeleteJB, I need to watch more Westminster Dog Shows to learn about breeds, “Canidae Cartoonicus” I will take your word for it. I’ll bet Pluto’s big paw felt nice on Sue’s head. I’ve only had caviar a few times, but I did not dislike it. If I had a choice between oysters and caviar, I’d choose caviar! I’m guessing my mom bought that tabletop Christmas tree, but it’s hard to say, because she used to really be in to crafts. I think that bench-back faced out to Tomorrowland, that’s daylight flooding in to artfully light Grant’s mom. Chuck’s two photos were a late addition, but they are very sweet.
Bu, I have several of those Red Wagon Inn menus, but there is one version that I am missing. Someone has one on eBay right now, but it has writing on it, so… nope. We collectors are a picky bunch. I do have to wonder if those men in suits are Disney executives of some kind. Who else would go to the park dressed like that in 1963?
TokyoMagic!, you can’t hug a dent. Or can you? I’ve never tried. And haven’t you ever heard of caviar gruel? I guess you don’t get out much. You might be right about a window being near Grant’s mom, but I think it’s just open to the outside. Who shall be correct?? We may never know! Chuck’s mom looks so young, like a schoolgirl. But then again, I look at photos of my mom when they first got married and she looks a bobby soxer.
JG, sadly you only get to see the back of my head, and not my chiseled good looks. Maybe next year?!
Chuck, Gerber experimented with all kinds of flavors of baby food. The “liver and onions” version did not inspire. I’m impressed that your dad was as observant and quick as he was, but he didn’t count on the bionic strength of his son. When will they ever learn? Dousing yourself with orange juice is the best way to deal with scurvy. I don’t remember much from my terrible twos, though my mom and I were just looking at some old snapshots, and there was one where I was standing and crying. And I actually remember that I was in my grandma’s rose bed and could not figure out how to get out, surrounded by those thorny bushes. It was weird to recall something so vividly after so many decades. Wow, they still had Tong wars when in our lifetimes? I thought that stopped in the 1920’s or ’30’s. Thank you for sharing your wonderful photos!
Happy Mother's Day!
ReplyDeleteThanks to all of our Mothers. Also thanks to Sue, Grant, Chuck & of course Major for today's post.
-DW
Thanks from me also for all the Mom contributions today. Pictures of Chuck and Sue as REAL Junior Gorilla's. Maybe you were even referred as such in the family from time to time!
ReplyDeleteGrant....your Mom was a tour guide in what years?
Thanks for including such a poignant note, Chuck. She looks SO young and it wasn't that long ago either so it was a shock to learn she had passed.
Thanks to you all. KS
Nanook, Mommapalooza. I love it!!
ReplyDeleteMajor, Great photo! Your mom looks like a young Eileen Brennan.
Sue, Love the photo of you and your mom.
Chuck, Another cute mom. She totally has a late 60s/early 70s look.
JB, It's the back of a bench outside the window.
Bu, Mom always wore pearls. Just like the TV moms of the 50s/60s. I don't know why she would need a typewriter in a Disneyland exhibit. Maybe to type up orders for people ordering their future bathrooms? LOL
TM and Major, It's a window to her right that looked out to Tomorrowland and the Flight Circle.
KS, Mom was a Tour Guide from 1958 to 1959 when she was offered the management position for the Bathroom of the Future exhibit.
Just wanted to chime in that today's pics were especially touching. All the years our moms took care of us...thanks mom.
ReplyDeleteDW, as I have said before, I have friends who do not have nice mothers, so it makes me feel extra lucky to have MY mom!
ReplyDeleteKS, hey, you can see me as a Junior Gorilla too! I agree, Chuck’s mom looks like a kid to me, but I know that so many women got married right out of college (or earlier) back then.
Grant, thanks for the nice words about my mom’s photo, and thanks for the great photo of your mom! My grandma liked to wear pearls, both a short necklace, and pearl earrings. I think my sister has grandma’s jewelry, but of course she would never wear them. As for the typewriter, now I really am curious as to why it was there!
Sunday Night, yep, it sounds like a lot of us were pretty fortunate in the mom department.
Lou and Sue, I’m glad you liked my photo. I love your photo! I was thinking that Chuck’s mom remind me of some of my babysitters when I was a kid. The neighbor girls who were amazingly patient with me and my siblings. THANKS Sue!
Thanks for all of the kind comments about my mother’s photo. While she and my dad did get married right out of college, she was 29 when this photo was taken. Until the stress of taking care of both of my grandmothers started taking its toll when she was in her early sixties, she always looked much younger than her age. When she was in her mid-forties and would meet new people and the conversation would roll around to kids, they were often shocked to learn she had teenagers. Good genes.
ReplyDelete