1.28.2008

Up My Alley

Pin Me
January 2008

My iTunes: Taylor by Jack Johnson

I love this shot above.

My nephew had his 9th birthday on Friday and we ended up going out to bowl a couple of games to celebrate! Typical for me, I couldn't put my camera down. I came home with several images that I am looking forward to sharing on my blog.

I have loved bowling as long as I can remember. As a young girl, I would get on a plane and travel to visit my grandparents in Lawton, Oklahoma during school breaks. My grandmother bowled ALL THE TIME. She was a fiery, no-holds-bar woman named Hazel. While she would bowl, I would watch her in awe as I chowed on bowling alley food. Nice, huh? Actually, the more I think about it, my mom was an avid bowler as well.

A little family history for you...my grandmother (below) was in the Oklahoma Bowling Hall of Fame. Seriously, I didn't even know they had that! Don't get me wrong though...the awesome bowler gene CLEARLY did NOT pass to me. But I think it's pretty cool nonetheless.

Art & Hazel on their wedding day (2-24-1942) in Arizona
(I love how they are looking at each other!)

14 comments:

Alice said...

Another little tidbit...your Aunt Linda was also a very good bowler. It was a family thing! I really love the picture of my dad and mom. Love you...

Mark said...

That's a great shot -- your enhancements really make the pins glow. And, of course, I'm a sucker for a good reflection.

Bowling is a blast! Reminds me. We need to take our son bowling. I think he would love it, and it's a great thing to do when it's cold outside.

Anna said...

Thanks mom for letting me know about Linda...she better be reading all this! :)

photowannabe said...

Great family history and I love the pins shot. Too cool.

John Roberts said...

If you're like me, and your memories of your grandparents are as "old people", it's great to have photos of them when they were young and romantic. I have a photo of my grandparents kissing that was taken around 1920 or so. I'll have to find it and post it on my blog.

Anonymous said...

Lovely entry. If you ever come visit, we can go bowling! Haven't done that in years and years.

gaz said...

great post. love the pins!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful sentimental post. Both photos are great.

I was never a great bowler. My husband and his family were pretty into it.

We have the Sony Wii which has "bowling". All the men, young and not so young, in my family love to play that. It is pretty fun, but I'm not even good at virtual bowling!

On a side note, I was in Lawton a couple of years ago. My son did basic at Ft. Sill.

kenju said...

See, I learn something new everyday. I didn't know your mom liked to bowl.

Love the pic of your grandparents. I think they were about to kiss, weren't they?

carmilevy said...

I love the pin shot, Anna...the geometry keeps my eyes sealed to the screen.

You'll love this little bit of coincidence: Our two youngest kids attended a youth program/activity at a nearby bowling alley last week. I dropped by a bit early to watch them play and chat with the counsellors. As it's a "glow bowling" facility, they had the UV lights turned on and the atmosphere was dim and mysterious.

I noticed the lane next to the one the kids were playing on was lit, but no one was there. So I put the camera down on the small tripod and started to compose the shot. I wanted a head-on, down-the-lane shot. But, of course, I'm a perfectionist. So while I was busy lying on the floor and playing with the camera, I failed to notice the group of ladies arrive and get ready to bowl.

I apologized profusely when I realized I was in their way, and went back to kidlet-watching without having gotten the shot. The ladies seemed very amused nonetheless.

I've added alley photos to my wish list.

Beverly said...

Bowling has always been so much fun!

I love the photo of your grandparents.

CG said...

I wish I knew how you make your pics look the way they do! I love it... and the family portrait!

Linda said...

Your grandmother was also inducted into the WIBC Bowling Hall of Fame in St. Louis, MO!! Your grandfather was a great bowler in his day, too. I talked to him today and he said he really enjoyed seeing that picture again. Thank you for posting it and bringing us such lovely memories...yes, you made me cry! Love you...Auntie Linda

Linda said...

I just read Carmi's comments and it reminded my of my high school senior yearbook. We had a "Bowling Club" (as opposed to a Chess Club) - anyway, they wanted a picture of me bowling to put in the yearbook. So the (idiot) photographer laid down on the lanes and took a picture of me "supposedly" bowling. I was instructed to NOT release the ball, which was difficult. If you have ever tried to stop at the end of the lane holding a 16 pound ball mid-air, you'll understand. After the fourth shot, I let him have it (actually aimed for the gutter). He decided that last shot was JUST WHAT HE NEEDED. As a photographer, I want you to remember this story and don't make a bowler do that!! Love you....Linda