The Weekend Roundup 'S'

It's Friday and so it is time again for Tom's fun meme The Weekend Roundup. I like this week's letter and since I was not here last week, my week's favorite pic was from the event I attended last weekend. Onward we go...

My first 'S' is Steeple. Here is the classic New England steeple on the First Congregational Church in Derby CT. If you look closely, you will see the cell phone relays located on the steeple.

Another 'S' is a fun blast from the past - Skating on ice at a rink in St. Paul Minnesota, my dad and his sister and my big sister Michele with her NHL aspirations. The date stamp on the pics is Jan. 1959, and this day, Snowless in St. Paul...

Finally, how about young Ralph in 1964 in front of Captain Starn's Yacht Bar in Atlantic City. This was long before the glitzy casinos of today. In fact, this place looks like it was as seaworthy as the S.S. Minnow...

My Favorite. Last week we celebrated the always lovely Patti's one year anniversary of her kidney transplant in May 2017. We had a pizza party for family and friends at Rosa Mina, our favorite restaurant in Ansonia. Of course, there was cake - and Kidneyversary was the perfect description for a day to celebrate!

The Weekend Roundup 'J'

The weekend is here so it is time for Tom's fun meme, The Weekend Roundup. The subject letter this week took some research -  and now I am ready!

Given my heritage, there is New Jersey. more specifically, Atlantic City. This is me in 1964, and this bar reminds me of the famous SS Minnow (and I am old enough to remember that reference :) This was long before the glitzy casinos and hotels of today.

Another New Jersey 'J' is in 1969, also on the famous Boardwalk were you could rent a bicycle in the mornings. It was always a Joy to ride a bike in the briny Atlantic air!

Jewelry is on display at a local consignment shop, The Country Cottage in Seymour CT.

The final 'J' is Jaguar (car). I saw this at a local car show, the sign said 1948. I believe this is referred to as a 'drophead', what Americans call a convertible. Not only do we say it differently, I believe we drive on the wrong side of the road too :) That is me looking at this beauty...

This week's Favorite is a cardinal showing up the morning after a snowfall. Patti captured this fellow and his red plumage stands out so nicely against the Winter backdrop.

The Weekend Roundup...A

This is the first installment in a new weekly photo meme, The Weekend Roundup, hosted by Tom. Onward... 

My birthplace was Atlantic City, NJ. That qualifies as an 'A'. Grandpa poses by the famous Boardwalk in front of the old Traymore Hotel in 1956.

More Atlantic City, the family rides bicycles on the Boardwalk. July, 1969

Animals start with 'A'. And as a cat, Linus McDonald qualifies. Naturally, he is asleep :)

We live in Ansonia, Connecticut; our domicile is a nice example of the first letter

Finally, our daughter is named Allegra. She's in the photo - somewhere. Happy New Year!

Friday Hunt 2017.2.22

It is the first Friday of December - shorter and colder days perhaps, but like every Friday, time for the great meme, Friday Hunt, kindly hosted by Teresa. Onward to the prompts...

Starts with 'V'. That one is easy! My last name is Villers, the family and I owned Volkswagens and the Villers family went on Vacations in the distant past, so the vacations in today's post are today are Vintage.

A Vintage Villers Vacation in 1961 in the briny Atlantic low tide in Brigantine, New Jersey. Only five children watched over by Aunt Terry.

In Atlantic City, 1965. A great Vacation, and notice how mom picked matching plaid for the girls - and coordinating plaid for my shorts!

Here is an early slideshow of the 1965 vacation in Atlantic City

My brother at age 4 by the family 1964 VW Beetle. Our family also owned a 1968 VW Type 2 Microbus. Cool kid in '69, he's the sibling who lives in Utah.

This was my favorite vehicle, a 1982 VW Rabbit L, manual transmission and A/C, basic. But it was reliable and fun. I only sold it because we both owned 2-door VW's with a baby on the way and the older one had to leave the nest...

 

Festive. This was from a surprise 60th birthday party at our home in 1991. I think the Garfield balloon and streamers gifts give a festive air the day after.

Wood. Our kitchen was renovated awhile back. The cabinets and trim were made of wood. I think :)

Friday Hunt 2017.2.1

It is Friday and time for the second installment for the year of the fun meme Friday Hunt, hosted by Teresa. And away we go...

Begins with 'A'. I think back to family vacations along the New Jersey shore at Atlantic City. I looked through my photo archives through four decades, so am using these for this week's favorite letter.

1965, the Villers kids & Dad riding on the boardwalk

1956. Grandpa in front of the long gone Traymore Hotel

1969, Grandpa & Aunt Terry, again in front of the Traymore

1978, Grandma Agnes (another 'A') in front of the first casino in AC

Sunset. From November 1981, the setting sun along the Mass. Turnpike near Worcester from the passenger seat of a Subaru. The old print held up well...

Inside. the time was the summer of 2003, inside our living room and our (hi-tech) computer of the day. Not blazing fast but safely inside and away from the elements. Thanks Teresa!

Friday Hunt, 2017.1.6

The weekend begins and we are ready for Teresa's fun photo meme Friday Hunt is here. Without further ado, we begin:

Starts with 'F'. The first is a look at my second wheelchair van, a 1998 Ford E150. I drove it from 1998 to 2010, sold at about 160,000 miles (255,000 km); here is at our motel on Cape Cod

Another 'F' is a few inches (or a few cm) of snow at the beginning of Thursday's blizzard. We actually ended up with over a foot of snow by the evening.

The final 'F' sands for Family, this being all seven Villers kids on the famed Boardwalk in Atlantic City, I believe August 1969. I suppose at 14, I look positively thrilled at posing for a photo...

Week's Favorite. Patti captured this elusive blue jay as he/she huddles under the forsythia during Thursday's snowstorm

Heart. This heart contains 'Hello' an lots of languages at Irving School in neighboring Derby. This was the lesson students learned this week during Derby public schools and nationwide’ “Start with Hello” initiative; its goal is awareness of social isolation and the need to eliminate it. Thanks Teresa!