Another Plug

For the Fourth I went to my landlady's mom's house. We travelled together--me, my landlady and my landlord (Mr. and Mrs. Landpeople)--to Cincinnati's West Side. Now, understand that throughout my childhood, the Fourth of July meant one thing and one thing only--a backyard picnic at the Roeger's house. The Roegers and my mom and dad and a few other folks were part of a post-high school circle of friends called the Discussion Club; though over the years as the members had children and then grandchildren they wouldn't get together for their regular meetings anymore, they still convened once a year at the Roeger's, that family being the one with the biggest yard. (And with all the children of Discussion Club members, and then the children getting married, and then grandchildren, a big yard was essential). We'd pile in the van and drive out to this ranch house and play badminton and eat barbecue and go get sodas out of the coolers in the garage, and then it'd get dark and we'd chase fireflies. I especially remember the kid's room filled with Sesame Street toys, and playing Robin Hood with one of the few girls about my age who came--we made bows and arrows with twigs and rubber bands. Sometimes a teepee would be set up, and then we played Indians. For some reason (influenced I guess by the packaging on another kind of TP) I thought "White Cloud" would make a good Indian name for me.
Anyway. Mr. and Mrs. Landpeople and I went out to the West Side--the Best Side--and I got to meet Mrs. Landpeople's kith and kin. But where did we go but a ranch house with a kids room filled with toys (including the same Fisher Price airplane I used to have), and with a big backyard complete with shuttlecocks strewn all over? Coolers by the garage, the works.
Mrs. Landlady could hardly have known that by inviting me, she would teleport me back to a childhood memory. But nostalgia trip aside, it meant a lot to me to be invited to a family Fourth of July gathering.
So now that you know what a great person my landlady is, here's her website in case you're ever looking for someone to do some photography for ya.