Happy Birthday, Linda / Throwback Thursday

     Today is my wife's birthday. Doesn't she look nice in this tintype from her high school yearbook?

     This can also serve as a Throwback Thursday photo, circa 1965.

Birthday Girl

     My mother turned 92 today and I'm happy to say she's doing very well.

Throwback Thursday

     Kristine's high school graduation, 2009. With her is her sister Stephanie. My great girls.

Kit of the Day

   
     It's been a long time since I featured an unusual model kit here but when I saw this one I had to act. As you can see, the subject is legendary model Bettie Page and the pose is based on one of the sessions she had with Bunny Yeager (IIRC). The kit is 1/6 scale, which means a six-foot person would be a foot tall model. The material here is not styrene plastic but resin, and there are only about ten pieces. Kits like this are for the skilled painter or someone dedicated to the subject. You can bid on it on eBay today, Feb. 15, for an opening offer of $99.99. There is a better Bettie Page kit from the same maker also on eBay, but it was a lot more revealing and this is a family blog.

Throwback Thursday

     From 1998, my daughter Kristine and her tap dance group about to perform at their recital. The theme was "Money" and those are giant dimes they're holding. Kristine is on the front right (thank goodness). My wife and I were also in that recital, and because the teacher had never had a family show up for classes she gave us a spotlight number.

     I posted another blog entry today. See below.

Happy Birthday, Great Emancipator

     Yes, on this day in 1809 Abe Lincoln was born in Kentucky, not Illinois as many believe. Happy birthday, Honest Abe.

Slow Hand Salute

Lt. Col Edward J. Saylor Jr. 3/15/20 - 1/28/15 

We suffer the loss of our Father, Grandfather, and Great-Grandfather. Born in Jordan, MT and raised on a cattle ranch. Enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1939. On 4/18/1942 he took part in the Doolittle Raid against Japan. After the war he was awarded a commission as an officer and served for 28 years. He was an avid fisherman, and he loved to travel with his wife Lorraine. He enjoyed working with stained glass and had a great sense of humor. We will miss him dearly. He was preceded in death by his wife of 69 years, Lorraine, son Eddie, son-in-law Don, and grandson David. He is survived by daughter Charlotte, son Rod and wife Billie, daughter-in-law Sue, Darlene and husband Jerry, numerous grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Wounded Warriors Foundation.

Col Saylor was one of the four remaining Doolittle Raiders. I had the privilege of seeing him and two of the other Raiders speak at McChord AFB when I worked there; it must have been about six years ago. They talked, answered questions, and signed small,  prepared  posters for everyone. I was honored to be in their presence. If you don't know about the Doolittle Raid, you should Google it, or check out the movie 30 Seconds Over Tokyo. 

Throwback Thursday

This was taken in 1997 at Monterey, California, where I was the Bouchercon Fan GoH. From left to right we have Loren Estleman, his wife Carol, me, Leslie Slaastad, and Bill Crider. I still have that t-shirt.