Vanity

I have been on quite a photo spree recently...apologies.  I am still thrilled to be able to post photos given all the hassles I had with them over at 20six.  But someone said something recently that made me feel a little bit vain.  They said they mainly have photos of their kids - not of themselves.  And it just made me think that I have a lot of photos of  me and tonnes with me and the kids.

I don't remember many photos growing up.  It was more of a faff than it was worth to have photos - it was a different story if there was a film to finish off before heading to Boots..but long before digital cameras came about...it was still seen as something of a luxury - certainly in our house.

And even for those taken they were rarely displayed at all.  Instead they were put in a case in that oh so English of a place - on top of a wardrobe....really easy to have a glance thorough (not).  Hubby's parents keep their stash (photos) in a poof. It is a joke between us that any we send over will go straight in the poof.  Do Americans even know what that is?

MIL did buy some snazzy photo albums one time she was over here (together with a trash can and a wrought iron frying pan) - yeah she buys weird stuff here that they do sell there mainly as it is a 'Good Deal.'  When she is over I never get out of Costco without spending $500 but that is another tale.  Anyhow - she bought these albums and took them back to UK determined to sort out 30+ years of photos.  She got lots of see through envelopes to help her.  To say her approach was unusual is putting it mildly.  Or maybe it is me....... There was the envelope for weddings.  All weddings spanning 30 odd years and they have a big Irish family.  Were dates involved?  Not at all!  Were names of the bride /groom even remembered?  Don't be silly now!  So there was the envelope ogf weddings, another for cars, another for hubby, another for BIL (and I am sure some of those were mixed up)etc etc.  She was very proud of her system until we asked about dates.  Blank stare.  Envelopes were put back in the 'poof' and empty photo albums, with the fancy spines were put on the book shelf.  Well at least the look smart.  She also has a habit (whilst I have my claws out I shall go for it) of buying frames... the ones that come with a black and white insert of photo family....but she displays them with the anonymous photo family rather than anyone she knows,  For years. 

But anyhow...when hubby and I first got together and when we first bought joint furniture (a feat that nearly broke us up on the floor of the furniture store itself) I bought lots of frames and filled them of photos of us and then of the cat with us (the cat found us - it was a stray - it was v v cute and now, 14 yrs later lives at hubby's parents' house - and I am now highly allergic to cats)....but I had photos of us everywhere.  It was so OTT.  Talk about making up for lost time.  Then with the kids I tried to get professional photos taken for every month of their 1st year... managed it with all of them.  This last pregnancy, knowing it would be the last I also had a pregnancy DVD and stills taken - showing the growing bump and then the baby......

I read somewhere too about children whose parents have died when they are still young...and how they relish the photos left.  Maybe this too spurs me on to snap away... I don't know.  I think I have found a good medium... though that is perhaps not reflected here.  There are equal number of photos of the kids displayed and of each other in the various bedrooms.  I hope it gives them confidence in some way too. And I have non on top of wardrobes (we have non anyway) and no poof in site..