Two days ago I was cleaning out some old boxes of flotsam and jetsam and came across a disposable camera I'd snapped pics with in 2002. Had them developed, and it turns out they were my darling niece on one of our girlie days way back then, before she was in school. She's 4 or 5 here. I wasn't working, so the world was our oyster on our days together. Here, she is on the roof of the loft I lived in at the time near downtown. Notice what a non-event the symbols of power, commerce and modernity appear when compared with a pretty girl.
First, we'd go to Cafe Brazil in Deep Ellum for breakfast, where we'd make our list. We'd always sit in Angel's section, and she really doted on the girl, which we all loved. There were always police officers dining there, and niece always seemed to be noticed by them. We'd have a grand time. She would write out the list in her baby script, including Cafe Brazil as the first entry. Our lists included things like going to the discount bread store at Mrs. Baird's on Mockingbird and then going over to White Rock Lake to feed the ducks with cheap older bread. Sometimes we went to Froggie's Five and Dime, and we went to the museum and lots of other places. We also went to eat many different kinds of food, and through Thai, Japanese, Greek, Vietnamese and a bunch of restaurants, Thai is really her favorite. (You should see her demolish an order of sticky rice with mango!) She was proficient with chopsticks by about age 3, and with her big blue eyes and perfect swing bob, she looked like a little anime heroine.
She still causes a fuss everywhere she goes, and she's so genteel, gracious, lovely and modest. I wouldn't intentionally have failed to develop these 6 years ago, but they turned out to be such a marvelous surprise. Go to my Dallas Photo Blog (which I have neglected shamefully) to see a photo of her at Mrs. Baird's bread factory on Mockingbird. We took the grand tour that day, plastic hairnets and all. It was great.
Good times.
8 comments:
Cool beans Phglemmy1 I have about four disposables that I often wonder about. Perhaps I should find out........
She's a darin'! You should be proud;)
She is absolutely adorable! It's exciting to find hidden treasure like that, it really is a blast from the past.
Has your niece seen them yet?
I bet she'd get a kick out of them!
xavier - I'll bet you're in for a treat!
lainy - I AM proud. She's my little darling.
christina - Thanks! Yeah, it's such a great surprise. No, she hasn't seen them, but I'm sure she will this afternoon.
What a great treat to run into undeveloped photos! You obviously have very fond memories of your auntie days together. She's adorable.
Great find, evoking some pleasant memories for you both.
I have never mastered chopsticks and she did at 3 - makes me feel like a proper loser.
Isn't it great fun discovering things all over again with young children. I'm sure the two of you are great buddies.
What a doll! What an auntie! Of course, 6 years later, she will probably be embarrassed if she finds out that you posted those 'baby' photos - click her tongue against her upper teeth and roll her eyes upwards in painfully deep martyr mode.
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