Throwback Thursday

No rhyme or reason to my throwbacks today.  Just found them on the computer and could not resist for a variety of reasons.

I would say the photo above needs no explanation.  If it makes you laugh, then figure that's the reason it showed up. 

Laughing is one of the very best forms of therapy on earth.  Heck, in my mind, a good laughing session is on par with a day with blue skies, bright sunshine and perfect temperatures. 

I can't help but think that sleeping endorphins must come alive with the first sign of exuberant hilarity, wonder what's going on and join in on the action, hanging around for a long time, causing us to feel that much better. 

Well, let me tell ya, the ladies above know how to laugh.  The photo was taken during my era of belonging to "Church Women," sorta like the Border Collie Nation plus One cuz most of the church women were Catholic (much better Catholics than I), but some were not.  

The Church Women organizers welcomed both the Protestants and Marianne, the Catholic with an Inferiority Complex, into the fold.  Yes, we talked about God during these sessions, but good times also prevailed. 

The ladies were so enamored that particular evening with anecdotes from my third book Lessons with Love that they decided to try one of the strategies/therapies mentioned in the book for days when school situations get mundane, boring, blah, blah, blah, etc. 

Nothing like a styrofoam cup and a dispenser of scotch tape for lifting the spirits AND the nose!  

That particular night focused on the book club rather than churchy things.  Still, I kinda think God probably got a kick out of the ladies.  I know I did and always do!

Going to the other extreme, it was obvious nobody was taping up noses at the Love house when my niece Laura found a quilt and curled up for a nap on one of her visits a few years ago. 

And, I just plain love the photo of the Young Loves, taken one day when we took the Border Collie Nation (before the Plus One) up to beautiful Roman Nose Lake in the Selkirks.  Willie and Debbie may have still been living in Boise at the time and up for a visit.

It was a few years later, after they moved to Sandpoint that Brooke of the Border Collie Nation, also known as Digger Brooke by some, dug up my baby lettuce which was getting a good start in the garden around the dog kennel.

Well, those Border Collies are smart, sensitive dogs.  Brooke sensed how upset her granny was about the damaged lettuce, so she brought me a replacement packet.  Good Brooke!

While looking for TBT's, I also ran across a forgotten photo but not a forgotten day.  That's the day Alice Woolsey Coldsnow and I were asked to walk with Leadership Sandpoint people around town and tell them how it used to be in the good ol' days.  

We were chosen because we'd lived here forever.  When it came to telling stories, I can vividly remember drawing a blank or two, but Alice would come to the rescue. 

I noticed in the photo several faces, who were new to me at the time, but have since become friends.  In fact, I'm thinking that one lady on the extreme right may have just finished up doggie obedience school with her bird pup named Radar.  If not, she's got a twin in town. 

Since Alice knows how to bring a smile to the face, I'm thinking we probably did a lot of laughing along with our questionable historical tidbits that day.  

We're still feeling the sting of our God Tree lying on the ground, so when I ran across yet another very special day when some special folks came to join the Lodgepole Society when the tree was still standing and some of us were a few years younger, I could not resist.  

Plus, Angela, on the left, and Jeff, on the right, have found a permanent spot in my heart for so many reasons I can't think of them all.  

And, Angela and Jeff, if you're reading today, the angel medallion and the photo of Miss Lili which you left during your induction are doing just fine and will continue to be a part of our wonderful Lodgepole Society story. 

When I scrolled to the old Monticola photo of the Sandpoint High School Cedar Post staff of 1963-'64, I realized that several people in the photo are now Facebook friends.  

Sadly, some, including our instructor Bob Hamilton, have passed away, but just seeing Mr. Hamilton and many of the other faces takes me back to a very formative time in my life when I discovered a passion for journalism that will last until my dying day. 

Speaking of journalism, Erica Curless (drawing photo) owns a special place among my extensive list of honored/admired journalistic giants, young and old. 

One year, this former student and longtime friend joined forces with me to put on a writing seminar focusing on memoirs.  

Though we did NOT tape up noses or wear styrofoam cups clinging to our eye sockets, we did enjoy a highly competitive head game, which always works as an icebreaker.  

Artists receive instructions on precisely what to sketch while holding their tablet on top of their head.  Amazing stuff comes from this exercise as well as some good laughs.

Finally, I realized yesterday that the little lady in the arms of my friend Linda Aavedal turned 6 yesterday.  So, it seemed appropriate to include her in today's mix. 

By the way, she may grow up to be a great journalist or cowgirl just like her mother, Erica Curless.  Happy late birthday, Quinn!

Fun memories, as usual, in all the photos today.  

And, if you ever are experiencing a down day and need a lift, be sure to have that styrofoam cup/scotch tape kit on hand.  

Yes, it's okay to engage in this form of insanity in groups or even home alone in front of the bathroom mirror. 

Guaranteed to bring a smile to your face!

Happy Thursday.  Smile!