In this old photo, circa 1979/1980, you an see me (possibly picking my nose... lovely!), my sister, and my cousin.
I think we are at Great America in Santa Clara, California.
Days of innocence, which is not a rare thing for young children with reasonably good families.
Sure we had our troubles... our spoiled tirades... our anxieties. But life was good. We were cared for.
We were taken on rides, given treats, and love.
The best part of this picture is my grandfather, Grandpa Malloway, standing in the distance, keeping watchful eye on us with a smile.
He passed away in 1990 in his late 60's I believe.
WWII veteran, and "gruff grandpa" with a smile and a wink.
He taught me to shoot skeet, hit targets, and load powder and shot into used shotgun shells to make our own ammunition.
He'd jokingly hold his fist up at me and say, in his gruff way, "Eggertsen, one of these days... right in the chops." as he'd slowly shake his fist.
He was an entrepreneur for life, owing and operating a grocery store back in the day, and then a liquor store which he eventually passed on/sold to my uncle(s).
Each day he'd come home from the store, he'd have rolls of life savers in hand to give us.
And he'd store extra inventory of sodas in his garage, stacked up so high! We'd climb around and play on them for hours in the mysterious, dankly lit garage.
A great grandpa. He loved us. We loved him. Still do. He was gone too soon. Fond memories.