All Slang is Metaphor

Susan, Kurt and Anna Grow Up

2010-08-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

Anna says, "I bet the next second I picked up that marble ashtray and threw it across the room and then grabbed those flowers and ate them."

1961, St. Louis, Missouri

Notice that Leonard got down low to take this photograph. He had natural talent, like his father.

1961, Berkeley, Missouri

I climbed on that dog's back while he sat in the kitchen waiting for my mother to feed him. When he stood up and put his head down to the bowl, I slid face-first onto the floor and busted out a front tooth.

Anna and I weren't always dressed alike, but once in a while. We kind of liked it.

1965, Philippines

My mother made the Madonna and child hanging on the wall to the right of my head. She got the pattern from a woman's magazine, like Family Circle, or one of those. Anna still has it.

1968, Norfolk, Virginia

Kurt says, "The model on the desk is of the Apollo Lunar Lander. All things astronaut were the thing in the 60s and 70s. It was really advanced for a kid, and I think I had help from Dad or Mom, but I really painted it well, and did ...a real good job with it. It came apart and docked - connected - like it did in flight, and the lunar lander's landing gear operated (I was really proud that I got that to work!). The plans/instructions for the kit are at the front right of the desk.

1970, Arlington, Virginia

"There's a Voodoo Fighter desk model on the desk; I got that from Grandpa Dee Dee; it was from McDonnell-Douglas.

"There's that cash register savings bank. An old-styled globe; I liked those when I was a kid. A pile of magazines; I always saved magazines (still do). Just above the Lunar Landing Module is a fire alarm box that I got somewhere. (You're looking at the bottom of it in the pic.) I wanted to make it into a light switch for my room somehow; never did. On the base of the lamp are little figurines of characters from a Pop-Tarts offer. I ate pounds and pounds of crusts from Susan's Pop-Tarts to get those! Just to the left of my left shoulder is an old cigar box that has trinkets...and I still have it, and likely lots of the trinkets. Of course, we all remember that 3-legged chair. Who has it now? [Susan says, "I do."]

"I remember the drawer to the desk, it had a pencil tray in the front. Mom made the dress Susan is wearing. Those are Boonedockers shoes that I'm wearing. There was a push button on the base of the lamp to turn it on/off that you had to hold for a few seconds before it would fire, and I remember a bunch of other silly things.

"On top of the pile of mags to the right of the pic are three stacked clear cases. They are car models from a series that included those stacked cases, for display. Which reminds me...

"One time Grandpa DeeDee took me to a car show at the old St. Louis Arena. I was struck by one concept/experimental car there, a Deora. I bought the plastic model kit of it and took it home to Dee Dee's and built it. I put it under a desk lamp to dry the body paint on the model during dinner. It melted! The main body piece was badly deformed, but maybe reparable. I cried, but I thought we could do something with it. Grandpa Dee Dee decided to teach me a lesson, so he put the melted mess on the kitchen table and said something like "It's done! Get over it!" And then he smashed what was left with his fist. I bawled!! (Grandma Dee Dee did not like this!) And then he took me back to the car show the next day (and I think paid another pair of admissions) and bought me another model. So basically, he taught me to not cry over spilled milk."

Padi in the Saddle

2010-03-01T16:16:00.000-08:00

One of the things Padi was proudest of was her horsemanship. She took dressage lessons at the D'Rossa School in Makati, and used to tell the story of getting to ride one of President Marcos's horses.

Padi, far right, at a school presentation in 1966.

Invitation to the school presentation.

She found it thrilling to control a horse with the tiniest movements; she said the rider's directions should be undetectable to an onlooker.

Padi at left, in 1965.

Padi at School

2010-02-26T20:58:00.000-08:00

Padi at 8th grade graduation, 5th from left in the front row.

Circa 1948.

Padi in the Ritenour High School Band, left end of 3rd row, with saxophone.

Circa 1950.

Gramma Dee Dee

2010-02-22T20:13:00.000-08:00

When we knew her, Dee Dee was the best gramma ever. She'd play Chutes and Ladders for hours at a stretch. The sheets in the spare bedroom were ironed white cotton and the bed was piled with quilts. She embroidered Sunbonnet Sue and days-of-the-week dishtowels. She made killer Barbie clothes. Who knew she used to be young and cute and a little bit naughty?

Frances Margery Smith, graduation circa 1934. Just a year later she had my mom. She had eloped while she was still in high school!

Frances, second from right, dressed as a man, circa 1930. Whoa.

Frances, second from right, leaning languidly on some guy who was not my grandfather, circa 1931.

Men Holding Babies

2010-02-22T15:29:00.000-08:00

And not doing it too badly, either.

This is our grandfather, Thomas Lyle Drennen (known to us as Grampa Dee Dee), with his daughter Padi in 1935.

Choo Choo Papa and his grandson Leonard, in July 1933.

Paw Paw and his son Leonard, in 1933, on the river somewhere.

Kalogs on the Loose

2010-02-17T08:37:00.000-08:00

"Kalog" is Tagalog slang for "crazy in a fun way." This was a ladies' club for the social elite of Cavite City, where the Sangley Point Naval Base was located. Padi and Leonard made a point of "living on the economy" and socializing with the natives. Either because they appreciated my parents' openness, or because she was crazy in a fun way, they made Padi an honorary member.

"Auntie, say 'Whiskey' or 'Sexy'!" They are crazy.

The chair of the Kalogs made an album of their last outing for Padi.

"Now look girls, here's what we do!"

"Aboard the 'jet' enroute."

"Really???"

"Chums ..."

"At the close of a glorious day!"

2010-02-16T20:32:00.001-08:00

This is the best shot ever of Anna, Kurt and Susan. It was taken at Kurt's wedding to Karen Stix ca. 1983.

So Cute, You Could Eat Her Like a Cupcake

2010-02-16T19:16:00.001-08:00

Padi Drennen at age two (1937)

Four Generations

2010-02-15T10:53:00.000-08:00

Frances Smith Drennen, our grandmother, holding me; Gramma Smith, Frances' mother, holding fat baby Kurt; and Padi

Me and Paw Paw

2009-01-04T13:11:00.001-08:00

Susan & Paw Paw, August 1959

Charles & Rose

2009-01-04T08:39:00.000-08:00

Carl Traugott Mirtsching begat Richard Max Mirtsching, who married Rose Fuchs and begat Charles Henry Mirtsching and Rose Mirtsching.

Charles & Rose, c. 1908

Richard, Charles, Carl, Rose, and Rose, c. 1908

Carl, Rose & Richard; children Charles & Rose, c. 1908

Then Charles married Anna Germaty and begat Leonard, and Rose married Gustav Weidemann and begat Rosemary and Richard.

Charles, Anna, Rosemary, Rose & Gus; boys Leonard & Richard, 1938

Richard and Rose Get Spooney

2008-12-06T16:08:00.000-08:00

She looks as if she likes him, doesn't she? He looks as if he ought to be twirling his mustache.

circa 1903

The family tradition is that Rose (who was known as Nana by the time I met her) was a hard-livin' pistol. Richard died at age 48, and she had three more husbands after him, and lived to be 78. In her old age she had become autocratic and intimidating. Well; maybe she was entitled.

The second and third photos were probably taken on the banks of the Mississippi River or the Missouri River. Mirtschings always liked being on the water. Richard belonged to a rowing club, and my grandparents Charles and Anna had a small boat and spent most of their leisure and vacation time on the river, and camping and picnicking on the banks. Leonard, of course, grew up and joined the Navy; but he never did much care for the ocean. A river is a homier kind of thing.

Choo Choo Papa

2008-12-05T17:58:00.000-08:00

Here is our great-great grandfather.

Here he is with his first wife, Anna Laupoid Mirtsching (holding a dog, which I dearly wish were more than half in the picture), and his younger son, Richard Max Mirtsching. Yikes! That sad smirk on Anna's face is very familiar -- I see it in the mirror all the time.

circa 1905

This is Choo Choo Papa's older son, Charles W. Mirtsching. I don't know if he had any other children.

circa 1880

The family nickname derived from the fact that Choo Choo Papa was an early adopter of the automobile. Here he is with Charles Henry Mirtsching (fifty years later to become known as Paw Paw), Anna Laupoid, and Rose Fuchs Mirtsching, Richard's wife. Richard and Rose were Paw Paw's parents, and our great grandparents. (Richard might have been taking the picture.)

circa 1905

Okay, so who was the wise guy who glued the labels on the photos? Which cannot be removed and believe me, I've tried? And who also glued these photos, with their horrible little labels, to a poster-sized piece of cardboard, along with about twenty others, using criminal amounts of glue?

Or put it another way. Who was the linear-thinking, methodical individual who documented these details and grouped these photographs for our benefit?

It was Leonard, of course, bless his heart.

Cowboys and Indians

2008-12-03T19:37:00.000-08:00

The cowboy -- or girl, or whatever -- got to wear the cowbody hat and holster and pistols, and the Indian had to wrap a towel around his head. Since I was five and Kurt was four, you know how that turned out. Though he doesn't seem to mind. He has always been a sweetheart.

September 1962

Leonard & Padi Get Married

2008-12-03T16:42:00.000-08:00

Leonard and Padi were married on September 16, 1955, in Washington, Missouri. They are the cutest!

Leonard, Padi and the Garter

Marian and Frances Drennen, Padi's sister and mother

Anna and Carol Mirtsching, Leonard's mother and sister

Charles and Anna Mirtsching, Leonard's parents, and

Frances and Tom Drennen, Padi's parents

Carol, Leonard, Padi, Marian, and Padi's brother Tommy

Rich Wiedemann, Leonard's cousin and life-long best friend,

Leonard, Padi, and Joan McSalley, a close family friend

Leonard and Padi and rice

Leonard and Padi and champagne

Leonard and Padi and the getaway ride

Aww!

(Or, if they're your parents, Eww!)

Anna Rides in Paw Paw's Sweater

2008-12-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

This sweater was a very dark green and the collar, cuffs and wrists are bright orange. The whole sweater weighed about 25 lbs. It was given to me by my grandfather, Charles Mirtsching. He received that sweater from a girl friend who made it for him to wear under his leather jacket that he wore while riding motorcycles in St. Louis, Mo in the 20s. The story goes that Charles Lindburgh also rode with him and his friends because the clubs were all based out of Lambert Field in St. Louis. Paw Paw gave me that sweater because I was now riding motorcyles - the first of which was a 1950 800cc BMW followed by a 1970 500cc Triumph Trophy. I believe that in this photo I'm on my friend Lindy Fralin's BSA. I am about 20 yrs old - ca. 1980, Arlington, Virginia. Living in Key West, Florida 28 years later, I now ride a little bright green scooter. Ahhh - the years go by. Anna

Maw Maw & Leonard Pose with the Radio

2008-11-30T14:57:00.000-08:00

Looks like the Mirtschings got them a new radio! And not a moment too soon, since Martians would invade Earth just a week later.

October 23, 1938

"Ach, Collie, not now. I'm reading the paper."

"It'll only take a second. Just get down in front of it. There, now pretend like you're changing the station. Now look at me and smile. Smile, Anna!"

"Just take the picture, Collie."

Leonard & Padi Go to the Marine Corps Ball

2008-11-30T07:16:00.000-08:00

The Marine Corps Ball, my parents always said, was better than the Navy Ball. For one thing, the highest level of formal dress was required. Which meant Padi could go all out. She made her own gown every year.

November 10, 1962

Also, Chesty Puller, every Marine's hero, would sometimes show. According to Padi, "He was a character. He was short, but he held himself like a giant -- he gave you that impression. For the Ball, he'd wear his glass eye with the Marine Corps emblem on it, which made it kind of distracting to talk to him."

November 10, 1973

Holy cow, get a load of Padi's eyebrows. Eh -- it was the style then.

Padi usually sold her gowns after the ball, but before this one went, I wore it as the queen in a high school production of Rumplestiltskin. Its bodice was purple, so I wore purple and white as the peasant girl who gets Rumplestiltskin to spin her straw into gold for her -- leotard and tights, peasant skirt, and clogs. This, without the nipples, would have been the general effect.

Play, Interrupted

2008-11-29T14:16:00.000-08:00

1961

Kurt: What?

Anna: Mine!

Susan: Come ooooon, take the picture.

All Hail the Old Timer

2008-11-29T13:41:00.000-08:00

"We bring you offerings of excessively stylish surfboards, O Ripped One. Teach us thy ways, that we may not grow pudgy with age, but be even as you are. Amen."

Leonard on the Open Sea

2008-11-28T05:44:00.000-08:00

A few months after I was born, my father went on a cruise of the west Pacific on the USS Helena. Here he is, a spanky ensign, with the watch.

August 19, 1957

This photo is an enlargement of another that Leonard took of himself. On the back of the original, along with the usual date stamp, is his note: "Self timer on bridge -- sat camera on writing desk & let it click away -- I was actually on watch at the time."

He apparently sent the photo (and probably others) home to his father, who made the enlargement you see above. On the back of this photo, my grandfather wrote:

With the enlarger all the up, & the 2"in focal lenght lens on for enlarging .35 mm negatives, I made this blow up. Just to see what the grain would do, not bad at all, held a few feet away it looks real good. Ask your ships photographer to give you his comments. outside of a few dust spots.

"And No Man Could Head Me"

2008-11-28T05:10:00.000-08:00

The Ambassadors of Agamemnon

2008-11-27T17:12:00.000-08:00

This is from the first calendar I made, on the occasion of my friend John's 50th birthday. I turned 50 that year, too. One of the things you find out when you get old is that you've had your friends for a long time. And by then, they more or less think the same things are hilarious that you do.

"The Ambassadors of Agamemnon Visiting Achilles," by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, 1801

Leonard Plays the Trumpet

2008-11-27T16:35:00.000-08:00

October 1958

Here we are, Maw Maw, me, and Leonard sitting on the floor -- something Mirtschings don't normally do. Leonard's all, Let's see if I can toot this horn like I did in high school, and gramma's all, Is that baby warm enough?, and I'm all, What?

Dig the barkcloth curtains! A little bit of Hawaii in St. Louis, Missouri.

Gay, Schmay

2008-11-27T07:38:00.001-08:00

Leonard the Sailor Man

2008-11-27T06:38:00.000-08:00

October 23, 1953

Anna Mirtsching and Leonard

2008-11-26T17:17:00.000-08:00

This picture is unusual among the photographs that Leonard's father took, in that there's no date or location written on the back. He always dated photos with a rubber stamp -- a blessing to us, hundreds of years later.

circa 1938

Though most assuredly not the artistic type, my grandfather Charles (Paw Paw to us grandkids, Collie to friends and family) was a talented amateur photographer. What he might have lacked in talent, anyway, he made up in volume. My brother and sister and I have zillions of photographs he took from the twenties onward -- and a right large number he inherited, from earlier than that.

My grandmother Anna (aka Maw Maw) looks pretty severe in almost every photograph of her that I've ever seen. In fact she didn't like to be photographed, but my grandfather made her pose all the time anyway.

Note Anna's chic shoes and her marcelled hairdo. Also the boxer printed on the front of Leonard's shirt. (Click image to enlarge it.) He looks goofy, but he was only six or so, and probably didn't know or care.

The Happy Family

2008-11-22T22:28:00.001-08:00

And what tragedy will befall them, do you think? Maybe it already has; maybe the mommy died and that's her ghost in the doorway. Maybe when she's not calling spectrally from the darkness of the house, she's pushing up those daisies.

I'll say this, the dog looks forlorn, and the cat is freaked. Animals know when something ain't right.

Karl's Calendar Cover

2008-11-22T22:01:00.000-08:00

My BFF Karl has has been getting old lately. To keep him going for another year, I made a calendar for his birthday in 2008. This is the cover and the first couple of pages.

No worries, it gets snarkier as the year goes on.

Leonard & Captain Wiviott

2008-11-22T10:50:00.000-08:00

This was taken in the Philippines. We were a Navy family; my father was I think a lieutenant at the time.

"I am tall, strong, young! Look at puny old man here! Ha ha! 'Boss'!"

Padi Goes Camping

2008-11-22T10:21:00.000-08:00

We traveled a lot when I was a kid. My parents hardly ever stayed in hotels or ate in restaurants. When you're young and money is tight, camping's an ideal way to travel. And clearly it's not incompatible with rocking the hairdo.

Here's my mother in June of 1957. I was four months old. Judging from all the dead soldiers on the table, I was probably in the tent sleeping off a cola drunk.

Uova alla Bela Rosin

2008-11-22T06:54:00.000-08:00

This is the dish that Rosa Vercellana di Moncalvo used to prepare for King Vittorio Emanuele II in his hunting lodge on his plantation at Fontanafredda. She was first his mistress, causing a great scandal, and later his wife.

This recipe is from my friend John. You could call it King's Komfort Food. If all that mayonnaise and eggs freaks you out, I don't want to hear about it. Nothing eaten in moderation will hurt you, ya big baby.

For Eight People

Hard boil six eggs
Peel and halve them
Remove the yolks
Place the halves hole side up on plate
Make runny mayonnaise with two eggs and pour over the egg halves
Use a vegetable mill or grater to grate the yolks over the eggs so the yellow falls like a rain of mimosa blooms on the mayonnaise
Let stand for 30 minutes (not in fridge)
Serve with a spoon

Do not be afraid to make mayonnaise. It is extremely easy, and is a completely different article from what comes in a jar.

One egg
1 cup peanut or safflower oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Put the egg in a blender or food processor. Mix on high for a moment to blend the yolk and the white. With the blender still on high, begin to add the oil, a tiny dribble at a time, waiting a few seconds between dribbles. (This takes a little while. No whining.)

When you have incorporated about half the oil, add the salt and lemon juice. Continue adding the oil -- you can start now to add it a little faster -- and stop the blender occasionally to see how thick you're getting. When it's thick enough, or all the oil has been added, you're done.

To make runny mayonnaise for the eggs in the style of the beautiful Rosina, follow the recipe but use a bowl and a whisk. Unless you're a pro or have a particularly strong arm, you won't be able to get that stuff more than runny even if you try.

The mayonnaise will last three or four days, covered tightly, in the refrigerator.

Buon appetito!

Fire in the Streets

2008-11-22T05:04:00.000-08:00

Last week at the bus stop I put a cigarette butt in a city trashcan, and when I looked over, it was ON FIRE! It was metal and there wasn't much to burn so it wasn't like a danger, or anything. But cops came with a fire extinguisher, and then eventually a FIRE ENGINE came, and I just sat there, waiting for the bus and acting like I had no idea. Because I was embarrassed. Ha ha ha! I could have told them I did it, they probably wouldn't have arrested me or anything.

I took this photo at my bus stop last summer. I used my Stealth Camera (Canon Powershot pulled just above edge of purse while pretending to rummage for bus card).