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I received an email today from our good friend Bernard in Nantes, complete with a handful of photos showing the snow they are experiencing in our old neighborhood there. Of those sent, I was drawn to today’s photo as to build a snowman this size requires some serious snow. Even more dramatic, I’m taken by how the snowman’s companions, Théo, Celeste and Claire, have grown since we left Nantes. In fact, I can’t even be sure that’s Celeste (second from the right).

What do you think, does the girl second from the right look like this little girl of 18 months ago?

Today’s Prompt: Is it a true sign of aging when you are stunned by the changes in your friends’ children?

I had my hair cut earlier today, something that got me thinking about haircuts and bad hair days and things like that. It also got me hunting for this photo of my mother from the early 70’s. If I’m not mistaken, she’s wearing a wig.

My worst haircut experience was in 6th grade. The barber cut my hair so short that I went to school the next day with a stocking hat on my head (a New York Rangers stocking cap, no less). At recess a kid in class wrestled the cap off of my head and started to laugh. I socked him in the face.

Really.

Then I ran.

Today’s Prompt: What’s your worst haircut story?

That’s right, for a while I was a professional horse race handicapper. I worked as a statistician and handicapper for the Daily Racing Form, the newspaper that publishes the past performances of race horses. If you don’t know, the term “handicapping” refers to the act of weighing the various factors that lead a person to predict which horse might win a race.

It was another great job, and a big part of my personal growth.

I grew up going to horse races, thanks to my father’s sideline as a horse racing journalist. By the time I was in high school, I was a regular visitor to Longacres racetrack near Seattle (this photo comes from the summer of 1980 and was taken at Longacres — I was 17). After my stint as a deejay, I was hired by the “Form” and worked on and off for them from 1984-1992.

Today’s Prompt: Share an experience that helped shape who you are today.

That’s me on my 19th birthday. I’m sitting at the control board of KRXA Radio in Seward, Alaska, where I was working for most all of 1982. That’s right, when I was 19 years-old, a year out of high school, I was an AM radio deejay in a small town in Alaska.

KRXA played mainly Top 40 songs (and I swore then that I’d never again listen to “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” by Joan Jett). But every Saturday night I took control of the station to play an hour of the music I loved, what I called the Alternative Music Program. And get this — I’ve uploaded an episode that you can stream online!

Today’s Prompt: Tell about a job you had (and now recall fondly) when you were young.

Here’s a photo that really touches me, of Chloe and Ella from many years ago, playing in our kitchen with their “Groovy Girls.” Both girls loved these dolls but I will forever link them to Chloe, who had several and could play with them for hours.

I hadn’t thought about these dolls for a long time but seeing this picture inspired me to do a quick online search. I discovered that the line is alive and well, complete with its own groovygirls.com domain.

Today’s Prompt: What toys did YOU enjoy that you have outgrown? Are you sure??

A big part of Melinda’s and my parenting style can be summed up quite simply – it’s to create and maintain a loving environment that allows our kids to feel safe. Feeling safe, they naturally challenge themselves, moving from one developmental stage to the next in a way that makes the distinctions between the stages invisible.

Of course, this is much easier said than done. But I think it IS possible to stay rooted on the concept of a loving environment.

I love today’s picture of Ella, what actually inspired this post. It’s from 1998, right after we moved into our house in Seattle. We found the American flag on our doorstep, a gift from a realtor. And notice the saltwater sandal in her mouth and the yellow Converse sneakers on the floor to the right. Just what might Ella be thinking here?

Today’s Prompt: Summarize a life philosophy of yours in a sentence.

Melinda is good at moving her body through space. As you can see in today’s photo, she’s capable of doing a really good cartwheel (while I stand by with a goofy look on my face). She can also do things like a headstand and other advanced yoga poses. And then there was the time she did the flying trapeze, a story for another day.

But finding this photo in our archive and considering a post for today got me thinking about those things in which one feels head over heels excitement. I’m good at that! For instance, I just got Melinda and me tickets to see Elvis Costello in Seattle in April.

I’m really excited!

Today’s Question: What is something that gets you head over heels excited?

I got this message today from Stephanie, our niece, who is living in Spain, currently teaching English:

I thought of you today! I went on a 45-minute run (my longest yet, hooray!) and on my way out, I passed a man with a German shepard. We smiled at each other and I kept running. Then after a while, I turned around and headed back and passed him again. He had a cherry blossom in his hand and he held it out to me. He said, ‘Take this, for your incredible willpower!’ And the whooole rest of my run seemed easier, because that phrase just kept playing over and over in my head. It felt like an Andy-moment to me, so I thought I’d share.

I love it that Stephanie would take the time to share a story like that with me.

Today’s photo goes back 10 years or so and is of Stephanie on a Smallman family vacation.

Today’s Question: Recount a special interaction you’ve had recently with a family member.

Featured with me in today’s photo, taken this morning, is a young man named Simon or Si. I met Si in 1986 when he was 5. Meeting Si and subsequently working closely with him and his family is one of the most, if not THE most, significant milepost in my life. I was a 23 year-old undergrad interested in working with children, most likely as a teacher. The experience of working and otherwise spending time with Si made clear for me what kind of teacher, really, what kind of person, I want(ed) to be, the kind who accepts people as they are.

I was in Olympia yesterday and spent the night at Si’s house, renewing my relationship with him and his amazing parents, Bob & Griselda. They shared their Sabbath dinner with me and provided me a lovely place to sleep. Mostly, as they have done since 1986, they nurtured my soul.

Please nurture your soul by learning more about Si here.

Today’s Question: What is a significant milepost from your life?

Click on the photo to enlarge it and then study it for a minute. It’s pretty good product placement, don’t you think? It might appear that Chloe and I (yes, that’s us, from August 1993) are spokespeople for Earth’s Best Organic Baby Food.

I mean, just look at Chloe. She’s so excited she can’t get all the food in her mouth. It’s on her hands, her face, the bib. And me, I’m so excited I apparently have forgotten personal grooming. Facial hair, chest hair, long, long hair. What, were there no barbers nearby in 1993?

Actually, this picture comes from Chloe’s first experience with solid food, if you can call pureed carrots solid food. It’s part of my recent photo scanning festival.

Today’s Question: What’s your favorite meal?