I read once that few people take photos of everyday activities, like the family watching TV together, or someone washing up or pegging clothes on the line. These sort of pictures will, in the future, give our families a good idea of what life was like, rather than formal family groups, or "great events". So I have tried to include some of these photos in my regular record of our life.

And do you ever wonder why we' re like this? If you pause a few minutes at the grocery store checkout, ALL the magazine blaze articles on how to loose weight, tighten up, get rid of wrinkles. Why? I guess because we don't look good enough. Every TV ad with ANY age woman, pictures us thin and toned and wearing 3" heels, not plump and at a sewing machine! Every time I go to the doctor, the 25 year old, skinny PA gives me a BMI sheet, with " how to eat better" tips - like at my age I don't know. I'm able ready to tell her off - just wait till SHE has a few kids, menopause and her metabolism hits the wall! Haha!

Thanks, Rose_P, that is a beautiful blogspot. I sent it to everyone in my addressbook. How many times have we said "Don't take my picture, I don't have make-up on" or any other silly reason not to be in a picture. That was me, but it isn't any more. I want to be remembered for my happy face!

This was wonderful. What I find interesting is 5, 10, 15 years ago the pictures you hated of yourself back then, you look at now and think "I looked pretty good then" and realize you were much too harsh on yourself.

My Mother loved to have her picture taken--anytime, anywhere. And did until she died at 80. My Father was in group pictures but never alone. Our family has owned a business since 1904 and I have not been able to find a picture of him to hang with the others that I like--and I have >100 years of family pics at my house.

My sister always says, "You might as well smile. I'm going to take the picture anyway."

This is sad, and of course makes a point, but I wonder if his face could possibly be scanned and cropped out of one of the group pictures. It would be worth the try, anyway. Another alternative might be to get someone with a bit of artistic talent - There's usually one in every family! - to do a drawing or painting of your father based on one of the group pictures. A similar portrait could then be done of your mother to make a pair.

I'm thinking that even without a great deal of experience, many people who don't realize it can do pretty good drawings. You should perhaps try it - nothing to lose! Scan a picture and enlarge it. It will probably lose details and not be very nice as is, but you could use a light box and trace it and then fill in the details. I hope something works out.

By the way, speaking of pictures, I just changed my avatar to our dog Gracie because one of the kitties, Bee, in the previous avatar died right before Christmas. We lost our other dog, 16-yr old Rascal, 2 days after Thanksgiving. Rascal was not unexpected, and he had a good long life, but Bee was only 10, and it was very sudden and upsetting. I thought about putting my own face on here, but trust me, the dog is much more entertaining to look at!

I really relate to this.....I was soooo camera shy as a girl and still avoid the camera....but you are right....when I look back I shake my head and wonder what the dickens was I worried about.

When my grandsons father died, we found very few pictures of the two of them together. Sad. The few we have are treasured. And scanned, because his Mom doesn't take care of things very well.

I think we have to start by not hiding. Main stream media hides us, does not mean we hide ourselves. You only see pics of models and thin beings, which is great if you are among that group, but the rest of us have to come out of hiding. Even if I do not want to see a pic of myself.