Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

It is not hopeless, and we are not helpless.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

Michigan is a great lesson for Dems everywhere: when you have power…use it!

If rights aren’t universal, they are privilege, not rights.

Every reporter and pundit should have to declare if they ever vacationed with a billionaire.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.

Jack be nimble, jack be quick, hurry up and indict this prick.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

This chaos was totally avoidable.

I might just take the rest of the day off and do even more nothing than usual.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

T R E 4 5 O N

People are complicated. Love is not.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

This fight is for everything.

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

This country desperately needs a functioning fourth estate.

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Christmas Pics From When We Were the Littles

Christmas Pics From When We Were the Littles

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Last year we featured old-time holiday pics for On the Road around Christmas and New Years.  I’d like to do that again – but we need you guys to send in the pics!

Last year, for instance, we got to see Albatrossity on Christmas morning when he was about 5 years old – totally adorable!  But don’t take my word for it, you can see for yourself.

Ghosts of Holidays Past: Albatrossity Christmas Edition 2

On The Road - AliceBlue - "Ghosts of Holidays Past"

And this adorable girl was probably all of us, but I would have to dig out last year’s post in order to find the nym.  This is AliceBlue!

We can share your nym with the photo, or you can remain anonymous if you prefer.  If I get enough pics, I can reward you (or punish you?) by digging out the photo of me in high school standing in front of the tree wearing my purple crushed velvet pantsuit and wearing more makeup than I have collectively worn in my entire life since that day.

So please send in your pics – you can use the On the Road submission form or just send me the pics as email attachments.

Open thread.

Reader Interactions

107Comments

  2. 2.

    TaMara (HFG)

    When we were going through the photos for my mom’s memorial service in November, I came across this gem. That’s me and my cousin – I believe I’m around 3 and he’s the one in the Santa suit. LOL

    Christmas Pics From When <i>We</i> Were the Littles

    And sorry, only front pagers can add photos to posts. You’ll have to submit yours to Watergirl. ?

  12. 12.

    Winston

    @JPL: There’s a whole other world outside balloon juice. Their tech staff is underpaid and incompetent. If watergirl can’t extract the photo I sent of my daughter and grand daughter( at her request) then if I were Cole I would fire her. Not that it would save any money.

  14. 14.

    WaterGirl

    @Winston: WaterGirl doesn’t have a facebook account so she can’t see anything at the link except the error message and the offer to create a facebook account.

    edit: I’m hoping that you’re just cranky because you are having a bad day, because I can’t think of any other reason you would write something that hostile.

  17. 17.

    opiejeanne

    My dad took this, I think I look like I’m nearly 3, so 1952? The family were professional photographers, starting in the late 1830s, but Dad and his brother chose other careers.

    https://flic.kr/p/hvKxr

    This is my grandmother and her oldest sister, Maude. The house was in Downers Grove, Il, but I’m pretty sure it was torn down a couple of years ago.  Guessing that Grandpa took this about 1916, before she had her first baby:

    https://flic.kr/p/vww8i

    And this is a photo of a postcard featuring her first baby, my uncle Walter. Circa 1918: https://flic.kr/p/edguX

  18. 18.

    HeleninEire

    I’ll definitely send a pic and you can use my nym. I have some OK pics on my phone but Dad has, I shit you not, at least 10 of those huge thick photo albums in his apt. I’ll go through them and pick out a fun one.

  20. 20.

    Winston

    @WaterGirl: Balloon Juice is more concerned about my privacy than Facebook? Good to know. But if I cared, I would not post to facebook. Now I have to figure out how to send you a photo that is already in the public domain? For why?

  21. 21.

    opiejeanne

    @WaterGirl: I have a Facebook page and I’m getting the ‘not available’ message too. I tried playing with the link and can’t get it to work.

  26. 26.

    japa21

    I have some of my two boys from the late 70’s and we have some of Mrs. Japa (will need her permission on them). Cameras weren’t around when I was young, so probably don’t have any of me.

  28. 28.

    opiejeanne

    @Winston: What is your teeny-tiny problem? WaterGirl is one of the kindest Front Pagers here. Your link doesn’t work, possibly because your Facebook page is protected or there’s a character issue with link, missing or added. There’s definitely a character issue at work here, if not with the link. I suggest you re-evaluate your remarks.

  30. 30.

    opiejeanne

    @WaterGirl: That’s my guess, set to private or limited in who can see them.

    Facebook is weird. One of my photos is suddenly unavailable to me now, and I have no idea what it was but it got a big laugh when it was posted a couple of years ago.

  32. 32.

    opiejeanne

    @WaterGirl: 1830s. I have a family photo from 1855. Thank goodness Grandma put a tiny piece of paper with their names and dates inside the little velvet case. I believe it’s an ambrotype, and it’s not the oldest photo I have.

  33. 33.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: Seriously!  I mean, who doesn’t get yelled at for no reason on Christmas, except for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. :-)

    That’s what family is for.

  38. 38.

    NotMax

    Admit to doing a double take. At casual glance it looks like a sex toy resting on the phonograph.

    :)

  40. 40.

    Alison Rose

    @Winston: First off, wtf? Second, if it’s that difficult for you to figure out how to send someone a photo, maybe you shouldn’t be complaining about other people’s tech issues? There’s no reason to be so rude over something so small.

  46. 46.

    Winston

    @Alison Rose: Sorry I even started reading this thread. I didn’t realize I was so backwards, thinking that a publicly posted photo was unavailable to the unpaid, incompetent staff here

    Oh, I’m not on facebook. Sucks to be you.

  48. 48.

    opiejeanne

    @Winston: Oh, just go soak your head.

    When you feel better, come back and notice that none of us WITH Facebook accounts can see your photo. You’ve got your Facebook pages set to limited views or something.

  49. 49.

    Origuy

    I have no photos of me as a young child; we had a house fire when I was eight. My sister may have some from after that, but I wasn’t particularly cute.

  50. 50.

    Alison Rose

    @Winston: The problem sure seems to be on YOUR end. When I & others here have tried clicking your link, it says “Sorry, this content isn’t available right now” which means it’s either not set to public or has been removed. I don’t know what is making you act this way, but you need to take a step back an stop unloading whatever you’re dealing with on everyone else.

  53. 53.

    Ohio Mom

    I’m old enough to be a grandmother so of course I squee at all little children. I always enjoy old photographs because I get a tickle out of the clothing and decor fashions. This little project promises to be a fun time.

    But really, that adorable girl on Santa’s lap was definitely not “probably all of us,” some of us come from other traditions.

  57. 57.

    Omnes Omnibus

    Fine. The cranky people made me send in a photo of a family Christmas tree. So there.

    @Winston: ​
      Dude, why not just go for a “Bah humbug!” or “Decrease the surplus population” comment?

  61. 61.

    Omnes Omnibus

    I finished my Christmas shopping today.  I watched the Alistair Sim Christmas Carol last night.  Went to the gym today.  Bought penne Bolognese from a gourmet store to heat up for dinner.  Got a tarte aux baies for dessert and a brioche aux cerises for breakfast from a French bakery.  Today was a good day.  I just need snow.

  64. 64.

    OzarkHillbilly

    I don’t have any pre 28 yr old pics and that was long after I stopped paying any attention to xmas.

    eta: who the fuck is Winston and why do we care?

  67. 67.

    Winston

    I apologize. I thought my daughters making Christmas gifts photo would be in keeping with this thread. Guess I’m not tech savvy enough for this crowd. Turns out the photo was limited to friends. Sorry,

  74. 74.

    WaterGirl

    @raven: I remember that photo!   I remember your do not fuck with my sister stance, but until I saw the photo again this time i hadn’t noticed the look on Santa’s face.

    It appears that Santa had received your message, loud and clear.

  79. 79.

    Miki

    The Danielson Kids, circa 1959. I’m the one on the lower left with her eyes rolled back in her head. Please notice, if you will, that my brother has his own doll. 1959. My mom was way ahead of her peers.

    Xmas for us always included new PJs.

  87. 87.

    raven

    @OzarkHillbilly: We did the full monty, credit and background check and it all came through great. He did his undergrad here and we have mutual friends but we didn’t know him. He owns a house in LA (Highland Park) so I can have Ruckus and Bill keep an eye on him!

  90. 90.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    @opiejeanne:

    I saw your response, and raven later said it was red oak. I was wondering more if it might be some engineered product, since I thought he had said previously that there had been some damage in the rental.

  94. 94.

    raven

    @Steeplejack (phone): Some damage ended up being powder post beetles in the joists and sill so we did a total rebuild. The boss lady insisted on wood floors except for the bathroom that will be really nice LVT.

  105. 105.

    karen marie

    @WaterGirl:

    standing in front of the tree wearing my purple crushed velvet pantsuit and wearing more makeup than I have collectively worn in my entire life since that day.

    This is def “pic or it didn’t happen” territory.  I hope you find time to dig it out!

Comments are closed.