What a beautiful family. Priceless.

By psychomom on 12.20.07 8:53 pm

Oh, I just realized that you are going to be too afraid to actually comment on these photos. Although, I am in a sentimental mood, feel free to make fun of my bar mitzvah bow tie or that horrible Cape Cod caricature that I wouldn’t allow my father to put on the wall until I left for college (he loved it; it embarrassed me when my friends came over). I’m not worried about your reactions, mostly because I can just imagine the crazy family photos that YOUR mother has on her wall!

By Neil on 12.20.07 9:16 pm

I’m such a sucker for old pictures. But these? Outstanding! And they tug and my heart just a little. I’m an only child too. My mom, dad and I were an inseparable trio.

But we never got caricatures drawn of us. I feel somewhat cheated now.

By LVGurl on 12.20.07 10:03 pm

LVGurl — These caricatures were a big issue when we would go on vacation. My father loved taking caricatures and dressing up as cowboys for those touristy photos at “Western towns” like Tombstone, and at a certain age, I just refused to do them anymore. To be honest, if he was around today, I would probably still refuse to sit and be caricatured at a beach resort. I get nervous when I pass these artists by in Redondo Beach. They’re always asking, “What’s your hobby?” so they can draw you with a tennis racket in your hand. I guess I can say “blogging” now and they can sketch me typing on a laptop.

I do like these remembrances now. I remember the caricature, but practically nothing else about our trip to Cape Cod.

By Neil on 12.20.07 10:10 pm

Neil,I love that your mom has these up on the wall. It’s christmas, which is always a difficult time of the year for me.

I’m a displaced person (in soooo many ways!) and one of the things I long for is going home to a house where there are memories on the walls.

If you and I ever went on a road-trip together I would *so* make you stop and have a caricature done

By Ash on 12.21.07 12:42 am

My husband’s family did the Cape Cod caricature thing when he was a kid, and he couldn’t stand it either. I feel like I missed out since I’ve never been, though I’d pass on the caricature.

By Geeky Tai-Tai on 12.21.07 1:14 am

Wow, you look just like your father!

By psychotoddler on 12.21.07 7:18 am

For some odd reason I Have the theme from Gilligan’s Island singing in my head.

By Caron on 12.21.07 8:06 am

Those are classic! And barely mockable since my mother does indeed have the same type of embarrassment of us hanging on her walls. I think my mom had that same pink dress, only in blue…

By Laurel on 12.21.07 8:15 am

Neil - did you have a Jewfro? I love those!

Wonderful pictures; they made me smile.

By Finn on 12.21.07 8:55 am

that last photo may be my favorite family pic of all time (my own excluded, natch).

By sweetney on 12.21.07 9:26 am

I love the last one, particularly. I’m guessing that’s your folks coming to visit you here in Southern California sometime in the, what, 1980s? 1990s? Wonderful stuff. Hope your East coast stay is a wonderful one Neil! And I know it’s belated, but Happy Hanukkah!

By Joe Artlung on 12.21.07 9:45 am

After my parents died and we sold their house, it was painful not to have a place to step back into to reclaim my childhood.

At least it was like that for the first few years….then I was glad that I was forced to move forward and not look back, to claim my own home as home in every sense, to learn to nurture and love myself.

By V-Grrrl on 12.21.07 11:03 am

Everyone loves a guy in a tallis.

By therapydoc on 12.21.07 11:16 am

Now I MUST know what synagogue you went to! (The one in my neighborhood was Hillcrest…I think…on Union Tpke.)

By TC on 12.21.07 11:46 am

TC — Yes, that is the synagogue!

By Neil on 12.21.07 11:57 am

I was hoping for something with bell bottoms and plaid. Okay, maybe even a huckapoo.

By Tuck on 12.21.07 3:53 pm

If you don’t take that last photo and give it a permanent home somewhere on this site, there is simply no justice in the world.

By Kelliqua on 12.21.07 10:16 pm

Loved it, Mr Kramer.

By di on 12.22.07 2:47 pm

It’s amazing how much you look like your dad. I’d make fun of your Bar Mitzvah bow tie except that I wore the SAME one at mine. Who are the other people in the Bar Mitzvah photo and what’s with the Groucho Marx glasses everyone is wearing?

Hope we can see some current pictures of Mummy and the old Kramer homestead.

By Danny on 12.22.07 5:06 pm

Someone mentioned that they’d have the theme from Gilligan’s Island run through their head.

That’s right, “little buddy”.

Neil, these are priceless pics. Thanks for sharing.

By Pearl on 12.22.07 10:32 pm

Danny — those bow ties were sort of cool. I’m waiting for the comeback.

By Neil on 12.26.07 1:02 am