Things I Learned From A 1950’s Home Video

I don’t have a post for Wednesday, b/c I didn’t take any pictures that day (shocking, I know) and figured I could just document the day combined w/ today’s post.  Autumn & I went over to Mom & Dad’s for dinner and after I scarfed down my food I left and ran to WalMart to get the 3 ingredients to make angel food/sherbet cake.  Then I rushed to Young Women’s where I taught the girls how to make it.  We made 2 cakes ~ 1 for us to eat and 1 to give to a girl in our Laurel’s class that we haven’t seen in a while.  We also wrote her some notes and then delivered the notes and cake to her house.  We stayed and talked for a few minutes and then went back to the church to eat our cake and clean up our mess.  It was a good activity and fun evening.

Tonight after dinner we started watching Napoleon Dynamite b/c Aunt Jeri had never seen the whole thing.  I forgot how random and weird it is, but there are some really great parts and one liners.  I texted Nate and told him that he looks like Kip w/ his molest-ache and BCG’s (birth control glasses).  EWWW.  Anyways, I told Mom & Aunt Jeri that Autumn & I had found a video tape of home videos from when Mom & Jeri were girls.  We had to watch it in Mom & Dad’s room b/c the only VHS player is in there.  The film has no sound, so I video taped Mom & Aunt Jeri watching the film b/c they were saying who is who, and giving commentary on people and places they remembered.  Quite the treasure of info to have if you ask me!

We learned quite a few things from watching it:

1. Rufio used to have a platinum blonde wig that she would wear.  I was SHOCKED to see her wearing it, and had no idea she even had such a thing back in the day.  It was so cool to see the cars, clothing, & styles of the 1950’s.
2. No one cares about the scenery…all that matters are people!!!  There would be 5 minutes of just scenery shots and then 30 seconds of people.  It needs to be the other way around!  We were getting so frustrated w/ that and it was a good reminder to focus on people, not things.
3. This one is mostly for me, but it’s important to give the camera to someone else every once in a while so you can be in the pictures too.  Grandpa Jay did most of the filming, so it was rare to see him on the film but when we did get to see him, it was so neat.  I definitely feel more comfortable behind the camera, but need to also hand it over every once in a while and be part of the action.
4. Use the video camera more often.  I am great at taking lots and lots of photographs, but I need to take more videos.  Pictures are great, but videos capture important details like voices, singing, music, etc.
5. I rightfully come by my inner drive to document life.  Rufio & Jay were so good about taking videos and pictures and writing in journals.  My Dad is excellent at documenting things in his journal.  I am proud to come from a long line of documenters.

Autumn had gone and laid down on the couch right after dinner and fallen fast asleep.  She woke up at about 9:30 and we went home so I could give her a shower since tomorrow is picture day.  Her hair is STILL curly from the rollers we put in Monday night!  I thought it would be cute to have her hair curly for pictures but decided I wanted her to look natural w/ her straight hair b/c that’s how she looks most of the time.  Anyways, after her shower she went to sleep and I stayed up and watched TV & talked w/ Nick.  I went to bed around 11:30 and then was woken up at 3:40 am by Autumn crying and saying she had wet my bed.  This wasn’t just a little tinkle…this was a soaking!  My pajamas were soaked, she was soaked, and my bed was soaked.  Such fun to strip a bed and start loads of laundry at 3:40 am.  I slept in her bed and she slept on the trundle.  Good times.