A couple of old photos of Mom

It's been nine months already since Mom died. In that clichéd way, it simultaneously seems like this year has been an eternity and also that Mom was just here yesterday. Continuing the ongoing family snapshots, here are a couple of old photos of Mary Ingham Otto.

1968, age 20

The caption on the back states: "Mary Margaret and Blackie in hammock at Helen's, 1968." The original caption writer wrote that the cat was "Smokie," but someone later — I'm pretty sure it was Mom — crossed that out and wrote "Blackie."

In 1968, I believe that "at Helen's" would indicate this photo was taken at the house of my grandmother, Helen Chandler Adams Ingham (1919-2003) in Rose Valley, Pennsylvania. I have some very limited memories of that house, which can make for another day's post.

I'm fairly certain that this hammock later made it to the house on Oak Crest Lane, when Helen moved back there with her parents. And I probably helped to put it out for the trash during the multi-year process of cleaning that place out.

1972, age 24

That's yours truly with Mom. The caption states: "Christopher and Mary Otto — going to church. July 1972." I would have been about 19 months old.

This looks like the backyard of the house at Oak Crest Lane, though most of that assumption is based upon the clothes line behind us.