Calling All Alleys ...

Ok ... the last time anyone posted anything to our ALL ALLEYS blog was August 12th ! In an effort to get this amazing communication tool up and running, I'm going to do a little tutorial on how to use it.

1. Go to www.blogger.com At the top of the page, you need to type in the user name which is AllAlleys@gmail.com and the password. If you cannot remember the password, email me and I will send it to you !
2. Once you have signed in, the "dashboard" will appear. You will see a box at the top that says "manage blogs". Click on "New Post".
3. That will take you to an empty box that you can type in. Anything you type in there will appear in the blog, once you publish it. There are icons along the top of the box that let you change the font, font size, bold, italics, change the font color ... etc. You can play around with those or just leave them alone.
4. Once you have done your typing, click the orange "Publish Post" which sits just under the box you've been typing in, on the left hand side. AND THAT'S IT !!! EASY, right ?
5. If you want to see what it looks like, click on "View Blog" once it tells you it has poublished successfully.

Now that you know how to do it, there is no excuse !! Don't worry about trying to post photos just yet ... I'll do another tutorial about that once you've tried just typing a post ! (email me if you have any trouble and I'll try to answer your questions as best I can ! )

WHAT TO BLOG ABOUT ??? Well, I'd love to see this be a place of memories shared, history written down for the generations to come after us. I was thinking that maybe we should have a "theme" for each month. You, of course, can post things other than the theme but I thought having a theme might help get us started ....

NOVEMBER'S THEME : FAVORITES.

I know that is a general theme. It could be anything. Favorite memory of reunions past. Favorite activity from reunions past. Favorite story told ... Favorite location ... Favorite meal ... USE YOUR IMAGINATION !! We all have them, we wouldn't be Alley's without them !!

SO ... let's get this (blog) party started !!

Bonnie

A Parent's Prayer

I am posting the prayer that was read at the memorial service for Uncle Ralph and Aunt Jane. (Em asked Kent to send it and emailed it to the whole family. I am placing it here for posterity.)

A Parent's Prayer
-attributed to Abigail Van Buren (Dear Abby)
Oh, heavenly Father, make me a better parent. Teach me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they have to say, and to answer all their questions kindly. Keep me from interrupting them or contradicting them. Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me. Forbid that I should ever laugh at their mistakes, or resort to shame or ridicule when they displease me. May I never punish them for my own selfish satisfaction or to show my power.
Let me not tempt my child to lie or steal. And guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate by all I say and do that honesty produces happiness.
Reduce, I pray the meanness in me. And when I am out of sorts, help me, Oh Lord, to hold my tongue.
May I ever be mindful that my children are children and I should not expect of them the judgment of adults.
Let me not rob them of the opportunity to wait on themselves and to make decisions.
Bless me with the bigness to grant them all their reasonable requests, and the courage to deny them privileges I know will do them harm.
Make me fair and just and kind. And fit me, Oh Lord, to be loved and respected and imitated by my children.

Here are some pictures from the ceremony at the University of Virginia.

An Annual Summer Classic

Here are a few more snapshots from the Alley Reunion - 2007 Edition.

Some Alley girls in front of the University of Virginia Chapel, where their parents were wed.

Some more Alley girls at the Chapel.

As always, Saturday lunch was highlighted by tasty food and lively conversation in an interesting setting.

Sharing together at the Reunion. Food and conversation. Yum!

Three More Sisters--The Grandes Dames of the Alley Reunion.

Posted by Jim!

Anyone Else Remember This ?!

Does anyone have the originals of these photos ? I just have the photo copy ....

The ghost of cousins past

Not sure when this was taken...but Alexa's not born yet, so my guess is '86 or '87. Nice socks, Jimmy, really hot.

~jill

Some Of My Favorites ...

This is in 1981 but I have no idea where ... does anyone know ? I think this is one of my favorite reunion "group" photos ever. How sweet and innocent do we all look ?!

I love this one too ...cuddly group that we are !! This is in 1997. Albany ...

I wasn't at the reunion pictured in the next two pictures ... but I love them !! They look so fun !

2001

Tightening up the spaces ...

In response to a question my Dad asked about tightening up the spaces between the photos ... I'm not sure why it does that but I'd say on the post Pam did, she selected "None" as the format for the pictures. I always select "center" that seems to work best ... with the words appearing either before or after the pictures. I'll have a bit of a fiddle with Pam's post to see if I can work out why it has spaced itself the way it has. (and perhaps remove some of the spaces ...) Bon

Jimmy ... I didn't know you didn't go to the reuinon and I haven't heard about your new job !! Do tell ... perhaps there are other Alley's who didn't make it to the reuinon who haven't heard either !!