{my family in 1958 at Disneyland}
{me at Disneyland for my 53rd birthday 11/25/09, this was before my daughter told me my birthday buttons looked like pasties...I moved them! LOL}
Growing up in the late 50's, Disneyland was every child's dream. If you were lucky enough to have grown up in southern California it was often more then a dream. If you were really lucky, your parents saved their nickles & dimes & once a year would pack up the kids, throw them in the back of the station wagon {without seat belts} & drive to Anaheim to go to the Happiest Place on Earth & if you were really, really lucky, your Daddy worked there!
{excerpt from a past post}
I was born in Long Beach, CA because my Father joined the Marines right out of his High School in Illinois & was stationed in Oceanside. With the VA Bill he was able to go to college & buy our 1st house, but he worked 2 jobs to support his family & we never went without, a gift. One of his jobs was working at Disneyland as a janitor back when Disneyland & the idea of amusement parks was brand new. My brother & I kept empty mayonnaise jars on our dresser. Every morning when we woke up the jars would be filled to the brim with shiny pennies, nickles & dimes. I would find a Disneyland pen light in my jar, while John might find a pop gun or giant pencil in his & of course we would always get TICKETS! Long after the rides had closed for the night & the smiling, sleepy children & worn out parents left the park, my Father swept Main Street. He cleaned the bathrooms & the shops & arcade that lined the street. He worked through the early morning hours while we were home asleep in our beds & at the end of his shift the work crew would divide up the remnants of abandoned toys & lost change & take them home to their children. Every morning when we awoke it was like Christmas!
{Susie 51 years later at Disneyland with Courtney}
Disneyland has always been the Happiest Place on Earth to me, it still is! So when I leave this earthbound form & finally, truly have my wings, scatter a few of my ashes in the flower beds surrounding Disneyland...I'll be smiling in heaven, wearing my Micky Mouse Ears!!! ;)
{background by Painting With Brushes, eggs by Rian Design}
My sister Kristen in Telluride, CO
vintagesusie out & about & having fun in Telluride
The main street of this little western town
My trip to Colorado was a short 4 days, but my sweet sister managed to stuff as much fun as humanly possible into that short time frame! LOL One of our journeys was to Telluride, an awesome old mining town turned resort town high in the Colorado mountains. One of it's claims to fame is that in June 1889, Butch Cassidy before becoming associated with 'the wild bunch', robbed the San Miguel Valley Bank of $24,000...that was a lot of money for back then right?? Now in the same building is The Appaloosa Trading Company & lucky me, Kristen bought me the coolest boots there ever...I love her, I love them & I love that they're from Telluride! More of my journey to come...don't miss my pics of Ouray's Ice Park, beyond amazing...it's insane! Have fun getting ready for the New Year...I'm rolling around the idea of taking Kai to the Rose Bowl Parade, I have to mull that one over for a while! :) 
