Sunday, November 14, 2010

VHS Induced Nostalgia, Giggles, and NearTears.


(The way we were)

A few weeks ago, I decided to get serious about converting our old family video tapes to digital.



I explored purchasing the equipment to convert these analog tapes to digital, but in the end, I decided to use an online service called Imemories.







Now, all I had to do was find those old VHS tapes. They were here somewhere. I began looking in all the sensible places, but of course, they were not there.



Finally, I found them deep in my own closet, buried under layers of ... stuff that really belongs somewhere else.







After I found them, I realized we had nothing to view them with anymore. The last combo VHS/DVD tape deck we had died last year.







Uh oh.







Then, inspiration hit, as it sometimes does, even for me. In my storage closet (again with the closet) at school, I had an old VHS player just collecting dust.







I checked it out and brought it home the next day.



So, this last week has found us reviewing tapes that go all the way back to 1986, to see just what the heck is on them AND to make editorial decisions.







I have watched my babies crawling and toddling, sleeping, laughing ... so much laughing, crying, playing, singing, acting, and growing in 2 hour increments.







I watched our legendary chocolate labrador, Ranger, being poked by babies, stepped on by babies, crawled upon by babies, hair pulled by babies, ... and never a growl or any sign of anything but contentment. I watched him steal Katie's first birthday cake off the table as we focused on her, saw him leap atop a 5 foot tall garden workbench from a standing start, and later hobble around the yard with aging hips and a grey beard.



I can't watch him without a smile on my face, a lump in my throat, and a tear pushing at the duct release lever.



I am forever grateful to him for being such a good boy with my babies. He was here first and dogs don't always make the new baby transition with grace.



Ranger did.







So much time compressed into a box of tapes. So many hairstyle changes, hair color changes, glasses style changes, short shorts (yes, mine), and changes here at PFHQ too.







The earliest tapes show our tiny singlewide trailer, before we built the house. The land is much more open since it had cows on it until the title transfer.

Once the cows left, the forest went in to overdrive.

It's pretty incredible to see how much the forest has encroached and how incredibly fast the trees have grown UP,UP,UP around us.











Later tapes show a new house, shiny, with no kid or dog damage yet, ... and not much furniture to speak of.

Some of these are only for us of course, but some need to be shared with y'all and they will be once the digitizin' is done.

This week, I have an update on Dave and Tami's log home progress, a trip to Manatee Springs this morning, a little more on Datil peppers, and whatever critters come my way today.

Keep your fingers crossed for my undefeated JV academic nerd team and think of us on Tuesday around 3:30 pm.

We will be going up against the only other undefeated team in our district and they have a human computer kid who could sit up there by himself and defeat most teams.

Last game of the season and it's a battle to see who will have the district's perfect 7-0 season record.

I'm rooting for us.

18 comments:

Miz S said...

Aw, FC. You are such a softie. I love it.

Weird to see your life on tape, isn't it? I can't watch our old stuff without weeping like a baby.

Aunty Belle said...

Sigh. Loved this, FC.

"A few weeks ago, I decided to get serious about converting our old family video tapes to digital."

uh...when? When does ya have time? A'tween snugglin' snakes, teachin' totin', datil growin', Mama and Daddy checkin', PFHQ buildin', grillin', coachin' nerds (good luck!) an bloggin'? I need to know, cause I is an abject failure at gettin' to the digitizin' of all them sweet memories. I admires ya!

Caroline said...

Love those academic nerds, gave birth to several, have one for a son-in-law and an extra "best friend" kid that hangs with youngest daughter. I got to work with our middle school team several years ago, they are the neatest kids.

Island Rider said...

I'm rooting for you too.

kevin said...

Have the weakest nerd go for their human computer kids knees.

Nice post about the VHS tapes. We need to do the same thing with ours.

ImagineMel said...

Y'all are undefeated? I did not realize that. Sadness. :(((((
So, yeah, good luck. He beat my Varsity last week.

Ericka said...

yay Ranger!

good luck, nerd team.

Dani said...

Y'all are gonna do great!

Thunder said...

I bet it was a blast watching those old tapes! We'll never forget Ranger either!

Thanks for sending the pics of the progress, we can't wait to see it again!

LaDivaCucina said...

FC, thanks SO MUCH for the info on Imemories, I will check that service out.

After "meeting" my long lost cousins again as adults this past July, we all sat around and watched some tapes from our childhood. As hubby works for a production company, I offered to convert them and have been editing them with Imovie.

What's been FABULOUS about all of this is that every once in a while there is a glimpse of OUR family, including my mother who passed away when I was 8. So, now, I can edit out the bits that apply to my immediate family and give my siblings something we never had: a glimpse into what my momma was like when she was alive! It is thrilling!

Have fun with this project, ya big ol' softie! Your kids will surely appreciate this, esp. when they get to be your age.

PS: Good luck for Tuesday!

Anonymous said...

I haven't looked at old family movies in a long, long time. I can't imagine doing it without crying. Sounds like a perfect winter project, though. If my mom still has them, they are 8mm film. Not sure what I would do with that!

kathy a. said...

go nerds!

we don't have many videos of the kids. never quite got around to the video camera, and time does fly.... but i should convert the ones we do have.

and also do something about all those old pre-digital photos, which i mostly never got around to arranging....

kathy a. said...

robin, i think there are places that will transfer 8mm to disc, assuming the film is still in good enough shape.

MamaHen said...

Wow, "go all the way back to 1986,"....I graduated high school that year. *sigh* now I feel old. lol! thanks a lot FC!! :D
Good luck to your team!!

R.Powers said...

Thanks for all the great input!
I am not in class for a few days due to training so my computer contact is limited.

I will try to respond mo betta later!!!

Gotta run.

threecollie said...

Great stuff! We had a kid dog in between the border collies (which are not kid dogs). She was the sweetest old girl....

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