Friday, October 2, 2015

Sepia Saturday 299: Candy is Dandy

Sepia Saturday - A weekly meme providing a visual prompt for participants to share their own photographs. (I'm going to share some poetry as well.)

Excerpt from: Reflections on Ice-Breaking, by Ogden Nash (1902-1971)

Candy
Is Dandy...

Everyone is familiar with the last two lines, right? If not, follow the link.

This week's image prompt is an advertisement for Wampole's Preparation, which was marketed as a tastier way to deliver cod liver oil. (Cod liver oil has a high vitamin-D content, which is useful in preventing Rickets.) In addition to the cod liver oil, the 'preparation' contained 12% alcohol.

Today's parents might receive a visit from Social Services if they regularly gave their child alcohol-based tonics.

Today, October 2nd, marks one year since my wife and I sat in a courtroom and promised a judge that we would continue to love and care for our two twin boys, always and forever. They had been living with us many months, but it was on this date that the judge finally removed the adjective 'foster' from our relationship, and we legally became their parents, and they became our sons.

Here are a few photographs. I promise they are drinking apple juice in the first one. One thing the images illustrate is how my wife and I like to dress them in 'coordinating, but not matching' outfits. It helps to be able to tell them apart.



A Flight Shot, by Maurice Thompson (1844-1901)

We were twin brothers, tall and hale,
Glad wanderers over hill and dale.

We stood within the twilight shade
Of pines that rimmed a Southern glade.

He said: “Let’s settle, if we can,
Which of us is the stronger man.

“We’ll try a flight shot, high and good,
Across the green glade toward the wood.”

And so we bent in sheer delight
Our old yew bows with all our might.

Our long keen shafts, drawn to the head,
Were poised a moment ere they sped.

As we leaned back a breath of air
Mingled the brown locks of our hair.

We loosed. As one our bow-cords rang,      
As one away our arrows sprang.

Away they sprang; the wind of June
Thrilled to their softly whistled tune.

We watched their flight, and saw them strike
Deep in the ground slantwise alike,      

So far away that they might pass
For two thin straws of broom-sedge grass!

Then arm in arm we doubting went
To find whose shaft was farthest sent,

Each fearing in his loving heart      
That brother’s shaft had fallen short.

But who could tell by such a plan
Which of us was the stronger man?

There at the margin of the wood,
Side by side our arrows stood,      

Their red cock-feathers wing and wing,
Their amber nocks still quivering,

Their points deep-planted where they fell
An inch apart and parallel!

We clasped each other’s hands; said he,      
“Twin champions of the world are we!”

8 comments:

La Nightingail said...

What lucky, lucky, lucky little boys to have found two very obviously loving parents. And they are so cute. You're wise to dress them as their own persons. I had two daughters only 18 months apart in age who look rather alike & though I mostly dressed them individually, I did succumb to the 'twin thing' once in a while. It's hard to resist. As for cod liver oil concoctions, my mother fed us cod liver oil straight. Yuck! I still shiver when I think of it.

Kristin said...

Nice ending to the poem. We had to take our cod liver oil straight too.

Jofeath said...

Great that you are a 'real' happy family now. I'm guessing the circumstances that led to your boys needing to be fostered weren't too happy. I was a bit worried reading the poem that those arrows might have found their mark in some creature, but no, it also had a happy ending. I suppose it would be hard for twins not to compete. We have a set of twin brothers here in Australia who are coaches of opposing Aussie Rules football teams,but you always know who is who on TV because naturally they are wearing team colours. Neither team reached the Grand Final that was played yesterday but of course they have played each other on numerous occasions.

Alan Burnett said...

Fine poem and some nice photos. And you too spotted the 12% alcohol in the Wampoles. Social services or not it would keep the kids quiet.

Wendy said...

What a timely prompt for your family's special day.

Anonymous said...

A quite delightful post, an expose of a medicine, family and a story-telling poem, one which I am sure you will recite to your boys many times. In fact I can see you sitting on the side of a bed reciting it as a bed time ritual.

Helen Killeen Bauch McHargue said...

Your sons are beautiful and congratulations to both you and them. Lovely poem.

Tattered and Lost said...

Special young lads. You're all lucky to have found each other. Celebrate with glee.