Best Wishes for Christmas

For years an old steamer trunk has sat in my basement, the lock locked and the key missing. Online I found that Stevens Antique Trunks had a key for the trunk. It arrived today in the mail.

Upon opening the trunk there was Barb's wedding dress and various memorabilia among which was the Christmas card my mom and dad sent out my first Christmas. A most appropriate find for this time of year.

Wishing you the best this Christmas and the coming year.

Harold

Photo Flashback - Who is this young man?

I'm looking through old slides from the late 70s and come across this photo. I looked like this at one time? We've got some serious hair going here. The mustache is a constant over the years although the shape and color have changed over the years. This happened to be one of my experimental photos using an orange juice container with both ends cut out and then the inside lined with aluminum foil to provide that fuzzy circle effect. This also was when I was going by Harry. Times sure change a person.

Photo Flashback - Valentine

Photo Flashback - Young Married

I do not know the exact date of this photo, but my guess is late 1974. Barb and I are married. I can tell by the wedding band on my finger. (If you enlarge the photo you can see it.) Barb's not giving the photographer the finger, she's fiddling with her wedding ring. From left to right are Mike and Brenda Gans, Linda Rodgers (later to be Smith), Barb and Harold Rodgers. I don't look half bad in this photo. This photo was taken at my parents home on Eagle Lake in Edwardsburg MI.

Photo Flashback - YFC Campus Life

It was the early 70's when I worked with Youth For Christ in Elkhart County. This group was from Concord High School. It shouldn't be too hard to identify which one of these free spirits was me.

Photo Flashback - Actor

The hills are alive!

My second major theatrical involvement occurred in my Freshman year of high school. Who knew I could sing. And if I could, what ever happened to that talent?

A number of years have passed, but I believe my recollection is clear. I played both boys in this production. Friedrich one night and Kurt the other. It appears from this picture that I was playing Friedrich this night. (I'm the one kneeling in the lower left)

Photo Flashback - Actor

I was in 8th grade when I had what I consider my acting debut. It was the spring of 1966. I don't even recall how I, an eighth grader, ended up in a high school production. A musical none the less. Here I am far right.



I'm not sure how I end up in the center of the finale. It must have been my vocal talent. :-)



My brother-in-law, Mike Gans, is also in the cast. Right of center in the finale photo.

Photo Flashback - Flutist

True/False

Harold knows how to play the flute?

Harold played the flute in high school?

The tux and flute are borrowed?

Harold has played publicly before an audience?

This photo is from his first album?

This was part of a sketch he was in?


Harold does know how to play the flute. He took lessons in his late twenties. (This photo is from 1980) The tux was from my participation in a wedding. One of my most precious moments was playing a duet with my daughter Emily at church. I have never recorded an album.

Score of 5-6, you know Harold really well
Score of 3-4, you know Harold
Score 1-2, you should get to know Harold better
Score 0, This should be an impossible score due to the first two questions where you would have said that I didn't know how to play the flute but yet I played it in High School.

Blast From the Past

Circa 1973/1974 with Barbara Krake (eventually to be Rodgers). Taken on Bethel's campus, in the Acorn (which was then located in the lower level of Shupe).

Blast From the Past

This is a photo from the mid 70s while I was at Bethel. As a commuter I sometimes would play a little table tennis between classes. This was in the Acorn which was then located in the basement of Shupe.