From The Peabody Reflector

Oh family blog! How I have neglected thee! Anyway, here's an interesting one for you:

Kenneth Cooper, second from the left

I'm not sure what's actually happening in this picture -- and it came with no real explanation.

But I thought you needed to see it.

Kenneth lectures

I think this picture was taken for the Peabody yearbook. I've got in my office on campus now to remind me of the reasons that I do what I do.

Happy first day of the semester.

Prom night

It's that time of the year ... so I thought I'd pull out an old shot of Barbara heading to the prom.

Barbara, Tennis Star

Photos of clocks, II

Clocks on the mantel in the Coopers' front room

Photos of clocks, I

One of the many many clocks in Kenneth Cooper's clock collection.

Outdoor cooking

I've never been clear on this picture. Ruthe and Kent are looking at the pan (with a different top) sitting on the grill. But they stand far off, as if expecting danger.


I meant to post yesterday to wish Kent and Pat a happy anniversary, but I forgot! Argh! So happy belated anniversary to them.

Update: read the comments for an explanation of what's happening. I knew my mother would come through with an explanation

Entertaining baby

Barbara and Kent, outside. Kent seems more intent on whatever is on the blanket than on the rattle that Ruthe is shaking for him.

Happy Birthday, Kent

Today is my Uncle Kent's birthday. He's a little older than he was in this picture, taken at the party for his second birthday. My grandmother is holding the cake, and my mother is keeping a careful eye on things -- making sure Kent blows the candles out well, I guess.

Barbara, 1951

Just hanging out ... at an angle

Easter 1951

Quite an Easter bonnet on Barbara in this one ...

Baby Barbara -- another shot

My Great-Aunt Dorothy had a little album to keep track of my mother's early childhood -- Ruthe and Kenneth would send pictures from various times of the year (and stages of growth).

I now have the photo album -- and I think I've put up a number of pictures here already.
I scanned this one in the other day. On the back, my grandmother described this as a "good sober picture" of Barbara as a baby.

Blowing bubbles

We've hit the point of downright hot in Florida already -- and since the semester's over for us at the BrIsaacson household, we're definitely feeling like summer.

So I give you one of the best summertime activities: blowing bubbles on the porch.

It looks rather like Kent has managed to spill more bubble solution than use in the bubbles, but still it's a glorious summer pastime.

Heirlooms and an heir

Sorry I haven't put anything up this week -- it's been busy as we're heading into the last couple of weeks in the semester.

The above picture shows me sitting in the tiny little chair at Grandma and Grandpa's house holding one of the old Cooper family dolls. You can also see a number of old toys in the background of the photo ...

Piano Baby

Perched atop the piano at my grandparent's house in Nashville, I listen to my mother play the piano.

In the gardens

Kenneth in the flowers at Centennial Park, Nashville.

I'm fairly certain that this picture was taken shortly after my grandparents moved to Nashville. Grandpa finished up his Ph.D. at the University of Missouri and took a job as a history professor at Peabody College (now Vanderbilt's College of Education). That was 1947.

Reading with grandpa

Another photo of someone reading to me.

Here, it's my grandfather, Kenneth Cooper. The stack of books beside me are copies of the sixth grade social studies textbook my grandfather wrote.

That book made it possible for me to pay for college. Where I read a lot.



(Picture thanks to my dad.)

Somebody combed my hair

Continuing the hair theme...



This is the aftermath of Aunt Dorothy deciding that my hair needed to be combed. Okay, aftermath isn't the right word, but still.

I didn't have a whole lot of hair, as you'll note, so it wasn't often neatly combed like this. I'm guessing that it didn't stay this neat for very long, but I look very happy and ready for my close-up.

Making do

We have always just made our fun from whatever is on hand. For example, most of my doll furniture -- and my mother's doll furniture for that matter -- was created out of sturdy packing materials.


So, when you lack a pool, just do what Uncle Kent did and sit in a bucket.

Puzzle time

I'm doing a puzzle with my Great Aunt Dorothy.

Aunt Dorothy was able to get down on the floor like this well into her 80s. I'm hoping that I have those same genetics (whatever those are ... the floor genes...)