There were a couple of different directions to go this week for Sepia Saturday, so I chose two that fit pretty well. The above photo was taken on peel-apart Polaroid film on March 20, 1970 and is of my grandfather, Leon Kitko. Why such a specific date? It was his 37th birthday. I’m not sure there are exactly 37 candles on that cake, but there certainly are quite a few! He’s also got a package of socks and t-shirts on the table, presumably his practical birthday gifts. There’s an open magazine on the table next to a pile of spent matches and a matcbook. I can only imagine it took at least that many matches to light so many candles. There are quite a few photos similar to this one and it appears that grandma took special care to bake a cake and have a little celebration for his birthday every year.
Grandma and grandpa were both animal lovers, and here we have a photo of Ed the cat perched on Leon’s shoulder while he lifts a fork to the cat. The date on the back is July 2, 1968, and there are a few photos of Ed in just the same position. I’m told this particular cat just wanted to eat at the table with you and was happy to sit on Leon’s shoulder during any meal. Pretty funny. I suppose I need to apply for bonus points this week since I have a post that is both appropriate for Sepia Saturday and Caturday.
