12.25.2021
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I hope you are enjoying this holiday season. Because the last two years have been hard, I’m grateful to see another Christmas and to have made it through another year. I’m grateful for you who visit my site. I hope I have added contributed some joy and happiness to your day.
The last two weeks have been especially difficult with the lost of my first cousin Anna who I love so much. Anna was exactly three months younger than me. Growing up we thought of ourselves as twins. I miss her dearly. I’m learning to value moment of life I have been given. On the day of her death, my brother and I did some picture therapy. We want into my basement and pulled out hundreds of family photos we hadn’t looked at in decades. It did us so much good. In the process, I stumbled across Godzilla-related photographs I forgot existed and I stirred up wonderful great memories of Christmas days gone by. Forgive me for taking a trip down memory lane. I found pictures of my Godzilla interview at my home with FOX 29 Good Morning Philadelphia Grover Silcox on the morning of May 20, 1998.
Top to bottom, let to right: Photo 1: Grover Silcox, me and Godzilla; Photo 2: Mr. Silcox, my mother and me; Photo 3: Mr. Silcox and the FOX Good Day Philadelphia crew; and Photo 4: FOX camera man.
That was a fun morning. A lot went into those 10 minutes of TV time. The day before, my brother Mark helped me pull up my old blue carpet and setup new IKEA shelves for my display. It’s great to have a photographic record of my early collection. Upon arrival, the FOX crew parked their big truck out front of my house. Then they ran lines through the house up into my bedroom. As I can remember, they shot two short segments and two teasers. Later, Mr. Silcox warned me that the reviews for Godzilla were not good. Unfortunately, those reviews were accurate. But that day I will not forget like the many wonderful Christmas memories of my childhood.
Photo 1: Dad, Tim and Mark; Photo 2: Joel; Photo 3: Nana, mom and me; Photo 4: Me and my gifts.
Christmas was so special especially back in the 70s and 80s. Life was so different than it is now. Our parents made our dreams come true. There were always so many gifts under the tree. We got up as early as possible but our parents didn’t allow us to go downstairs before 6 AM. In the evening, we went to my grandmother’s home for family, food, and more gifts. Nana never disappointed. Those were the best Christmas days! I hope your holidays are filled with wonderful memories and joy.