Post #25

 

Here's a shot of my brother Roy with his short-lived Gerry Rafferty look via the beard.  Looks like he has a pack of Export A Light smokes in his shirt pocket.  Later on, Roy would move on to Colts cigars.  I always liked the smell of those cigars.  Honestly, even the smell of those old cigarettes back then bring on a hint of nostalgia, especially when they were first lit.  That's not an endorsement or recommendation to smoke either, by the way.  We can all do without that.
Anyway, that's another Cook prince, Shawn, Roy's second of two sons.  His other boy Christopher and Shawn and myself had so much fun back in those days, because there were only seven and eight years of the generation between us, so we were effectively all kids, and I had myself two new little brothers, at least that's how I saw it.  But they'd say the same today.  Obviously they were my nephews, but I just saw the opportunity to claim them as my bros.
So many people often said that Shawn was the spitting image of me when I was that little.  I wound up getting both of those guys into KISS, which began a lifelong fandom for them, and of course that continues with me today.  I remember taking this picture.... "Shawn, do KISS!"  And he stuck his tongue out like Gene the "Demon".  You can see the pride in Roy's face - one of his two coveted little boys.  Both those boys are men with families of their own, now, and thriving in their fields of work.  That makes ME proud, too.  They're two brilliant gentlemen with great heads on their shoulders and hearts in their chests.  
This was in the living room, it looks like shortly after the tree came down for Christmas.  During that season, Mom would set up the kitchen table in the living room and we'd have our Christmas dinner in there and all chat amidst the smoky atmosphere.