Close, but no cigar

Ever wonder where the saying, "Close, but no cigar" comes from?  I did too, and I found out  at this website: phrases.org  Here's what they say...it's pretty interesting really. 

Origin

The phrase, and its variant 'nice try, but no cigar', are of US origin and date from the mid-20th century. Fairground stalls gave out cigars as prizes, and this is the most likely source, although there's no definitive evidence to prove that.

You may be asking yourself right now, "Why is she thinking about cigars?"  Good question and here's your answer.  The other day I asked my sweet little German mom, you remember, her, right? 
Just incase, check out this cute face and you'll agree she's the cutiest little 78 year old German you've seen in a long time. 
In the dictionary, the picture next to the word cute is this picture:

She used to not smile this big, but recently had her teeth straighten and OMG, she grins like the cheshire cat now!  Sweet little moma! 

Anyway, I asked my sweet little mom to put aside a few cigar boxes she's had stored away since dad had a cigar habit back in 1975.

"Please mom, put a few boxes out for my next visit." said sweet Georgie (**grin*)
"OK, will do!" says equally cute, but much wiser, momma.

By the way, my  mom smoked cigars too for awhile. Maybe it was so she could stand the smell on him.  eeewww yuck--cigar smoke smell.......


I go a visiting the other day and look what she had put aside for me...

Not too many, just a few boxes....AND of courses Sookie had to investigate.  If you wonder what that is in front of the boxes that's Sookie's toy.  It's a monkey tied to a string,the string was my addition,  most cats don't fetch, so throwing and retrieving would be up to the thrower, of course.  I did that one too many times until a light bulb went off and I decided to add a string to the monkey.  Viola, now it's like fishing for Sookie cat.  Cast out the monkey. Retrieve the kitten. 

This isn't a good enough picture of all the boxes my mom loaded me up with....
Here's another.

old school organization.  if it worked for her, it'll work for me!

My mother loaded me up with about 30 cigars boxes.  Is your second question, what she gonna do with all those boxes??  Confession time,

I haven't put ONE picture in a photo album or scrapbook since 1990 something.  Whoopsy! All this blog hopping has inspired me to make use of my artistic ability and start making some scrapbooks from all these pictures.  The beginning...

It was a whole lotta pictures to divide up into decades.  At one point I felt like I was being watched......

get it, felt like I was being watched....look at all those guys staring at me.

he's just a little creepy

Seems like every time I sit down to tell ya'll something, I share a little bit about my family.  Maybe it's interesting, I have 37 followers now!  Ya'll tell your friends, there's this crazy lady from Nashville TN, all she ever talks about is her cat, her little brown eyed girl(whatever that means), her silly chocoholic, diabetic hubby and her mother that saves everything! 

You're still reading, so I guess I'll keep typing....

Check out this little bit of history from the cigar boxes:

It's one of us girl's childhood writing.  Wonder who's it is?  Who got to use this box after momma finished with it?  Let's see a little closer view:

Oh, it was Patsy's box!  How do you like the "Keep Out!" warning on the box.  Pretty good, huh!  Patsy is number three in the line up of 6, she was a few years older than my twin and I.  Poor thing probably never had any privacy with two little inquisitive toddlers around.  I bet we kept our little grimey fingers out of her cigar box and all her priceless possessions

Margie, Jaymie, Patsy, Georgie, Kathy. circa 1967

How did our mother get us to stand still long enough to snap a shot?