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Togetherness is……
I didn’t see my grandparents as a couple. They lived by the “no-pda” rule and by the time I was old enough to be aware of them as a married couple and not just my grandparents, my grandmother was sickly. So these pictures took me by surprise. The one where they are sitting on the couch looking at each other; her little smile, her hand reaching into his lap to grasp his reeks of familiarity and love. The group photo is what sent me over the edge though. His hands wrapped around her in a hug, her hands holding his and settling them in just under her breasts took my…
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The house out back.
This is the carriage house that was in the back of my grandparents. From the time I can remember until the time the house was sold, it was rented as two apartments – one first floor, one second. I do remember checking out both floors in between renters and being captivated by the layouts of both – especially the second. I happen to know that the first floor housed my parents, my brother, and I before we moved out to 217 in Raynham. The living room is where my Mom found their dog with my head in his mouth as I was crawling across the floor. The story goes that…
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A different view.
How sweet are these pictures? I see a loving grandmother cuddling with her adoring grandson. This is a pose that I have assumed with all five of my grandchildren and now with my great-grandson. I can relate to her contentment. At the time of these photos, Craig lived in the carriage house on the property of my grandparents, so I know that it was very easy for them to have moments like this together. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived some seven years later, my grandmother was going through some heavy health issues and was not the same person as in these photos. I did not see Beemaw smile often,…
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Into the Woods
I love love love this photo. I have no idea where it was taken. Could be our property at 217 (the houses in the background look a bit familiar, it could be that undeveloped portion in front of the orchard) or perhaps it is at the farm in NH. I love that we are out there in our loafers, ankle socks, and short, short dresses, Ellen’s is even a smocked one, so familiar in our childhood. This picture could be used as an advertisement for a Campground or Cabin Resort Rental property, couldn’t it? “Come have fun with us! What are you waiting for? “ I love it – another…
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Tackling the east coast in 2 weeks back in ’93
. Disney Cousin Bill and Mary’s house Rosemarie and Tom’s house Craig and Deb’s in Valdosta Aunt Pat and Uncle Bill’s in New Jersey After I got divorced, vacations were a solo parent event. The first year, the four of us spent a week at Papoose Pond in Maine, camping. It was the first time I had camped as an adult and to say it was a learning experience would be an understatement. So, the following year, buoyed by the confidence from the year before, I decided to take the kids to Florida – mainly to go to Disney. Amy had been the year Adam was born but the others…
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What kind of car is this?
Today we are starting a new series on Leaving a Life Legacy. From the day we started back in 2018 until this very post, we have always answered a question. Always leaving a legacy of stories for our family, filling in gaps they might be questioning and hoping to clue them into what life was like for us growing up. Now, we are going to do something a little different. For every post in 2024, starting with this one, we will be showing a picture from our family’s past. Some will be before we were born, some after. Then each of us will reflect on that picture, what it means…
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What circus act would you like to perform with?
If you could be part of a Circus, what would you do? Ha Ha! There is NO way that you would find me on the trapeze – I do not like heights. I have, however, ridden an elephant and a camel and neither scared me much. Yes, that’s it! I will be a grey-haired elephant rider. Sounds fun! I cannot say that ‘running away with the circus’ was ever on my agenda as a kid, but I have always been intrigued by the aerial acts at the events. With the introduction of Cirque du Soleil in the 1980’s, I became intrigued with the skill, strength and stamina required by the…
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What is your family’s favorite holiday decoration?
Most people have holiday decorations and as they bring them out every year, they remember stories attached. Do you have a favorite decoration that you bring out every year or miss? My favorite Christmas decoration is something my Mom bought me years and years ago. She got it from Lillian Vernon, and I can still remember my excitement when I opened the box. Once you insert and light the candles, the flames create heat which spins the paddles and the figures turn. An intricate joy-producing piece of the past that I love to just sit and marvel at. As a child, my favorite Christmas decoration was a very old (even…
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What is/was your Dad like?
Dads. We all have them, whether they are a part of our lives or not. How would you describe yours? This is our Dad. With us, doing yard work. We’ve shared this picture before but it really is how we both remember him. Dad. I can’t think of him without a smile on my face. I was just shy of 40 when my dad died and miss his presence in my life dearly. My dad was bigger than life. He was gregarious and had a great laugh, which we heard often. He loved joking around and teasing, especially the little ones. He was trustworthy and trusting, maybe too much as…
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What was/is your Mom like?
Do you look at your mom as a person and not just your Mom? Sometimes it is hard to do that, or we don’t do that until we have kids of our own and then start looking at our mothers differently. Our question today is what is/was your mom like? Here is a picture of our mom. She would hate that we are using this picture but it is a favorite of ours. My Mom. You know, she died just before I turned 30 and I have spent a LOT of time since then thinking about her, thinking about what she might have been thinking and thinking of what it…