This has been a nice week...my sister was in from Washington State, my Aunt and cousin were here also from Maryland. I've not seen my Aunt and cousin for lord so many years it hurts. Just getting on with the business of living sometimes takes you away from really living it.
In the time since I last saw them, we have lost my Grandmom, my Uncle Billy and my Uncle George. But this week they lived in our memories, in tall tales and visually captured on video by my sister Barbara. Watching them interact with each other and we who are still living was a touching moment almost too hard to bear. Especially my Uncle George..he loved to capture everyones image on camera...he had every photographic gadget known to man...I can remember almost being blinded by his light display for his 8 MM movie camera..when I was a child. My cousin, Tina, told me that George had transferred alot of the old movies onto video...Oh, I really would love to see them.
Why is it that when we are children time seems to move so slow? I can remember thinking as a child.."ohh wait till I grow up and I can do what the adults do, like stay up..go out dancing"...but now I realize it wasn't so much to grow up..but it was the thought of being able to accompany "them" that I was longing for.
This week we laughed so much our cheeks hurt. Remembering funny, quirky family events....like the fact that my Grandma loved to dress up to go "downtown"...she went the whole nine yards...full bath, powder everywhere, nylons, a dress not pants..hair done to perfection, doing her makeup seated at her wonderful old burled wood makeup table with the three mirrors set just right. Oh, not to forget the matching shoes, pocketbook, hat and lordy don't forget "the white gloves".
Oh, I close my eyes, I can smell the combination of Noxzema and baby powder filling the room. Now Grandma would do all of this we would be all dressed as well...proceed to the bus and head downtown..to Granby Street. Grandma never learned to drive and neither have I...strange. We would head into the stores, mainly looking at clothing...and look and look and look...I cannot remember her buying anything. It always seemed that she had found just the right thing that she needed and at the very last second she would talk herself right out of it!
I just have to laugh remembering her...comparing notes with my cousin it seems I was not the only one who noticed this strange behavior on Grandma's part. She was lucky though she had so many people that bought her beautiful things she really didn't need to shop....just drop a hint and she got it.
My Aunt was mentioning how much everyone missed Grandma's house. My cousin Nicky had visited Norfolk , had found himself parked in front of the house, just staring at it and all it's memories. There are certain places that stay within your heart forever marking a time in your life always remembered with great fondness. I hope that the new owners have gotten as much joy from the place as we did growing up.
They say that you can't go home again. I think I know that. But I still want to revisit where I stepped as a child, walk along the stone wall fence on my way to the little ocean inlet where I used to fish with Grandpa...checking out all the pink trees and hummingbirds along the way...so much changes and yet nothing changes.
Love you all. Till We Meet Again
