Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion! I love the expression on my sister's face. I am the one with the crazy hair. Our dad always affectionately called us "brats". Even when I was older, living in my very own home and paying all my own bills... he would still call the house and ask "Is the brat around?" with a smirk (you could hear it in his voice).
My Grandma Winnie passed away this year. I didn't go home for the holidays. It was too hard to be there without her. So I stayed in Minnesota and pretended that she wasn't really gone. I know she is gone, I just can't deal with it. She was my last Grandparent and honestly the most entertaining one. I remember how much she loved to wrap gifts just to piss you off. She would wrap a super tiny gift inside a small box, inside another slightly bigger box, inside another bigger box, on and on. You get the idea. She would sit on her floral print couch, sipping her large glass of ice water while laughing at you. When it was her turn to open gifts she would allow all the kids put bows and ribbons on her face and on top of her head.
Christmas is a time when you get homesick even when you are home. This is so true. Holidays make me miss my younger years, when everything was truly magical. Sneaking downstairs before the sun is up to see the presents under the tree. Then romping back to your room before you were caught by the parental units. My sister and I would eat Christmas Eve dinner till our tummies hurt. Our Grandma Marvel made the best stuffing with roasted chestnuts. Then we would lollygag near the twinkling Christmas tree and listen to the adults chattering while they sipped Buttered Rum.
Now it is my turn to create the magic for my kids. I am cool with that. We are creating our own traditions with pom pom garland, toilet paper owl ornaments, frosted sugar cookies, cake pops, candy cane shaped pizzas and tiny gingerbread houses.
Everything is ceremony in the wild garden of childhood. I love how happy we both look. You can see that my sister is doing her best to control herself for the photo. She really just wants to tear open that gift.
This photo is from the 1920's taken at the Lake of Isle in Minneapolis. My Grandmother Marvel is on the right. The ice-skater on the left is my Great-aunt Grace.
Be humble for you are made from the earth. Be noble for you are made of the stars. The fancy lady is my Great-aunt Pearl. She was a wild card. She ran away from home when she was around 18 years old, got married soon after and then moved to China.
Family is our link to the past and bridge to the future. This photo is from the 1950s. My mom and her cousin Larry. Larry is now the family history expert. I am doing my best to gather more photos and add to Larry's history documents.
Wonder where this all started from?
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