16 Years Ago.

Sixteen years ago today my dad's dad died. He had a massive heart attack and was gone before he hit the bedroom floor. He was born in and died in the same house.

Yesterday I took some photographs from my mom's house. Photos of my dad's side of the family. Theoretically, I should give these to my dad, but there are two problems with that: 1. I am not speaking to my father and 2. In all honesty, they will just end up in my hands anyhow after my dad dies. Morbid? Yes. True? Yes.

So these photo...
Images of my dad when he was a baby. Even a few photos of my grandmother pregnant which is something very cool to see. The baby pictures of my dad are nice, but I start to get sad when I see the older pictures of him; the photos when you can start to see the sadness in his eyes. But, that is a story for another blog, or really, a therapy session or three.

My absolute favorite photos are the ones of my grandfather. The ones of him serving in the war. Photos from Paris, images of him in his uniform. This is my favorite picture of him, oddly enough he wrote a little note on the back of this picture to his mother, "I don't like this one much. What do you think?"

He used to tell me stories about the war, censored stories, I'm sure. But I used to love to imagine these places and people. Sadly, I don't really remember any details. I see fleeting visions that I concocted in my mind as he spoke: him sitting in a canoe opening a metal box with cigarettes, ham sandwiches, and m&ms. Now, I am fairly certain that none of those pieces fit together correctly and are just a byproduct of my childhood imagination, but they are there. They are imprinted in my memory and therefore, associated with my grandfather and his kindness.

I also found some postcards from my grandfather to my grandmother:

Hello Honey,

I'm enjoying myself by drinking and thinking of you. I can't wait until we are together and tell you all the things I saw and did. Darling I love you and hope to be with you soon. 

Always your Honey, Joe

P.S. I got some picture made in Paris. They will send them to me in two weeks.

Pieces of December.

October 12. Walk in the Woods.

Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile.

William Cullen Bryant

Almost October!

October is my absolute favorite month. I love the weather, the crunchy leaves underfoot and the colors.

Halloween is my favorite season. It's not the specific day or because it's my birthday. Truth be told, having a Halloween birthday as a parent kinda sucks. I love the spooky (not tacky) decor.

Two years ago, I was doing the 365 project. 1 self-portrait a day for 365 days. For the month of October, I did all Halloween/Autumn inspired photos.

This year, I want to do something similar with my blog. Recipes, crafts, photos, etc. This is a challenge I am giving myself. My goal is a blog a day.

Happy October Eve!

Thoughts of Summer.

Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language. ~Henry James


The older I get, the less tolerance I have for the summer heat. Scratch that, it's the humidity. It's very humid and the more humid it gets, the crankier I become. I don't like sweating. I love the cool comfort of air-conditioning.

I have memories of playing with the hose on my patio. I still love the smell of the first gush of water sizzling on the hot cement. That is the smell of my childhood summers. After getting wet with the hose, I'd come in, go into my bedroom, peel off the bathing suit and slide into some dry clothes. My skin felt cool and the clothes felt warm.

I'd go into the air-conditioned living room, lay down on the rug and watch TV (probably "The Brady Bunch). The air was so cold, sometimes a blanket would be required. It was so soothing and so comforting. Perfect contentment, especially if something delicious was wafting through the air.

I also remember summers at my grandparents' house. Nana & Poppop. In my childhood mind, the backyard was enormous! There was a little pool for me and my cousin. There was a marigold yellow dishpan for us to dip our feet in prior to entering the pool to avoid stray grass from invading.

After the pool, we'd put on sundresses and sit in their air-conditioned living room. We'd get refrigerated m&m's in blue or green plastic cups and crunch on them while watching TV. To this day, I prefer my m&m's cold.

My grandfather had a full vegetable garden. I loved picking cucumbers and biting carrots fresh out of the ground. They tasted so sweet. I imagine the flavor has become enhanced in my memory over time, but that's OK. They were the best carrots I've ever eaten. My grandfather still has a vegetable garden, although it is at a different house. And now, I watch my daughter help him pluck tomatoes and cucumbers from their stems.

I guess I'm just feeling reminiscent today and contemplating what my daughter's childhood summer memories will be. I hope they are full of fun, adventures, and air-conditioning.

Sneak Preview!

On Sunday (and Saturday as well, but I'm not counting that since I was stuck in work from 9-5) we had glimpse of spring.

My parents have a big fenced in yard and within that garden, my grandfather has his own veggie garden. Abby helped Poppop turn soil to prep the ground for the fruits of summer: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash, herbs, cantaloupes, etc.

The soil smelled wonderful; earthy and damp. A few sacrificial seeds (obviously, they're not going to sprout since it's still a bit chilly at night) were planted by overly anxious hands.

Just an Update.

The picture has nothing to do with anything. I just think a blog should have a photo.

A few things:

1. Abby started art class. I think I had more fun than she did. I loved playing with the clay and can't wait to paint our pinch pots with glaze after it comes out of the kiln.
   
2. I have been working a lot. Still part time, but practically every day. It's a lot with preschooler. It's very stressful. I'm very tired.
3. I did some sewing this afternoon and got nowhere fast. I broke a needle. I incorrectly attached a sleeve. I raised my blood pressure.
4. I really wanted to go out tonight with my husband, but my mother is not going to be home. I need a nice dinner, some coffee, and a bookstore trip all without a child. All of those things are possible with her, but the stress level is more than staying at home staring at the television.
5. PMS is on the horizon.
   

Could not have said it better.

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~George Eliot

Summer Highlights Part Two.

• Garden Delights!

• Art Show in Olde City.

• The Arrival of our new kitten George.

• The Wiggles Show

Summer Highlights.

I am not a fan of summer. I simply do not like to sweat. I abhor heat and humidity. However, overall, this summer was really great. Nothing more "fun" than a bulleted list.

• Starting sewing classes! I have longed to learn to sew forever. Thanks to my good friend Heather, I finally took the steps toward learning. Plus, I purchased my own snazzy sewing machine.

• Beginning of the basement improvements. Goodbye yellow linoleum. Goodbye white paneling. Goodbye "Too Close for Comfort"-esque painted stripes in the laundry area.

• Abby's Art Class. My girl loves to paint and create. (I'm not-so-secretly thrilled about this!) She loved the summer class so much, we signed her up for the fall sessions too.

• Deciding to be a one car family. We sold my older, no snazzy upgrades car. We sold it to our neighbors, so it's still sitting out front of my house. With the money, I got a kick ass camera, and we could redo the basement.

• Ocean City, NJ. Abby had a blast! The first time on a beach and in the ocean and she loved every second.

• Taking pictures for and getting paid by Fairmount Fibers.

To be continued...