Listen to the Wind!!
Wow, the wind has been blowing so hard this morning, probably all night! Dad just left and will meet up with Danny and Sedoo to finish up a job. They'll finish this job and then tomorrow go on to Marilyn's to finish up the wall. I'm sure she'll love that!
Barbie that picture of you and the kids is soooo darling! Look at their little faces, full of joy and anticipation! There's a special relationship one has to their aunts. I only had 2 that I knew. The "Aunt" holds a special place! She's a sort of possible inroad to mom or dad, an ally of sorts. in the family. I remember Aunt Val seemed like a grown up kid. Not that she was childish, hardly, but that she was fun; always had the latest game for us to try and always brought with her a new recipe she had just discovered. She was always clipping them out of the paper and sending Grammy one. When they'd be down from Seattle (Alkai Point), she and Mom (Grammy) would go get the needed ingredients and then we'd have something great, later. She always had time for me. She would always have some cute little unique gift for me when they'd come down for a visit; a little charm, or a little apron with pockets for my crayons, or when I was bigger a little flask of perfume. She was a very special aunt. I think because she didn't have any of her own children, she always seemed like "one of the kids" to me. She never took on that bossy business that most moms I knew had. Hahahha...Hey, I'm not talking down moms, "I'M JUST SAYING...."hahaha...she was always laid back and would have that little silent laugh and quiet nod of hers that told me she understood. It was fun! I'm so sorry that I haven't been able to be closer to her as the years have gone on. She was a secretary in the first "high rise" in Seattle when a sizeable earthquake hit in the early 50's, I think it was. She was up there and told of the building swaying back and forth. I was amazed that she was so calm. She never drove a car, but took the bus everywhere. She could go all over Seattle on the bus. (My friend Penny and I got so lost on the bus up there during the '62 World's Fair, but we didn't really care, we were having an adventure and will never forget that!! I was 14 and Penny was 17.) Aunt Val would keep us updated on BoBo the monkey....I don't rmemember if he was an orangatan or a gorilla....or a chimp...I think he was big, though. He was quite well known back then in the 50's and 60's. He was at the Woodland Park Zoo. Aunt Val and I would ride the bus to the Zoo. Well, we also would stop by "Spuds" there on Admiralty Way. I think it's still there, across the street from the Sound, the cold, cold Sound!
Well, its been fun remembering back.....Oh I have lots of stories about Seattle, actually not so much stories as just beautiful memories of the beauty there. Schmitz Park was their backyard. I remember going down through there with Grammy, just she and I before I was old enough to be scared. It was unmarred by walkways, just a path you could sort of follow if careful. It was gorgeous! When the sun shone, those shafts of sunlight would pierce the dense wood with such beauty. It was a fairyland in there. You felt totally away from civilization. A perfect place for solitude and meditation....but I was a kid and most anyplace could be good for that! Isn't that what kids do best?? Think about it, you're out in the yard, any space large or small where there's grass and dirt.....I had a memory come back to me once, and only once, when I could "feel" what I felt then.... squatting on my heels, you know sitting on the back of my heels, with the sun warm on my back and watching little bugs crawling around, tending to their business. The sense of being unaware of time was such an interesting memory. I haven't been able to recapture that momentary memory again, but it was really wondrous! We adults are of course consumed with time ..it was great for an instant to be back in that "timeless" moment.
Well, darn it, speaking of time, it's marching on and I'd better get going~ Love you all, and come back for another trip down my memory lane. I don't spend much time there...so it's nice to take time to tell you about how things used to be. I especially want to tell you what I remember about the relatives that I knew. I'll do that each day. I want to tell you all I remember so when you want to know, the info will be there. I know that when someone has passed on, you think of all the things you wish you would've asked them. At times, I've for an instant thought, "Oh, I'll ask Mema about that......WHAT???? I can't!!! " So, I'll try to think of things you may want to know in the future. Bye for now, and love you always. Like Mema used to always say to me, "Darla, I love you.....I've ALWAYS loved you!" It was so sweet the way she'd tell me, too. I love her, I've always loved her." ........sniff. i miss her.
Barbie that picture of you and the kids is soooo darling! Look at their little faces, full of joy and anticipation! There's a special relationship one has to their aunts. I only had 2 that I knew. The "Aunt" holds a special place! She's a sort of possible inroad to mom or dad, an ally of sorts. in the family. I remember Aunt Val seemed like a grown up kid. Not that she was childish, hardly, but that she was fun; always had the latest game for us to try and always brought with her a new recipe she had just discovered. She was always clipping them out of the paper and sending Grammy one. When they'd be down from Seattle (Alkai Point), she and Mom (Grammy) would go get the needed ingredients and then we'd have something great, later. She always had time for me. She would always have some cute little unique gift for me when they'd come down for a visit; a little charm, or a little apron with pockets for my crayons, or when I was bigger a little flask of perfume. She was a very special aunt. I think because she didn't have any of her own children, she always seemed like "one of the kids" to me. She never took on that bossy business that most moms I knew had. Hahahha...Hey, I'm not talking down moms, "I'M JUST SAYING...."hahaha...she was always laid back and would have that little silent laugh and quiet nod of hers that told me she understood. It was fun! I'm so sorry that I haven't been able to be closer to her as the years have gone on. She was a secretary in the first "high rise" in Seattle when a sizeable earthquake hit in the early 50's, I think it was. She was up there and told of the building swaying back and forth. I was amazed that she was so calm. She never drove a car, but took the bus everywhere. She could go all over Seattle on the bus. (My friend Penny and I got so lost on the bus up there during the '62 World's Fair, but we didn't really care, we were having an adventure and will never forget that!! I was 14 and Penny was 17.) Aunt Val would keep us updated on BoBo the monkey....I don't rmemember if he was an orangatan or a gorilla....or a chimp...I think he was big, though. He was quite well known back then in the 50's and 60's. He was at the Woodland Park Zoo. Aunt Val and I would ride the bus to the Zoo. Well, we also would stop by "Spuds" there on Admiralty Way. I think it's still there, across the street from the Sound, the cold, cold Sound!
Well, its been fun remembering back.....Oh I have lots of stories about Seattle, actually not so much stories as just beautiful memories of the beauty there. Schmitz Park was their backyard. I remember going down through there with Grammy, just she and I before I was old enough to be scared. It was unmarred by walkways, just a path you could sort of follow if careful. It was gorgeous! When the sun shone, those shafts of sunlight would pierce the dense wood with such beauty. It was a fairyland in there. You felt totally away from civilization. A perfect place for solitude and meditation....but I was a kid and most anyplace could be good for that! Isn't that what kids do best?? Think about it, you're out in the yard, any space large or small where there's grass and dirt.....I had a memory come back to me once, and only once, when I could "feel" what I felt then.... squatting on my heels, you know sitting on the back of my heels, with the sun warm on my back and watching little bugs crawling around, tending to their business. The sense of being unaware of time was such an interesting memory. I haven't been able to recapture that momentary memory again, but it was really wondrous! We adults are of course consumed with time ..it was great for an instant to be back in that "timeless" moment.
Well, darn it, speaking of time, it's marching on and I'd better get going~ Love you all, and come back for another trip down my memory lane. I don't spend much time there...so it's nice to take time to tell you about how things used to be. I especially want to tell you what I remember about the relatives that I knew. I'll do that each day. I want to tell you all I remember so when you want to know, the info will be there. I know that when someone has passed on, you think of all the things you wish you would've asked them. At times, I've for an instant thought, "Oh, I'll ask Mema about that......WHAT???? I can't!!! " So, I'll try to think of things you may want to know in the future. Bye for now, and love you always. Like Mema used to always say to me, "Darla, I love you.....I've ALWAYS loved you!" It was so sweet the way she'd tell me, too. I love her, I've always loved her." ........sniff. i miss her.
posted by Dar | 6:08 AM
3 Comments:
Mom, that was really fun to read!! I am typing with one hand because Ellie is falling asleep in the other. Good stories about Aunt Val. I think about her every now and again and wonder how she is doing. After that visit down to Grammy's I knew she would never be coming back. That was really sad for her. I hope all is well with her.
Thanks Mom, I'm tearing up just thinking about how I miss Mema too! She was such a constant in our lives - her attitude towards us never changed - you could count on her demeanor to never change and I really appreciated that. I also remember how Aunt Val would have that knowing nod and snicker almost. I loved that because I wanted to laugh too and you just had to look over at her and she was doing it for us. It would have been disrespectful for us to display our feelings like that at certain times (with Papa around) so she took care of it for us. Great memories.
Barbie, I appreciated your comments about Mema and Papa...thanks for posting! Love you! Mom We would love to go to "salad" with you and Jim when you get back. Ok?
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