We started out today with breakfast at Mimi's with Grampa Dave. Dave married my Mom about 19 (or so) years ago and had been so kind and so loving to my Mother. And although she went home to be with the Lord several years ago, Dave has stayed a part of our family as if he'd been around us forever. He still lives in the house where I grew up and has taken good care of it since she passed. It's always interesting to go back and see the ever-so-small room that my sister and I lived in for so many years and shared a closet that was incredibly small for 2 girls. I remember well coming home past curfew and jimmying the window by the front door to get into my room quietly so as not to wake up my Mom and get in trouble.
Chrissy, Dave's dog.
She could barely hop onto the couch. Hiper dog!
Seeing the old house flooded my mind with a ton of memories, as it usually does when I go there. It's just been a while since I'd been there. My old bedroom which my sister and I shared was so small, I'm thinking 10' by 10' , with a closet the size only meant for perhaps, "thoughts" and not 2 teenager girls ' shoes, clothes, belts, jackets and stuff. That is just wrong and no teenager girl should EVER have to go thru that!!! But seriously, this home is probably 1,000 sq. feet if that. My Mom's ashes sit on a shelf in this room now, which feels weird. I kissed her urn and that made me feel good. This was the room where boys broke my heart, Mom and I would laugh till we cried, I jimmy'd the window coming home past curfew, I talked with boys all night long and bought my first stereo with very large speakers. This is the room where posters covered the wall of John Travolta, Andy Gibb and Leif Garret. When I married John Travolta, my life was going to change. Oh boy would it have. I would have been thrown into depression trying to figure out if and when I would have a personality with this Scientology crap. I'm glad I didn't marry John Travolta and waited on a bench for the real man of my dreams ... my David!
My Kindergarten Room. Mrs. McGinnis was her name. And my crush was "Persie".
I found something I've been looking for ... I'm so excited.
There has been a box full of record albums that I've had since I was a teenager and also albums that were passed on to me that are from the 60's that I thought were lost from my Mom's garage. About every few years I'd ask Dave if my box of albums have been found or seen in the garage ... and this time he said they HAVE been found. I am so thrilled about this because these are deep memories for me. Ive often thought it'd be so cool to have a turntable at home and play some of these. I know as a very tiny tot, my Mom and I would clean our very VERY small apartment while listening to some of these albums. Imagine Dusty Springfield, Sarah Vaughn, Eydie Gorme and Los Panchos...I think that is why I love music so much. It makes me feel close to my Mom. Those early days were probably the most precious because as we grew older and while trying to "find herself", life became exponentially complicated. Those early days with record playing, house cleaning and her poofy, black, long hairdo and smiles were precious and I had no idea that they would be long gone. Looking back now, I think my Mom was suffering depression and just struggling to make our lives as good as they could be.
I found it unfair that my Dad would pick me up for the weekend in his shiny and new convertible sports car and take us to fun places while my Mom stayed home just trying to keep herself together. I found it uncomfortable to respond to my Mom asking me "what did you do" with Dad and telling her about his girlfriend and the new bracelet he bought me. I wish I knew then what I know now. Don't we all! I would have comforted her more ... Chaos sometimes ensued, but she was always doing her best to make great memories for us girls. Okay, back to the albums. I know my husband has heard me talk about these for years and I think he's kinda bored with it when I've brought this subject up.
Check these babies out ... and I have a box full of 'em.
Porgy and Bess ... The Original Soundtrack
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Paul Revere and the Raiders ... and more
Ella Fitzgerald ... Sings Gershwin
Miles Davis ... In Person in San Francisco
Aretha Arrives
Tommy Dorsey and his Clambake Seven
Nat King cole ... Welcome To The Club
Christmastime with Gene Autry
And these are just a few. I've got 60 more albums in the box that I'll have to polish off and see what kind of condition they are in.
Big scratch on this one. Looky here kids ... this is an old fashion IPOD and CD. Try sticking THIS in your pocket!
Nat King Cole ... The Very Thought of You
Nat King Cole ... Singing the Blues
Brandon and I in Pasadena
2 comments:
I am offended by your dissing of Scientology when you don't seem to know the first thing about it. That is obscene!
Otherwise a nice blog.
Dear "Anonymous",
It's interesting that you are bold enough to comment as an anonymous lurker rather than saying who you are. I'm offended by that. I'm offended that you're offended that you think I don't know the first thing about it. How would you know I don't? I in fact do know a whole lot about it ... enough to be able to comment accordingly.
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