a scan a day

Easter, 1965

My dad sent over some scans yesterday that are so amazing I can’t even believe they’re real. (The colors!) My mom made my dress. I’ll bet those sleeves gave her fits.

nice purse, redux, c. 1964

Here’s the other one for comparison.

I still love little purses.

That face! (I know it’s mine, but it still kills me.)

grandma, christmas, 1966

My last scan got me in hot water with someone very dear to me. Well, not the scan, it was the accompanying text. (In my defense, there is an enormous difference between ‘horrific’ & ‘said something horrific’.)

Love you!

another party at grandma’s, 1971

My recollection of this is hazy, because it’s a long time ago, but the wall across from Grandma’s bar — near the lady in the black pantsuit — was filled with personal notes & drawings from friends. And they weren’t tacked to the wall, but were actually written & drawn directly ON the wall. I vaguely recall my mom insisting that she cover this wall whenever her grandkids were visiting — whatever was there was not suitable for young eyes, but she didn’t always cover it, and I used to read it sometimes.

I know, pics or it didn’t happen. But sometimes, the memory is all we have.

party at grandma’s, 1969

Apartment life always seemed glamorous to me because of my grandma. She lived in apartments when I was growing up & even though I was young, I knew she was cool. Grandma was a classically trained pianist who also knew all of the popular songs of her era. She loved to sing & play & she really was the life of the party. She used to tell me she smoked “marijuana” with the “jazz guys” in the ’20s. I look at this picture & I believe her.

Christmas, Houston, TX, late ’60s

Coupla things about this picture:

• That baby grand was the only piece of furniture in our living room;

• I helped my mom make those choir ‘dolls’ perched on the piano — I folded the magazine pages that made up the body & my mom spray-painted them red, added doilies, a styrofoam ball & some yarn & felt & voilà — Christmas deco on the cheap;

• I made the ‘jewelry box’ my mom is holding, her Christmas present from me — out of a cigar box, macaroni & again w/ the spray paint, this time gold (bonus: she still has it);

• If I know my mom, she was feeling ‘fat’ that day — thus, the muumuu — but omg, I love it.

generations, 2008 & 1965

Father & daughter, brother & niece. The nuts & raisins don’t fall far from the tree.