why is it that my children were shocked
when i told them that i was born ‘before ranch’ (b.r.)?
shock and awe that i was alive when
cap’n crunch, doritos, $100,00 bars, pop tarts, ding dongs, cool whip, count chocula, and more
came to be
back in the day when food fell into the
quick, easy, greasy, crunchy, sweet, and fun category
and lived to tell.
—
“my mouth doesn’t want to be quiet.”
-greta, age 4
Toy Department during Christmas season in the J.L. Hudson store, Detroit – 1957
loved this view of the toy department at the store during the Christmas season.
toys were displayed on shelves, tables, and display cases,
with decorations featuring elves, a sleigh, and reindeer in background.
—
this is where i went every year
all dressed up fancy
to buy little gifts (with help from the elves) for my family
to see santa
to have a special lunch
always, always amazed
by the glamour and magic of it all.
—
“like snowflakes, my christmas memories gather and dance –
each, beautiful, unique, and gone too soon.
-deborah whipp
—
credits: detroit memories, linda yates rudnicki, j.l. hudson’s
not me, nor anyone in my family, but i love the spirit of ‘pocket pancaking’
all families are unique, with their own quirks, traditions, and ways of communicating – and the holiday season often serves as the perfect showcase for these interconnected elements. so when tonight show host, jimmy fallon asked his viewers to tweet funny examples using hashtag #myfamilyisweird, the responses did not disappoint. one person shared their relatives’ tradition of hiding leftover pancakes in each other’s pockets, while another posted a photo of a ‘hideous hand-me-down elf ornament their mother keeps trying to throw away each year, but hilariously ends up back on the tree. customs we cultivate with our kin can do more than just make us laugh, studies have long shown that establishing family routines and rituals positively benefits our health, relationships and well-being.
does your family have any unusual traditions? in my family we had a super creepy automotron mange-y looking furry toy cat that kept coming back. we bought it for a visiting grandie and just thought it was an ordinary stuffed animal, but what we soon discovered was that it would move or make noise at random times. people who received this gift ending up reporting that they kept in their garage or basement or closet, because it creeped them out so much. even with all that, they housed if for a full year, just for the opportunity to ‘gift it’ to someone else in family at the next christmas gathering. people went to great lengths to disguise it when wrapping, so the recipient would let down their guard and open it. we gifted it back and forth to each other for many years, until one year it just disappeared….
“remember as far as anyone knows we’re a nice, normal family.”
— homer Ssmpson
my grandson stargazing in a night field
—
i met my ex-husband many years ago
a man with a brilliant mind
who taught me myriad things
among them
oceanography, astronomy, photography
astrophotography
my grandson
never met his (now late) grandfather
yet all these years later
he put together one of his old telescopes
taking it upon himself
to learn astrophotography
he has become a stargazer
two generations later
his grandfather
would have been thrilled and so proud of him
proving once again that
everything in the universe is truly connected
most in ways we cannot even begin to imagine.
—
“Science is the one human activity that is truly progressive.
The body of positive knowledge is transmitted from generation to generation.”
― Edwin Powell Hubble, The Realm of the Nebulae
(not us, but somewhat similar if your glasses are off)
—
this is a day late
and a million or so dollars short
but we all came together
at exactly the right time.
—
“here’s to good women. may we know them. may we be them. may we raise them.”
love, yourmom
this film.
i recently saw it with one daughter and two grandies
based on a youtube character created by comedians who were bored at a wedding
with low expectations, just wanting to be entertained
i was not prepared for this poignant, sweet, sad, funny, and heartwarming story
a documentary with a perfect blend of stop-action and live-action film
you may recognize some of the humans who appear on the screen
not an action film but fully a reaction film
give it time, it’s slow, it’s quiet, it’s incredibly touching, and will enchant all ages
it’s seeing the world through marcel’s tiny eyes,
as he deals with joy, love, loss, fear, grief, courage, and a renewal of life
reminding us of the importance of family, friendship, support, and connections of all kinds.
–
This poem, The Trees, by Phillip Larkin, was read at a pivotal point in the film and is so fitting:
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the six-pack is back
hard to get
the grandies all in place at one time
bigger and better than ever
along with sweet dog, nia
now one of the pack.
“one who doesn’t roll the dice can never expect to score a six.”
naviot singh sidhu
ailyak – the end of a day with family on glen lake
—
ailyak:
the subtle art of doing everything calmly and without rushing, whilst enjoying the experience and life in general.
-origin: bulgarian
—
glen lake, empire, michigan, usa 2022
here’s to the dads and dad-ishes of the world
—
“remember: what dad really wants is a nap.
really.
-dave barry
—
image credit: gary larson the far side
much love to my three daughters, each one now a mother too, on mothers day.
even if i only rarely called you by your right name on the first try.
—
“mothers are not the nameless,
faceless stereotypes
who appear once a year on a greeting card with their virtues set to prose,
but women who have been dealt a hand for life
and play each card one at a time the best way they know how.
no mother is all good or all bad,
all laughing or all serious,
all loving or all angry,
ambivalence rushes through their veins.”
-erma bombeck
I didn't have my glasses on.... 