This is a photo of my Grandma, my Mom and my Aunt. I'm guessing it was taken around 1939. I don't know much about my maternal grandmother. I've always had the feeling that my mother's family lived in another dimension. My mother was raised with absolutely no street smarts whatsoever. Sometimes, I think she would have lived longer if she had had a little more of an edge to her.
When my mom described her childhood, it was as if she grew-up in an old movie. All the girls were named Patsy and Betsy and they had sewing clubs and the worst swear they ever said, was "road apple". My mom told us that on Saturday nights she and her family would act out plays or play charades. I can't even imagine that world, but I remember being jealous of the stability and security of her former life.
Once when I was nine, my neighbor told one of my friends that I didn't have a dad. I was so pissed-off that I told him, "Yes, I do too have a dad. What do you think my mom did, fucked a tree?"
My middle sister ran home and ratted me out. I was horrified, of course, because I knew my mom didn't swear (okay, when she was really mad, she said, "Damnit to hell!") and hated vulgarity. I felt a little protective of her, but I think in some ways she was glad I was tougher and overly sassy. According to my oldest sister, my mom had to wait a few minutes to stop laughing before she called me in to punish me.
17 comments:
Churlita,
Was that an Oak tre and you were an acorn.
She could have switched you with a willow twig for punishment.
It sounds like you no longer arbor any resentments.
;-)
rel
Nice, tree porn.
Rel,
I changed the title of the post. It was some song lyrics that didn't really fit. My mom didn't use physical punishment after I was about 6. I do appreciate all the tree references, though. Maybe that's why I've always been such a tree hugger.
Killer,
Yeah, I have no idea why I said "tree" back then. You never know, there probably is a big market for tree porn somewhere. EVerything else has been done.
I'm not sure what a road apple is?
Margaret,
It's horse poop, from back in the days when people rode in horse and buggies instead of cars.
Just a quick note to let you know that due to changes off-line I am not going to have the time to blog like I used to and Mi.Minutia has gone on hiatus. I just wanted to stop by with a personal goodbye (beyond the one I just posted at MiMinutia). I enjoyed getting to know you and reading your site. Thanks for reading mine. Maybe, if and when things ease up off-line, I'll see you again someday. Until then...
Bice,
I was worried things might be really hard for you right now. I'll keep checking in to see if you've written. Family always comes first, but I really enjoyed reading your blog and I hope you at least keep writing somewhere.
I hope things get better soon for you.
simply ungoogleable...made me think of that song simly irrisistable....ha..
I have been away for the Australia Day long weekend...had a great time....I see you solved your uploading pics prob...
I think I got some good beach pics while away....I'll put some up this week :)
Les,
That Ungoogleable thing is a reference to my old blog which stupidly had my name in the URL, thus making it easy for people I may or may not have wanted to google me and find my blog.
I can't wait to check out your beach pics.
Hey churlita:
I found you via a number of other blogs that we both seem to frequent(killer Bice and a few others I think.) Finally making it around to stop in and look around. Funny story, I can definitely see your mom laughing for a while before composing herself to 'punish' you.
BD
Now I am off to read a bit more.
Brilliant Donkey,
Thanks for reading and commenting. I just checked out your blog and it's really funny.
Great story!
I have started my new blog, by the way (it's me, Exclamation Mark).
As a comment on your previous post: My early life was crowded with nuns! Catholic church, Catholic school, and just about everyone in my family (including me) worked at the Catholic hospital (St. Joseph's) at one time or another.
Nuns are an interesting lot. When I bought my first house my neighbor was an ex-nun. My only strong memory of her is one day she was cutting across my lawn to visit another neighbor while I was trying to get a baby bird out of my cat's mouth. When the cat got away from me and mauled the bird, I yelled, "Damn it!" very loudly before I realized she was there. When I turned around she was looking at me compassionately and simply said, "It's nature way." I nodded and she moved on.
Dante, (I love the idea of writing to Dante)
It's funny, because that ex-nun I wrote about is originally from the Big O too. She converted to Catholicism when she went to O Heights and worked at St Joe's.
Tomorrow I'll link your new blog for sure. I only looked at if for a minute, but I like it already.
Yeah, I think the new blog will be fun and sort of spooky.
I bet there's a good chance I've run into the nun you speak of at one time or another.
Dante,
You may know her family memmbers too. Her niece graduated with my brother's class. She, herself is about ten years older than we are.
A tree hugger??? Sounds more like a tree bugger!
Best piece of ash Momma ever had...
So, Dad had a big woodie, and then....
I always wondered about that "branch" of your family tree.
I bet gramma was mad when your mom used to come home with sawdust on her...but her bark was worse than her bite.
Gives a whole new perspective on "cutting your own switch".
(Somebody stop me!! Theres one coming using the word "woodpecker"!)
T.
Bro-in-law,
That was so funny. I bet you got a million of 'em.
Did you bring the flask into work today?
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