Sunday, October 19, 2008

Jeanette, June, John


Jeanette, June, John
Originally uploaded by jhhymas
I have been thinking about my parents and my family--and memory. This picture was taken circa 1951. This is not our house and I don't know whose it is. This photo was taken in the Schenectady, NY, area (was it your house??) and looks like the ones we took with our Brownie Reflex. (I got myself one of those last year from eBay, but still need to get some film.) I am in the center, in a dress I made of iridescent blue fabric. Rayon, I think. It may have been one of the items I sloshed in dry-cleaning fluid and then hung out in the barn to dry. (Did anyone else ever do anything quite as dumb?) If I was going to make something, I might have chosen washable fabric. Maybe someone gave me the yard goods? How much I have forgotten. . .
Our friend, Jeanette is on the left. She was a couple of years younger than I. I haven't heard from her yet (she lets email clump up in the box) but hope she will remember something more.
My brother John, six years younger, is on the right. He can't remember the place, but says he remembers well the joy of finding something to be interested in while dressed in Sunday clothes.
Am I holding a game? Are we playing with pencil and paper? What does a Ouija board look like? We didn't have one (or did we?) but the owners of the mystery house might have.
Tonight my husband talked to my grandson on the phone and recalled a time maybe fifteen years ago when we went with my grandsons and their widowed mother to see the eldest one play T-Ball. It was just supposed to be practice, not competition, but somehow my grandson got called out. It made him cry, his mother angry, and we all went home. I had completely forgotten about this outing. My husband is a big repository of this stuff: who we had over for dinner, what we ate, what movies we went to see and with whom. Most of this stuff is not in my databank at all. Sometimes, under his coaching, I get a memory trace, that's all. But many other things I remember in great detail. What do you remember. What incomplete stories do your family photos tell? Sleep tight.

2 comments:

  1. June, I have two comments. First, I don't know if you will consider this a compliment or an insult but the first thing that crossed my mind when I looked at your photo was my goodness, June looks like a fifties version of Sarah Beauty Queen Palin.

    Second, isn't it funny how two people who have walked down the road of life together for many many years have such totally different memories of the same jointly shared events. In the Joann and Jack marriage I'm the one with the complete in minute detail data bank while my husband can't even remember sometimes the big picture let alone any details. Now how can this be? I just don't know.

    Obviously different people have differents memory wants and needs. For some the details aren't in focus at all I think. But this doesn't fit you. Your blogs are always in great detail and with many memories of the past.

    In this instance maybe this was such a bothersome life episode that you just totally blocked it from your conscious mind till your husband reminded you of it after all these years.

    Don't really know. But hope you had a great weekend. We had wonderful weather this weekend and the leaves are turning.

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  2. I think it is the glasses. Palin's are sort of retro. Maybe that;s why my husband, who is not really a style maven,says she looks "dated." And I had forgotten how shiny my hair was; people always used to say that. I had a cute little waist, too, that's gone now. But even now, I would make a better president than she would. I find it terrifying; McCain is MY age and I'm too tired to be president. Think of all the things you have to do and can't get out of! And all the terrifying important decisions. You really would need aides you could trust. Arghhh.
    My husband has forgotten nine million interesting things that I've told him. He really prefers anything to do with family, our homes, or cooking. That's what he focuses on, and his data bank is very good. Since we got this place, he has even become interested in the names of wildflowers and trees. I am sorry to report (after reading of your giant food fest party)that I am not very interested in cooking. I do like the dishes, pottery and china. . .

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