Thursday, December 16, 2010

Christmas Past

Here is the first time I have ever posted a picture that I did not take. Actually, I have often wondered who did take this shot. It is a picture of my Dad (known as Jackie to this bunch) and his family posing for the camera at Christmas time.
My Dad is the handsome guy in the back looking all suave and cool. To his right is his Mother and to his left is his Father. The young girl and boy are his younger twin siblings and the older couple, his paternal grandparents, who lived with them. Don't they all look spiffy in a retro sorta way? My Aunt Judy is making the cutest face and you can see my great-grandfather's missing fingers (that is a story for another time). Things in this room were much the same even after I was born so I remember the mantel decor, and the tree that always had those crazy, static-y icicle thingys. I also remember that look on my Grandmom's face...I saw that a lot. She was wonderful and we always had a ton of fun (I was the only granddaughter, so we were close), but she was a bit of a perfectionist and a type A person. Looking at this I can't help but wonder what she was thinking, I can make a few good guesses...
                                                 "This was not my idea..."
                                                 "Judy, stop making that fool face!"
                                                 "If we don't hurry here, dinner will not be on time!"
                                                 "Somebody check the thermostat...it's hot in here!"


Family photos are funny and there is nothing like taking a look back in time to put our present day family photos into perspective. I always stress over them and want the perfect shot. I have twisted the arms of my family so many times to get them in a photo. I can never figure out why they fight me...don't they want to be immortalized for future generations? Ha ha!! No!! But they do it anyway, for Mom...and they may or may not smile, but that's OK. For now, I love looking at my family in all of our not-so-perfect family photos. Pictures of my loved ones are some of my prized possessions. I hope they will be cherished by my children and grandchildren and their children and grandchildren. May they enjoy trying to imagine what life was like for us "back in the day".


Here we are this year. Do you see how "suave and cool" is in the genes?


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