We used to visit them in the Blue Mountains outside of Walla Walla, Washington. Summer vacations where my mom would ship my sister and I off with grandpa to visit relatives in Idaho and Washington for weeks at a time. Concentrated time in a smokey minivan with my annoying little sister and only a notebook and walkman for company. It's a miracle we survived.
I remember spending time in my great aunt and uncle's small cabin, a rustic A-frame across from the tiny ski chalet, where I would burrow in an arm chair reading soggy novels and ignore complaints that as a young person, I should be in the great outdoors(!). We suffered through enjoyed nature hikes and drives, searching for wildlife like elk and deer for hours on end. We endured Aunt Carolyn's Julia Child* impressions as she prepared cold meatloaf sandwiches for lunch. Like I said, we survived.
Twenty years later, we sat tonight visiting, eating sandwiches and pie, and among other things, talking about light. Carolyn and I both kvetched about the dimness of our homes at certain points of the day, and how much light makes a difference for mood.
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| BlogHer's NaBloPoMo May 2015 prompt for May 9- Light |
I got to thinking, as I watched four generations interact, how people can bring such love and light into our lives, especially when things seem dim. Like Lady A, all 16 months of her, running around with exuberant toddler joy at everything from Grandma's mixing bowls pulled aggressively from the cupboard to the not-hidden-well-enough remote control. Or Carolyn, Arnold and my grandpa, reminiscing about childhood scrapes and farm life discipline in the 1930s. Although in the sunset part of life and dealing with serious health issues, their stories, nostalgia and humor made my heart warm.
xoxo,
shawna
* It occurs to me that the Julia impressions went over our young heads. Now that I've read "Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child" and fallen in love with that crazy cook, I wish I could go back in time and enjoy the humor!
NaBloPoMo May 2015
May 1- To selfie or not to selfie
May 2- Helping things grow
May 3- All the feels
May 4- When your imagination wears you out
May 5- 'How Porcupines Make Love': Because, why not?
May 6- A man who makes me laugh
May 7- That elusive quality of nature
May 8- Sky Ops Surprise: That one time I was an under-cover agentLabels: BlogHer, brothers, family, history, hydrangea, light, love, May 2015, NaBloPoMo, nostalgia, personal, siblings, sisters, summer vacation, Walla Walla
