I look in the mirror through the
eyes of the child that was me.
-- Judy Collins
So the other day I sat enjoying Sean Dietrich's daily post, when a certain paragraph bulls-eyed its way into my consciousness:
"Have you ever noticed how today's old folk look younger than your grandparents looked? When my granddaddy hit 55 he retired and began pulling his pants up to his nipples. He looked old, and sat in a rocking chair. By the time he was 70 there was moss growing on the north side of his shoulders."
I can't say why.
But I've been thinking a lot about my grandparents lately. Which is odd, given the precious little time I spent with them. Like great-grand's oversize end tables sitting in my childhood home like benevolent sentinels. There, but largely unnoticed.
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| 1954: Paternal Grandmother Willer (74 y/o) ..... in her ever-present glass beads and sensible black shoes. Funny -- my favorite pair of lace-ups look remarkably similar to those she's wearing! |
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| 1956: Maternal Grandparents Hanson (ages 70 and 64) A farmer all his life, if my grandfather wasn't clad in bib overalls he enjoyed dressing 'up' -- even driving from Minnesota to New Mexico in an UNairconditioned sedan. I've no idea what my grandmother kept in the little brown bag, but like her handbag, she normally kept one at the ready. And her shirtwaist? I don't think I once saw her in slacks. I'll bet she didn't even own any! ... which brings another memory bubbling up to the surface. On our family's '57 trip to Europe, I remember being taunted, and called "boy! boy!" by the French children because my mother had the audicity (*smile*) to dress me in slacks that day. * * * Ugh, sorry for rambling. I've no particular beginning or end to this post. In fact, I woke up this morning feeling like I was back in high school, totally unprepared for an exam. So winding things down ... Do any of these ring a bell? There were coats ... and then there were car coats House coats (i.e., dusters) Shoe horns ("You're going to ruin your shoes if you keep stuffing your feet in like that!") Play clothes ("Get right out of your school clothes/Sunday clothes and put on your play clothes.") Reminds me of a favorite Chris Young song: |
I wonder, when my own granddaughters think of me what they'll remember?
Que sera sera!
Hugs, Myra
I think your grand-daughter will remember you as a kind and fun person. Because that;s how you come across in your posts.
ReplyDeleteYes, sometimes, for no reason at all our memories tend to recall past times and past people who were in our lives; like parents, grand-parents, teachers, old friends and so on. I think God gives us an opportunity to pray and be thankful for their effect on our lives. Their absence in our hearts right now means their presence affected our lives positively in the past.
God bless you and all your family, Mevely.
What a kind thing to say! Thank you, Victor!
DeleteLove this Myra! It is odd that people of the same age look older the further back in time we go. That is something I think about all the time when I see photos of my grandparents and know I'm about the age they were in some of them. I mean I don't look great for my age but certainly don't look as old as they did. I seriously doubt that our grandmothers owned slacks, I sure don't remember ever seeing mine wear any. It's also funny how people dressed up for certain things like traveling, doctors appointments and of course for church - church I understand, the others not so much, although many people attend very casually these days. I even remember my mother making me dress to the hilt for those occasions when I was young. All of the things you asked about most definitely ring a bell!
ReplyDeletePlease let us know how everything went today, hugs and prayers!
Um, good and 'not so' ... I'll blog about that in a few days.
DeleteYour words have prompted another memory! When in the 50's my mother visited Denver or Chicago's downtown stores she always dressed up ... and even wore white gloves!
Loved the pictures of you with both sets of your grandparents! My mom didn't start wearing pants until she was in her 60s so I could see that your grandmother might not have owned a pair of them!! It is funny how memories work and what stirs up in them. I know lately I've remembered things from years ago growing up that I hadn't thought of in ages!
ReplyDeletebetty
Thanks, Betty! Isn't it curious what little nuances can trigger a flood of memories?
DeleteI remember all those things, though my (maternal) grandmother wore slacks quite often. (Do kids today even know what "slacks" are?) I think about what Sean was saying all the time. My grandmother was younger than I am now when I was born (only in her late 40's) but she looked like an old woman even then. She didn't act like one, though!
ReplyDeleteI know, right? Even pictures of my dad he looks 'old' and was 2 years younger than I am now when he passed!
DeleteI haven't really thought about it, but my grandparents DID look a lot older than the same age group today. And lets not even talk about Joe being 83 next month!! When it is mentioned that 60 is the new 40 there is some truth in that! Fun post!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Terri! I wonder what the new 70 should be dubbed? ... Or 80?
DeleteOkay sweetheart, I loved this one:
ReplyDeleteI woke up this morning feeling like I was back in high school, totally unprepared for an exam.
I still have a shoe horn!!! Loved the pictures, I never knew a grandpa, but my grandmas were there. Especially Granny Lloyd, she always had a nickle for me. LOL I enjoy your memories, many sure do click!
Love from Gary Indiana...
Sherry, jack & JJ, 'On the Road' ( well not right now. LOL)
Thank you so much, Jack! I love when you share your childhood memories. Hope you'll be back on the road SOON!
DeleteYes, older people generally tend to look more youthful nowadays.
ReplyDeleteWhen looking at family photo albums, most of the people looked ancient by the time they were in their 30s or 40s - - especially my European relatives. Some of the teenagers looked 50.....
Both of my Hungarian grandmothers always wore house dresses and aprons. None of the women would ever dare to wear slacks.
Sad to realize most of those folk -- particularly your European kin -- had good reason to look ancient. How my mother loved her housedresses/coats. And she always wore an apron while in the kitchen.
DeleteYou know we have a restaurant here called Cracker Barrel - you probably have one too - I look at all those older pictures and I do wonder myself why those people look so old and so serious!
ReplyDeleteMy grandma never owned pants either! Either one of them.
Oh yes. The Cracker Barrel's decor is something! Always entertaining to look at those faces and fantasize.
DeleteSomehow, our grandparents do look so much older than we do in this generation. Maybe, it was the fact that their lives did not have the conveniences which ours have, and they simply got "worn out" with all they had to do. And no, I have not a single memory of my grandmothers wearing anything but dresses! Boy, how times have changed, and not always for the better, I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Myra!
I think you've hit the nail on the head, Martha. Yep, they were 'worn out' from the sheer effort of living day to day. How blessed we are!
DeleteThank you Myra. My grandmother, bless her, always wore clamdiggers or bermuda short in the summer. And guess who else does? Yeah...weird. sigh
ReplyDeleteHave a great day friend.
Wow - a woman before her time! I think what we called 'peddle pushers' were the same as clamdiggers?
DeleteLove seeing your pictures with your grandparents. I don't have any at all/ Lots of when I was young and them separately but not together. I remember telling my mom she was to skinny to be a grandmother as my own grandmother had an ample lap. I loved being cuddled up with her. Times have changed and grandparents don't look anything like they used to, but no less loved for sure. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteHow cute, your mommy being 'too skinny' to be a grandma! I do love the thought of cuddling on someone's ample lap.
DeleteI had decided I wasn't going to read in blog because I might say something ugly because I feel so bad and so upset but I decided to see what you were doing with throwback and I'm glad I did because I love these photos and it's very interesting and for some reason Has Lifted my spirits maybe it's because the second photo c74 and I'm 76 and I don't look anything like that I wear clothes like a teenybopper wears. I think maybe the reason we all look younger than they did is because we don't leave the hard life they did everything they did they had to do it from scratch they had to wash clothes and put them through ringers and hang them out on lines we have gotten younger and younger because we don't work ourselves to death by that age just a theory! My grandmother died at 63 and the other one I think was maybe 65 and they look really old. I like hearing what's on your mind
ReplyDeleteSooo glad you stopped by, my friend. Indeed, our grand and great-grands lived very hard lives. 63 and 65 sound too young to have died. I remember when, "They died of old age" was a perfectly acceptable answer.
DeleteAbout women wearing slacks. My mother did not wear a pair of pants of any kind from the time she married Daddy and 1943 until the mid-70s when pantsuit came in and somebody wore a matching pant suit to church and scandalize the whole truck I think that was about 1979. Now my grandmother who lived here in Florida she didn't wear slacks or jeans or anything like that but she did have capris that she wore when she went outside to pull weeds or when she went to the beach. We did not wear pants until the mid-70s females in Georgia I mean
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThat's funny about the pantsuit wearing lady at church! I think my mother began wearing slacks (never jeans) in the mid-50's ... but even dressing on a dime she managed to look fashionable.
ReplyDeleteI love your photos here. I bought a shoe horn similar to one my dad had most of his life. My mom would not give me one thing of his when he passed away yet my sister has everything now. Oh well, water under the bridge. I have the best memories ever of my dad and always will. My mom did have pedal pushers back in the day! She was tiny so she looked good. Good to be here. HUGS across the miles XO
ReplyDeleteI am at both blogs today or whatever day this is hahahah
That's strange, your mom not giving you any of your daddy's belongings. But ya, like that iconic Bob Hope song goes, "They can't take that away from me."
Deletethe photos of your family are precious indeed. loved seeing them. so many wonderful memories were made. my mother always wore a dress, except in summer when she wore pedal pushers. remember those. until the 1980's i also only wore dresses. it was liberating in the 90's for me to wear pants. i haven't stopped wearing them either. love them.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Terre! Back in my school days, girls weren't allowed to wear slacks. Only in my mid-20's did I become comfortable wearing pantsuits.
DeleteGood to think about what my grands will think of me. I hope it's all the fun times.
ReplyDeleteYou asked where I'm moving. Ohio!
That is a sweet post of memories. I love the photos. I think the younger generation doesn't print out photos and they are so special to look back at.
ReplyDeleteDelightful post!
ReplyDeleteYes, they did not "work" on staying young, back in the day. Perhaps that was a whole lot easier? ~grin~
Today, 'Nanas' are suppose to keep their figures, dye their hair, exercise like mad, wear lots of *natural looking* make up. Etc.
~chuckle~
And then, there's Tasha Tudor. She was still around, not so long ago. She simply aged naturally.
Which sounds better and better, to me. ~smile~
"Beside a babbling brook" blog
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