A Reflective Day At My House

Our weather is wicked today! No snow, grrrrr. But we have wind that you wouldn't believe! Officially it is blowing at 14 miles per hour and gusting up to 25. I'm guessing it is gusting more like 40, but perhaps it is because this house is on the top of a hill. I donno, but it is really blowing everything around. The snow we got last night was fairly powdery, and it was blowing away early this morning, except for what is caught in the grass. That fog from yesterday has lingered in the valleys between the mountains, occasionally obscuring part or all of the mountains at times. And now is one of those "flying saucer" clouds over the Capitans. Those clouds happen fairly regularly, and I'm assuming it has something to do with the air current around the peaks. Who knows.

I found something at my sister's house that really stirred up memories for me. My niece and I were cleaning and organizing when I found this:





I know it doesn't look like much. Most of you recognize it as a hairpin. It is plastic, about 3 inches long, a heavy duty one as used by women in the middle part of the previous century. It belonged to my grandmother who passed away in 1965 at the grand age of 86. She had long, long hair, silvery grey, which she always wore in a bun at the back of her head. In earlier days she wore it more or less on top of the head, but I suspect her arms were tired of reaching so high and she lowered the bun to a more reachable level.

My grandmother was a wonderful lady. She lived with my family from the time I was about 4 until her death. I never heard her raise her voice. She did housework and cooked, watched after me and my nephew, while my mother, father, and sister worked. She baked bread about every other day. My favorite meal was a slice of her hot bread slathered with butter and a thick slab of Mom's roast beef. That's all, just fold it over and enjoy! Yeah, it sound unhealthy, but in those days, we were far more active and worked or played it off. She also made pies, usually apple or a mean lemon meringue, and sugar cookies that were soooooo good.

My father could have been miserable with his mother-in-law living in the house. But he wasn't. He had the utmost respect for her and appreciated her contribution. Even years after she died, he used to say she was the "finest lady I even had the opportunity to know." She was in incredible person.

Finding this little reminder tucked away was such a blessing. It brought me memories of a time when our lives were difficult in many ways (my family rarely had "enough" money), and yet it was simple and fun. My grandmother's presence was part of the best of the best. I loved having that reminder.

On another note, I got a Christmas card from my brother and sister-in-law who were here in November, and enclosed was a photo my SIL took of my bud and me.


Hmmm. Think there is a family resemblance?