Saturday, September 5, 2009

The Most Marvelous Magic of All: A Family


My parents are visiting me this weekend to participate in a family reunion for the maternal side of our family. As the sole, surviving matriarch of the J. clan, Mom will be missing the physical presence of her three brothers and three sisters who have passed on, but she will certainly be enjoying the company of their children. I will be enjoying their company, too! (My cousins are cool.)

On Sunday we plan to read some excerpts from my grandma's handwritten autobiography and share some of our favorite memories about her. I can't wait to find out if my cousins remember her as vividly as I do and whether our memories are similar or whether we perceived her differently.


Of course, we don't remember her like this.


But the handsome guy in this photograph does.

(Sadly, Grandpa J. died when my mom was only 10, but he and Grandma have been together again for many years.)

One of the best things of all is that every one my children is able to be here but the youngest, who couldn't get away from his studies and laboratory duties in Arizona. (We miss ya, Todd!) My grandkids spent most of the day in the pool, and we had one of those perfect, late-summer days, complete with full moon, pizza, and a trip to the magic tree. You know I'm in heaven.


And so are they!


(The magic tree is big stuff.)

And yet, the nicest thing that's happened to me so far has nothing to do with any of that. The very nicest thing came in the form of a handmade gift from my mother. Despite the ever-present pain in her fingers, she crocheted me a washcloth for my face, one which I will never use.
Sorry, mom.


It seems that some things are just too precious to be used


for anything so ordinary as washing a face.

When that happens, you simply keep them for the treasures they are.

7 comments:

Karen said...

I love getting together with the family! Hope you have a ball and get some good stories. And yes, some of those things are too precious to use everday - I still have the pillowcases Ken's Grandma Cole stitched for us and always keep them nice because they were about the last set she did, we sure miss her.

Snarky Belle said...

I love all of your posts about family! I also love the magic tree and your treasures! Have a great time.

And, your blog looks fantastic!!!! It is soooooo you!!

Grandma Honey said...

I've been looking at old pictures of our relatives this week and I also notice the women are standing and the men are sitting like you have in your picture. I wonder why that was.

Anonymous said...

Fun new look! I love it when I remember to see the magic in my family past present and future.

Karen Sue said...

My friend took a couple of lace doilies that her mom made and hade them framed on a dark background and hung them on the wall. They are beautiful.

Unknown said...

You new blog background is perfect!
I love that you will be spending this Labor day weekend with those you love. Have a great time!

Em said...

cute new page sue!!! i love all of the bells and whistles:-) whenever i get overwhelmed with my desire to have lots of children but feel completely insuficient to ever accomplish such a task i envision my family all grown up. i see lots of children. grateful to have all been born. then i see myself, tired and worn out, but in a REALLY great way. then i take it one day at a time and think, "an only child can totally produce a family full of children." that's what i was thinking about reading your post. funny, i know.