My joy: January 2021

Thursday, January 28, 2021

486

Mom's home as a young girl

Nana and Grampy's home

Dad & Grampy's Real Estate and Insurance businesses

Mom and Dot's store

Kerry's dance studio

Dad's home

Kerry's home

Rick's home

Mom's home

My home

Now that my grandparents are gone...and all the family businesses are gone...and my Mom is no longer there either...the house doesn't feel like home to me anymore. And it's time to sell.

All Mom's knickknacks and things that brought her happiness, laughter and joy may look like clutter to some...but not to us. We know that each and every thing she had on display in her home were precious and meaningful to her...and her treasures are our treasures now...

I remember...

my Nana in the kitchen giving us donuts and milk after church

my Nana and Grampy sitting in their living room chairs watching me play with my toys on the floor after preschool

Grampy following us around the house and yard with his camera taking pictures as we played

family holiday dinners in the front hall with my Nana's famous Waldorf Salad and Grampy "stealing" food off our plates

Grampy showing old home movies and slide shows in his office

riding the cement "horses" at the entrance to the cemetery

playing Lost and Space on the glider with my siblings

laying on the couch in the living room watching PBS and reruns of Bewitched when I was home sick from elementary school...and my Dad bringing me peppermint candy sticks from Clark's Pharmacy

visiting my Dad in his front office

visiting my Mom in her store

years of dance lessons in the studio out back

living in my haunted 3rd floor apartment

visiting Mom in her second floor apartment

and of course spending time with Mom in her home on the first floor

To me the house has become a shell of what it used to be. It's now just a stripped down version of what it was...but it's still a beautiful old home with lots of character and awesome family memories.

The kitchen still has the original cabinets and countertops. I would know the sound of those drawers and cabinets opening and closing anywhere...

The bathroom also has the original cabinets and countertop. I remember the scent of my Nana's Ponds cold cream that she had on the counter. When I was a little girl, I would twist the top open and smell it every time we were there to visit. I have some in my own bathroom now just because that scent will always remind me of her.

My Mom's dining room used to be my Nana's living room where I would play and watch TV...

This used to be my Grandfather's office which became my Mom's bedroom. My Mom and I share the love of the color yellow...

The front hall is where we had all those family holiday dinners. My grandparents would set up a long table and we would sit there for what felt like hours enjoying delicious home cooked meals my Nana and Mom prepared. We have literally hundreds of pictures and even some videos from my Mom's childhood of her in this great room going to high school dances, hanging with girlfriends, going on dates and on her wedding day.

This small front room was where my Mom had her desk for so many years...first with the Children's Clothes Closet and then it was her place to play her beloved computer games. She loved to keep watch out those windows...

This room used to be the middle room of her children's consignment shop which became her living room. I can still picture her sitting there on the end of the couch, sipping on her coffee with her TV table watching her favorite TV shows...

Kerry's old studio...such amazing memories and friendships were made in there...and how wonderful it was for Julia to be able to dance there too so many years later. It's very ironic that it's now her senior year of high school and the last year she'll need to use it for her solos. Life has really come full circle.

What a gift Nana, Grampy and Mom have given us. Beautiful memories that will last the span of our lifetimes.

Saturday, January 23, 2021

Happy Birthday Sister Kerry

My favorite picture of my sister and Mama...

Happy Birthday Sister!! xoxo

Sacred Heart University

She got in!!!!! We are so unbelievably proud of our girl!!! This was the most competitive nursing program she applied to and her favorite school other than Endicott. Only a 40% acceptance rate for the nursing program and you have to be seated your freshman year otherwise you don't get in.

She also received the highest merit scholarship, the President's Excellence Award, plus additional money for the dance program...for a total of $20,000 a year!