#CPAD #giftsfromtheatticstairs #I think most people have “Aunts”. They don’t have to be related, and they don’t have to be single, or childless, and they don’t have to be of a certain age, or even, for that matter, female, but they do have to have a love for the children (current and past) in their lives. They are often that adult in a child’s life who says “Yes” to gooey treats an hour before dinner, or lets you wander around outside in the snow in the dusk, when a ‘real’ adult would be “tsk- tsk-ing” and worrying you to death. (And sometimes, they are the crotchety old woman next door that scolds everyone for walking on newly seeded grass!) That isn’t to say this person is irresponsible—indeed this man or woman is usually a close friend and confidante of your parents—sometimes, it’s almost like having a bonus set of uber-cool adults who think you are just perfect.
Those aunts in my life were all nearby and I spent a good deal of time with them, and they were all ‘great’ aunts/cousins. Aunts Marse and Edith lived ‘Down Below’ and Aunts Gert and (cousin) Sis lived ‘Up Above’. Then there was of course Cousin Vivienne, in a class all by herself.
When we went to visit Davis Avenue (Up Above, the house my grandfather’s mother lived in –was born in?) it meant we could wander around a huge yard, tromp up and down the street, wave to Mr. Pine next door, and generally be loud and crazy. Or come inside (to this day I could walk you through this house with a scary amount of detail), pretend to play with the huge cabinet radio, crawl under the china cabinet and remove the toys left there for us, or sit in the kitchen with the adults and have “tea”… milky, watered-down tea in a china cup and saucer, with Grandma Elaine, Mary T, Boy McNally, Sis and Gert.
Going ‘Down Below’ (Victory Blvd, the house where my grandfather was born) often meant we had to stay inside, as the back ‘yard’ was really the parking lot for the funeral home. We couldn’t play ball or run about if there was a funeral going on, but if there wasn’t, we could go inside and visit and say “Hi” to Uncle George. But more often than not, it was a time to play with the statue in the living room–“Johnny Get Y
Two post-surgical patients.
Animals steal your heart, and they take a bit of it with them when they go….
WordPress comment section sucks for losing things I wrte here!
LikeLike
What beautiful memories, babe. Hugs & condolences.
LikeLike
Oh,gosh, I am so sad for you! He was certainly a gorgeous kitty. Sending good karma your way.
LikeLike
(((hugs))) He was a gorgeous little man. So sorry for your loss.
LikeLike
He’s beautiful! Who could resist that fluffy belly? What a pleasure it must have been to have him in your life.
LikeLike
He was beautiful! My heart goes out to you.
LikeLike
I am so sorry to hear about Gandolf. I think my favorite photo is of him in the baby bouncer. Em had one and I could just imagine him there with the thing set to “vibrate”, and that is why he looks like he’s smiling.
I hope Tatiana can adjust to being a single cat again.
Hugs, Cathy
LikeLike