Ireland

Ireland

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Aunt Helen Again

SO, it's the usual routine, I get off the boat, head to the airport and spend a few hours unwinding before catching my flight home.
Today I"m hunkered down in a corner of an establishment inside George Bush Airport. Like any travelers today, I pull out my laptop, set up shot, order a glass of wine, avoid direct eye contact with the other patrons and check my email.

The no direct eye contact is I think a result of the computer age, but that's a subject for another time.

My inbox showed I had an email from my cousin. He sent me a video of the wedding of my Aunt Helen. Who is Aunt Helen, you may ask? Just an awesome lady is all. She passed recently, I spoke about her in a previous post here. http://mark-marksrantsandraves.blogspot.com/2013/01/last-spring-i-attended-family-st.html

Anyway, so I have this video to look at. Great. I mean really, how good can this thing be? She was deep into her 90's when she passed, got married at the age when many people first get married, so you do the math, this is an old video.

So, I had time to kill, let me open this thing.
Let me tell you, it was a crazy experience watching that. There they were, all of my Aunts and Uncles, some of whom looking like they appear in my memory bank, and there, is that my Dad? Holy moly, it is!

But one image really threw me. The youngest of my Aunts and Uncles, who are all gone now, was Aunt Franny. Aunt Franny died at a young age so the only memories I have of her is of a young woman. I remember her being as sweet as they come, even sweeter. The video closes with a candid shot of her in a car, running her hands through her hair, smiling, all candid. All like I remember her.

It was a moving experience watching this.

In closing let me say this, hats should come back in fashion. Hats for women, hats for men.
Class.


6 comments:

Joey said...

Last year I spent a good part of the winter going through my parent's house, clearing out EVERYTHING. It took me a longggg time. Specifically, because I couldn't stop myself from sitting down for hours going thru photos going back as far as the 1930s. 1000s!!

I love those old photos. Hard to believe those aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, grandparents were that young once and had lives unknown to me.

Amongst all the photos were MANY of my sister Fran. She left this world at age 11. ForEVER young. Your post obviously made me think of her.

BTW - vintage hats? Found a dozen or more. So awesome. Definitely should make a come back! But until then - there's always the Kentucky Derby!!!

Jerral Miles said...

Good memories. What can we do to promote hats... Caps, especially ball caps worn backwards probably will be on the decline for awhile because of the Boston Bomber young man... but HATS! What a great idea. I'm old enough to remember a time when just about every woman walking in San Francisco was wearing a hat. Remember when nurses wore those little cap-like hats? ...and, you're right to suggest it, men in hats look more civilized.

Formerly known as Frau said...

What a treasure to have! I agree hats should come back! Have a great weekend!

Marilyn Miller said...

Your post makes me want to reacquaint myself with old pictures of my family. How special that someone sent you a video.

bon bon said...

coincidentally, i just posted a shot you might enjoy! you'd think mad men would've helped the cause by now...

Dagmar said...

Ohhh great to hear you went down memory lane here Mark. Always so much fun to see old members of the family being so young. And the way they dressed back than is more than welcome back in these days when you've asked me. Love the hats too. And the James Dean look, and the wide skits with big belts on the ladies wearing polkadot dresses etc etc....oh back in the days.

Vintages let it all be back.
Thanks for sharing your waiting hours with a good story.
Hugs Dagmar