sorting through memories ramble
Apr. 11th, 2010 08:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cellboyI am finally attacking the stuff from mom's house. Paintings and such. This is a good thing. I have space for a few, so I may put most on the walls in the hallway and spare room, I guess.
This tapestry of Naples came from my mom's side of the family. My aunt said this was on back of a sofa in my great grandfathers home in Quebec city. Like a cover or doily. Apparently when napping, he would lay his head on it. My mom had it cleaned and framed. I hung it up over the bed.
This small oil was painted for my Grandmother (on my mother's side) when she was 16 years old (1902) by her first boyfriend, when living in Edmonton, Canada. She said to me giggling, "He had the fastest buggy in town." I wonder if there were any implied innuendos with that statement?
My father painted this for me as a house warming gift, for my first apartment. A civil engineer by trade, he was always drawing and doodling on paper, paper napkins, or anything you could write on. Missing half a thumb, and index finger and the second finger of his dominate right hand, he manged to draw, write, play tennis and pool perfectly well. He continued to paint until he lost use of his arms due to ALS.
My father painted with bold and bright colors. This earlier piece was one of my mom's favorites. Dad's style and technique improved with time. The latter paintings are in my sister's home.
This one had more memories for me. Pescadero Beach, in San Mateo County, not far from our home in Menlo Park. We I was young, went there often in the summer to picnic; my mom, dad, me and the dog. We had to do a little trek down the side of the rocks to get to the beach. I think my father liked it because it sort of reminded him of areas of the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec. Just two beaches down, was San Gregorio Beach. The gay nude beach. Who would of figured? One of his largest paintings was that of one of the Golden Gate Bridge spires, with fog surrounding it. The large 6ft x 10ft painting was mounted over the family room fireplace. Later when they moved to the Sacramento area, my dad mistakenly stored it in the garage. The 100 deg summer heat in the garage ruined it. It had to be tossed.
This was an old cushion cover from my Grandmother. A needle point. My mom had it framed. Good idea.
These 4 petite points were done by my 2 favorite Aunts, my mom's sisters. My aunt Roma, did the house petite points. She was my most favorite of all of my mom's 4 sisters. The second oldest, she was an elegant woman. She fell in love, married a railroad man. And moved to a dairy farm near Brockville Ont, Canada. Life on the farm raising 3 sons, changed her. She became a simpler woman. Not as worldly as she once was. My summers on the 200 acre farm are one of the best memories of my life, during the first 10 years in Canada. The of milking cows, tending to the pigs, picking blueberries, and playing in the hayloft. Many years ago, my mom and her had an argument about one of our cousins, possibly being gay. Aunt Roma, even though very religious, and maybe from the back woods, stood up for my cousin. Basically saying love comes in all colors. Accept her for what she is. She looked at me with a twinkle in her eye, when she said that. She knew about me. Even before I did. After her husband died she came out to California to live with my Grandmother. To watch over her. After Grandmother died, she returned back to Brockville, near her sons. She died of shingles few years later.
The little Humell figures were done by my Aunt Madelene. She was considered the party animal, the black sheep of the family when growing up. In her later years, she produced some gorgeous petite points of all sizes. She had a hard life. Married to an alcoholic. Many said caused by his controlling manipulative parents. His father wanted him to join the family business. They owned a pulp and paper mill. Very wealthy. He wanted to go into the entertainment business, as his childhood friend and cousin Glenn Ford did years later (Glenn Fords family moved from Canada to California when he was eight). When younger my uncle sang with the local Big Bands. He was the Bear with the baritone voice. He even sang with the Glenn Miller Band, when they were in town. He so wanted to sing for a living. The parents would not hear of it. He was to carry on the family tradition. He did not follow. The parents basically disowned him. It crushed him. So he went on his own, and became one of the top insurance salesmen in Canada. Then every so many years, in only a few days, he would binge on beer. And loose it all. Pick him self up. Then back to being successful again. The cycle continued on and on it seemed forever. My aunt never left him. Guess they had a love/hate relationship. Yet he was one of the most giving, loving, and kind hearted uncles and person one could ever meet. He was my favorite uncle. Our family just loved him. His family, my aunt, and the 3 kids (2 boys, one girl), and our family did everything together. For many summers, the two families rented and shared a summer place at Hampton Beach NH. Those were good memories. My older cousin Don Jr, was in the Air Force. A hunk. Even at the age of 6 or 7, I had a huge crush on him. And when he wrestled with me?... swoon. That may be where I developed my chest and pec fetish :). My Baritone Bear uncle was not bad looking either. I think he was the first bear I had a crush on. Eventually my Aunt and Uncle moved to Vancouver. Where years later he died. Heart attack (and buried in the Ford Family Plot back east). My Aunt remained in Vancouver, then passed away 10 yrs later.
That's all folks.
This tapestry of Naples came from my mom's side of the family. My aunt said this was on back of a sofa in my great grandfathers home in Quebec city. Like a cover or doily. Apparently when napping, he would lay his head on it. My mom had it cleaned and framed. I hung it up over the bed.
This small oil was painted for my Grandmother (on my mother's side) when she was 16 years old (1902) by her first boyfriend, when living in Edmonton, Canada. She said to me giggling, "He had the fastest buggy in town." I wonder if there were any implied innuendos with that statement?
My father painted this for me as a house warming gift, for my first apartment. A civil engineer by trade, he was always drawing and doodling on paper, paper napkins, or anything you could write on. Missing half a thumb, and index finger and the second finger of his dominate right hand, he manged to draw, write, play tennis and pool perfectly well. He continued to paint until he lost use of his arms due to ALS.
My father painted with bold and bright colors. This earlier piece was one of my mom's favorites. Dad's style and technique improved with time. The latter paintings are in my sister's home.
This one had more memories for me. Pescadero Beach, in San Mateo County, not far from our home in Menlo Park. We I was young, went there often in the summer to picnic; my mom, dad, me and the dog. We had to do a little trek down the side of the rocks to get to the beach. I think my father liked it because it sort of reminded him of areas of the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec. Just two beaches down, was San Gregorio Beach. The gay nude beach. Who would of figured? One of his largest paintings was that of one of the Golden Gate Bridge spires, with fog surrounding it. The large 6ft x 10ft painting was mounted over the family room fireplace. Later when they moved to the Sacramento area, my dad mistakenly stored it in the garage. The 100 deg summer heat in the garage ruined it. It had to be tossed.
This was an old cushion cover from my Grandmother. A needle point. My mom had it framed. Good idea.
These 4 petite points were done by my 2 favorite Aunts, my mom's sisters. My aunt Roma, did the house petite points. She was my most favorite of all of my mom's 4 sisters. The second oldest, she was an elegant woman. She fell in love, married a railroad man. And moved to a dairy farm near Brockville Ont, Canada. Life on the farm raising 3 sons, changed her. She became a simpler woman. Not as worldly as she once was. My summers on the 200 acre farm are one of the best memories of my life, during the first 10 years in Canada. The of milking cows, tending to the pigs, picking blueberries, and playing in the hayloft. Many years ago, my mom and her had an argument about one of our cousins, possibly being gay. Aunt Roma, even though very religious, and maybe from the back woods, stood up for my cousin. Basically saying love comes in all colors. Accept her for what she is. She looked at me with a twinkle in her eye, when she said that. She knew about me. Even before I did. After her husband died she came out to California to live with my Grandmother. To watch over her. After Grandmother died, she returned back to Brockville, near her sons. She died of shingles few years later.
The little Humell figures were done by my Aunt Madelene. She was considered the party animal, the black sheep of the family when growing up. In her later years, she produced some gorgeous petite points of all sizes. She had a hard life. Married to an alcoholic. Many said caused by his controlling manipulative parents. His father wanted him to join the family business. They owned a pulp and paper mill. Very wealthy. He wanted to go into the entertainment business, as his childhood friend and cousin Glenn Ford did years later (Glenn Fords family moved from Canada to California when he was eight). When younger my uncle sang with the local Big Bands. He was the Bear with the baritone voice. He even sang with the Glenn Miller Band, when they were in town. He so wanted to sing for a living. The parents would not hear of it. He was to carry on the family tradition. He did not follow. The parents basically disowned him. It crushed him. So he went on his own, and became one of the top insurance salesmen in Canada. Then every so many years, in only a few days, he would binge on beer. And loose it all. Pick him self up. Then back to being successful again. The cycle continued on and on it seemed forever. My aunt never left him. Guess they had a love/hate relationship. Yet he was one of the most giving, loving, and kind hearted uncles and person one could ever meet. He was my favorite uncle. Our family just loved him. His family, my aunt, and the 3 kids (2 boys, one girl), and our family did everything together. For many summers, the two families rented and shared a summer place at Hampton Beach NH. Those were good memories. My older cousin Don Jr, was in the Air Force. A hunk. Even at the age of 6 or 7, I had a huge crush on him. And when he wrestled with me?... swoon. That may be where I developed my chest and pec fetish :). My Baritone Bear uncle was not bad looking either. I think he was the first bear I had a crush on. Eventually my Aunt and Uncle moved to Vancouver. Where years later he died. Heart attack (and buried in the Ford Family Plot back east). My Aunt remained in Vancouver, then passed away 10 yrs later.
That's all folks.
