Tag: family

Small town ties

My mother is from a small town in East Texas.

I found out this past week that the mother of this gorgeous-eyed person I recently met is from a neighboring town to my mother’s hometown.

While visiting family for my aunt’s birthday celebration, my mother mentioned that my aunt’s friend at the celebration probably would know that mother, because of where she lives (and who she is).

I only knew the woman’s married name (and her son’s first and last name, of course), but after only a handful of minutes, the friend mentions some possible connections.

After a handful more of minutes, she mentions multiple definite connections to the family, alongside the comment, ‘Oh, this must be the cutie pie with those gorgeous eyes,’ (obviously having done a tad bit of Facebook stalking [but just a tad]).

All the while, the entire house has been discussing various other possible connections to the family, including one that involved her mother or aunt having been my aunt’s teacher.

I might have considered multiple face palms throughout all of this….

…You see, when I find out that someone has a friend from Houston, I usually don’t even ask who it is, because it is beyond unlikely that I know the person…. but, with this, I didn’t even know the woman’s name, and I just might have all sorts of information on her and her siblings (or cousins) and mom (or aunt)…

Small town really is a totally different story from big city.

Post-a-day 2018

Like a true man

To this day (literally), I still practice the t-shirt uniform stretching technique taught to me by my heterosexual, male cousin, back in the days when he first started sewing.

It’s spectacularly genius, and it never fails to give that perfect uniform stretch and proper shaping.

(Funny how many of those are not words often found together in a sentence about the same person, isn’t it?) 😛

Post-a-day 2018

A day well spent

It’s kind of ironically delightful at times, when things get all twisted out of the ordinary way.

My aunt and I, both of whom dislike shopping, found ourselves out shopping together for quite a while this afternoon, during my visit that was designed for us to hang out and relax together.

And yet, we enjoyed ourselves today, despite the fact that we got home exhausted in the early evening… it was nice doing something like shopping with a co-conspirator of the non-shopping sort. 😛

Besides, when we got home so tired and so hungry as we were, I commented that I didn’t really feel like making any food, and that I really just wanted some biscuits and gravy…, and my aunt definitely agreed, so my uncle made us a super duper breakfast for dinner. 🙂

Post-a-day 2018

Adulting: slumber party edition

My mom, my oldest brother, and I had a semi-spontaneous sleepover last night, when my brother was visiting Texas for work (but about three hours away from Houston), and we decided to make a miniature event of his being drastically closer than Wisconsin.

After spending the evening together and with a couple other family members, the three of us stayed up talking for another two hours after the lights were out…

It was a really good night. 🙂

Love family.

Post-a-day 2018

Crazy messages galore

Just to add on to what I shared last night, I share this bit of text message conversation between that same cousin and me today, following a photo she sent me via her mother’s phone.

……………..

Cousin:  Phone has decided to stop working. Using mom’s for the moment. What do these look like?
Hannah:  Almost like champagne glasses
Cousin:  Quite bosomy. I had to get them for you
Tis admittedly a more generous bust than most.
I thought you might appreciate a cup size closer to your own. Most glasses are an A at best.
Hannah:  Haha… Totally… I accept that idea. Personal champagne glasses.

…………….

Just another day in the life.  😀

Post-a-day 2018

“You could tuck in the mullet part”

The things we say in our family member text messages – things which, at the time, seem normal enough to us – never cease to amaze me… and today’s was no excuse.

We were looking for a reasonable Elvis wig in the costume shop, for a Catholic Life Insurance party this weekend, you see, and one wig was really rather good, minus the few mullet hairs in the back.

Simple, and totally normal, right?

😛

Post-a-day 2018

Nostalgia in a sniff

On my evening walk today, I was struck by what I believe must have been the smell of someone’s dryer sheets.  Each time I passed it, I was brought instantly back to swim team days.  Actually, I was brought back to specific swim team evenings.  Somehow, the smell, combined with the warm air and the setting sun, reminded me of Monday night swim meets, and, more specifically, the movie nights to follow (once I was a little older).

Those movie nights are probably some of the best evenings I’ve known.  We always had dinner at this one local restaurant after every meet (I think they gave use free kids meals with our team suits on).  And then, afterward, the older kids would go over to someone’s house and watch a movie together.  Eventually, I was approved to attend movie nights, though not many my age ever went.  I just had an older brother, so I had an early in, so to speak.

At the movie nights, I had not a care in the world – swimming was behind me, and I got to hang around with my brother and other cool people.  (Hey, they were all cool in my mind, because they were older and better at swimming, and because my brother liked them, and he was totally cool.)  It was often at this one family’s house where the mother always made cookies.  I’m not sure how it happened – though it in no way surprises me – but I ended up being her helper of sorts.

We kind of only watched “Hook”, with the occasional stray to “Star Wars”, at the movie nights, even though they happened every week.  But no one seemed to mind that we watched the same thing over and over again.  (“Hook” really is a spectacular film, you know.)  Since I pretty much could quote the whole movie, I didn’t mind checking out the cookie-baking setup off in the kitchen one night.  I ended up actually making and then serving the cookies during the movie from then on out.  I went in and out of the movie, only hanging in the kitchen when I had a specific task to undertake, so I still saw most of the movie.  But I got to do something extra, fun, special, and useful, too.  Plus, everyone loved me for bringing them warm cookies that the mom and I had made.  And, what made it even more special, was that I was hanging out with my older brother and his friends – I qualified to be with them, and they weren’t opposed to my being there.  🙂

One movie night in particular, as we left the house, I felt like I was in a wonderland, because flowing white surrounded us in the warm wind – someone had wrapped the house during our movie.  Sure, it was toilet paper hanging everywhere from the trees in the front yard, but it felt like magic.  There was something about those movie nights that just made life seem easy, free, and happy.  I think that’s part of why I still love “Hook” and “Star Wars” so much, and I regularly have a desire to watch them (and always feel really special whenever I do actually watch them).

Yeah, those were really good times.  Thanks, whomever, for your dryer sheets this evening.  🙂

Post-a-day 2018