A Dollop of Reminiscent Ramblings

Well, it's July already! How did that happen? Honestly, time seems to be going by too quickly (which is weird because the last year hasn't exactly been a bundle of joys for me...). Weeks go by and I'm just there going "Whaaa!?"

That wasn't an entirely pointless opening to this post, I promise. However, my move from boring now to exciting 40+ years ago doesn't seem to be going very smoothly though, so I'll just get on with it...

So, yeah, time was on my mind today, and whenever time is on my mind I inevitably become sad and think of how every day takes us further away from "the good old days". I know, I know...I wasn't even there back then and therefore don't really know what it was like, but still, I prefer looking at those years through rose tinted spectacles and imagining than thinking about how distant they become with every passing day. Not so much distant to us, the people who have a strong affinity to those years, but to people who don't have any special love of the past and disregard it as "boring" and just think that, because it's over, it doesn't matter any more. Yep, it makes me sad.

I feel embarrassed that I couldn't find a sadder face in any of my photo albums. Well, not that embarrassed because if it's Clara nobody really cares if she doesn't look overly upset.

Anyway, yeah, it didn't make me sad...just reminisce-y. Yes, even though in reality none of my reminisce-y stuff was in my memories, just my Grandma's memories. My Grandma used to tell me such amazing stories though - commonplace to most people, but to me they were really special, you know? They connected me to the past. I miss her so much...and I wish I'd been older when she was telling me all of her memories, because then I would have paid a bit more attention, remembered more, and asked [slightly] more intelligent questions. As it is, now I get a lot of things confused. I've had to ask my Mum to clear me up on several things.

One of my favourite stories that I got confused was the time when Grandma told me about where she was on September 1, 1939...

She told me that when the war was declared on Germany, she was in one of the family business' ice cream vans down the pier (Italian family in England...). Well, this frightened me because I'd always thought that as soon as war was declared, bombs started falling from the sky (in my defence I was really young...). I thought that Grandma had had to run home dodging bombs and falling buildings etc. etc. It wasn't until a few years later when I questioned my Mum about it that I found that it hadn't quite happened like that: war had been declared and my Grandma locked up the van and went home. Obviously, I don't blame my Grandma for the misunderstanding! I'm so glad I never said to her "Grandma, I think you were so brave dodging all those bombs..." though!! Not that I don't think she was brave. She was. She was brave, strong, loving, and everything that I want to be. I miss her terribly.

My mum and my aunties often tell me that I remind them of Grandma - from not being able to make decisions down to only wearing clothes that are comfortable (very important!!) and wearing the same type of cardigans (except I get mine from New Look and she got hers from Edinburgh Woolen Mill...). I think that's the most wonderful compliment to receive ever!!

Well, I'd better stop my rambling there. I set out to ramble, and ramble I did. However, before I end, I want to wish a belated 88th birthday to the gorgeous Eleanor Parker (26th June)...

...and happy 79th birthday to the wonderful Leslie Caron, whom I shamefully forgot to wish happy birthday to when I made the post for Olivia.

(she has possibly the most beautiful smile ever, but photos never seem to do it justice!)

And coming back to Miss Clara Bow for one second: I am so weirdly excited that it's her birthday later on this month! I have no idea why! I feel like having a Clara Bow birthday party...which wouldn't be at all creepy!! :D

That's all for now!!

A presto!