August 25th

It was my Cousin Hilary's birthday.  It's the Kibbitzer's birthday.  It's the day after our wedding; G'ma had a birthday cake for them at our party.

The Kibbitzer arrived at our wedding with a world class bruised eyeball. the result of a bike accident best not recounted.  I mention it only because G'ma remembered the fact of him and his injury long into her dementia.

It's funny, the things we remember.

I spent August 25th thinking about the hand me downs that I hated and the cousin I revered.  She introduced me to Seventeen and the nail polish ads therein.  We watched the 4 o'clock Million Dollar Movie on her living room floor.  She took me on a double date when I was just 14.

For some reason, G'ma thought that was a good idea.

She played the flute and read lots of books and her college boyfriend (now her husband) introduced me to my first serious boyfriend.

The Kibbitzer drives to Tucson every winter, and sometimes we're lucky enough to have The Doula (one of my very favorite people) join him.  We do what we did when we were graduate students in Chicago, 50 some years ago.  We go out to eat at interesting places.  We listen to live music.  We talk.

There are a lot of good memories flying around today.  Our 51st year together is starting off with a smile.

and the wonderful people both of the birthday people married.  My cousin-in-law, an old school liberal, introduced me to my first serious boyfriend.  The Doula is one of my favorite people on the planet; the kind who picks up right where we left off even if it's been a long, long time between visits.   

To me, August 25th always felt like the beginning of the end of summer.  A long week with no camp, just shopping for school supplies and clothes and spending every spare minute at the beach.  Then, the Labor Day bbq for any and all comers  Daddooooo was at the grill, G'ma was chopping fruits and vegetables and giving instructions (mostly to Daddooooo, who could not hear them), my siblings and I were opening the woven lawn furniture.