Thursday, December 14, 2006

Photo Night: Through the looking glass

I posted this photo earlier in the week, so please pardon the repeat. This time I'll ask you to look beyond the two little girls (my sister and me) and notice the mirror on the wall behind the lamp, right next to the front door. That mirror was my grandmother's and was in her house for as long as I can remember until she died in December of 1988.

After that, for the next 11 years, my mother had the mirror. Mother loved Christmas and all its trimmings. I'm pretty sure that the timing of her own death--the day after Christmas in 1999--is one reason why I struggle so much with all the Christmas hoopla these days. I think about her all year long, but this time of year she's on my mind all the time.

The mirror is probably older than I am. I have it now, and it hangs next to my own front door. Sometimes I think about how the mirror moved with my grandparents from Missouri to Texas, then from my grandmother's home to my mother's, and then from Texas to Louisiana with me. So many familiar faces and furnishings have been reflected in that mirror. I wish it could talk and tell me stories about what it's seen.









This is another old Christmas photo I scanned the other day. I'd planned to include it when I posted the others but changed my mind. I didn't think it would add anything to the story.

I've changed my mind again. One of the good things about viewing old photos on the computer is the ability to zoom in and get a better look at smaller items in the pictures. That's what happened today, the first time I've ever looked at magnified versions of these particular photos, and I'm so glad I did. The mirror's in this one, too, barely visible, but look at the close-up version below. There, just above my little sister's head, like a ghost from Christmas past, is the reflection of our mother's slender hand on the camera.



And who says there's no Santa Claus?

10 comments:

  1. You just have to keep on believing, and look a little deeper for your gifts.
    Nice post Velvet.

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  2. velvet this is patsy from life and times. you said you wanted me to give you pointer when you switched to beta so here is the pointer. you better start trying to switch soon because they locked me out for committing today on the blogger site and then they wouldn't let me switch, i think it is because my daughter has a blog and we use the same computer. but maybe not so i opened a nother blog on bata and finally after hours of working i got it done. then i was reading and soon they are not going to let us post on our old sites. so if i were you and they would let me i would try to switch now. that way you will have your site that you have now. me i am going to be out in never land on a blog called bantam chicken when they close me down on life and times.

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  3. this is my beta site http://greenchicken-poorperson.blogspot.com/

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  4. Maxandgabbie, your comment was a sweet thought. Thanks.

    Patsy...you scared me! You scared me bad enough to try the switch immediately. I'm crossing my finger that this comment will work. Y'all email me if you have trouble commenting on my five-minutes old beta blog.

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  5. You've switched to beta? Bravo, you did it seamlessly! I love these old pictures, Velvet, they take me back to my own childhood.

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  6. I enjoyed the story about the mirror.

    Once I loved receiving old things, now I enjoy passing them to others.
    What do that mean?

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  7. ok velvet now i have to be greenchicken to comment because you are beta. i am glad you were able to switch. me i will be flooting around in never never land some day as greenchicken. as of now when you click on my name greenchicken it will take you to my beta site bantam chicken and then i have a link to life and times. or just go to life and times on your side bar but if you click on green chicken you will have to go around the world to get to life and times. one thing about this life is never dull!

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  8. Kat, I'm glad the photos inspired happy memories.

    Sister-Three, I still love getting old things...and I love getting you back as a commenter. Are you perhaps an old thing? ;-)

    Janet, now I can do some of the cool things you've been doing since you moved to wordpress.

    Patsy/greenchicken, post where it's easiest for you. I'll find you

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  9. Ah man, it looks like blogger ate my comment again. Argh! I don't even remember what I said other than that the little girl with dark hair looks like Shirley Temple and like she's going to burst out singing on the good ship lollypop.

    Austin

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