This is the 8th post in a series of 15 ... that I join with Janna from Mommy's Piggy Tales to write about my childhood, to preserve my memories for my family.
This post is dedicated to my Nana King...
I was in 6th grade and I began to spend a lot of time with my maternal grandmother's mother. I called her Nana. My dad's mom I called Nana Helen... but my mom's grandma I called just Nana. She lived until I was a junior in high-school. We became very close in 6th grade.. I remember many funny things about her the way she kept her credit cards pinned inside a small wallet inside her bra. The huge gold hoop earrings she NEVER took off, that she was seen with always (and in the picture below). She would dress very neat and clean and classy. I love ice cream.. I always have... but milkshakes... well, they soothe any ailment... I have .. or had.. sore throat, PMS, you name it.... So my Nana and I would go to Friendly's and order a Fribble... She had a Strawberry most times and I always had a chocolate.
Around this time... My Nana tried to get me interested in shopping.. I was not a mall girl and I really only liked small stores... or bookstores. My Nana was very interested in fashion and she tried to take me shopping for clothes... and although, her style was very hip... I was just not ready to think fashion in 6th grade... This is what I looked like... I don't think that face... screams.... I love fashion.... do you think it does????? more like give me a make-over....fix my teeth....
( looking at this picture now... minus the buck teeth and all, my son looks a lot like me.., thank god and my father for braces)
My Nana was determined to buy me more than just books... so she would try... all kinds of idea.. but one day I saw a commercial for Snoopy and Woodstock plush dolls and a new doll called Belle ( Snoopy's girlfriend) I had these dolls at home but not Belle and now you could dress them....I became obsessed with buying every outfit they made... I would save money, and wait to go with Nana and I would mark off which outfits I had and which I NEEDED... It was the first time I had done any kind of shopping where I needed to have a "set" or "collection" more of this kind of shopping happened in high-school with Swatch watches... you can ask my old friend Allison Francese- Lopez she will tell you.
Anyway below are just a few of the outfits... My Nana purchased for me...and happily too....
This raincoat one was one of my favorites...I can still remember how excited I was to open this one.. and hear the sound of a raincoat and smell that new plastic smell. Snoopy had a Tye dye outfit... aviator... and so many more....
Recently.... they had a show of snoopy in fashion.... here are some of the fashions snoopy could still dress in, if only I still had him....
Below is a 4 generations picture of my mother far right, my grandmother, me and my Nana... when I was in high-school. My Nana got Alzheimer's shortly after this picture was taken... and my family does not remember it like this... but she moved away to Colorado.. and before she left she did not recognize me... it was hard for a junior in high-school to understand.. and I remember being hurt, angry and resentful.. Ridiculous now, knowing what I know about the disease..but I was immature... The last time we were together I said remember when we spend lots of money on clothes for my dolls and she said... Yes, those cute dolls Skippy and Woodcock. Here's too you NANA
Here is a picture of my Nana... way before I knew her.. wearing a hat... NOW I love hats... and no one in my family wears them.. ( maybe my sister) but I love hats... I wanted to be a hat model ... for years...
Maybe my love of hats... came from my NANA....
2 comments:
Glad she made such an impact on your life.
And I never knew Snoopy had a girlfriend!
I can understand the heartbreak of that disease. Though not exactly the same, very similiar, my grandma had a series of strokes and then eventually dementia around this age (12/13) and I was a grandma's girl growing up. I was her first grandchild, and it showed in how she spoiled me! It was very difficult for me when she couldn't remember who I was, though what affected me even more was pain that she didn't remember my mom who helped care for her, her own first daughter. I just felt that pain for my own mom. How tragic to have your mother not even remember who you are!!
Thanks for sharing about your Nana!
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