Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Back home with my thoughts.....good-bye Skaneateles : (


As I scanned through my (many) photos taken during our "sister/Mom" visit together, I loved the ones of all five of us together (some of which I will post below).  I look at my family's beautiful faces and recognize the deep love that we have for each other....and the importance that these women have in my life.  Each of us brings something so special and so different to the mix...and that is what makes the experience so rich.

Our roles that we had as children continue as we are now grown ups.  Funny how that happens...I guess that our birth order traits stay with us all our lives whether we want them to or not.

During our visit together we spent a lot of time comparing our wrinkles, body shapes, hair styles, clothing styles, etc. even making up some songs about these characteristics....and, of course, blaming Mom's genes for the ones that we wish we could change. : )

Each of us has the gift of creativity within us....and, that came out as we played in Karen's clay studio....and hand-painted individual plates that we all signed as a memento of our time together.

We laughed at each other's differing traits and ways of handling things and, of course, teased each other mercilessly.... I think that I share the title of "craziest" (in a fun-loving way, of course!!) with my baby sister, Karen. We would burst into song (and dance) at any given moment and then go into fits of hysterical laughter together.  Sometimes, my mom even joined in our revelry. We were probably getting on everyone else's nerves...but, they politely never let on....

As our hostess with the most-ess, my baby sister Karen, puts that special touch on everything that she does.  Her home in Skaneateles is warm and inviting and filled with wonderful works of art, including some of her own fabulous pieces. She makes every day an adventure for all who are lucky enough to stay there. While there, I went to antique garage sales, a fabulous vineyard, a movie, shopping, a concert in the park, took a relaxing boat ride, went to a golf tournament, played Mah Jongg until the wee hours of the night, picked fresh veggies and herbs from her garden and cooked them, received adorable goodie bags filled with fun items (all of the sisters bring all sorts of goodies for everyone....kind of a tradition when we get together!), did a wine tasting at a spa....and on and on and on...such fun!  She makes everything that she does look so easy and effortless as we all stand by and watch in wonder and amazement.

Marsha, the oldest, is (amongst other things) our shopping pro....and, loves to take Mom out to look for great bargains.  She is able to sort through a line of sale clothes and pick out great things in an instant. We even had a "fashion show" of sorts one night after a trip to the Mall. Mom looked beautiful in her new outfits! That is such a special gift that she gives to Mom as she shares her incredible talent in finding great buys and takes care of Mom in so many ways. When I made ceramic pins for everyone, Marsha's said: "The oldest.  I don't look it." and that is so true as she is an amazingly beautiful soon-to-be 65 year old...as well as the head of personnel at a large law firm.  I'm so very proud of her achievements!

My sister, Sherri and I share the middle spot in the group. Her pin said, "The middle child. Follows her own path." Sherri is one of those women who does her own thing....and, always has. She also totally oozes with talent.  From her graphic design art work....to her photography....to her writing....she is wonderful at all of these and more.  For her ceramic plate design, she made an incredibly detailed sunflower in the middle of the plate--- as these are indigenous to the area.....and she painstakingly hand-painted each letter around the flower....fabulous! I am always in awe of her abilities.

Then, there is my mom.  She is such a special person who I admire so very much.  Even though her eyesight is failing, she doesn't miss a beat....and, kept up with the four of us at everything....including our late night Mah Jongg games. She has an easy laugh that can fill a room.  On our last night there, Karen and I had a "crab cake showdown"....and, when Karen came out wearing a hair covering and gloves to prove that her crabcakes came from a sanitary kitchen, Mom was laughing so hard that she had tears in her eyes.  What a wonderful sight.

By the way, my pin said:  "I'm the middle child....always grounded."....  for all the time during my childhood that I got into trouble which was quite often...and, the pin that I made for my mom said: "I'm the Mom--you're grounded!" They all got a kick out of that truism of years ago.

While the beautiful surroundings of our stay in Skaneateles will be forever etched in my memory, the joy and appreciation of my four sisters and my mom will remain forever in my heart.

I am so grateful for the blessings of my family.

1 comment:

Granny Annie said...

Five beautiful and crazy women. How fun!