I found this confirmation picture of myself the other night. The Princess has already condemned my dress sense, so there is no need to add your voice to hers -in my defence, it was 1981 and I was 12. What she didn’t notice was how like 12 year old me she looks. When you look at my picture side by side with this picture of herself from over the summer, I think you can definitely see a resemblance. Though I seem to have been happier and cleaner. And, also, I have a pointier chin.
And here’s a picture of my mother as a little girl; it’s a bit difficult to make out but I think she looks somewhat like us as well. I’ve also posted the rather glamourous one taken of her when she got her degree – people, look, white gloves. I have never, alas, looked like that.
And here’s a final pair: pictures of my paternal grandmother and my great aunt. In the older one, my grandmother is on the right (ah, the pointy chin explained). And in the other picture are the same women photographed by my father in the sixties; there, my grandmother is on the left and my great aunt is on the right. Isn’t that nice?
That’s probably enough for you for one night.
What wonderful pictures! Good heavens, the Princess really does look like your twin. And that second to last picture: oh my goodness, I cannot get over those dresses! Absolutely gorgeous. It brings one question to mind. . .are things like that handed down in families? Do those dresses still exist somewhere? Because they are the kind of thing that should be in a box of tissue paper in someone’s attic. But there is no heirloom clothing that has been handed down in my family, only a couple of quilts, and one baby dress of my mother’s. But it makes me wonder, what about other special clothing, and from further back than just one generation before me? Do these things just get handed down and worn so much that they end up fit for the rag bin somewhere along the way? Because honestly I can’t imagine any mother letting that happen with dresses as beautiful as those. I would think it would be, wear it to church on a special day, come home and take it off immediately, and put it away carefully to be handed down to another daughter. Is it silly for me to think this way? Do other families have heirlooms like this and my family was just irresponsible in the matter of clothing? Inquiring minds want to know.
Oh, by the way, speaking of myself (ahem, referring to your mention of me, that was just yesterday or the day before, right? Still pertinent?) and of National Public Radio. . . Today I was literally in the kitchen all day, single-handedly preparing the Thanksgiving feast for my whole family. That includes my mother, my sister and her family, and my own family (my husband’s family were scattered other places today, so just my side). . .so not an enormous group, but still. . .here, I’ll list the menu for you so that you can understand the scope: the turkey of course, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, green beans in a mushroom sauce, creamed pearl onions, made-from-scratch rolls, homemade cranberry sauce, and three (THREE) desserts (two of which I made yesterday), pumpkin pie, apple pie, and cranberry turnovers. Does that leave you with an impression of American excess? It *is* an enormous amount of food. But it *is* only once per year, and of course we will be eating all of those things for the next three or four days, in one way or another (turkey sandwiches, I’ll probably make turkey soup, etc.). Anyway. That’s a big digression. The point was supposed to be: while in the kitchen for literally 10 hours today, I had the radio on as my companion, tuned to NPR the whole day. And guess what I heard around 3:30? On the program called The World, they were talking about a new iPhone app designed by a 12 year old, and they interviewed him on the show–from Cork! They spoke to his mother first, ostensibly to get her permission to speak to the young man, and she described living in the city of Cork. Then they spoke to the 12 year old designer, who sounded delightful. Anyway, it made me think of the Waffle clan to hear these lovely people from Cork on the radio today.
Oh by the way, I must mention the embarrassment I felt when I scrolled over the link you used for my name when you mentioned me. . .complete and utter humiliation at the thought of anyone possibly clicking on that link (not that I really think anyone would be that interested, but you never know), only to find a blog so neglected and out of date, it’s little more than a joke. *BLUSHES*
fantastic, I love family resemblances. We seem to have two completely different looks passing down through the family so I look nothing like my older sister (to the point where people ask point blank which one of us is adopted) whereas there are pictures of our grandmother on my fathers’s side and great grandmother on my mother’s side which could be our childhood photographs.
oh, and great hat. Very early eighties. I had a trilby
You just need a ghettoblaster on your shoulder to complete the look. The adult Waffle is very recognisable from that photo – adolescence must have been kind on you.
Yes, rather a glam shot of your mother. I’ve never seen a mortarboard at such an angle – keeps the ‘do’ nice, I suppose.
Our generation has missed out on the carefully composed, posed portrait – shame really. Even the poor members of my family (which was my entire family, really) had such photos taken, and they’d be in their best made-to-measure clothes – can give quite a false impression of their lives, in some cases.
Kara, what a lovely long comment. Surely Thanksgiving dinner – which sounds excellent – is worthy of a post on your, alas, neglected blog (on mature reflection, more blogging = less commenting so current balance is good for me). It’s nice to think of you listening to young Mr. Cork app who has got plenty of attention here also all the way off in America and thinking of us. Some kind of small world comment would be appropriate here, I suppose. Finally, re heirlooms – the dresses may conceivably still be somewhere in the attic but I really doubt it, my granny was a great one for throwing things out.
TM, isn’t that odd about you and your sister but you do see that in families. Re hat, I must tell you that I strenuously objected to both this and crochet shawl but conceded them for vile strappy sandals. Am quite envious of your trilby.
Pog, how can you? I well remember on the way to my confirmation, my mother rubbing concealer onto an early spot (a harbinger of things to come, alas). Adolescence was not kind to me.
Yes, I know what you mean about those family portraits. I am slightly sniffy about people who have family portraits where all family members are dressed in jeans and white shirts – but they might be nice for grandchildren. Yes re poor family members, I think at the turn of the last century everyone who could possibly afford it got these very solemn pictures – and weren’t they absolutely right?