Monday, May 31, 2021

My alternate early life in Monrovia, CA

I was a blond baby, a towhead. It wasn’t just the baby years either, that blond hair lasted into my toddler years and beyond. This however, is not a photo of me—although it looks a lot like my mom when she was just a little girl.

The photo appeared on our fridge one winter’s day. Andrew bought it because to him it looked like me—a girl happy to be outside—the California kid version, if I’d grown up somewhere with palm trees (there are no palm trees in Eastern Washington). What he didn’t know is that at that age I was all dresses all the time. I refused to wear pants. Funny now I haven’t worn anything but pants in at least 10 years… 

Here’s another photo from Andrew, well a postcard actually. It’s my dream opuntia tree. I would be thrilled to have this in my garden.

The back of the post card. I think it says “Monrovia 25ft high”. So, in my alternate California life perhaps I live in Monrovia, CA, with my 25 ft tall opuntia tree?

Today is Memorial Day here in the USA, what my grandparents used to call Decoration Day because it was the day you decorated the graves of your loved ones (I know for many it's about military dead but that's not how I understood the day growing up). Andrew and I will be making a trip home to Spokane soon—finally an opportunity to see my parents, after COVID has kept us apart for more than 18 months. Sadly it will also be an opportunity to memorialize, and bury my mother's brother, my Uncle Har who we lost last month. He wasn't a COVID casualty but because of COVID we weren't able to see him after our visit of December 2019. Hug your loved ones, you just never know.

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All material © 2009-2021 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

10 comments:

  1. If we are lucky enough to have had a loving past, this post is simply perfect. Thank you. Hugs.

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  2. That Opuntia is impressive. I've seen nothing like it - and I grew up in SoCal (albeit not Monrovia). I'm sorry about the loss of your uncle and that your family reunion will be colored with a measure of grief. I also think of Memorial Day as a time for general remembrance.

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  3. Lovely post and I would take that Opuntia as well. We called it Decoration Day growing up as well. Even though my Dad and all his brothers were in the Navy in WWII, I am too much of an anti-war lefty to celebrate this holiday as a military event.

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    1. The other day heard someone say "that was a senseless war" and I thought, "aren't they all..."

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  4. My condolences on your loss made even harder by being unable to say goodbye in person. However, tinged with sadness what a joy to be able to be with your parents again. Something we took for granted pre covid

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    1. Thank you, and yes I am thrilled that I will get to see my parents... it's been a long year and a half.

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  5. So sorry for your loss, Loree. Now I'm picturing you as a little towhead, running around outside in your dresses. I remember some family calling it Decoration Day, too.

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