Circa 1969-70

I love this picture of my parents. It was taken at my maternal grandparents house. I remember that red/pink carpeting feeling like sandpaper though!
The other day I was at a garage sale that had tons of old Avon decanters and stuff. I saw a pair of yellow and white salt and pepper shakers there..and instantaneously (yeah, like Star Trek type rewinding) I was mentally drawn back into the 70's and in our kitchen on Bell ave. My mom used to sell Avon for a short time then and she had this suitcase full of tiny lipstick samples (probably where I got my love for tiny things) and samples of other sorts. Anyhow, I saw these shakers and then my eyes lept to a lavender plastic umbrella type thing. It had tiny holes in it so the scent you put inside it would scent your linens. Another thing mom sold. And as I looked over this ladies vast collection of Avon stuff these items kept popping into my head and I kept saying "Yeah, and I remember this too!!". Now as generous as my family is to me, they could have probably cared less that I remember some silly plastic decanter or s/p shakers! However, I wanted them to really be amazed as if maybe it would prove to them that yeah, I really did have a mom at once. She was REAL. I know this because she used to sell this stuff and, and, well I was THERE! This is how it would have played out if I would have had my own sentimental way: We see stuff, I say I remember and the family flocks over to me touching the items and saying "Really, this stuff?, WOW! She was a viable person who was your mom and she DID have a job and wow, did you help her sell it, what was she like?" Insert reality check here!
Another thought...today I got rid of the pictures of the stepmother and the wedding. I was like..wait, why do I have to keep these? Is there a law that says what God has healed in my heart, I should keep reminding myself of this pain? Not in my vocab! SO I chucked 'em and it was a great feeling. Remember, life is not fair, but there is a God and he is GOOD!