Crisp Autumn Memories...

I get nostalgic come this time of year - it's the childhood memories of the autumn - of raking the leaves in our backyard into the "world's largest pile" and then making a leaf maze leading up to it. It's playing "catch the leaf" with my sister - which we only did once or twice and for some reason, it's locked into my memory like it was a daily occurance. It's planning and replanning and planning the planning of the C*girls &A*girl's halloween costumes and the strategy meetings "in the circle" or on the "big, green box" for finding the most perfect, ultra-efficient trick-or-treat route around the neighborhood. It's the memory of being told not to take the shortcut through the woods that lead from Twain Circle to Thorpe Circle and K*,K*, J* (my sister) and I did b/c we figured we could get farther along the candy route with the addition of the shortcut. We scared the living be-jesus out of ourselves and we never did it again. It's the loving stitchery of my mom whipping up the halloween costumes and the family tradition of carving our pumpkins and then lighting the candles, turning off the lights and watching them glow. My mom was all about memories like I am (eh, memories, traditions... same dif). It's the First Day Of School pictures in front of the same tree from my kindergarten to senior year. It's the stink bug infestation (ewwww) and the apple dumplings / apple crisp my mom would make us (hey - I'm coming home this weekend... waddya say about making those for your daughter - you know they one who gave you two beautiful grandkids?!) I had a great childhood - and I hope that I give my children an equally memorable ride through these "little years".
Then I start getting nostalgic about homecomings. Typically we went stag - but my favorite homecoming was my senior year. I had an "offical" date with my boyfriend (at the time) and had picked the most PERFECT dress in a coffee color. In size zero. (ah, memories!) It was a great time, with my friends and with my date. Then comes the memories of going off to College in the fall - to Kent State where I met great friends and have a ton of great memories stockpiled. Like crazy halloween times where Seth and I and my sister and the C*family and our friend(and the mister's roommate) Mike (RIP) and all of Mike's pals went to downtown Kent for pure mayham... Oh, the scandlous outfits the girls and I wore... to have that shape back! to wear red leather pants and a cropped tank top...memories....memories. Or the memory of taking Nadine, my roommate from Germany to Cleveland to see the sites and snap pictures and go to an Indians game. It was so fun and such a great opportunity to really show off the city I love. (sorry New York, Chicago and San Fran... you just don't cut it compared to good ol' C-Town!)
But, there's also that crisp autumn air that takes you back to nowhere specific - it just renews you and makes you feel like you are remembering something special.
And now - to share one of my very favorite memories of all time. It's one that has been sneaking up on me lately more and more...not sure why, but it's a good memory and I welcome it!

My grandma and I are super close. She's considerably one of my best friends. We've always had this "connection" - we just "get" each other. We're artsy, we're bargain hunters and my Grandma has always made me feel so special - it's just a Grandma thing I guess. Maybe it's a grandma-first born thing. We talk EVERY day... sometimes two times a day. She knows I love funky costume jewelry and has given me my Great Aunt Katherine's collection a piece at a time. She was always so proud of my orchestra performances and newspaper experiences and always was clipping art/writing contests out of the Medina County Gazette for me to enter. She always just got me - and believed in me... (I guess you could say I really lucked out in the support system aspect of things - with a great grandma, great mom, great aunts and a great sis... lucky me!)

Maybe it wasn't one specific memory but a group of similar memories that adds up to this one I was spending the night at the grandparent's house... - I remember sleeping in my Grandma's bed (Grandpa always slept in the guest room b/c of his coughing) - Grandma brought me breakfast in bed (even now I think breakfast in bed is the ultimate special treat!) - hot chocolate and fresh, buttered Italian bread. YUM. As simple as it is, it's still one of my very favorite breakfast's in bed!

She served it to me on a really special tray and I remember the mug was a Boyton Mug with these little funny animals (actually the first punksee has a few children's book that features them, so I always come back to this memory when we read those specific books).

I felt so special and loved - I had my grandma's attention - 100% of it. And it was wonderful, and it still is wonderful - there are days, like yesterday where my grandma and I talk for an hour about nothing more than this, that and the other... and that conversation is just like the cup of hot chocolate and the toast - a memory that makes me feel so special!