The Park

Love the cool shades. Way ahead of my time.

I found this photo of myself taken in August of 1964. My parents and I were in Chicago for a little "vacation". I remember this day. Isn't it funny how certain events in your childhood stand out in your mind?

Little vignettes. A red suitcase that my mom got me for dance class. A pretty party dress. My uncle smoking cigars in the car with the windows rolled up! And, the vacation in Chicago.

My older son saw the picture on the table last week and commented, "Hey, mom, what's with you and all these animals. Even when you were little you were into them." Yes, indeed dear, I am "into" animals. The squirrel in the park, the bird fallen from the nest, the dog in the alley or the cat under the porch.

Mother Cabrini

I can remember what this photo was all about like it happened yesterday. We stayed at the YMCA in downtown Chicago. Shopped on State street and ate lunch at Woolworths. My mom wanted to visit the convent of Mother Cabrini. Her real name was Frances Cabrini and she was the first United States citizen to be canonized a saint. I was named after her and like all good Catholics my mom wanted to visit her convent and the little chapel that was dedicated to her after her death. I think that there was a park across the street from the chapel and after our visit we decided to talk a walk through it on that hot August day. For some reason I had some chocolate covered peanuts that I had been eating when I spotted the squirrel in the park and bent down to offer it some of my peanuts. My fingers had some chocolate still on them and he not only took the peanut but nipped at my chocolaty fingers. Ouch!

I love to find old photos of myself as a little girl. I can see so much of what I am today in what I am doing in the photo. Brings back wonderful childhood memories that sometimes get buried under the cloud of the million and one things that rattle in my brain from day to day. Makes me stop and remember even if it is for only a few minutes.