Take care of all your memories. For you cannot relive them.
-Bob Dylan
The right photo sure can stir up sweet memories, memories meant for sharing. We would love to share ours with you. We invite you to join Imperfect Women for Throwback Thursdays. On special Thursdays throughout the year, we will be posting some of our pictures and memories from years past. We hope they will stir some of your own and that you will share them with us too.
Ready to get started?
Jen Looks Back -1983
Sifting through some old pictures, I came across this little gem. Nice dress, right? I am pretty sure my Mom made it for me. This is my grandmother and I, taken on my first day of Kindergarten.
When I think back to being a kid one of my most vivid memories is when I was being a “pill”, as she liked to call me. She would always tell me that she and I were going to go “round and round with the yardstick”. I don’t remember her ever following through with it but she threatened it a lot. I think I might have been a little ornery as a child. Imagine that! Every time I see a yardstick it reminds me of me of her. 🙂
Jennie Looks Back – 1974
For the first five years of my life, Christmas was spent at my maternal grandfather’s house in San Anselmo in Marin County, California. I don’t have very complete memories of Christmas there – what I remember is more impressionistic. Nighttime drives up the long driveway, driving slowly and on the look out for deer (something exotic we didn’t have in San Francisco!), and the smell of burning wood
from the fireplace in the cold night air (fireplaces were rare in the city, too).
Christmas eve spent in the little bed under the eaves in my mom’s childhood bedroom, too excited to sleep. Christmas morning sitting on the floor in the big living room, ripping open presents with abandon. My grandfather, the only grandparent who lived to meet me, who smelled of cigars. Being together as a family – my mom, dad, sister, aunt, uncle and grandfather. We were a small family, but still a larger family than I’ve had at any other time in my life. The feeling of being safe, probably in a way I haven’t felt since.
When I was five my grandfather died and eventually the house was sold and the proceeds split between my mother, aunt and uncle. It allowed my mom to buy her first home. It had to be done, and couldn’t really even be regretted, but I still miss that house on Tamalpais Drive, though it’s been almost 40 years since I’ve been inside it.
Molly Looks Back – 2011
I would like to dedicate this Throwback Thursday to my Grandma. She passed away almost a year ago on March 29th, 2012 and was eighty-nine years old. This photo was taken on Christmas day of 2011. She lived a wonderful life and I am so glad she had the chance to know her great grandsons, Christopher and Tyler. It was only for six months, but it was a great six months.
We would bring the boys to the senior assisted living facility she was at and she would have the greatest time. While walking down the halls, she would stop anyone and everyone to tell them to look at her great grandsons. It brought her so much joy to see the boys’ faces and I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to spend so much time with her, as well.
I think of her often; remembering the scent of her perfume, watching her drink scalding hot coffee, her lipstick that would remain on the cup, seeing her feet dangle from the rocking chair, her little giggle, and so many other little things about her. I only wish that she was still here to see the boys and myself grow up; but really, I am just extremely thankful for the time I did have with her.
Pam Looks Back – 1960
With Easter Sunday just a few days away, I look back fondly and remember the Easters that my family celebrated. We were raised devout Catholics and my parents made sure that we observed Lent starting with Ash Wednesday. Our family would pray the Stations of the Cross during lent and attend services on Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. But the big day was of 
course Easter Sunday and we would celebrate that in style.
My mom would make sure my sister and I were “dressed to the nines” on Easter. We wore beautiful dresses that my mom made, patent leather shoes, white gloves and our Easter hats. It was the one time of the year that this tomboy loved to dress up. My sister and I were most definitely styling. My two older brothers were required to wear suits and bow ties. I remember in 1960 that females were required to wear a dress and some type of hat (usually some type of laced doily) to regular church services.
After services we would race home ahead of our parents so that we could sneak our Easter candy from the Easter egg/candy hunt we had that morning. Our relatives would come over after church and my mom would put on a delicious ham dinner with all the trimmings. Good times, good memories.
Want to participate? If you’d like us to publish your memories too, send a favorite picture from the past and share the memories it stirs for you. Let us know what year it is from, chances are some of us were around then too!
Email to info@imperfectwomen.com.
Pam, loving the Easter bonnets. It was always such a big deal to get our bonnets and gloves.
Jennie, I’m sorry you didn’t get more Christmas mornings at your grandfather’s house. Those memories of our grandparents are precious. I remember the Christmas’s my maternal grandmother would come to stay with us or we would gather at an aunt’s house to be together after breakfast. Today, we are a small family and I want my little girl to have the same feeling when we’re together with grandma (my mom) opening presents and eating holiday food.
Jen, a mom who sewed! Also, you look cute in those ponytails. So many of us had home-sewn clothes when I was little. My mother sewed, but our good friend and neighbor was a seamstress who loved to sew up matching polyester pants-suits for me. My favorite tops had the princess darts. Ugh, that thick polyester. Lol at your grandmother and the yardstick.
Jennie, I just noticed the pink fuzzy slippers. Lol, I remember those. Our little dog loved to chase me through the house trying to catch them.
Ha, Lily. I think you can see my sister’s identical slipper (to go with her identical nightie) in the corner of the frame.
LOL, I missed that, Jennie. How cute!
Jennie, I did notice Anya’s slipper but not the matching nightie. I’m almost positive there’s a pic of me around 5yo on Christmas morning w/those same fuzzy pink slippers.
Jennie, I’m loving the fuzzy slippers!
Molly, that pic of your, your boys and your grandma is precious!
Pam, I’m digging the Easter hats. 🙂
Lily, my mom still sews to this day. She makes my niece dress-up clothes all the time. She also made my Halloween costumes every year. Hmm.. I need to dig up a pic of me as Carmen Miranda!
Jen, I used the word “pill” with my kids, LOL. I think my grandmother used it too! I love your dress. It is cute and aren’t you glad you have that picture.
Molly, what a wonderful post about your grandmother. It is great she was able to enjoy your boys even though it wasn’t for very long.
Jennie, sounds like you had a really good foundation to start out your life. I completely understand what you mean about impressionistic. Sometimes when I think back I try and figure out what is real and what I thought might have been real. As you get older, it gets a little harder to do so. 😉
What an amazing post – thank you so much for sharing.
Molly, that pic of your, your boys and your grandma is precious! ~Jen
Isn’t it?
I think of her often; remembering the scent of her perfume, watching her drink scalding hot coffee, her lipstick that would remain on the cup, seeing her feet dangle from the rocking chair, her little giggle, and so many other little things about her
Molly, thanks for sharing the memories of your grandmother. What a wonderful time she had with her great grandsons. They must have lit up her life, babies do that. Such a loss their time was short with her.
What an amazing and touching post! Thank you for sharing!
These photos are so sweet! I have to look through my old photos and see if I can find any cute ones 🙂
Oh I love the photos. Especially yours Pam it’s so cute. I like the ones from Molly with her twins. I just read her post with them at 18 months and to see them as babies they are really growing.
Thanks, ladies. As I seem to have been saying with everything…I can’t believe it’s already been a year! It seems like yesterday. But, she had a great life and I am so thankful to have had and remember so many memories with her.
Oh I got a pair of those Pink Slippers too. They were “HOT” now. Both inside and out. I love this article. Brings back a lot of great memories for me.
What a neat idea! I’ll keep it in mind. I feel my own post beginning to ruminate…
So many memories. We wore the Easter bonnets and FOUGHT over the gloves. I could never find 2 that matched. I remember the lace doilies too. I was nerdy enough to love wearing them.
Jennie we had matching pjs too. Makes shopping easier, lol.
Jen my mom sewed too and I still remember the pins sticking me!
Molly your Grandma is so beautiful. I hope I am remembered by a lovely granddaughter like yours is. 🙂
Your pictures look so familiar . I think all pictures from the 80 seem to look similar. I can remember some of the 80 as I was growing up.
It is great to look back at old photos and remember the days gone by.
It’s good to reminisce and relive the past especially if it brings smile to the face. Thanks to the inventors of film and cameras.
I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed this piece. The pictures tell a great story on their own and all of you really have a talent for making us feel we are there with you in these pictures. Nicely done indeed and you have set the bar high! 🙂