About a third of my mom’s side of the family is in town this week: my mom from Maine for 3 days with me and 5 days with Memere, my aunt, uncle, and 8 year old cousin from Washington state, my uncle from Oklahoma City just for this past weekend, and of course my aunt who lives here in Austin. It is not so often that so many of us are together. Very special!
I will remember this evening better than I did the time my grandparents and aunt visited us in Maine when I was 10! My aunt brought a video of that visit, recorded in 1993 by Pepere two years before his stroke. The footage spanned the vacation. I was 10 (but I look 7), my brother was 8 and a 1/2, and my sister was 4.
Filming begins with us at Beech Hill Pond, a 5 minute car ride from our Maine house. This is still one of my favorite spots anywhere: a lake really – not a pond, with sandy bottom and 5 sandy beeches, vacation cottages, pine and fur trees encircling its rim. In August, the water refreshes comfortably, not so cold as tourists think.
Odd! I have a general lump sum memory of goodness about this vacation, but nothing specific. The recognition of this visit in time doesn’t even come back when I watch the video. Same with the next scene, back at our house, on the back deck. I am holding a kitten, the floppy type I could do anything to. Lucerne Inn, Acadia National Park, Bubble Rock, and some seal-watching footage follow. So, so beautiful, Maine. How can I not remember this when I was 10!
Ahh, the next scene looks familiar, finally. My mom and aunt are taking a riding lesson at the stable we all used to go to weekly during summers. Next up, my brother, a friend, and I are having a lesson. Yes, I remember this part! I know the horses names, Chico, the spotted POA pony I’m riding, Vicky and Rocky. I loved those times!
And I do recognize the voices. Pepere is the narator and I know the voice from stories he and Memere would read aloud, tape and send to us. And the voice in turn brings back clear snapshots of the time my brother and I visited Memere and Pepere in Wimberley when I was 12. By that age my memory was fine.
I can’t watch the rest of the video right then. Laurie and I have to return to Austin.