Yes, our mother made us both wear the hamantaschen costumes
It’s April 9th, my sister’s birthday. In what has become an annual tradition–for now anyway–I’m re-posting this edited version.
Five years ago, in 2014, I was out of town at the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop and missed being here for her birthday. So I put together something special to make up for being away, because we always celebrated our birthdays together.
When Susie turned 50, I did a retrospective of her many bad hairstyles over the years. She loved it! Obviously, I can’t do that again. Instead, I’m sharing some of our history in photographs.
I went through my many piles of pictures and albums and tried to select some classics from over the years.
Many of the pictures from the early days are of the two of us, usually posed on the front lawn of the house in Richmond where we grew up. The hedges always look like they need pruning.
Two babushkas right off the boat–with a jump rope, just in case.
I wish I still had that pompom skirt!
California girls in our sundresses.
We lived in New York City for a year in the 1950s. She was in third grade and I was in first. We struggled with our new snow clothes, rode the subway, and tried many new kinds of food. I got the mumps first, and gave them to her. The measles too. It was a big year for childhood diseases.
In New York, we took dance classes and wore hats.
On the sidewalks of New York
Back in California, where the hedges still needed pruning, we took tap and ballet lessons. She went further in ballet, and took up tap again several years ago. (2019 update: I am temporarily on the disabled list for tap class, but I’ll be back! I’ve loved dancing with her teacher and the wonderful “girls” in the class.)
Two in tutus