Friday, December 16, 2011

Deja Vu and Friday Fives




DL Hammons, Lydia Kang, Creepy Query Girl and Nicole Ducleroir are hosting the Deja Vu Blogfest today.

Basically you repost a favorite blog post.  Some of my favorite people in the world are my family members and this post about my Aunt Ursula is still one of my favorites.



I would have given anything to be like...
My Aunt Ursula. Ursula is my dad's youngest sister. Ursula is awesome. Ursula came to visit us when she was sixteen on her summer road trip. She got to travel the county by herself visiting relatives by herself. How cool is that? She had the feathered hair and blue eye shadow that all the teenagers in the movies had. Feathered hair was cool. Blue eye shadow was cool. My hair would not feather like hers with all the hairspray in the world. I'm pretty sure she was the coolest person I had ever met.
She lived in Texas. She had a cool name.
She could talk back to my dad and get away with it.
In addition to the feathered hair and eye shadow she also had her own horse.
I spent three weeks by her side. We went to the movies. We watched MTV. There were still music videos on MTV. I listened to her stories about her horse and her dogs. She came on vacation with us. She helped us build the biggest sand castle in the resort sand box. She invited all the kids who were staying at the resort that week to help with the sand castle.
Instead of swimming like my siblings and I she covered herself in tanning oil and spent her days sunning herself on a blow up air raft. I wanted to tan too but I loved swimming more.

This was the last vacation we would take as a whole family. My parents got divorced after this vacation. Being around Ursula helped me forget that my parents were fighting all the time. She was like a shield during this stressful time at the end of my parent's marriage.

Eventually my parents got divorced. A couple years later my stepsister Gail would enter my life. She was cool in my eyes for a lot of the same reasons that Urs was cool. Feathered hair, horse, awesome music, make up and cool clothes. I wanted to be like her too.

Who would you give anything to be like?

Paper Hangover asks a weekly question.  This week What are your five holiday wishes?

1. Books.  I love books.  I have a reading list that is bigger than my bank account so I love books.

2. Snow.  I live in Minnesota and right now it's pretty green/brown outside.  Last year at this time we were still digging out from an epic snow storm and while I don't wish for that I need some white stuff on the ground.

3. I'm not sure if Santa can do anything about this but I'd really like to see something I've written become a book.

4. Socks.  The fact I live in MN means I also love socks.  SmartWool socks are my favorites.  

5. I wish for an improvement to this tough economy.  This economy has created so much need.  I'm blessed at this season to have a job and a home I can afford.  I wish the same for all the people who have been effected by this economy.

15 comments:

stu said...

Uncles and aunts always seem to be the coolest members of a family, perhaps because they're never the ones who had to say no to us as kids.

Colin Smith said...

Wow... I wonder if Aunt Ursula knew how much her presence in your life at that time meant to you, and how much she shielded you from the stress around you? What a blessing she was to you!

I didn't do the Friday Fives today, but high on my list would be: The Call! :)

undercoverwaitress said...

Aunts and uncles rock because they don't have to say "no" so much, and are not old fashioned like the grandparents (who are also often perfectly willing to spoil.) I am so glad you had Aunt Ursula! You know, when you describe her I picture Farrah Fawcett.

Golden Eagle said...

She sounds like great company. :)

I hope it snows, too! It's all grass and bare branches outside right now, and it doesn't feel as much like Christmas if there isn't snow . . .

Nicki Elson said...

Feathered hair and horses - doesn't get any better than that. I'm glad cool Aunt Ursula gave you some happiness during that sad time.

Your holiday wishes are awesome. I have a sock suggestion for you - Solemate socks (www.socklady.com). They actually have a sock of the month club!

Lydia Kang said...

She sounds like such an amazing person. Thank you for "sharing" her with us!

And thanks so much for joining in the Blogfest!

Sylvia said...

She sounds like such an amazing woman :)

Sylvia said...

She sounds like such an amazing woman :)

Alison Miller said...

I think I remember this one. Great re-post! And my Christmas list looks a lot like yours. Especially #1 and #3

Mary Aalgaard said...

I also put SmartWool on my wish list. Snow, too, as you know. And, peace - in homes, in the world, in our hearts.
Peace to you!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

That's awesome your aunt was a friend as much as a relative.

DL Hammons said...

How neat it is to have someone in your family that can have an impact such as that. I envy your relationship with her! :)

Unknown said...

Aunt Ursula sounds like a great person! You're lucky to have shared that fun with her and created such great memories. Thanks for sharing this post!

LTM said...

that's the awesomest post I've read yet! I hope Ursula got to read it. I'm sorry your parents divorced, but I'm glad you had people in your life to help you through that hard time! :) <3

Theresa Milstein said...

Ah, feathered hair and blue eyeshadow. If only my hair hadn't been curly at the time.

I remember writing a similar post or that book.