To summers passed

I recently stumbled across this photo, and now I can't imagine life without it. I had it framed and I look at it every day while I am editing. It makes me smile every time. I love everything about it. The crazy way I am hugging Gram around her neck and Becky's goofy smile. The totally 80's video camera (I can't get over how huge it was!) and Gram's again on-trend white bag and strappy sandals. I love the tan line that Gram has on her arm...just from having carried her purse around for, like, a half hour. She had this amazing olive skin (which Becky was lucky enough to inherit) and would tan in an instant and never burn. My favorite part about this photo is how ridiculously close and comfortable we were together. Intertwined as if it was the most natural pose in the world.

Our Gram was like a third parent to us and we remained this close until she passed away suddenly 7 years ago. (My God...has it been 7 years already?) I think of her a lot this time of year. Mike and I held our wedding on September 16th...Gram's birthday...as a tribute to her and a way to include her in an occasion we knew she would have just loved being a part of. We knew without a doubt that she was with us that day, as she has been on many other days since. Becky and I think and talk about Gram often. On every vacation, wherever we go as a family, we make sure to light a candle in one of the coolest churches we discover for Gram. We like to think that that gesture allows her to share in the fun with us, so we always make sure to give her a great view, carefully placing the candle in the front of the group, by the most ornate stained glass window or in the ideal spot for people watching!

This photo was taken, probably by my Dad, in 1987 during a trip to Plymouth Rock. I have the best memories from that vacation, despite the fact that I was devastated to find out the Mayflower we toured in the harbor was a replica and not the real thing. Even then, I guess, I was a travel snob with extremely high expectations. Come to think of it, Becky was traumatized by stories about how many of the pilgrims died on the journey from England and were buried at sea. So maybe it had its rocky moments, but for me our Plymouth vacation will live on as a truly great family memory.

As the summer is coming to a close, I thought this was the perfect time to post this shot. A tribute to summers gone by, to the fantastic summer of 2011 and for all that's yet to come.

Gold Stars this week go to:
*Gram: Hope you got a laugh out of this photo, too!

*Fall: Would you just breathe in that amazing cool, crisp air? Long live light sweaters and pashminas, snuggling up in hoodies, the return of football and crunchy colored leaves! And, of course, the return of the pumpkin spice latte. Holla!

*Sherlock: Mike and I found the Masterpiece miniseries on Netflix and are now hooked. We spent an entire lazy afternoon watching every episode we could find and now are impatiently awaiting the new ones. Hurry, Masterpiece, hurry!