Memory

I took this picture over Christmas break because I wanted to remember this moment.  It's one that has been repeated many times in my family.  Probably yours, too.  When a family story is retold - even though everyone in the room has heard it before.  Ah - but this time, there was a new generation to hear the story.  Hopefully, the story will continue to live on...

As the story goes....

Ginsey (what everyone called Virginia Prince - my mother's mother's mother) was on a train riding back from spending time in a sanatarium in West Texas to treat her tuberculosis.  When the train stopped at a station, she asked the conductor if he would buy her a jar of olives, a snack she loved.  When he brought the jar to her, she gasped at the black color of the olives and exclaimed "Those olives are spoiled!", to which the conductor replied, "no, ma'am, just the lady"!!!!! 

In her honor, the veggie tray in the picture above holds both black AND green olives to be snacked on by family.  As my mother loaded the veggie tray, she told me the green olives were in honor of Gincey - and of course I knew what she was talking about, having heard the story many times in my life (and also being a lover of black olives, so Mom puts those in the tray, too.)  When my Me-Ma (above) saw the veggie tray, her first response was to turn to my brother and say "you know, my mother loved green olives....once, when she was on a train...."

And the story lives on.

One of the many joys that comes out of families getting together.  So thankful for that.



Virginia Weeks Prince circa 1920 (age 19)



p.s. "Memory" is of course, the iconic song from the musical "Cats".  Strange musical.  Amazing song.