I've been looking at my photo's so much lately that Im starting to feel a bit nostalgic for my childhood. I have so many childhood memories...so many that I want to remember and to capture. I have used the above title for my latest Challenge over at Just Cre8 as part of the Leave Your Legacy book that we are all working on. A book of me concept..full of stories and facts about the most neglected person of all in our scrapbooks..ourselves.
For my LYL challenge I asked that you scrap a childhood memory. Something that we haven't scrapbooks before..you don't even need a photo..just document a memory. While I was looking though my photo's I came across this photo of my Grandma and Grampa -One of the very few I have of them. It just screamed out to me to be documented. This is the story I choose to tell....
And just because I am a nosey rosey and I love reading peoples journalling...here it is:
Grandpa Cartmell. Where do I start? I look at this photo and so many emotions come flooding back...love, sadness, regret, joy...but unfortunately not very many memories...or should I rephrase that...not as many memories as I would like to have. Grandpa remarried “Gert (grandma) before I was born, so for me she was my Grandma. If I could turn back the clock I would find out so much more about this wonderful, gigantic man who was my grandpa. He was a man of substance. A man very intimidating in size but as gentle as a butterfly and a heart so big he needed that big frame just to carry it around.
Most of my memories from childhood consist of our visits to their home in ******, Ont,where my mom grew up. Sitting around the kitchen table and of course sitting on the radiator with a cushion so as not to burn your butt or legs. I was the youngest so I ALWAYS got stuck sitting here. Directly behind me - a huge window and a view of the most beautiful gardens ever.If only I appreciated all of the knowledge and beauty that was right there with me at that time. I can remember if I bought a friend we would sit and draw as he had a huge pantry full of paper (from years of working at *****) and I would always go home with some. I don’t even know why or how but I remember being little and him giving me about 5 – 10 kites to bring home. They were black and yellow with eyes on them and looked lit a bat...I would open one up every so often and play with it...always remembering Grandpa.
Every so often during our visits I would look at Grandpa and our eyes would meet and I could see so much love in his eyes – his entire face lighting up. I never recognized this as a child but now older and wiser I can still feel the warmth from those moments. Right now in my life - he is the person I miss most. We never spent a lot of time together (especially compared to Nana and Papa) and we weren’t necessarily the closest of all of the Grand kids – but he is definitely one person whom I wish I still had in my life.
He nicknamed me “the Widget”. It was his special name for me...and he called me nothing else. Christmas tags, birthday cards, and even at his step granddaughters wedding he mentioned me as “the Widget” – where it came from I don’t know or when it even started. I was “The Widget” to him. The person he used to squeeze so tight when he hugged – I never thought he would let go.
If he were here now, I think about how my life would be different. Not by ways of where I live or how many kids I have – but with the little things...sometimes they are the important things.I would definitely have the trillium award for the best garden in the neighbourhood.I’m sure I would have been shown a lesson or two or his countless tips on the right soil condition and what flowers to plant where. My mom always says I have his green thumb...I just wish it was a bit of a more vibrant green. Dan would most likely be the best fed husband with a storage area full of homemade preservatives and pickling.I can taste his pickled beets now...I still can’t open a jar and not recall his face. Fresh grown and canned with love. I would still feel the excitement of opening a new pair of pajamas every Christmas eve with a little tag hanging off just saying “The Widget”...and quite possible believing (or dreaming) that he did indeed own a pj factory in his basement. Just think of the friends I would have now (or even a successful business) making my favourite candy popcorn, a recipe I’m sure I could have coerced out of him (and hopefully I would get some more than just at Christmas time!)If I could go back and have him in my life again – knowing what I know now....I would make a point to visit, and talk, and learn from this remarkable man.He would be happy to know that Dan & I are still together and he has 2 more beautiful great grandsons whom I am sure he would look at with the same pride and love as I do." I would find out all of his hopes and fears and regrets and greatest joys. I would tell him that I love him and I would ask that question that I have always wondered/ "Exactly what is a Widget...and why am I one?"
Ok...well if you've made it this far down the post then THANKS!! I do truely love sharing my work with you all and I will be back in a few days with some more projects! I think I have to give some blog lovin out soon as well as my Blogaversary is coming up as well as my 10,000 visitor!!
See ya soon!
What a beautiful layout and memory... thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Jayme | May 14, 2009 at 10:33 AM