I don’t know where to begin to tell you how much you mean to me. First off, you have always been Jane to me, not Newby, so in that I certainly differ from most. I think one of my earliest recollections of you was of the dress you wore on your wedding day – a wonderful gown with a huge full skirt, that I, as your flower girl, found I could actually get under and hide. In retrospect that must have been dreadful for you, the beautiful bride greeting her guests while this little girl played under her skirt. Characteristic of your patience and love, I don’t recall you asking me to leave you alone.
I remember the apartment over Call Carl in the heart of Bethesda, what fun to look out the window and watch the cars come in and out of the gas station below; and certainly the house on Underwood Street, with Jim Crow and his perfect imitation of your voice calling Lisa through the window. I think of you coming to see me take riding lessons at Meadowbrook in the park, and coming to watch swimming meets at Columbia. I think of all the birthday parties [Jenny Boo May 8th – as you still remind me] and holiday dinners, on Parkwood Drive, Dresden Street, Underwood Street and Radnor Road.
Ah yes, Radnor Road, where Mary Gay sat in her chair in the kitchen as we sneaked down to the basement to peer into her dark little room and where we always had Bobby tisk tisk tisking us for getting into his numerous paper piles, or making noise during Lawrence Welk. Radnor Road where we watched ourselves and you grow up in the slides and movies that Bobby seemed to always be taking of us at every opportunity and where we celebrated so many Sunday dinners [with Gifford’s ice cream of course] Christmas mornings and Easter egg hunts with such joy and love. I still have the stocking you made for me so many years ago; of course it is a bit distorted looking as a mouse ate the toe out of it some years back.
Then there are the great memories of the Sand Witch on 45th Street, and driving you around Ocean City and Berlin in your Thunderbird with the top down when you had a really cool car but no driver’s license. What a thrill that was for me at that age. The infamous Frontier Town party; and poor Davis Fox being dragged back the next morning to apologize for his underage drunkenness. Those hot yummy donuts from Josh’s Market, and all the other beach eats we enjoyed those summers by the sea.
One of my strongest memories of 45th Street was the morning I first went off to college in Pennsylvania. I remember getting up very very early in order to arrive in Philadelphia on time for freshman orientation. My car was packed and I was understandably more than a bit nervous and apprehensive. I remember coming up the steps to the kitchen [remember I always stayed in that little room under the house, and had to come outside and up the back steps to actually get into the house] to find you already up and waiting for me, with coffee made and breakfast ready. I will never forget that send off you gave me as I went off on my own to start college.
I think back on all the different times you and Dad would sit and debate about anything and everything. It was never a matter of who “won” or which side you took – it was all about using your brain and thinking and reasoning; the great verbal sparring, not to beat one another, but just for the joy of exercising your mental muscles. You have the great ability to reach out to anyone and find their passion and truly engage them in true conversations that are stimulating and fun.
Reading through the many notes posted in honor of your birthday I can feel the love and joy so many feel for you and all the special memories you have given to so many. You have always encouraged everyone to be both interested and interesting and you have served as a perfect example of both. It is always such a delight to spend time with you and share thoughts on anything and everything imaginable. I truly wish I could be there to do just that on your birthday. You are so very special to me and have been such a part of my life since the day I was born both as a cherished aunt and a cherished friend. I love you very much. Booty
No comments:
Post a Comment