Godmommy's Last Voicemail Message

On January 11th 2020, I got this sweet and heartbreaking final voice mail message from one of my favourite people ever, my Godmother, Gina. I immediately called her back and asked if I could come see her in the hospital the next day. Never one to say no to me, she acquiesced, even though she did not want to see anyone while she was in pain. The next afternoon Mum and I went to sit with her and I'm so glad I had one last time to see her and chat and make her laugh when I made a snarky comment about a certain relative of ours that shall remain nameless. Two days later she was gone and our family lost its coolest member. 

Turd Talk

Scrolling through old texts looking for something specific, I came across this cute little convo I had with my Godmother. 

Godmommy's iPhone

Last weekend I was hanging out with Aunt Berne and she let me kidnap her sister's old iPhone. Most of the info had been wiped, texts deleted, and accounts were logged off, but there were still a few gems that I found while snooping around it. 

- Photo taken 8 Nov 2019 of the I Heart Guts uterus goodies I bought her when she was diagnosed with uterine cancer.

- One of her few playlists, Good Time:

- Mum and her baby sister, Gina.

- And the best? A snapshot my cousin took in Ocean City, Maryland on December 7th, 2019. She is so happy and free and I can hear her laughing when I see this photo. It's shocking to think that 38 days later she would be gone.

Christmas in Philadelphia - 1982

These photos all came from Aunt Berne's collection of pictures that I inherited when she downsized. They show a family with everyone together, all my Mum's siblings were alive and well, Granny Roseanna was still with us and is all smiles, and I scored some wonderful gifties!

Dallas Barbie for the win!!

Butterfly lamp (that I still have and use!) made just for me by Granny Roseanna

Matt, baby Jason, Terry, Dave, Kathy

Me, Pam, Sarah, Jenny

Olivia

My grandparents, Mum, and her six brothers and sisters

Mish-Mosh Halloweenie Photos

Lucy! - 2019

Nicole, Ashlee, & Miranda - 2003 (this is the only photo here that I took)

Godmommy Gina with her Alina and Nicole as a baby mermaid - 1992

Sean, Ashlee, Bailey, & Avery - 2020

Laura - 1993

Laura, Roseanna, and Alina with Godmommy on an old-timey cordless phone! - 1993

Cute little mousey Alina - 1992

Bailey & Avery with MJ on the step - 2019

Olivia, Sarah, and Jason - 1982

Pumpkin Pix!

Time for some vintage Halloween photos, starting with Baby Dave!

Pumpkins by Aunt Berne 

Godmommy Gina and her Alina

Alina!

Uncle Joe and Mum at the house on Belgrade

ChocoCat Photo Wallet

I used to love going to any shop that sold Sanrio goodies, like the old Zany Brainy store, and would always seek out their little pocket sized photo albums. This one I still carry with me in my bag. Some old photos sit side by side with the newest latest.

Miss Lucy's sweet school photo

Me & Rachel: 29 Oct 1993 before seeing Nightmare Before Christmas - Atco Multiplex & 12 July 1992 in Ocean City, NJ

Me and Kathleen: 9 March 1995 Pulp Fiction & 2 October 1993 The Fugitive - Atco Multiplex 

The Five: 17 March 2019 The Quiet Man - The Colonial Theatre 

Dave and Me: 4 November 1978 & Me: possibly Fall 2000

Amy, Me, and Rachel - Spruce Street Philadelphia - 6 July 1994 (I still have that shirt!)

Little Jackson!!

Godsisters with Godmommy Gina - April 2014 & Me in Disney World October 1986

Jaeden 16 August 2015 & Zach, Jax, Syd, and me - 23 December 2018

Isabella Class of 2017 & Kayla Class of 2018

Nana Irma and Aunt Mercedes 1944

Noah's Ark Cookie Jar

Out of everything in my grandparents' rowhome in Philly, nothing was more coveted than the Noah's Ark cookie jar. And out of the thirteen grandkids that grew up spending holidays and birthdays at the house on Belgrade, I was the one that Godmommy Gina and Aunt Berne passed this along to cherish. It had been up in the cupboard for the past few years due to lack of counter space, but now it is proudly displayed in the corner. Isn't it adorable??

Holiday Decorations at My Place

I was well on top of the holiday this year and had the place all clean and decorated before I left for Ohio. That way when I came home on December 2nd I could just relax into the Christmasness of it all and not concern myself with a messy home. 

I made that wee little glass snowglobe with the tiny trees! The elf was Mum's.

That blue frog was a gift from Wayne years ago, probably for Christmas, and the lovely lady in the black and white photo is my great gran on my mother's side.)

A Leonidas tin that once held a box of yummy Belgian chocolates, a ceramic dish that Uncle Alan once mistook for an ashtray (Mum had to use white out to cover the stain!) and a sweet teeny tree that I bought in grade school. Bonus: that's Aunt Berne and Godmommy Gina in the frames!

Olga's Diner was well known in South Jersey and I just had to have that ornament when I discovered it on Etsy from Jawnaments. 

The Star ornament was handmade by office bestie, Renee a few years back and the Chagrin Falls was the latest ornament added.

When I saw that Kate Gabrielle was selling a new ornament featuring a puppy and a line from Only Murders in the Building I couldn't not buy it! Also, the teeny SpongeBob once belonged to Donna. Kay let me take it a few years ago. 

These three snowpeeps plus another one that is making a snow angel were bought over two decades ago at The Washington Memorial Chapel Cabin gift shop on the way back from cutting down a Christmas Tree with Xavier, Aunt Berne, Aunt Gina, and Alina. They were too precious to pass up.

It's the Wannamaker Eagle!

Another star from Renee and a Christmas card from Aunt Berne. Bonus: Kayla as a teenager!

My coffee table with Christmas books, basket o' red and gold ornaments, bowl of coloured Christmas trees, and my box for holiday cards received.

That penguin card is really a pin and someone drew skis to turn it from a plain old pin to art. The Snoopy pin definitely wins first prize for flashiest decor in the whole joint!