My Monday memories today are focused on one of my Mom’s sisters. Mom was the third oldest of twelve, and her sister, Lucille, was the second oldest.
Aunt Lucille was always a bit eccentric and, apparently marched to the beat of her own drum from a young age. Her given name was Lucy Mae, but at some point (long before I was born), she had it legally changed to Lucille, because that was more sophisticated.
Also, rather unusual for that era, Aunt Lucille and her first husband divorced.
As you can see from this photo, taken in Grandma’s kitchen in 1955, Aunt Lucille was quite ahead of her time in sporting this outfit. I love this picture because I remember Grandma’s kitchen so well: the old cast iron sink, her dustpan hanging on the wall, her stove on the left wall behind Aunt Lucille. Just to the right of the sink was the door going out onto her screened in porch. I spent many happy hours in this room.
This photo was taken around that same time period. That’s my mom on the left with me in her lap, my cousin, Christine standing beside us, my grandma in the center, then Uncle Stanley (Christine’s dad) and Aunt Lucille. And it appears she’s filing her nails. It looks as though she’s wearing shorts, when most women in that day wore only dresses.
This photo of Aunt Lucille was taken in front of historic Bacon’s Castle when the family lived there. Most likely, that bench was made by my dad.
But this photo shows the Aunt Lucille that I remember best. That’s her on the far left in her shorts and socks. (I recall that they were usually knee socks. I think I have a picture of her in shorts and knee socks, but wasn’t able to locate it to include it in this post.).
And why have I been thinking about Aunt Lucille recently? It’s because of another of her habits that, I, as a child, considered odd. She always drank hot tea and iced coffee. All the other adults in my life drank iced tea and hot coffee.
But recently, I have discovered iced coffee. And it is now somewhat of an addiction.
Just so I don’t start wearing knee socks and tennis shoes. (Sorry, Aunt Lucille.)
~These Days Of Mine~
these days of mine 