Awesome Rating: High, But Conflicted

It's been a rough couple of weeks here at Old Maid HQ, with the loss of two members of my family of choice.  One I discussed here; the other was the sudden death of someone whose path and mine crossed, but not often enough.  I would have liked to have known him a lot better than I did.  His sister is a friend of mine, and although I was on the periphery of the huge group that mourned his passing, it's been exhausting.

Two of the things my friend gave me from her brothers house are these Spanish dancers.  I loved them as soon as I saw them, but I waited until others had taken things they wanted before I asked for them.  They remind me of some lamps my grandma had in her living room the whole time I was growing up, but that were thrown out when the room was redecorated.  (New brass lamps from J.C. Penney with the plastic still on the shades were involved.  You don't want to know.) 

Oddly enough, I was the only person among our group of friends who appreciated the delightful tackiness of these two girls.  They now live on a deep shelf above my kitchen sink, and every time I look up at them they make me smile.  I like to think that wherever they are, J and Gram are smiling too.