I am lovin' the sound of the Evoca recording. The speaker to mic recording gave it that mono scratchy sound of the old tunes.
I was the only kid in the family for 13 years.
Uncle Jack dressing up as Santa - but he has blue eyes with distinctive black "freckles" that blew his cover in a minute. I remember when he picked me up (age 4 or 5) and had the jolly laugh. I stopped that shit right in it's tracks. "Hey, you have eyes just like Uncle Jack!" Off came the beard and out came the beer
I remember JB (my grandfather) telling inappropriate jokes at dinner and how he would swear Yugoslavs (he is first generation) were the silliest and least "capable" people on the planet. We always bought him something "Made in Yugoslavia" as a joke. The year Yugoslavia ceased to exist, he pointed out just how REALLY dumb we are. He loved to poke fun at himself ....he taught me how to laugh at myself (as often as possible)
Here the troubled crew....minus Mom. She was never without her camera
I remember the great tree they put up every year. Smelled great and Jeanie (grandma)would give me a dated, new ornament for every year...I still have all of them dating back to 1973. Just don't put them up anymore. I remember the awesome spread of food Jeanie always made. Never the usual and ALWAYS many courses. My favorite is still the Walnut Roll - passed down from our Yugoslav relatives.
I remember my (3) uncles and JB reciting lines from "Caddy Shack" and just being plain silly and hilarious. EVERY Year!
I remember the time that Jer and Jack; or Jer and Jim; or Jack and Jim.....(2 of the 3 uncles) had too much to drink, we had a huge snow storm that year and we all camped out at Jeanie and JB's house...not that this has anything to do with my family having a little too many nips at a party; everyone gets silly when we all come together. The two of them started a "play fight" while Jeanie was doing dishes. Jeanie arose from the dishwasher a moment too early and got a left hook. A black eye and three grown men on the couch with tails tucked was a Christmas well celebrated.
Here they are after the scolding
This picture explains alot about how my uncles turned out
I think that was the first year I started playing violin and I am sure the adults were hating the later hours of my practice!
Then there was the year Jeanie got the first playstation. "Burger Time" was her favorite game. That same year Jerry broke his leg. Can't remember if that one was the skiing accident or the motorcycle accident; but no mind - he moved in with his parents and Jeanie and him got addicted to video games together.
Of course the most memorable would be the turntable. The oak one with the lid that lifts to reveal the vinyl. The green velvet curtains behind the bars of wood where the speakers lie hidden. You know the one (My grandparents on my father's side gave me the 8-track version which,is a cherished piece of furniture around our house). The tunes that belted out.....Jeanie would talk about growing up in Chicago in the 30's and 40's. She has a nice scar on her arm....Count Basey burned her with his cigarette when he passed her at the "Blue Note" in Chicago. Jeanie is this true or some family legend?
So the tunes, baby. The tunes I remember the most. Swing, Big Band, Jazz. Someone would always kick up the rug at Christmas!
And it could have been Aunt Jean (my Grandmother's aunt). She lost her husband (uncle Chester) on Christmas Eve in 1976 (?). She never could get in the spirit, but when she did it was with fine Brandy and stories of Chester and a cutting of some rug. Chester was a stay-at-home husband. It was said that's because he would not have a wife with dish-pan hands. That she was far above that (and she made a mighty fine living)....but truth be told, she was a shitty house keeper and he needed CLEAN. It worked well for them until he passed.
I miss Aunt Jean and Lionel (her so unbehaved dog). I would bring Wendy's burgers (one with all of it and one with none - for Lionel) every time I visited. She was a great woman and I miss her!
Of course, Mom was the bestest. There was no Santa in our house to deliver presnuts (not like the breakfast or spaghetti mis-pronunciation, we called them PresNuts on purpose)- it was Ms. Claus that signed off on gifts. She made the rockin' breakfast on Christmas morning every year and alway scraped together whatever she could to put presnuts under the tree. Merry Christmas, Jo. I love and miss you!
So, tonight I listen to some "Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers". This music reminds me of Christmas, and with a band name like this, JB and Jeanie would have been sure to stock up on every recording she made.
Merry Merry to one and all
