The three Reynolds-Lockhart ladies -
Mim, Elsa and myself - are each late bloomers.
I did not marry until 26 - practically an old
maid back in 1936 - and did not have my first child
until 28. Mim did not get her bachelor's degree until she was in her late 30s
and got her first very own apartment when she was in her 40s. Elsa married at 37 and had her first children
in her mid-forties - - a multiple “birth”
of 45 children (her beloved "adopted" 3rd grade).
But bloom we finally did.
I consider the personal changes I am
experiencing as a late bloom, one after what I thought
was a hard frost.
Mim went on to be recognized for her work with the NJ
autistic organization with an official proclamation passed by the NJ State
Legislature (very official looking, with lots of seals and such).
Today, Elsa got to take a bow. She received the President's Award for Excellence,
presented each year by her employer, BISYS Plan Services. What a surprise. It was actually presented on Friday night at the company's big holiday bash,
but true to form they were not there for the Big Announcement. They had cut out early from the big bash, heading over to the newly
opened Barnes & Noble in Plymouth Meeting, just ten minutes from the swank country
club where they left the party in full swing. No one was more surprised than Elsa was at being honored out of over 1600 co-workers. She keeps saying, "I was just doing my job." Apparently, very well. In addition to being recognized as one of The Best, she received a stunning star
paperweight from Tiffany's and a hefty check.
The paperweight was a lovely
touch back to happy times with Mim up in New York City. It was Mim who introduced us to Tiffany's and we went
there often.
It was delightful to wander the story,
looking at all the wonders.
If you ever
get the chance to see the Christmas
windows at Tiffany's, they are quite a treat, or at least they were back when we stood rapt in wonder on 5th Avenue.
Mim opened our eyes
to the reality that a powder blue box
with white silk ribbon from Tiffany was quite affordable. They had beautiful wine glasses that were
only $5.00 a stem. Then there was the set of Santa Claus mugs in
a BIG powder blue box, still tied with heavy white silk
ribbon.
Because of Mim's early
influence, when Elsa hopped across The Pond on her
first trip to England, she was able to find affordable treasures at
Asprey's. Before her wedding, the three
of us made a pilgrimage up to New York City so she
could register at Tiffany's. If you want an idea of what it was like, watch Sleepless in Seattle - the bride-to-be and her "advisors" walk along
picking things out, as a stylish salesperson walks a deferential few paces back, noting
down the choices.
I think the first
time Mim went there was with Brooke, when
Brooke was still in elementary school. Mim likes to tell the tale of
checking out the diamond rings and necklaces, then asking the dapper gentleman
behind the counter, "Now, where is the good stuff?"
After we were done at Tiffany's, we
would head across and down 5th Avenue to
Rizzoli's, which was the most
beautiful book store I have ever seen, even more than Sessler's. The wood work and shelves and architecture
was out of this world.
I was sad when Rizzoli had to move to make
way for a new building - although I did feel like
I got a lovely bit of innocent revenge when the building inspectors,
checking it out before demolition could begin, found a Louis Tiffany or a Lalique
glass in the facade and the architects had to go back to the drawing board
because the preservation codes would not permit them to move it outside of
its original setting, let alone destroy it.
We have come a long way since they destroyed
the magnificent Penn Station to
build Madison Square Gardens.
Architects forced to redesign a building in order to preserve a pane of glass -
amazing.
My goodness, here I meant to be
writing about daughters and late bloomers and
I end up in NYC!
What I set out to
say, way back when, is that we three Reynolds-Lockhart ladies are all
late bloomers, but my what a lovely bloom it is.
Love to all as I toddle up the
wooden hill - TechnoGram
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