One Feisty Dame.

My Grandmother was truly one feisty woman in her young womanhood. My mother tells me that growing up, her family was always goofing around in one way or another. Grandma's brother would dress up in her girdle and missle-cupped brassier for photos. Her sisters were known to be quite silly as well. Apparently my great-grandmother found her children quite amusing too. Every photo that I have of her shows her sitting with her adult children and laughing as they goof around. I find these photos of my granmother particularly intersting. They were taken of her during the 1940's and really speak of her great personality. In the first photo she is pretending to be the Mata Hari who was a Dutch exotic dancer during the first world war. The second photo pictures her toking a cigarette (long before it was known to be harmful) and looking very much pregnant with my mother. The third photo shows her in one of those "old timey" baby cribs suckling her favorite bottle of choice! She was the most loving and attentive grandmother that a child could ever ask for. She would sit for hours as I played "dress up" with her and would let me adorn her in whatever makeup, jewelry or hairstyle I chose. Happily for my family, her playful sense of humor has transcended generations and in this silly way she is always with us.

*Click on the photo to see the images larger and in more detail.