Today is my sister Carole’s birthday. She is my eldest sister, born 10½ years before me, so I’ll let you do the math. Let’s just say it’s a milestone birthday for her.
Of all of my many blessings, having a sister like Carole is right up there at the top. She inspired my love of music, of Daphne du Maurier novels, and of old movies (Remember Jennifer Jones in "Duel in the Sun"?), along with my respect for quilts and the domestic arts. She's a fantastic cook, jelly-maker, gardener, musician, singer, choir director, needleworker, artist, mother and grandmother. A cautious but dogged Farkle player, she can also whip me soundly at Scrabble every now and then.
If you don't have a big sister like Carole, you should get one. She is one in a million, and I love her very much. You can e-mail her at clcorder@wildblue.net and tell her Happy Birthday!
4 comments:
Rather than "doing the math", check the birthdate underneath the picture. Patty, she gonna' kill you. Happy Birthday, Carole!
As the sticky littlest (or the stickiest little) sister, I don’t think I was of much interest to Carole as she grew up. She got married when I was 9 and moved away to exotic places like a naval base in Maryland.
But when I was 11, she moved home while her Navy flight navigator husband flew missions over southeast Asia. It was pretty thrilling to have her home, given that she had all of this status of being married and stuff. I admired her so much, and I remember that Mom treated her like an adult, which I also envied.
For Christmas that year, she made Tommy and me velvet Christmas stockings. Mine was white velvet with a red cuff. It had felt and pipe cleaner angels on it and my name in glitter. Tommy’s was red with white trim, with white felt reindeer and his name. We both still have them, and we cherish them.
When school let out before Christmas, I helped her make Amy’s Christmas present -- a red print “granny gown,” a very fashionable style in 1965. It was ankle length (the answer to a mini), and it had kind of flared sleeves lined in white lace. I thought it was SO COOL. On Christmas morning, I opened my package from Carole – it was all of the fabric and the pattern to make ME one, too! She whipped it up before I went back to school. With my new white go-go boots, I was the envy of my friends.
I never had a big sister. Is that why I have you?
Yes, little Mark. I am your big sister. And delighted to be that.
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