Friday, June 24, 2011

The mother of all surprises.

This is my reward for spending my day, covered in dust, going through the boxes of my mom's photos and memorabilia that I promised to tackle in 2010. This "Gold Coast Cruises" postcard is addressed to my father. My mother, Kay {note the snazzy custom signature*}, is pictured. And this is indeed her handwriting. 


Because I'm certain you cannot read the writing: 
I am tired, hot and haven't met a single millionaire yet. We leave on the ship today. Have taken tours during the day and go to shows at night. Nude one was best. Have taken lots of pictures but not of nudes. Sybil and I both have colds. 
Ok, a few comments:
1. Does she mean a millionaire who is single {i.e., not married} or just one millionaire. I'm just curious if she cared whether or not he was indeed not married and what exactly she indeed to do with him if she found one.  
2. The nude show was "best." What?!?  The thought of those words being uttered, or rather, written by my mother leave me positively speechless! Call me a prude, but I've never been to a nude show. And the thought that I am more of a prude than my mother is shocking. Positively shocking. She didn't even drink for peet's sake. Next I'm going to find a AA book.
3. The postmark date -- 13 JUL 1969 -- is only two shorts months before my parent's wedding {September 1969}. Were they already dating, but yet she's off looking for millionaires. Was this her last shot -- I'll marry you if I don't find a millionaire on this cruise?! 
4. In July 1969 she had two young children {from a previous marriage} at home. I would not make my appearance for another 17 months. Guess she still felt the need to go off and sew her wild oats before she settled down again. You go girl!
5. The only bit that actually sounds like my mother is the last little bit -- "Sybil and I both have colds." I can completely hear her saying that. Especially ending on it. Though even that makes me wonder: Is Sybil her alternate personality that goes out at night looking for millionaires and seeing nude shows or a real friend?!?
I suppose we'll never know.  

* at some point in the 70s she had a gold necklace made with this little custom signature she'd designed as a charm. So very chic and Carrie Bradshaw before there was a chic Carrie Bradshaw. She wore it most of her life and I believe we buried it with her. 

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