My mother was both extravagant and frugal.

When I was 8…

I have a tiny Swarovski crystal miniature piano…

When I was probably seven years old…

Every kid accumulates special treasures.

A little girl walked up to me with her arm extended…

“Awww, look. The lake’s full of water again.”

More than once I had been told…

My father was an exporter who travelled internationally…

Why would I slave over a pile of cardboard…

I grew up on the North Shore of Chicago…

This calendar and pen set belonged to my grandfather.

A pad is a strange thing to hold onto from childhood…

The Point Ration Book & Token Pocket belonging to my grandparents…

My father kept very orderly records.

Now that I’m old (88) and wise…

My mother, a glamorous woman…

I remember when I could fit through the gate at my grandmother’s townhouse…

I wind and set the brass ship’s clock.

When I was nine and actively collecting rocks…