#family anecdotes

[dust-and-berry]

So... I was watching Sandman and my mom asked that question and it was super strange for a second since her siblings are of other races or from the same mother (my uncle looks Mexican and my aunt looks like Regina George) so she was left confused an "awkward" moment so to speak...

[callipraxia]

I am officially the Evilest Aunt Alive! Says my year-old nephew who wants to stick his hands in the toilet, eat cat food and climb in the cat-box, throw my teacups, and lick the jar my good clay mask is in, anyway.

[callipraxia]

My grandmother, who was a teenager in the late forties, often talks fondly about the old flour sack dresses. She had a good friend whose mother actually enjoyed hand-sewing (the only person anyone around here knew who did, since most women were employed in the sewing plants from the thirties through the end of the 1980s, so they had no interest in anything even vaguely resembling sewing after work), and she and her friend would go with their parents to buy flour in order to pick patterns they liked, and then the friend’s mother would replicate all the top fashions of the day for them at cost, adjusted to be as flattering as possible to their measurements. Nan went from owning three dresses as a little girl to wearing a different one every day of the week as a young woman. One time, the town’s only department store got an unexpected order of men’s dress shirts, white button-downs, for the first time since the War and she managed to get one for her younger brother on her lunch break from the sewing plant - they’d completely sold out by the end of the day. In return, he bought her a ring with a tiny diamond in it. When my grandfather’s five sisters met her, they were so impressed by her pretty clothes and just by her owning any jewelry at all that they thought it was like their baby brother (my grandfather was the youngest of ten) had done married a princess.

[livewellnews]

"Twinkle Khanna's Hilarious Take on Motherhood: From Rotis to Modern Parenting"

In her latest column for the Times of India, Twinkle Khanna, the renowned author and entrepreneur, delves into the profound shifts in maternal roles and responsibilities from her own upbringing to her experiences as a parent. As Mother’s Day swept across social media, Twinkle chose to reflect on the multifaceted demands placed on modern-day mothers.

Recalling the simpler duties of her mother, Dimple Kapadia, which included ensuring her and her sister Rinke’s dietary and grooming needs were met, Twinkle juxtaposes them with her own diverse roles as a contemporary mother. From playing the roles of therapist, event organizer, stylist, educator, motivational guide, to even being a nutritionist and hairdresser, the responsibilities have evolved significantly.

While Twinkle reminisces about her childhood social escapades, like chasing chickens or collecting bottle caps for contests, she contrasts them with the challenges faced by present-day mothers. Managing screen time, adhering to gentle parenting techniques, and shielding children from potential scars are just a few of the complexities modern mothers navigate.

Injecting humor into her narrative, Twinkle shares an amusing anecdote involving her husband, actor Akshay Kumar, inadvertently likening her to a cow during her early days of motherhood. His casual remark about her being “unavailable” because she was “milking” humorously symbolized her transition from a glamorous figure to a nurturing mother.

Delving deeper, Twinkle explores the myriad struggles modern mothers face. Balancing childcare, career aspirations, and personal well-being while navigating societal expectations can feel like an uphill battle. She questions whether the modern approach of shielding children from the realities of the world results in homogeneity among today’s youth, with their similar behaviors, attire, and interests.

Acknowledging the pressure to strike a delicate balance in parenting, Twinkle reflects on the perpetual sense of guilt and blame that accompanies motherhood. Whether it’s granting too much freedom or being perceived as overly controlling, the journey remains fraught with uncertainty and judgment.

Ultimately, Twinkle’s poignant exploration serves as a tribute to the resilience and adaptability of mothers through the ages, as they continue to navigate the ever-changing landscape of parenthood with humor, grace, and love.

[angrytheatremaker]

Sloppy Conformity, Vulgarity, and the Art of Dress (With A Guest Appearance from Agatha Christie)

Long loose hair, black high leather boots, white openwork tights, skimpy skirt, long sloppy pullover made of heavy wool--I laugh at Agatha Christie's open disdain of such an ensemble, but this sounds exactly like a costume for a highly specific concept for a K-Pop music video in which a group of young girlies is either making their debut or making a comeback. One thing Dame Agatha nailed, however, was the near-unanimous insistence of the baby boomers on conformity to the fashions of their peers. The same attitude rears its head today. The more things change, etc., etc.

My own mother--may her memory be a blessing!--dressed during her teen years in pastel mod outfits that didn't suit her, which gave way in the 1970s to a more magpie-like hippie sensibility. The Dress Doctors often referenced by Professor Pski would have written her down as a vivid brunette and prescribed a wardrobe of simple lines, cool neutrals, and a vivid-cool palette perhaps somewhat softened by a "late autumn/early winter frost" sensibiilty. As it was, she got into Carole Jackson's Colour Me Beautiful in the 1980s, although her fashion sense remained eclectic. By the time I'd been born and was learning what she had to teach me, she'd calmed down considerably, although she retained a love for vivid over-the-top jewel tones. She was the one who insisted I have my colors done as a child (Autumn, although my budding efforts at composing outfits were awkward and hilarious).

Nowadays I understand Dame Agatha's disdain for the sloppy conformity of 1960s youth somewhat better--it was a common refrain among women of a certain age--but I may borrow the boots sometime just for funsies.

[jinjeriffic]

My great great grandpa was taken as a POW during WWI and taken to Italy to do forced labour (since all the men were on the front they needed someone to bring in the harvest). He and a group of fellow prisoners decided to escape by hiking across the gd Alps. They stole the silverware from the manor where they were being kept prisoner to barter for food and possible transport. We still have a couple of monogrammed utensils from that heist. They got the runs from drinking water from streams in the Alps and were basically constantly shitting themselves while hiking.

The "I just pretended I belong here and no one has noticed so far that I'm not supposed to be here" fics are hysterical to me. If someone pretended to be my cousin and showed up in my house they would absolutely get my inattentive ass.

[incorrectbatfam]

I haven’t seen the post about peeling skin but I have a moral; never buy socks at Universal Studios

Pre-COVID my family went to California and did all the fun stuff. AKA stuff I don’t find fun but who gives a shit whatever. We went to Universal Studios first, and back then, they had a store dedicated to socks. No idea if it’s still there. Cool, I want funny socks so I buy a couple pairs, and I wear one pair the next day

My feet were peeling for weeks. Like, I could peel off a square inch of skin in one go. Didn’t hurt to come off, but boy my feet were sore. This was because I went on a water ride at Disney and my feet got wet

So, you might think it was because my feet were wet, not the socks. Nah. I’m the kind of freak who both enjoys peeling her skin off and wearing socks in the shower. And when we got home, I did Science

Only the Universal Socks did this. Also they gave my sibling blisters. We tested that too, with more Science.

So don’t buy their socks

[jvzebel-x]

here's an update for all the "tOuRiSm iS fOr ThE pEoPlE" fucks. always remember that the second anyone steps foot on that land in the name of "tourism" or any other haole institution, that is colonizing&that person is a fucking explicit modern colonizer who made the conscious decision to be one and has spent a lot of fucking money on that trip to get their title. only that kine want more of their kin there-- don't pretend that shit is for anyone else.

drop dead of spontaneous combustion specifically, not even the sharks would want that pīlau fucking meat.

[solarwreathe]

christmas with no limits

really, this art was all an excuse to show you this image. i miss when old movie promo photos were awkward as shit.

[george-the-good]

The late King’s kindness as a host was always being manifested. Any guest who was shy or nervous would be constantly encouraged and put at his ease, and His Majesty could never endure to cause embarrassment or discomfort to anyone. Once a young guest drove off from the door at Sandringham with such vulgar and thoughtless haste that he churned up the gravel on the drive as he went and stones were scattered on the grass. The King, watching from a window, was naturally incensed, and a member of the household, likewise annoyed, assured His Majesty that he would have a word with the offender. But a few moments later the King was imploring his aide to say nothing and to forget the matter, lest the young man should be made to feel uncomfortable.

THE KING IN HIS COUNTRY by AUBREY BUXTON (1955)

[peachdoxie]

My grandmother's clock disappeared from her room in the assisted living facility sometime between Wednesday when I put it up and today (Friday) when we visited her this evening, and I am perseverating hard about locating it. I would tear this place apart if my grandmother wasn't already in bed.

[callipraxia]

She would stop putting her paw out like this if only she understood stuff like the concept of “sometimes Mother does Money Work instead of just writing fanfic when she's on the computer” and the links between the concepts of “Mother does Money Work” and “Tati gets Salmon Foods.”

[borgialucrezia]

ok but historical lucrezia borgia giving birth to her first baby boy whom she named giovanni (juan's italianized name) in honor of her mysteriously murdered brother who died a year earlier...i can be totally normal about this actually… i can be trusted to not be unhinged over this tiny crumb of information (a lie)

[freakurodani]

The parallel between Sokka and Tenzin as their fathers' sons.

Sokka, left at 13 as his father and all the other men head off to war. Hakoda tells him "being a man is knowing where he's needed the most" and he needs to protect his sister, his home.

Tenzin is the second airbender. He is also half water tribe, he's a man. When Aang dies, he will be the last airbender. He understands what he needs to do.

Untold amount of pressure and responsibility have been thrust upon them by their fathers. Though, I believe it is not all intentional, but the unfortunate circumstance of being the fathers of sons who take responsibility incredibly seriously.

In Sokka's case, "protect your sister" is a vague instruction. It was meant to give him purpose, to help him feel okay about being left behind, He is too young for war, his father does not want to bring his child to slaughter. But Sokka will die with purpose. He will train the children of his tribe so they will be protected, he will face a fire nation ship until his last breath. He cannot go to war, but Hakoda did not see that war was all around them. In trying to give Sokka purpose, Hakoda put their world on his shoulders.

We do not get to see Aang be a father (in the TV shows), but we know he had hopes for the future. All his children were air nomads, and the air acolytes brought his culture back, but Tenzin could bend. This part of their culture is one ONLY they share. I do not think Aang would hide this, he is joyous that he gets to share his culture. When he feels respected, he always is, he taught the air acolytes after all. Off handedly, he could say, "I'm hopeful for a future where there are lots more air benders," and that, which feels mostly innocuous to him, is the nail in the coffin of Tenzin's fate. He is Avatar Aang's son, and the future of the air benders. It would not matter that Aang meant a future in generations. Tenzin sees the responsibility and it's his. He is his father's only air bending child, he knows what he needs to do.

Being a parent is not understanding the way the things you say harm your children. Even those things that feel innocuous in the moment can be life altering. Especially the more the child respects the parent. Purpose and Hope for those with a broader perspective, can be death sentences to a life that could have been when expressed to those who idolize the former.

[solardrink]

3.5 spoiler !

I CANNOT stop laughing the fact that kaeya as a little kid SHIPPED himself back to where he thought khaenri’ah was because he read it in a book 😭😭😭he’s so SILLY imagine this tiny malnourished kid with fancy clothes on ur fuckin ship carrying goods across the sea with the most determined little face and then his adoptive dad goes ALL the way to sumeru to pick his ass up and drag him back to mond 😭 this was the route they had to take

[neverenoughmarauders]

Hogwarts hats and Eton's school uniform pre-WW2

So I told my husband about my struggles with the Hogwarts school hats, and how I keep forgetting that this was a required part of the uniform.

Anyways, he shared a little anecdote about his grandfather who went to Eton. So pre-WW2, a top hat was still a required part of the uniform. The students were required to have the hat on them at all times, but not necessarily to wear them. In fact there were times they were specifically required not to wear them, such as during chapel service.

So before chapel service, all the boys put their hats down any odd place, and picked up another hat - whichever hat - as they wouldn't actually need to wear the hat, ever. My husband believes this tradition stopped during the war, as the students were now required to also carry around gas masks, and asking the students to carry both items everywhere seemed a bit overkill (unlike carrying a top hat completely unnecessarily).

This is exactly the sort of ridiculous nonsense that JKR constantly makes fun of in Harry Potter, so while I know there are canon evidence to the contrary, this is now my new official head canon: that the students were required to have their hats but not to wear them, and that this resulted in all sorts of funny nonsense.