bitz and pixels

Mom's hair slowly turned grey but her smile never dimmed as her family grew and each child became more well defined. With disputatious Sally off to college and then to Connecticut for a job, Marilyn, Joan, and Ted became a more closely knit group, although each had a strong and creative impact on the family as a whole.

Dorothy's illness progressed like a slow tide rising amidst the ongoing drama of the kids' adventures and Dad's disruptive drunken habits. The Gravetts' had such a bland, attractive home on a quintessential mid-American street -- but inside, what excitement, fear, laughter, good food, and progress roiled around at all times -- much like most American families.

"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way," wrote Leo Tolstoy in his classic novel, Anna Karenina.

And each Gravett had his or her own take on the family, depending on a host of variables. Somehow though, many, many endeavors -- school years, homework, meals, laundry, vacation trips, gardens, workshop projects, music lessons, and so much more -- were started and most often completed.

Family life moved itself along like a staggering juggernaut, driven by the irresistible spirit of Dodie.

Soon enough, Ted left for college. Then Marilyn,.

By then, Dodie had her first grandchildren -- Emily Maud, Sarah Sawyer, and Hannah Holly. They were in Connecticut, too far for a casual visit. But Dorothy made sure to keep in touch with them, directly and through Sally.

And then, by the early 70s, just in time for Joan's high school graduation, when it seemed the nest had emptied at last, there was a homecoming.

Stay tuned . . . .

xoxo