You’ll get “They Get You Coming & Going,” “can’t Win for Losing,” and other famous phrases

Every family has those little inside jokes/stories that never seem to go away. For example, my cousin, who is about 15 years younger than me, couldn’t pronounce “Grandpa.” He said Peepaw. Even though Grandpa had been “Grandpa” for over 30 years by that time, he instantly became “Peepaw.” While the frequency waned after awhile, whenever we were being sappy, we’d call him Peepaw.

It’s fun how there are certain phrases & songs that remind us of people too. Like the phrase “They get you coming & going” will forever remind me of my Grandmother. It’s like fingernails on a chalkboard when I hear it because it is so incredibly pessimistic, yet I also get nostalgic when I hear it.

When I think about it, I can hear both my Grandpa’s voices and one of my Grandma’s. I remember conversations with the other Grandmother, but I can’t hear her voice.

My one Grandpa had a laugh like a donkey. And he pronounced my Mom’s name with a distinct punch on the second syllable. The corresponding Grandma of this set of Grandparents pronounced it the same way. I remember the summer after Grandpa passed away. We spent that summer fixing up my Great Grandma’s house that was across the street from my Grandparent’s house. The reason was 2 fold – added income for Grandma and also for safety. While in a highly populated area, Grandma was oddly secluded, especially with Great Grandma’s house vacant.

When I hear “Only the Lonely” by the Motels, I think of that summer. It played allllll the time. I remember the majority of “fixing up” was stripping wallpaper (using a concoction of hot water and starch) and then, once it was stripped, Mom re-hung wallpaper. It was white with light brown flowers in a sparse pattern throughout most of the house and light brown/tan with white flowers (yes, the reverse) in the kitchen and a couple other rooms.

When I think of that summer, I can smell the “summer" smells and starch mixture we used. It’s amazing how a memory can evoke the senses...the flashes of memory that you feel like you can reach out and touch. I am going to go now and wax nostalgic.