Punky Brewster, Family, & Flowers

If I sat down and thought about how many things there are that I know will work out, but I'm not sure quite how yet, I would go crazy. It's like an abyss, where I know they must have the things that I need, but I'm not sure how I will get them or when after I arrive.

I've really be focusing on saying goodbye to people and to things that I know won't be readily or cheaply available in China, like brownies. Maybe as an effect, I've been more interested in revisiting my childhood favorites. One favorite was Punky Brewster. I watched every minute of it, including the credits to make sure that I didn't miss any of the show. It was probably this show about which my parents first said, "Don't plan your life around TV." I was 7-8.

I've also been thinking a lot about my family and esp. my uncles. There are a couple little flickers of memories of my uncles. One time I was making chocolate chip cookies with my Grama K, and ML was coming home. She said, "We need to add extra chocolate chips, or else ML will ask where all the chocolate chips are!" I remember being 3, and my uncle MX taking a picture of me in my white dress on the lawn. I remember sitting between them while eating spaghettiI was a flower girl twice, but it feels like it was more than that. The first time, I wanted to wear purple, but my mom said that the bride gets to pick out the color. It was quite disappointing because the bride chose this ugly peach color, which was all the rage for weddings in the mid-80's. I don't remember which time, but one of my uncles took me into the entry way at The Farm to personally ask me to be the flower girl in his wedding. I don't remember how old I was, but I was totally impressed that he wanted to ask me personally. When I was that age, people didn't ask my opinion on too many things, and I was a "go with the flow" kind of kid. Obviously, I agreed because I was in the wedding. I don't remember how things went down. I just remember that feeling of respect that I felt, and I still appreciate my uncles for letting me feel like I was making my own important choice at such a young age.

-MsLin