Che & Tesla Looking Forward to a Great 2023!!!

 

I'm wishing everyone the best for 2023!!!  Happy New Year, everyone!!!

#newyear #happy2023

Merry Christmas from Cecilia Brainard and Family

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I've been sharing a huge number of family pictures, and many thanks for your indulgence. I have them in a folder for Shutterfly. One year, I made a Memory book for the family from these pictures and more, the thinking being at least the pictures will be in hard copy and won't disintegrate or get lost in the computer.

Here is one of our first family photos. The baby in my arms was just a few days old. It makes me think of how Mary and Joseph must have felt with the Baby in their arms that first Christmas.

Yes, yes, yes, we were very young. Merry Christmas!

 

Tags: #Christmasphotos #merrychristmas #christmasmemories 

Remembering General Robert Brainard and others - Old Family Photo

 

The photo is fading. Here is a picture of me and my nuclear family with my mother (right), and some members of my husband's family. Robert Brainard (left standing in back), Josephine Horde Brainard (far left), and Tillie Robson (beside Josephine), and my mother Concepcion Cuenco Manguerra have moved on.

I loved my husband's family; and they loved me. I miss them. General Robert Brainard or Dad used to visit and he'd arrive before my husband got home from work. I'd get him a beer or coffee (when he gave up liquor) and he would update me on family gossip. When My husband got home, they would turn on the TV and watch sports. My husband never got the family "gossip" and I was the one who would relay the family tidbits to him.

Aunt Tillie was married to Uncle Gerry (Dad's maternal uncle). She was so sensible and fair. When she was in her 90s, she made her own funeral arrangements and talked to the pastor about what he should say about her. "Keep it short," she said.

She and Uncle Gerry did not have children, and her nieces took care of her when she needed help, handled her bills, took her to doctors, etc. When she passed away, my husband got a phone call from one of the nieces informing him that she had left money for the relatives of her husband. She taken half her money and allocated that to her husband's relatives. Amazing to me, given the number of family squabbles in the Philippines over inheritance.

My mother is worthy of a book, and so I will talk about her another time.

I'm remembering them with love and gratitude for all they have done for me and my nuclear family. May they rest in peace.

tags:  #familyremembrance

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from Brainard Family

 My family and I wish you a merry Christmas and happy New Year!  ~ Cecilia Brainard

#merrychristmas #Christmas2022 #Christmasgreetings #holidaygreetings 

Halloween 2022 in Santa Monica

 Found these pictures taken last Halloween 2022. I put Halloween makeup on the members of our small party. After dinner, we went to the Santa Monica Mall where we saw the Gigantes put up by the City. We also ran into other revelers.