Tag: California

Laughing At Old Family Christmas Photos

While I am sure that our children will someday poke great fun at photos from this year’s Christmas, I can’t help but share a couple of my favorite funny Christmas photos from my own childhood.

My grandma, with cigarette in hand, on Christmas or Christmas Eve. This photo must have been taken in the late1960s or early 1970s, at their home in Santa Fe Springs, California.

My beloved Grandma sure did love cat eye glasses…I have many photos and memories of her in this stylish eye wear. And don’t you just love the lit cigarette dangled between two fingers while she sat next to the Christmas tree opening gifts?…blowing secondhand smoke at the grandchildren surrounding her.

Christmas Sean and Ronnie
Another early 1970s Christmas at Grandma’s house. My brother Sean and cousin Ron.

And this big sister just can’t pass up the opportunity to laugh at my baby brother and cousin — even though, at that age, they had no say whatsoever in how their parents chose to dress them. At least my parents only subjected my brother Sean to footie pajamas with a big hole in the big toe. Poor Cousin Ronnie (I mean, Ron — he is a grown-up now!) is still traumatized from all the horrid 1970s baby leisure suits my aunt and uncle used to dress him in for special occasions.

Anniversaries: Benjamin Robledo Died 21 Years Ago Today

Benjamin Robledo (1919-1990)

Twenty-one years ago today, on December 22, 1990, my grandfather Benjamin Robledo passed away.

Despite being my grandfather, I don’t know very much about Benjamin.  He led a hard life and just wasn’t in the lives of his children or grandchildren on any sort of consistent basis.  My last real memory of him was at my junior high graduation, and I am guessing he also attended my high school graduation.  But, although I did not know him well while he was alive, I do hope to fit together the pieces of his troubled life.

Biographical Snapshot

Benjamin “Ben” Robledo was born on May 29, 1919, in California (we think it might have been Long Beach) to Maria Nieto Robledo and Joe Robledo. I do not have a copy of his birth certificate yet — no excuse, I’ve just been too lazy to jump through all the hoops required to obtain birth records from restrictive Los Angeles County.  He spent most of his life in the Long Beach and Norwalk areas of California. I attended the funeral.

Grandpa Ben also served in the US Navy during World War II, but I’ll save that for a future post…

Benjamin Robledo & Siblings
Benjamin Robledo (far right), with two of his siblings.
Benjamin Robledo & Siblings
Benjamin Robledo (middle), with two of his siblings.

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