Lee states of this photo of my Grandpa Seligman"Apart from golf, dealing cards, and running to the window [$50 or $100] at the track, this is absolutely the only time I saw my Dad do real physical labor ... termites got to the back door steps ... 1946."
I can't ever remember him doing anything out doorsy either. I think he always had a gardener to mow and with the exception of going to work every day, he spent his leisure time doing just that .... lounging, playing golf, playing cards or hanging out at the country club. I guess that is the reason I always felt they were wealthy. Even my grandmother had a maid to do the heavy cleaning and even a great deal of the cooking.
But for me, what a treat that was! I was a poor child from the "wrong" side of the tracks in New Orleans. One of my earliest recollections was sleeping on a bare mattress in the corner of the kitchen with my brother.
Going to my grandparents house to visit was like going to a fairy tale land - it transformed me from a frog into a princess. Every little girl should feel like a princess sometimes. Being with my Grandma and Grandpa made me feel loved, special and safe. I loved them both very, very much!
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We weren't rich, but we were I guess "upper middle class" -whatever the hell that means . I do think we -like many- lived pretty much pay check to pay check, although the paychecks were ample by the standards of the day ! I never wanted for anything really. Unfortunately, I never got to really appreciate my Dad until I was 15 or so when in prep schoolI was old enough to play golf with him and his frienda and later when I was invited to p;ay cards with them. Prior to that he was working 6 days a week from 0800 in the morning 'til 1900 in the evening. I played 2 years of football and 2 of baseball in prep school and 4 years of football at the Boat School as well as fieldball and 3 years of both squadron softball as player and coach, baseball of the base team and coaching the base Pony League team ... he was able to make one game, but by that time I understood the reason. He did send me for two years to one of the best prep schools around DC and sent me to almost 3-month summer camp for 5 years and that -as i turns out- was somewhat of a fair trade; I still wish we had had more time together and I still miss him !
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