Mother's closet redux

Upon suggestions from a reader, I just polished my post on my mother's white gloves ... a bit.   That reminded me of another item I was used to seeing in my mother's closet when I lived at home.

Down among the shoes was a pair of toe ballet shoes.   Now by the time I could remember my mother, she was quite a large lady.   But in her younger days she had been an athlete and dancer.   I understood that she danced (as an amateur) with Martha Graham and also performed in NJ with Woody Guthrie's wife Marjorie Mazia in Folksay, a ballet using american folk music.   As I recall my mother telling this story, Woody Guthrie played his music live for the performance.

I certainly never saw my mother do ballet or modern dance.   I couldn't easily imagine it.   However she did love to dance and my father cooperated on numerous occasions and parties.    When we took the Rye beach steamer from Hoboken to Rye beach at least once a year, I always got to waltz with my mom (probably 5 - 7 yrs old.)  That was heaven for me.    I think she took a lot of pleasure from it as well.

My mother also played the violin and viola.   As I was learning the piano, I always considered it a tragedy that she let violin go so long that she could barely play.   I have told my violinist daughter, Abby,  this story many times as an advisory tale.   And taken it to heart with nearly daily playing of the piano or accordion.

By the way, I didn't find the toe shoes in the closet when I closed down the Springfield house.   Hmmm.