blue or green velvet at the eliot hotel

Today my Grampa told me some things I've always wanted to know about how he and my Nana met. I knew that they met at a dance, and that the first song they danced to was "The Tennessee Waltz," but that was the extent of my knowledge.

My family ate breakfast at the local diner this morning and my Grampa told us that he met my Nana in a dance hall in Central Square on Mass Ave, up on the third floor of a building. The music wasn't live, but came from a record player, and when my Grampa walked in my Nana Claire and her friend May were the only two girls there. At the time, my Nana was living with her family in Malden, and my Grampa was renting a room from his friend George and George's wife in Union Square in Somerville. He also mentioned that my Nana and her friends liked to hang out at the Eliot Hotel Lounge in Copley. That's something I found out from my mom a few weeks ago when we drove by the Eliot.

I think that maybe for my birthday this year I'd like for my friends and I to dress up and get drinks there. I think that would be really neat.

I love the 1940s and 50s already, but I especially love picturing my Nana and Grampa in the elegant clothes and what the city must have been like, and how the stars were 60 years younger than they are now. I like thinking about if my Nana was careful about choosing what dress to wear and if she had a favorite dress and what it was like.

(photo: my Nana on the beach)

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I've found a new favorite album: "With Blasphemy so Heartfelt" by Jessica Lea Mayfield. It's so beautiful. The lyrics hit home in many ways and many places. I heard one of her songs playing in a store and wrote down the lyrics so I could google them to find out who sang it. My favorite songs are "Kiss Me Again" (the song from the store), "For Today", "I'm Not Lonely Anymore", and "You've Won Me Over." Sighhhh. I love finding amazing new music to listen to. I'm a swoon-y type of girl when it comes to music, books, and...lots of things.

Have a happy fourth everyone!!!!

Love,

Amanda