Pyramid power

That strongman penguin at the top of the pyramid is flexing some pumped up wing muscles, but the true tough guys are the dressed up dudes on the bottom who are holding all the weight. This ornament is one of my favorites, not just because it’s so much fun, but because it was a gift from my Aunt Lillian Truitt in New Mexico. I had just moved west and didn’t have a steady job yet, so I was watching my pennies. I was going to pass on this one, but she insisted that I needed it. She and her family, my cousins, are responsible for a lot of the penguins in the ornament collection and a lot of the other penguins that are all over my house. Aunt Lillian was married to my mother’s brother Lee. They were considerably older than her and moved to New Mexico before I was born, so I hardly knew them for the first half of my life, but we were able to make up for lost time later on. You were always welcome at Aunt Lillian’s house and you never went hungry. The food was always good and there was plenty of it. Grocery shopping with Aunt Lillian was an adventure that usually meant going to one or two supermarkets to get what was “on special” or to get a particular brand, followed by stops at one or two local produce markets for fresh fruits and vegetables. She had a great sense of humor, and she loved the outdoors and everything about New Mexico, from its history to its music to its food. She was one of my favorite relatives and also a great friend.

Wooden penguin pyramid

Acquired: probably November or December 1993, JC Penney, Winrock Mall, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Number: 0169