It seems like I got the short end of the stick on this genetics thing. Considering I am 5'2 in shoes, you can bet that is the sarcasm gene shining through. Noooooo, I couldn't get the Smith towering over 6' genes, nope I get the shorty Vineys genes. And the sarcasm one. In all fairness that one pretty much runs through all four of my geneological lines. I am not as sure about the Cowans, but it is definately in the Smith, LaLanne and Vineys lines.
I also have sinus trouble (Smith), vision problems (Vineys and LaLanne) and the LaLanne ladies hips. But, the one genetic feature I cannot figure out is the hair.
It is thick, and has a little curl to it at the nape of the neck that makes short hair styles dicey. Dad, his sister Sue, her daughter Michelle, my brother Michael, me and my son all have it. I keep mine long and my son's very short, like his Grandpa. No, the part I cannot figure out the genealogical roots and the one I hate the most right now is the color.
Example 1: my mother this past Thanksgiving (holding her beautiful niece Hailey). That is her natural color! No really, I mean it. Not one strand of grey! Her mother, on the other hand, went grey in her late 20's/early 30's.
Example 2: my Aunt Sue this past Thanksgiving. Her birthday is today (HAPPY BIRTHDAY!) 10 months after my moms.
One has no grey. The other is all grey. Mine is a mottled mess. It isn't mostly brown anymore and it doesn't look like it will turn all over beautiful silver like my aunt anytime soon. No, I got stuck with whatever gene gives me just enough grey to look much older than my 44 years. Grrr!
I'd show you a picture of mine, but that wouldn't tell you much thanks to Garnier Nutrisse Number 50. That is about as close as I can come to my natural color, and when it starts to grow out I will decide again if I am going to hope for more grey or just keep coloring it.
But, it could be a whole lot worse. I may not have her hair color, but at least I have the same salt craving gene as Aunt Sue. The rest of the family derides her for putting a little salt on her ham at Christmas. I don't think that is strange at all. Come to find out we both have really low blood pressure, so we naturally crave salt to keep it at a healthy level. But, I draw the line at putting an olive in my white wine. That's just weird.
Mary~Momathon says
Your mom and your aunt have beautiful hair! My grandma is 104 and not completely silver haired, she has enough "pepper" to spice it up.
Hazel LaLanne says
Me too... love love salt!!