That Meemaw Is One Great Photographer

A day in the life of a ballerina.

Putting all your hair into a ballerina bun.

Having mama put your makeup on just right.

Having to sit for your grandmothers to record the moment. And Aunt Shannon, too.

Perform a scene of the Nutcracker...just like Miss Anna taught you....

FEBRUARY 13,1895

Mama Gooch's was born on February 14, 1895. That sounds like such a long time ago. She was the matriarch of our family. Everyone loved her. Very much. I think she was the nicest person, besides my brother, I have ever known. She had four children and they had children and we all lived very close to each other. After my father died my mother and I moved in with her and PawPaw. Everyone came to our house, it was the center of all the family activities. I grew up with all my cousins coming around. It was so much fun, until they got into my stuff. But this post is not about them. It is about Mama Gooch.

She told me that when I moved in with her that I would follow her around in the yard while she gardened. She said I was her shadow. I remember always wanting to go uptown with her when she shopped. She would call a cab, and we would head to the stores...I loved to go to W**lworths, JCP*nny, and the N*tional Store. So much fun...One time I had a cold and she decided I should stay home this time. I cried to go too. She finally agreed, but I had to rub V*ck's Salve under my nose. Of course I read this week that you should never do this. Anyway, I rubbed it in my nose and off we went.

I hope that her influence on my life made me a nicer person. I will never be her, but I hope I can be like her, when I grow up.

She lived to be 99 years old. She was right on the money until the last few months of her life. I wish I could interest you if all my stories of Mama Gooch, but, I will save that for later.

Happy Birthday Mama Gooch. I love you.....

RAIN

I had a wonderful chance to almost see the Beatles. It was like I was a teenager again. Only this time my best friends were with me and we were transported back to the days when we had no cares, no responsibility. We were just screaming and fainting, clapping our hands to the beat, and singing with the band.

What I am talking about is a night out at the Orpheum to see "Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles". I felt like I was a sitting in my living room watching the Ed Sullivan show. Really, I swear I did. Then, songs and time progressed and I was in my dorm studying for an exam while Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was blasting from another room reaching every room on our hall.

There were big screens to each side of the stage with pictures from my past, images of the bright swirling colors, and we all collectively sighed, laughed, clapped, or moaned at what we saw. We were encouraged to sing with them, but we needed no encouragement because we already were singing. From the balcony, I looked down at the whole floor clapping in time to the beat and I got chills.

I had a wonderful night, and came home, got in bed and it was nice to have the tunes stick in my head, and sing me to sleep.

I wanted you to know about this sweet little girl. I first met her when she was about one and half years old. She won my heart. Please read her story.

Who Wants the Flu, NOT ME....

I always worry about the flu. Especially since I am the only person bringing home the money, and work does not look too kindly on sick employees. They don't want us there and they don't want us at home. It just adds to your ill feelings.

I was picking Forrest up at Daycare the other day. He was going to be so happy to see me. He loves for me to get him early so he can skip nap-time. I usually love going into the daycare. I stop at the baby room and get free smiles from the babies, then head to the four year old room. However, this day I felt I was walking into the Bug House. Kids were coughing, noses running, eyes weeping. I felt like running out screaming. Instead, I sneaked up on Forrest and he immediately started packing up to leave. His dad was with me and he ran right past him and said, "What are you doing here"? I could see dad's face drop. We went to Mom's first grade room, and no hugs for mom either. I smiled to them both and said, "Hey, today is all about me", Forrest knew who was breaking him free from daycare. But, not too sure how many creapy crawly flu bugs came with us.

I then was in the grocery, and I felt like I needed to hold my breath so as not to have an added danger of flu bugs. All was well until I walked right into the path of a preteen riding in the basket. Looking back to see why such an old girl was in the buggy, I saw her red weepy eyes, and she coughed right at me. What? Why did her mother bring her buggy child into the grocery just to infect me? I know, I have had my own sick child with me but it is different when My Kids are grown, I loose sympathy for them and think only about Me....Sorry, but, I have to work. I do not need the flu.

Happy Boy!

Max with St*r W*rs Battleship

Lily waiting to dance.

This is my son, Kevin, on a trip to Germany. I always post pictures of my grandchildren, so I decided to show off my children. He and his wife, Amy, went to Germany a couple of years ago. Needless to say, they enjoyed it very much...Memaw and I kept the children.....

Gene

I just have to tell you about the death of my dear uncle. Gene was a man of few words but always a man with a smile for you. He and my Aunt Helon would come to my house when I was young to visit with my mother and grandmother. He would sit and wait patiently while they visited. When Helon was ready to go, she would walk in and say "Gene, let's go" and he would say his good byes and take her home.

He was up early every morning to deliver foods to some the grocery stores in our area. One summer my cousin and I went with him on his deliveries. Something that would never get to happen these days. We had so much fun. Riding in the delivery truck which was somewhat a version of the F*d-Ex trucks was sooooo exciting. Riding with the door open and the wind blowing in our face. It might not sound like a great adventure, but, to us it was.

Helon died a couple of years ago after being in the nursing home for over ten years. He too was in the nursing home for awhile before she died. After her death, he would look for her all the time. He missed her so much.

He passed away on Wednesday, January 14th. His birthday. He doesn't have to miss her anymore. They are together again.