banana bottom
OK Erin...even though technically it's Alla's birthday...this post is for you:
My cousin Erin has a wonderful - albeit strange - sense of humor. For as long as I can remember, she has taken the Chiquita banana sticker and stuck it on Aunt Martha when she wasn't looking. Aunt Martha has been known to go to important business meetings wearing the sticker. Before Erin would leave to go to college, she would sneak into her mom's closet and put stickers on her clothes, so that, weeks later, Aunt Martha would have a small oval reminder of her affection...pointed out by the lady in the pew behind her at church. So today, when I peeled the sticker from the banana I had for supper, I stuck it on Hannah...who promptly stuck it on Frank. He left it on for quite a while.So here's to you, my wonderful cousin. I think this is Frank's way of saying that he misses you...
Labels: critters, family
durham, raleigh, and durham again
So we descended on the city of medicine, tobacco, minor league baseball, and drive-by shootings. We all had a great time eating and shopping. I had such a good time that I forgot to take a group picture. We all crammed in the elevator at one point. That was pretty exciting...
I didn't get much sleep due to the fact that the bed was uncomfortable the first night, and I was stuck between two snorers (who shall remain nameless) the second night. I gave up and slept on the floor. It wasn't too bad. 
Jimmy graciously invited me to accompany him to the Keith Urban/Carrie Underwood concert Saturday night, so I drove over to Raleigh. It had been a while since I'd been to a concert. Keith Urban was incredible. Carrie Underwood was...well...there in person...which is all Jimmy really cared about in the first place. Being so close to Carter-Finley reminded me that we just have a few more months until football starts up again. Oh - for a crisp fall day with nothing to do but watch football...but I digress...On Sunday, we all went to Mama Dip's in the People's Republic of Chapel Hill. The food was GREAT...but I ate way too much. All in all, it was a great weekend. So, my wonderful aunts and cousins, now that I know you all read this blog...it's about time to leave a comment. Come on...I know you can!Labels: family, fun
durham
So Shirley and her sisters Marie, Lois, and Kay, and their daughters Jessica, Sherri, Allison, and Amy, and I are all getting together for our semi-annual girls' weekend. I got real excited when we talked about going to Durham. I double-checked my passport, priced flights to the UK, and started monitoring the exchange rate between dollars and pounds. It turns out that's not the Durham they were talking about.
I'll be picking the next destination. It will require a passport.
Labels: family, travels
Louise
So today is Grandmother's birthday. It's hard to believe that she's been gone for 10 years.
She had the same thing for breakfast every morning: 1 scrambled egg, 2 slices of bacon, one piece of toast (which MUST be Merita white bread) with sugar-free blackberry preserves, and a small glass of orange juice. She cleaned the house and washed the car on Thursday afternoon.
She had her hair appointment and went to the grocery store on Fridays. She would proceed to come home and thoroughly check her grocery list for errors. She would drive all the way back to town over a dime.
She financed my childhood one quarter at a time.
She made sure I had Stride-Rite Sunday shoes and wore a slip to church, and she always had a Luden's cough drop in the white box whenever I "coughed" during preaching.
She was the reason I got hooked on Oreos and milk, think of dressing as a snack, and still "x-ray" my orange slices for seeds before I eat them.
She always had Grape BubbleYum on her dresser...and it wasn't just for us grandchildren.
She's the reason I call out Jeopardy answers, even when I'm home alone.
She made the best butterbeans, pecan pie, and fried apple jacks that you've ever tasted.
I'm pretty sure I inherited my clean sheet OCD from her. Ditto on the teddy bears.
There's still rarely a day that goes by where I don't think of her, or quote her, or rip off her dance moves.
I wish you could have known her. She was truly an original.
Labels: family
