Cami-girl gets a car....

....AND YOU GET A CAR, AND YOU....

No it's not an Oprah moment,

but my second to youngest god child, Cami

finally received her wheels!

It took her a little longer as most of her friends,

one, she had to do a few things to get her life in order,

then she had to get her license and a job,

Now while waiting to join the National Guard,

she had to save enough money...

This is where her Nannie came into play.

Let me take you back almost 20 years ago....

Cameron Tamplain is not only my godchild, she is also 

my great niece, born to my nephew and his teen girlfriend.

My nephew was so not ready to be a Daddy and her Mom

did the best she could at the time, loving her was one thing

she did well. My sis, Rosie, being her Gammy helped where

she could and I was the best Nannie I could be as I was 

also still raising my own rugrats.

But I did one thing that stands out to me, in her life.

I did not know what her future would hold and

I knew all holidays as a young child she would have

what she needed. So I opened her up a savings account.

Every birthday, every Christmas, every Holiday,

I would put the money I would have put into a gift

she would forget about, into this account.

It did not seem like much but by the time she was

16/17 there was 2,000 dollars.

At that time I was going through a divorce and had

to stop adding to it so I cashed it in and just waited.

Waited for her to finish growing up,

waiting for her mom and her Daddy,

who have now grown to be two fine parents after

their own growing up and her Dad sobering up, starting

a sweet little family as well as her Mom.

So time passed, I reminded her Dad about the money

that he had totally forgot about.

I explained that when he thought she was ready to be

responsible with the money I had it ready for her.

This week he and I spoke and she had found a car

in Mississippi. 

Then she and her Gammy drove to my house to get the

gifts I have given her over 16 years,

enough cash to buy her first car!

It was a wonderful day and I am honored that

i was able to give her her first car.

It may not be much, but it is hers, paid in full

and she seems not affected at all that her Nannie

gave very few gifts as a child.

So if you have a little child you love,

be the one that instead of giving those toys they

won't play with by the end of the day, clothing

that they will either not like or will outgrow so quickly,

think of opening them a savings account so that

when they become "ready" you can have a hand

in their first car, house, etc.

I have never regretted this decision and if anything,

was honored that the smile on her face

when those keys were handed to her,

well, I played a small part in it!

I love you Cami-girl!

Thanksgivings and days of past

As I type this my oldest sister, 24 years my senior,

Lies in an ICU where after a few very scary days, is

Finally stable. Still very sick but we are so thankful 

She is still with us. It’s so common to say,

“I am thankful for her life” yet I am. As she tells me today

“Remember Lil how we always used to sit on the 

Cabinet at the big house”

And  I realize she is talking about our family home.

I had forgotten how just like her generation,

We all sat on the red and white kitchen cabinets too.

My mind and heart is flooded with those old memories

again. When Mom and Dad were both alive and it was

not questioned where we would spend our Thanksgivings.
It was always at the big house with all the family in tow. 

Then after Dad passed, I with my young family,

It was Thanksgiving at Veronica’s  And the next generation

Stayed longer to play board games and many of them

Followed me home after for a few nights of sleep overs. 

“I was there, Lilly, I was in the big house and we were all

There and I felt like I was falling off the counter

But mostly I was falling from all of y’all”

And I realize We are at yet another realm of our lives  

My children are grown with their own lives,

Minta, who used to be my sidekick, stands on the side
Of her mothers bed. Life, ever changing.
I awaken this morning to coffee already made and
A turkey prepared and put in the roaster by
The boo before he leaves for call week at 3 am.
I am thankful for this new normal.
A new Thanksgiving, a good one and different all the same.
I realize as I stood at my
Sisters bedside this morning that another era
Is approaching us. The first the Boo has without his own Mom,
The era where I know years will cause me to say goodbye to so
Many I love. Today it makes sense
When my Mom used to say
“Growing old is not all it’s cracked up to be while so many around you
Die”
And so what do I tell my dear oldest sister as she explains
“I knew if I fell off that counter I was gone from y’all”
I say
“ you know, it’s said Heaven can be whatever we want it to be
And for you, maybe your Heaven will
Be all of us together again in that big house on Dursette street
With all those we love, all the generations”
She contemplates this and finally shakes her head yes.
And I tell her with tears
“But not yet Taunt Mone”
She again shakes her head yes.
Today I am thankful for it all and for her
And for all the changes in my
55 years of living and for this Thanksgiving, and all those past
And all to come.
But mostly I’m thankful for all this World still has to offer me
And that when my time comes,
“I get to make my own Heaven and what a heaven it will be!”
( typed this on my phone so forgive any typo"s!)

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE IS NOT ONE SIDED....

How many times have I spoken of 

"wearing my rose colored glasses"?

More than I dozen I am sure and for whatever 

reason my world is nicer like that.

I have been so busy and can, I think, call myself 

an artist as from the day I painted a painting of 

one of my friends home I have been non-stop in painting

homes. No complaints, honestly, just find myself painting

morning until night.

Wednesday, however I took the morning to attend the

grandgirls Thanksgiving mass where I witnessed the smallest

of good deeds that melted my heart and found me

wiping away a few tears.

Cathy, the grand girls other grandmother (KD's Mom)

struggles with Parkinson's disease.

Cold weather makes it harder for her yet she wanted

to make mass so I scooped her up and we headed 

to St. John mass. Only the Bean is old enough for mass

as the other two rug rats cry when we leave.

Bean is always so conscious of making sure she spreads

her love between her two grandmothers.

I know she is just 7 but she understands, somehow,

that we both adore her.

When it was time for communion, although she will not

make her first communion until Spring, she likes

walking up, hands crossed over her chest, and get

a blessing. She held my hand up and Maw Maw was

in the back. It was a hard day for Maw Maw,

having to use her cane but she made the trek up there.

As I received my host and Bean her blessing,

I continued on but Bean stopped.

It took me a moment to realized what she was doing.

When I did my hear filled with pride for this child.

She let go my hand stopped, right there in front of

the whole congregation while her Maw Maw 

received communion.

Then I realized exactly what her plan, where her actions

were going....

She was waiting for her Maw Maw to help her back to her

seat. Oh, BE STILL ME HEART!

As Maw Maw Cathy walked away from the altar,

cane in hand, Bean held her other hand and walked

slowly with her down the aisle and all the way back

to our pew, made sure she was seated, then took her

place between her two grandmothers.

I bowed my head in prayer to cover my eyes 

that were wet. I don't know what Cathy and I did

to be grandparents to three sweet children but,

in the season of Thanksgiving, I am so very thankful

that our oldest grand girl is filled with the gift

of kindness and giving.

(written with Cathy's permission)