LETS TALK ABOUT AUNTIES

I HAVE ALWAYS HELD THE POSITION OF AUNT

TO A HIGH DEGREE.

I HAVE BEEN PRIVILEGED TO BE AN AUNT AT THE AGE OF 2.

SOME OF MY NIECES AND NEPHEWS HAVE BEEN

MORE LIKE SIBLINGS WHICH HAS MADE MY 

GREAT NIECES AND NEPHEWS JUST LIKE THE 

FIRST GENERATION.

ALTHOUGH I AM GETTING OLDER NOW AND HAVE

GRANDGIRLS IT HAS BECOME HARDER TO BE 

A BIG PART OF THEIR LIVES YET I STILL

TRY AND STAY IN TOUCH WITH THEM ALL ESPECIALLY

NOW THAT THEY HAVE CHILDREN OF THEIR OWN.

IN A FEW CASES I AM EVEN A GREAT, GREAT AUNT.

WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT 

TWO OF MY OWN AUNTIES, 

(MIDDLE IS MY AUNT GA-GALD)

( MY AUNT NAN TA-TA WHO WAS ALSO MY GODMOTHER)

I HAVE NO AUNTS LEFT ALIVE BUT MANY

HAVE MOLDED ME TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE

OF THE WORD AUNT OR "TAUNT"

MANY OF YOU KNOW I AM A CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVOR.

THE IMPORTANCE MY AUNTS PLAYED IN MY CHILDHOOD

IS FILLED OF MEMORIES OF WHAT THEY DID FOR MY FAMILY.

MY AUNT GA-GALD, MY DADDY'S SISTER, WAS INSTRUMENTAL

IN WHAT HOME MEANT WHEN WE HAD TO BE AWAY FROM

HOME SO MUCH IN THE CANCER YEARS.

THERE, IN CHALMETTE, WHERE THEY LIVED 

BECAME OUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME WHEN

HAVING TO BE AT TOURO HOSPITAL FOR SO MUCH OF MY CHILDHOOD.

SHE AND HER FAMILY WERE ALWAYS THERE FOR US,

COOKING OUR FAVORITE MEALS, 

COUSINS GIVING UP THEIR BEDROOMS FOR US.

SOME OF MY FAVORITE MEMORIES WERE SLEEPING

ON THEIR SOFA BED AND HEARING THE 

LOW TALKING OF MY DADDY AND UNCLE RED 

AS THEY DRANK THEIR COFFEE AND SMOKED THEIR CIGS.

I AM SURE MANY OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS WERE

ABOUT MY CANCER JOURNEY BUT IT WAS ALSO 

ABOUT FISHING AND AIR CONDITIONERS

(MY UNCLE RED HAD HVAC COMPANY).

MY AUNT GA-GALD WAS ALWAYS SO WORRIED WHEN IN 

HOSPITAL ABOUT THE FACT I WOULD NOT EAT.

I WAS 5 YEARS OLD AND WEIGHED ABOUT 35 POUNDS.

SHE WOULD PROMISE ME ANYTHING IF I WOULD JUST EAT.

ONE DAY IT WAS A MS. BEASLEY DOLL...

I GOT THE DOLL, I DIDN'T EAT... YES, I WAS SPOILED.

THEN THERE IS MY AUNT NAN TA-TA,

ALSO MY DADDY'S SISTER.

SHE WAS ALSO MY GODMOTHER.

SHE TOO WORRIED ABOUT MY NOT EATING

DURING CHEMOTHERAPY. 

ONE DAY, I AM TOLD SHE ASKED WHAT WOULD

I EAT IF I COULD HAVE ANYTHING.

"A LUNCHOEN MEAT SANDWICH"

THIS GODMOTHER OF MINE, WALKED IN THE COLD,

IN NOLA A FEW MILES TO FIND SOME 

LUNCHEON MEAT AND EVANGELINE MAID BREAD.

SHE GOT BACK AND OF COURSE, I DIDN'T EAT THAT EITHER.

SHE WOULD HAVE WALKED FOREVER IF IT MEANT

I WOULD BE OKAY.

AS I GREW SHE REMAINED A BIG PART OF MY LIFE.

TEACHING ME ABOUT MARDI GRAS AND BINGO,

CROCHETED DRESSES NOT JUST FOR ME, BUT ALSO 

ONE FOR MY CHRISSY DOLL

(REMEMBER HER, TURNED A BUTTON AND HER HAIR GREW?)

EVERY CHRISTMAS EVE SHE SPENT WITH 

MYSELF AND MY PARENTS FOR GUMBO AND

HER GIFTS WERE ALWAYS THE ONES I LOOKED FORWARD

TO THE MOST.

ONE I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER IS A

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS CALCULATOR.

YES, IT WAS A BIG DEAL BACK THEN.

I REMEMBER

LAYING IN MY BED THAT NIGHT WITH MY NEW

CALCULATOR GLOWING RED AS I DID MATH

THAT NEVER CAME EASY TO ME IN SCHOOL.

THIS MARVEL HAD SOLVED ALL MY MULTIPLICATION ISSUES.

YEP, SHE ALWAYS HAD THE BEST GIFT.

SO MANY THINGS SHE TAUGHT ME, DID FOR ME AND MY FAMILY.

WHEN SHE DIED I REMEMBER DOING PART OF THE EULOGY.

MY WORDS WERE IF YOU LOOK UP THE WORD AUNT

IN THE DICTIONARY, HER NAME, ANITA COLLINS GUIDRY

WOULD BE RIGHT THERE.

I TRIED TO MOLD MY AUNTIE DUTIES AROUND THESE TWO 

WOMEN AND ALL THE OTHERS WHO CALLED 

MY MOMMA AND DADDY SIBLINGS.

IF YOU ARE A FORTUNATE ONE TO HAVE 

NIECES AND NEPHEWS, BE A PART OF THEIR LIVES.

CALL THEM, SEND LETTERS, USE YOUR WORDS TO 

REMIND THEM HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE TO YOU.

TRY TO SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH THEM 

ESPECIALLY WHEN QUANTITY IS NOT EASY.

IF YOU MOLD THIS WHEN THEY ARE YOUNG,

THEY WILL REMEMBER WHEN THEY ARE AN AGING

LITTLE GIRL OF 61 BLOGGING ABOUT HER LIFE.

MUCH LOVE TO ALL YOU AUNTIES OUT THERE.

 

MY CHILDHOOD HOME

I AM COMPLETELY SURE I HAVE BLOGGED SOMEWHERE

IN ALL THE OLD ONES ABOUT MY CHILDHOOD HOME.

HOWEVER, I CAN'T SEE THIS PHOTO WITHOUT

REMEMBERING WHAT A GREAT LIFE I HAD IN IT.

SO BEAR WITH ME AS I SHARE FOR THE NEWCOMERS

AND FOR MY OWN SENSE OF PEACE.

THIS HOUSE, HAND-MADE BY MY DADDY AND A BUILDER.

BACK IN THE 1940'S WAY BEFORE I WAS THOUGHT OF

OR BEFORE DURSETTE WAS A PROPER STREET.

BY THE TIME I CAME, RANDOLPH'S WAS IN THE FRONT,

CHOUEST DRUG STORE HAD ITS SODA FOUNTAINS,

DUFRENE'S BAKERY WAS STREETS AWAY AND

PLAISANCE SNOWBALLS WAS TO THE SOUTH,

ALSO WALKING DISTANCE.

IT WAS A PERFECT PLACE TO GROW UP.

I LOVED OUR HOME, IT WAS NOT ALWAYS MAINTAINED.

BY THE TIME I CAME ALONG THE 

UPSTAIRS WAS OUR DOMAIN, 

MOMMA AND DADDY RARELY WENT UPSTAIRS

AND MY MOM, SHE DIDN'T LIKE HOUSEWORK

SO IT ALL CAME TO US.

I HAVE SO MANY MEMORIES OF DIGGING IN ALL THE

EXTRA ROOMS UPSTAIRS, MANY HELD THINGS

MY OLDER SIBLINGS LEFT STORED THERE.

IT IS WHERE I FOUND MY FIRST PLAYBOY MAGAZINE 

MY BROTHERS HAD LEFT THERE.

OLD CLOTHING BY THE MOUNTAINS TO TRY ON

AND SOMETIMES IT ACTUALLY FIT AND CAME BACK IN STYLE.

HENCE, THE TWO VELVET SHIRTS CELENA AND I FOUGHT OVER

BECAUSE PETER HAD LEFT THEM THERE.

MY DAD, HAVING BEEN A PHOTOGRAPHER HAD

SO MANY PHOTOS OF PEOPLE WE NEVER  KNEW

AND EVERY GOLDEN MEADOW YEAR BOOK HE

EVER PUT TOGETHER WAS STORED IN AN 

OLD CEDAR HOPE CHEST THAT BELONGED TO VERONICA.

THERE WERE THE TIMES WHEN THE OLDER SIBLINGS 

VISITED WITH THEIR SPOUSES AND CHILDREN,

SOME LEFT AND SOME STAYED FOR LONG PERIODS.

THESE LONG STAYS WERE THE ONES WHEN I 

HAD BEST FRIENDS IN MY LITTLE NIECES AND

GOT TO KNOW ROSIE'S LOVE, PAT BETTER THAN EVER.

THE HOUSE WAS A HOME, NOT BECAUSE OF ALL THE FUN

WE HAD THERE BUT MORE BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE 

WHO ALSO CALLED IT HOME.

MY DAD WAS 45 WHEN I WAS BORN, MOM WAS 43.

THEY WERE IN THEIR 50'S BY THE TIME I HIT MIDDLE SCHOOL.

I WAS A TEASED CHILD, WOULD BE CALLED BULLYING 

IN TODAY'S WORLD. 

I HANDLED IT BY LAUGHING WITH THEM.

ONCE THEY KNEW I WOULD NOT BE BOTHERED, 

THEY MOVED ON.

YET, I WAS ALWAYS BOTHERED.

I REMEMBER GETTING OFF THE BUS LAUGHING 

BECAUSE SOMEONE HAD HIT A LOLLIPOP INTO MY CURLY HAIR

NUMEROUS TIMES

(I KNOW HIS NAME BUT WE ARE GROWN NOW...)

AND WALKING IN OUR RED KITCHEN CRYING.

I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED IT WAS THIS MOMENT 

THAT MY SELF CONFIDENCE WAS RESTORED.

MY DADDY DIDN'T TAKE ME INTO HIS ARMS,

HE CONTINUED TO MAKE HIS TRAWL NET.

AS HE CROCHETED HE SAW MY TEARS AND HE MADE

ONE STATEMENT THAT HAS CARRIED ME THROUGH

MANY HARD TIMES.

"LIL, IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT THE WORLD DOES

TO YOU, WHEN YOU COME THROUGH THAT DOOR, YOU ARE LOVED."

THAT WAS IT.... ALL HE SAID

UNTIL HE THEN SAID,

" YOU WANT SOMETHING TO EAT?"

TO THIS DAY, WHEN I THINK OF HOW I GREW UP TO BE

WHO I AM TODAY,

I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THE DADDY I HAD 

AND THE COURAGE HE GAVE ME.

 

MAKE THE MEMORIES, SHARE THE MEMORIES

I DON'T KNOW IF ITS BECAUSE I AM AN ARTIST 

OR BECAUSE MY DADDY WAS A PHOTOGRAPHER

BUT I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE ONE TO TAKE THE PICTURES.

IT'S WHY I HAVE OVER 25,000 PHOTOS ON MY COMPUTER.

THE LAST FEW MORNINGS, WHILE CONTEMPLATING BLOGS

I WANT TO WRITE I HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH SO MANY

OF THESE PHOTOS.

THE MEMORIES, THE NOSTALGIA THAT THESE PHOTOS

BRING HAS ME ALL UP IN MY FEELINGS THE MORNINGS.

THIS MORNING, I REALIZE JUST HOW MANY IN THESE PHOTOS

ARE NO LONGER WITH US.

HOW MANY TELL A STORY THAT HAS GONE UNTOLD.

SO THIS MORNING I ADD ANOTHER THING 

TO MY ALREADY LONG 

NEW YEARS RESOLUTION LIST.

TO NOT ONLY TELL THE STORIES THESE PHOTOS TELL

BUT TO SHARE THEM WITH THOSE PEOPLE WHO SEE

MY LENS. 

SENDING THE PHOTOS TO PEOPLE, HOPEFULLY 

TO BRIGHTEN THEIR DAYS, TO SHARE WITH THEM

WHAT I SEE IN EACH OF THEM.

WHAT GOOD IS 25,000 PHOTOS IF THEY JUST STAY

IN MY CLOUD SOMEWHERE HOPING TO ONE DAY

BE DISCOVERED. 

TODAY I SHARED SOME OF THESE STORIES AND PHOTOS

WITH FRIENDS I HAVE NOT SEEN IN A WHILE.

PHOTOS OF PARENTS NOW GONE HAVE BEEN SENT TO 

THEIR CHILDREN.

PHOTOS I KNOW MY SIBLINGS WILL LOVE.

PHOTOS OF FRIENDS TOGETHER...

SHARING LIFE!

THIS ONE IS THE ONE I SHARE HERE TODAY.

OUR HUGHBEE NO LONGER ON THIS PLANE OF LIFE.

HE AND I SHARED SO MANY WONDERFUL TIMES,

FROM GOING TO OLD PLANTATION HOMES,

TO JUST MUGGING FOR THE CAMERA,

THERE ARE MANY PHOTOS OF US.

TAKE THE PHOTOS FRIENDS,

BUT ALSO, SHARE THEM FOR THE WORLD TO SEE.

 

WINTER DAYS ON DURSETTE STREET

 I HAVE THIS BESTIE WHO REMINDS

US HOW MUCH SHE HATES WINTER,

HOWEVER IN SUMMER SHE ALSO REMINDS US HOW

MUCH SHE HATES SUMMER

(YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE)

WHICH MEANS SHE LIKES SPRING AND FALL

FOR THE THREE DAYS WE HAVE IT IN SOUTH LOUISIANA.

I LOVE THE COLD DAYS OF OUR WINTERS.

I LOVE SITTING BY MY FIREPLACE IN MY PJ'S 

WITH AN EXCUSE TO GO NOWHERE.

YET, IT IS THE MEMORIES OF MY CHILDHOOD

THAT HAVE ME LOVING COLD DAYS.

SCHOOL WAS NOT CANCELLED IN OUR DAYS FOR COLD WEATHER.

YOU WERE LIKE THE POSTMASTER, YOU WENT TO SCHOOL

RAIN, SLEET, HAIL...

EVERYTHING BUT  HURRICANES...

THEN YOU GOT TO STAY HOME FOR WEEKS.

AHHHHH THE GOOD OLD DAYS.

BACK TO THE BLOG.

I CAN REMEMBER THESE COLD DAYS, WAITING AT THE BUS STOP

UNLESS MR. RANDOLPH WAS ABLE TO BRING US.

I WOULD DREAM OF RETURNING HOME

HOPING BY THE TIME I GOT THERE THE LIGHT RAIN 

WOULD BE STARTING, DADDY WOULD

HAVE THE GAS OVEN LIT WITH THE DOOR OPENED

AND ALL THE GAS HEATERS WOULD BE ON.

THERE WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE SOME HOT SOUP

READY, DUFRENE'S FRENCH BREAD UNLESS

IT WAS A DAY DAD MADE HIS HOMEMADE BUNS.

I WOULD RUSH IN TO PUT ON MY PJ'S.

DIDN'T MATTER WHAT TIME, I WAS PUTTING ON MY PJ'S.

 I WOULD FIRST SIT AROUND THE KITCHEN TABLE

MY DADDY BUILT WAY BACK IN HIS YONGER DAYS

AND HAVE MY SNACK.

IF THERE WAS HOMEWORK TO BE DONE, I MAY HAVE 

ATTEMPTED IT, BUT BACK THEN RARELY DID WE GET HOMEWORK.

SCHOOL WAS FOR LEARNING HOME WAS FOR COMFORT.

I WOULD  THEN HEAD TO MY LITTLE TWIN

BED THAT WAS EITHER IN MY PARENTS ROOM OR THE 

ROOM THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A LIVING ROOM FOR OTHERS.

YES, I SLEPT IN MY PARENTS ROOM FOR WAY TOO MANY YEARS.

I WAS THE BABY OF A BIG FAMILY AND A CANCER CHILD.

I WAS SPOILED ROTTEN, IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE.

A GOOD BOOK, A CUP OF SOMETHING AND 

A SOUP BEING STEWED FOR SUPPER.

BIG QUILTED BLANKETS, ALL MY FAMILY UNDER ONE ROOF.

DADDY SMOKING IN THE LIVING ROOM, MOMMA RELAXING

IN HER RECLINER WHILE WATCHING TV.

I CAN STILL SING THE JINGLES OF SO MANY SHOWS PLAYING

ON OUR ONE TV, NOT FROM WATCHING THEM 

BUT FROM BEING IN THE NEXT ROOM WITH THE SOUND

BEING ON LOUD.

FOR ALL THE MEMORIES I CAN'T REMEMBER,

THESE COLD DAYS BRING ME RIGHT BACK TO THOSE

ON DURSETTE STREET WHERE ALL WAS RIGHT IN MY WORLD.

BRING ON THE COLD, BRING ON THE MEMORIES.

THE GRANDGIRLS JOURNAL

THESE GRANDGIRLS.....

OF COURSE THEY DRIVE ME CRAZY 

OF COURSE THEY ARE THE BEST...

I AM THEIR MUMSIE...

(THIS BLOG MUST BE WRITTEN FOR THEIR "NOSTALGIA")

THE DAY AFTER NEW YEARS I FOUND

 MY JOURNAL IN MY BATHROOM.

I KNEW I HAD NOT PUT IT THERE AND THE GRANDGIRLS

HAD BEEN HERE ON NEW YEARS.

MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT ONE OF THEM HAD

BEEN SNOOPING IN MY PRIVATE STUFF.

I WAS NOT SO MUCH WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THEY MIGHT READ THERE

BUT THAT THEY HAD ENTERED INTO MY PRIVACY WITHOUT PERMISSION.

IT WAS NOT A BIG DEAL AND I REMINDED MYSELF

THAT I NEED TO PICK MY JOURNAL UP RATHER THAN

LEAVING IT IN THE LIBRARY AS THAT CAN BE TEMPTING.

THE NEXT TIME THEY CAME HERE I QUESTIONED THEM

AS TO WHO COULD HAVE PUT MY JOURNAL IN THE BATHROOM.

I EXPLAINED THAT SOME THINGS ARE PRIVATE AND

SHOULD NOT BE HANDLED WITHOUT PERMISSION.

MUMSIE ON HER 'SOAP BOX'.

ALTHOUGH TWO OF THEM SEEMED A LITTLE QUILTY 

NO ONE CONFESSED AND I LET IT GO.

YESTERDAY IT ALL MADE SENSE.

AS I SAT IN THE ROUND CHAIR TO JOURNAL,

I OPENED IT TO WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A BLANK PAGE.

 THERE WERE THESE LOVE NOTES, ONE

FROM EACH OF THE GRANDGIRLS.

I, RIGHT AWAY, FELT SORT OF BAD FOR CONFRONTING THEM.

I ALSO WAS SURPRISED THAT NOT ONE OF THEM

SAID ANYTHING IN THE LAST 5 DAYS ABOUT THIS.

TO SAY IT WAS THE BEST SURPRISE IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

IF YOU HAVE EVER SAT AROUND MY TABLE

OR HEARD ME TALK ABOUT THE GIRLS,

YOU KNOW ONE OF MY BIGGEST GOALS WITH THEM

IS THAT WHEN THEY GROW UP AND I AM NO LONGER

AROUND, WHEN THEY HEAR THE WORDS

"MUMSIE' AND 'COTTAGE' 

THEIR HEART ARE FILLED WITH WARM AND FUZZY THOUGHTS

OF ALL THE MEMORIES WE HAVE MADE HERE.

THAT THEY HAVE SO MANY STORIES AND LESSONS

AND LIFE THAT WAS MADE WITH ME.

IT IS SAID THAT A PERSON LIVES ON, EVEN AFTER DEATH

AS LONG AS SOMEONE CONTINUES TO TALK 

AND REMEMBER THEM.

I WANT TO LIVE FOREVER IN THE LIVES OF THE GRANDGIRLS.

TO SEE THEM TAKING THE TIME TO WRITE

LOVE LETTERS IN MY JOURNAL

MEANS THEY KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE THE WRITTEN WORD.

THAT I HAVE TAUGHT THEM THE IMPORTANCE OF

NOT ONLY SAYING BUT PUTTING IT DOWN ON PAPER

HOW YOU ARE FEELING.

THIS ACT OF LOVE FROM MY LITTLES HAS ME

KNOWING MY GOAL IN THEIR LIVES

IS COMING TO FRUITION.

NOW BIG MAN, GIVE ME ENOUGH YEARS IN THEIR LIVES

TO ASSURE MY LESSONS NOT ONLY STICK WITH THEM

BUT IN THE NEXT GENERATION THAT COMES TO THEM.

 

A DAY OF REMEMBERING, A DAY OF REFLECTION

 YESTERDAY MY FAVORITE FLAG WAS FLYING HALF MAST...

FOR THE WORLD IT WAS FOR PRES. JIMMY CARTER

FOR ME AND MY PEOPLE IT WAS TO SAY OUR FINAL

FAIRWELL TO A GREAT MAN, MOODY ADDISON.

IT'S A TWO HOUR TREK BACK TO MY HOME TOWNS

WE CALL "BELOW THE INTRACOASTAL" OR DTB.

 I LEFT EARLY... THERE WERE THINGS I NEEDED TO DO.

WHAT A WAY TO WORK ON MY WORD OF THE YEAR,

NOSTALGIA 

THAN TO GO HOME TO THE PLACE I SPENT MY FIRST 40 YEARS.

I VISITED MY PARENT GRAVE AND A FEW OTHERS.

I RODE BY MY CHILDHOOD HOME, THE ONLY ONE I KNEW

UNTIL I MARRIED.

THE OLD NEIGHBORHOOD ISN'T LIKE IT USED TO BE.

AS A YOUNG GIRL, WALKING TO MY FRIEND, ROXANNE'S HOUSE

DOWN THE STREET SEEMED SO LONG.

YESTERDAY IT SEEMED LIKE 5 STEPS.

I RODE BY MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL

AND JUNIOR HIGH ALL BEGINNING WITH THE WORDS

GOLDEN MEADOW.

I VISITED MY BESTIE, LAURIE'S MOMMA.

WHO IS NOW 95 AND STILL SO MUCH OF THE WOMAN

I REMEMBER IN MY CHILDHOOD.

WALKING INTO LAURIE'S CHILDHOOD HOME

ALSO BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES OF A TIME GONE.

HER MOMMA REMAINED CONSTANT IN ALL THOSE MEMORIES.

I SHARED WITH HER SOME OF THE THINGS I REMEMBER

AS A TEENAGER THERE. AHHHH, NOSTALGIA!

IT WAS THEN TIME TO ENTER INTO THE HOME

OF MY CHILDHOOD CATHOLIC CHURCH.

SO MUCH THE SAME, SO MUCH CHANGED.

WE WERE THERE TO PLAY TRIBUTE TO OUR MOO

AND TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE, OLD FRIENDS JOIN US

WAS THE CAUSE OF SOME OF MY TEARS.

OTHERS WAS FOR THE MANY FRIENDSHIPS THAT

HAVE WITHSTOOD A LIFETIME.

MEMORIES OF A LITTLE GIRL SITTING IN THOSE VERY

PEWS WITH MY MOMMA AND MY SIBLINGS.

MAKING ALL MY SACRAMENTS ON THAT VERY ALTAR.

THE SAME ALTAR MY OWN CHILDREN MADE THEIR OWN 

CATHOLIC MILESTONES.

THE HISTORY IN THOSE WALLS, THE STORIES IT COULD TELL

HAD ME FEELING "ALL THE FEELINGS".

TO SIT BETWEEN TWO OF MY MOST LOYAL FRIENDS,

LAURIE AND ALLISON 

AS WE WATCHED OUR BESTIE, ANN BURY HER HUSBAND

WAS BOTH BEAUTIFUL AND SAD.

YET WE THEN ALL GATHERED AT THE HOME

OF ANN'S SISTER WITH SO MANY PEOPLE FROM MY PAST 

WAS THE PERFECT WAY TO END THE SAD DAY

WE ALL WERE NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO.

TO SIT AND EAT, SHARE STORIES AND JUST BE.

 THE PERFECT ENDING TO A VERY HARD DAY.

MOO WOULD BE SO VERY PROUD OF HIS WIFE AND BOYS.

I MADE SURE TO TELL THEM THIS AS WELL.

HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS TOGETHER AGAIN

MADE ME REALIZE WE MAY BE DOING THIS A FEW TIMES

BEFORE IT IS OUR OWN TIME TO SAY GOODBYE TO THIS LIFE.

LOTS OF NOSTALGIA IN THIS PHOTO AS

5 OF US SPENT OUR HIGH SCHOOL TRIP IN DISNEY WORLD

AND AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, WE ALL REMEMBER 

DIFFERENT THINGS AS BEING TRUTH.

( YES, PEGGY YOU DID CRY AND KISS GUS' PHOTO NIGHTLY)

ON THE WAY HOME, I HAD ONE MORE STOP I JUST HAD TO MAKE.

AT THE HOME OF MY FRIEND, JODIE WHO I MET WHILE

IN NURSING SCHOOL.

HER FAMILY BECAME A BIG PART OF MY NURSING SCHOOL DAYS

AND EVEN AFTER.

WE HAVE RECONNECTED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS 

THROUGH MY ART AND WAS ABLE

TO VISIT WITH HER, ONE OF HER SISTERS AND HER MOM.

MORE MEMORIES SHARED AS WE ALSO CAUGHT UP ON LIFE EVENTS.

IT'S A GOOD START TO MY 2025 YEAR.

I PRAY THE BIG MAN BLESSES ME WITH A YEAR OF

GOODWILL AND NOSTALGIA...

ENOUGH TO LAST ME A LIFETIME.

RIP MOODY

WE WILL TAKE CARE OF ANN AND YOU TWO

HAVE DONE A FINE JOB WITH YOUR BOYS.

REST NOW, DEAR MAN.

A NEW YEAR...

 ISN'T IT ODD THAT ALTHOUGH

WE CAN MAKE CHANGES TO OUR LIVES ON A DAILY BASIS,

THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID 

ABOUT JAN. 1ST AND NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS.

THIS YEAR I AM FULL OF THINGS I WANT TO DO THIS YEAR.

MAKING A LIST IS SOMETHING I LIKE DOING

AND A NEW YEAR BEGINNING HAS ME INSPIRED.

I AM ALWAYS STRIVING TO BE THE BEST PERSON I CAN BE

AND I FALTER, OFTEN.

LIKE I GIVE UP JUNK FOOD ALMOST EVERY MONDAY 

BUT BY NOON I AM TACKLING THE KLONDIKE BARS 

THAT I HAVE PUT IN THE FREEZER "FOR THE KIDS".

YESTERDAY AS JES, DEL, JEMMA, JILLY AND I 

PLAYED "CONVERSATION CARDS"

ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WAS 

"WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD WANT TO SAY TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF"

WE ALL AGREED THAT TAKE BETTER CARE OF YOURSELF

WAS ONE OF THE TOP ANSWERS.

NONE OF US KNOW HOW LONG WE WILL BE HERE

AND IF WE WILL BE HERE A LONG TIME, TAKING CARE OF

WHAT WE HAVE SHOULD BE TOP PRIORITY.

WHICH BRINGS ME BACK TO MY RESOLUTIONS:

WALK MORE....

I NEED TO WALK DAILY, JILLY AND I HAD A GOOD WALK

YESTERDAY AND ALTHOUGH MY BACK WAS SCREAMING,

IT FELT GOOD TO USE THOSE MUSCLES THAT I DON'T

USE ENOUGH.

EAT HEALTHIER...

I AM ONE WHO LOVES SNACKS AND FOOD.

I WANT TO MAKE MY CHOICES HEALTHIER.

AS WE TOLD JILLY AND JEMMA YESTERDAY,

IT IS NOT ABOUT LOOSING WEIGHT, IT'S ABOUT 

BEING HEALTHY FOR THE YEARS COMING UP.

WRITE MORE...

JOURNALING AND BLOGGING IS SOMETHING I ENJOY

AND I WANT TO DO MORE OF IT THIS YEAR.

NURTURE FRIENDSHIPS AND FAMILY...

MORE VISITS, MORE DEEP CONVERSATIONS,

BE PRESENT.

LESS TIME ON PHONE AND OTHER DEVISES...

IT HAPPENS WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE

AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOU START YOUR DAY

SCROLLING ON YOUR PHONE, 

END YOUR DAY SCROLLING ON YOUR PHONE,

AND NUMEROUS TIMES DURING THE DAY.

I WORRY ABOUT THE YOUNGER GENERATION AND THEIR

NEED FOR THESE DEVICES AND YET THERE I AM,

STARTING AND ENDING MY DAYS THE SAME WAY.

IF IT CAN BECOME ADDICTING FOR ME, THEN I KNOW 

MANY OF US ARE THE SAME.

SO THIS YEAR, WHEN I AWAKEN I GET OUT OF BED,

FIX MY COFFEE AND READ, JOURNAL, BLOG,

READ...

I LOVE READING AND YET FIND MYSELF ON THE INTERNET

IN THE EVENING INSTEAD OF PULLING A BOOK

AND READING THE WAY READING WAS MEANT TO BE.

I WANT TO READ MOST EVERY EVENING.

ART...

I MEAN TO DO MORE ART, CONTINUE WITH THE HOME PORTRAITS

BUT ALSO TRY NEW THINGS, EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT TYPSE OF ART.

SHARE THESE WITH THE GRANDGIRLS AND OTHERS.

THERE ARE MORE BUT FOR NOW, I WILL START WITH THIS.

INSPIRE YOURSELF MY FRIENDS,

CARE FOR YOUR BODY AND YOUR MIND.

IF WE HAVE TO LIVE IN THIS WORLD, LET TRY AND

BE THE BEST US WE CAN BE.