Craft Shows

Nort, Ricky, and I went to a craft show yesterday as research for my upcoming show. They had a lot of nice stuff, but it was $$EXPENSIVE&&. I was thinking about when Ma & Aunt Lill used to do shows when I was young. The reason they did so well was that their stuff was NICE AND REASONABLY PRICED. After their first show, I usually went along to help. Unless the whole show was a dud, they could count on being pretty much mobbed. I noticed yesterday that not a single vendor had stuff like they used to sell. Mom did tons of cool ornaments & Aunt Lill used to make the neatest dolls. Her dolls were all fabric and she embroidered the faces. They had giant eyes. I wonder if Amber or Heather still has one...

Angels

One of the things I used to enjoy discussing with Aunt Lill was spiritual matters. She had a deep faith & many times when we were visiting each other Nort, Aunt Lill, and I would end up talking about God and angels. I think these conversations really had a lasting impact on me as I searched for God in my own way. No matter where I was on the journey, I knew there would always be at least a few people praying for me. Aunt Lill was one of those people.

When I visited her for the last time to say goodbye, I was really struck by how peaceful she was. I think her heart was clear and she knew everything would eventually be okay. I know she is somewhere nice now & saving seats for the rest of us...

Talking...

Sorry it has been awhile since my last post..I've been sick.

So, I've noticed lately that with parts of my family spread out over several states & two countries we keep in touch mostly by e-mail. Back in the day we used to talk on the phone all the time. Aunt Lill was famous for her long phone conversations. As I grew up, my voice started to sound more like ma's (& Aunt Lill's, and Aunt Rainie's, and the rest of the tribe). It wasn't unusual when I was a teenager for Aunt Lill to call to talk to Nort & get me instead. Most of the time we'd laugh & I'd get Nort. At least once, though, Aunt Lill and I talked for 15-20 minutes before she realized I wasn't my mom & I realized she had called to talk to her! She & I talked quite a bit too, so I thought she had just called to chit chat... I wish we all did a better job of keeping in touch now too. I'm trying to do better.

Fall is just around the corner...

It's starting to get cooler here at night, so fall is on my mind. I was thinking about Halloween... since we lived on a main road we never got more than a few trick or treaters. Aunt Lill's neighborhood was WILD with little ghouls running around. She used to put together awesome treats for the kids she knew & that included me & Ricky. One year she had these big cups FULL of candy saved for us. I think she just really loved kids...

It's funny, when I decided to start posting memories I thought I would have a hard time. I AM having a hard time, but just deciding which memories to share... I still can't believe she's really gone. Cancer SUCKS!!!

Delicious Desserts!

One thing I will always remember about Aunt Lill is the wonderful food she used to make. Whether it was a holiday or just a visit, you could count on her to have made something tasty to eat. I especially loved her desserts! There was one she made with chocolate pudding & cool whip....pure bliss! When I look at Marie's chocolate-faced birthday picture I think of Aunt Lill...she would've just ADORED being a grandma & making treats for her grandbabies...

Lady in Waiting...

One memory that has stayed in my mind recently isn't really much of a memory. It is an image of Aunt Lill dressed as a Lady in Waiting at a Halloween party at our house. She was very pregnant with Scotty and had a big pointy hat. I think Uncle Meryl was Robin Hood or something. I was young & had no idea what a "Lady in Waiting" was supposed to be. I kept asking Ma about it, but couldn't quite figure out what she was "waiting" for... My Aunt Della was a "floozie." I didn't quite get that one either, but she was also wearing a hat... Uncle Jerry was a Go-Go dancer--THAT was an image to behold!

Up North at Gramp's & Gram's

Today I was thinking about going up to Gram's & Gramps' in the summer when we were younger. In Atlanta Phil was telling us how jealous he & Scotty were that they had to go to bed at their regular time & we got to stay up around the campfire. Aunt Lill was pretty strict. I was thinking of one time when she was hopping mad: We were eating our "Christmas" type dinner where we cooked a turkey over the fire & buried the potatoes underneath, etc. & one of Gramps' birds--a chicken or a turkey--came along & snatched Scotty's food right out of his hand. Besides the dirt factor, Aunt Lill was not happy about the birds running around stealing food from her kids! The dirt factor drove her nuts too! She was constantly sweeping out the trailer & washing all of her kids. If one of them got crazy & got too dirty there was trouble waiting for them from their mom!