MY NANAS

I THINK THAT MOST OF YOU KNOW THAT I AM A MEMBER OF THE MORMON CHURCH. IT IS THE DEFINING FACTOR THAT HAS SHAPED AND MOLDED ME, AND I BELIEVE MADE A WHOLE OUT OF MANY FRACTURED PARTS. BECAUSE OF THE EXAMPLE OF THE LADIES AT CHURCH WHO HAVE BECOME MY FRIENDS AND MENTORS OVER THE LAST34 YEARS, I HAVE LEARNED TO LOVE MYSELF AND BE GRATEFUL FOR THE CHALLENGES I HAVE BEEN GIVEN. I HAVE HAD MANY DIFFICULTIES, BUT I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH EXAMPLES IN MY LIFE TO HELP ME OVERCOME THEM. MY GRANDMOTHERS ARE TWO SUCH EXAMPLES WHO LOVED ME AND MADE ME FEEL SPECIAL, BOTH OF THEM IN DIFFERENT WAYS. MY FATHER'S MOTHER IS BILLIE BROWN(WE CALL HER MOM). FORTUNATELY, I STILL HAVE HER IN MY LIFE. SHE IS A VERY GRACIOUSLY AGED 99 YEARS OLD AND SHE LOOKS TO BE IN HER 60'S. THERE IS A REASON FOR THIS, SHE HAS ALWAYS TAKEN SUCH GOOD CARE OF HERSELF AND WHEN I WAS LITTLE SHE DID HER BEST TO TEACH ME TO DO THE SAME. SHE ALWAYS TOLD ME TO KEEP LOTION ON MY HANDS AS YOU COULD TELL A LADY BY THE APPEARANCE OF HER HANDS. I REMEMBER THE SMELL OF ALMONDS AND ROSES IN JERGENS LOTION, SHE ALWAYS HAD SOME HANDY. SOMETHING THAT IS PRECIOUS TO ME ARE M&M'S. ON MOM'S COFFEE TABLE, SHE ALWAYS KEPT SOME KIND OF CANDY IN A CRYSTAL CANDY DISH FOR COMPANY. I HAVE ADOPTED THAT TRADITION, (IT GIVES ME COMFORT). USUALLY, THE CANDY WAS CHOCOLATE OF SOME KIND, AND AS A LITTLE GIRL, I ALWAYS SEEMED TO HAVE C HOCOLATE ON MY HANDS. MOM WORKED AT SEARS IN THE CANDY DEPARTMENT, AND I TRULY THOUGHT THERE WAS NO PLACE ON EARTH MORE WONDERFUL. SOMETIMES WHEN POP (MY GRANDFATHER) WOULD PICK HER UP FROM WORK,(SHE DIDN'T DRIVE, NOR DID MOST OF THE WOMEN THEN, THEIR HUSBANDS WOULD WAIT FOR THEM OUTSIDE AND SMOKE CIGARS AND VISIT) I COULD GO IN A BIT EARLY AND LOOK AT THE BINS OF CANDY AND NUTS. I COULD BARELY EVEN SEE OVER THE EDGE INSIDE THE BINS, BUT SHE WOULD LIFT ME UP AND I COULD HAVE "JUST ONE PIECE". EVEN TO THIS DAY, I MISS THE CANDY DEPARTMENT IN SEARS. ON SUNDAY, WE DRESSED FOR CHURCH, AND IN THE 50'S LADIES WORE WHITE GLOVES AS PART OF THEIR SUNDAY DRESS. I TOO, HAD LITTLE WHITE SUNDAY GLOVES, BUT BY THE END OF THE DAY, I HAD CHOCOLATE SUNDAY GLOVES. MY MOTHER WOULD FUSS ABOUT HAVING TO CLEAN THEM, AND TOLD ME I COULD HAVE NO CHOCOLATE WITH MY GLOVES ON. DEAR MOM CAME TO THE RESCUE. ONE SUNDAY, AS I WAS LOOKING SADLY WITH YEARNING AT THE CANDY DISH, SHE SAID, "GO AHEAD, HAVE SOME". I TOLD HER I COULDN'T AS I WOULD GET MY GLOVES MESSED UP. SHE TOLD ME TO LIFT THE LID BECAUSE THERE WAS A SURPRISE FOR ME IN THERE. I DID, AND SAW THE DISH FULL OF BEAUTIFUL COLORS IN LITTLE ROUND SHAPES. SHE EXPLAINED THAT THESE WERE CALLED M&M'S AND THEY WOULD NOT GET MY GLOVES MESSY! (THE SLOGAN WAS, CHOCOLATE IN YOUR MOUTH, BUT NOT ON YOUR HANDS). HALLELUAH! LET ME SAY, I HAVE LOVED M&M'S EVER SINCE, NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE SO GOOD, BUT BECAUSE THEY REMIND ME OF MOM. MOM WAS ALWAYS SO LOVELY, AND ALWAYS LOOKED HER BEST. I WAS SO PROUD OF HER, AND I LOVE HER SO MUCH. SHE ALSO BAKED AN AWSOME BANANA CAKE. OH, I LOVED THAT CAKE, AND EVEN THOUGH SHE HAS GIVEN ME THE RECIPE MANY TIMES, IT DOESN'T SEEM THE SAME AS HERS. MY MOTHER'S MOTHER WAS NAMED BEULAH CARTER. SHE IS WHO I AM. SHE WAS ALSO LOVING AND SO CARING. SHE LIVED AWAY FROM US AND WE DID NOT GET TO SEE HER OFTEN, BUT SHE WOULD COME ON THE BUS ON OCCASION AND STAY FOR AWHILE. I LIVED FOR THOSE TIMES. SHE HAD NO MONEY, BUT SHE HAD STORIES, SONGS AND TRADITION. OH, HOW I LOVED TO HEAR HER STORIES. THEY WOULD COME TO LIFE AS SHE WOULD GET HER "STORY FACE" ON. SHE WOULD TELL OF HER FARM, HER CHICKENS, HER KITCHEN, AND HER EXPERIENCES WITH FAITH. SHE WOULD TELL US OF HER LIFE AS A CHILD, AND AS A MAMA. SHE ALWAYS BROUGHT PRESENTS TO US, AND LOOKING BACK, THEY WERE NOT EXPENSIVE, BUT THEY WERE FROM HER. ON HOT SUMMER EVENINGS, SHE WOULD SIT IN THE FRONT YARD WITH US AND WE WOULD WAIT FOR THE ICE CREAM MAN TO COME BY. I AM SURE THE MOSQUITOS WERE BAD, BUT SHE WOULD SIT THERE ANYWAY, WAITING WITH US. WHEN WE FIRST HEARD THE FAINT "TINKLE TINKLE" OF THE MUSIC OF THE ICE CREAM TRUCK, SHE WOULD ALWAYS SAY, "NOW, WHERE DID I PUT THOSE NICKLES?" AND BEGAN TO SEARCH HER POCKETS. EVERY NIGHT WE FELL FOR IT, AND SHE WOULD LAUGH AND KISS US AS SHE FINALLY "FOUND" THE MONEY. SHE WAS TINY, AND I WAS BIGGER THAN SHE WAS BY THE TIME I WAS 7 YEARS OLD. IT DIDN'T MATTER, SHE WOULD PAT HER LAP AND TELL ME TO COME AND SIT ON HER. "WHERE?" I WOULD ASK. SHE WOULD TELL ME THAT SHE ALWAYS HAD ROOM FOR ME. HER FEET WERE SMALL TOO, AND I COULD WEAR HER SHOES WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG. SHE WOULD NOT MIND IF I PLAYED DRESS UP WITH THEM, BUT I COULDN'T PLAY WITH HER SUNDAY SHOES. SHE LOVED CHURCH, (SHE CAME FROM HARDSHELL BAPTIST STOCK) AND ALWAYS HUMMED CHURCH SONGS AS SHE WORKED. ONE TIME, SHE WENT TO A LADIES LUNCHEON AND A NAUGHTY TEENAGED BOY PUT RUM IN THE LADIES PUNCH. THE LADIES REALLY ENJOYED THAT PUNCH, AND WHEN MY GRANDMOTHER GOT HOME, SHE WAS SINGING AND EVEN TOLD A NAUGHTY STORY. WE WERE SO SURPRISED, AND SHE JUST LAUGHED AND LAUGHED. MY MOTHER RAISED AN EYEBROW AND ASKED HER WHAT WAS GOING ON. WHEN GRANDMA CARTER "SOBERED UP" SHE BEGAN TO WORRY THAT THEY WOULD "CHURCH"HER, OR KICK HER OUT OF THE CHURCH FOR DRINKING. OF COURSE THEY DID NOT, ESPECIALLY AS ALL THE LADIES WENT HOME IN THE SAME CONDITION. SHE WOULD SEW WITH ME, BAKE WITH ME AND TAUGHT ME TO BE KIND. I HAVE LOTS TO TELL YOU ABOUT MY GRANDMOTHERS, BUT IN ANOTHER BLOG. I HOPE THAT I AM SUCH A GRANDMA, OR RATHER A "NANA". THE FINEST TIME OF MY WHOLE LIFE IS NOW WHEN I CAN ENJOY THE LOVE OF SO MANY LITTLE ONES IN MY LIFE. HOW CAN GRIEF RUIN A LIFE SO FULL OF JOY? HEAVENLY FATHER IS ALWAYS HERE WITH ME AND MAKES SURE THAT HIS ANGELS SURROUND ME IN THE FORM OF MY LITTLE ONES THAT I LOVE. MORE TOMORROW, NANASEE