Friday, October 02, 2009

conversations with nanny

Right before I left for Russia, I said to my great-grandmother, "Nanny, what do you want me to bring you back from Russia?" And she said, "Wail, I don't really know wha'r I'm gonna be when you git back." I thought that she was talking about going to be with the Lord. In fact, one of my fears when I went to Russia was that Nanny would pass away while I was there and that I wouldn't be able to go to the funeral. I said to Nanny, "Well, I'll be back in May." And she said, "Oh! Well, I'll see you at my bairthday party then!" She turned 100 in May. She's so funny, and I love her.

I was talking to Nanny tonight about tatting and how I'd think it'd be cool to be able to tat. And she told me the story of her wedding dress. She said, "My mother said to me one day, 'Go git m'wedding dress, rip it up, and I'll make you yours.' And so, I got 'er dress, and she made it up, and I whare that weddin' dress, and Grace whare that weddin' dress." Grace was her sister, my great-aunt.

I love Nanny. She is so down-to-earth, practical, and easy-going. And I like it that she doesn't think you should keep your wedding dress in a closet the rest of your life. It's just a dress. And I think it's cool that my great-great grandmother was resourceful and wise in that aspect. I asked Nanny where her dress was now, and she said, "Well, I don't really know."


1 comment:

davidrhelms said...

Lots of love. Lots of love. I had a Granny (in the country) and a Memama (in the town). They molded and shaped me in more ways than I can remember.

in each sister and brother

If God comes down to earth through [the] Son made flesh, then we ascend toward heaven through Jesus present in each sister and brother for ...