When people edit their sentences because they know your stance on the Oxford comma.

I love my sister. She understands me.

Thank You, Lena Davis.

I am thankful for the right to vote as a woman. Today I was thinking about my 101-year-old great-grandmother and her amazing story about voting. When women were finally allowed to vote, my great-grandmother was 11-years-old. Nanny remembers a woman named Lena Davis who lived in her hometown of Vasper, Tennessee. This remarkable woman stole a ballot by stuffing it in "her bosom" (Nanny's words) and took it to all the women in the town. She showed them how to mark the ballot so that they wouldn't be afraid of voting. In fact, she went to my great-great-grandmother, Carrie Elizabeth Prater Adams, whom my grandmother and sister are named for, and asked if she was going to vote. Carrie said she would if she knew how, so Lena pulled it out and showed her how to mark the ballot. Lena then took Carrie to the Mason lodge which was on the second floor of the country post office. Nanny said that when it was time for lunch, a Republican and a Democrat took the ballot box to the Adams' house, and one of the men put his foot on the ballot box during the meal so that it couldn't be tampered with. It was the talk of the whole town -- that women could finally vote.


I am thankful for women like Lena Davis, who may never be featured in a history book or have memorials in their honor. Though they may be forgotten, their effects are still present; Lena Davis' legacy has lived on. Voting has always been important in my family, and I am happy to know that my great-great-grandmother was the first woman of our family to vote.

stringalingdingdingding

I was watching the Noggin Channel with my nephew, and one of their music breaks came on. The guy's name was "Dr. Stringz," and I was thinking, "This guy is SO talented! He plays the violin, the guitar, and the mandolin, and he has a fantastic voice." Then at the end...I discovered, it was Andrew Bird!

I love it!

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."

"Ochi Chernye, I have no mon-ya for my hon-ya which is no fun-ya."

Yesterday my grandpa was singing a Russian song called "Ochi Chernye" which means "Dark Eyes." The other day he was lifting weights to Tchaikovsky's organ music.

I think he has very good taste in music.

Grandpa made some new lyrics to "Ochi Chernye" though.

"Ochi Chernye, I have no mon-ya for my hon-ya which is no fun-ya...Ochi Chernye..."

I'm 21!

A very happy birthday. So far I've received a lovely bouquet of flowers and a lovely cup of hot tea.

Sammy Davis Jr. in Wonderland

My favorite memory of my papaw is Alice in Wonderland. He had a version of the movie recorded from television that he would let my siblings and I watch when we went over to his house. I've been reading Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking-Glass, and several vivid images have popped up in my mind. I remember this movie that my papaw had. This put me to a search, and I found the movie on Amazon. Needless to say, I bought it immediately. This version of Alice in Wonderland was made in 1985. Several famous people were in it:

Scott Baio (as Pat the Guinea Pig)
Red Buttons (as White Rabbit)
Sid Caesar (as Gryphon)
Sammy Davis Jr. (as Caterpillar)
Roddy McDowell (as March Hare)
Jayne Meadows (as Queen of Hearts)
Robert Morley (as King of Hearts)
Anthony Newley (as the Mad Hatter)
Donald O'Connor (as Lory Bird -- my favorite)
Ringo Starr (as the Mock Turtle)
Shelley Winters (as the Dodo Bird)
Ernest Borgnine (as the Lion)
Patrick Duffy (as the Goat)
Merv Griffin (as the Conductor)
Pat Morita [yes, as in the one from Karate Kid] (as the Horse)
John Stamos [yes, as in Uncle Jesse] (as the Messenger)
Sally Struthers (as in Tiger-Lily)

Anyway, I am sooo excited about this movie. Here is a clip of Sammy Davis Jr. as the Caterpillar. So good!

"One toot on this whistle will send you to a far away land..."

We found our old school Nintendo in the attic. It still works. Best Christmas present ever.

"I think the choir is getting ready to let it rip."

This morning my great-grandmother, Elmo Rutherford, was baptized at the age of 98. She has been a Christian since she was a little girl and was baptized, but she felt she did not really understand what it meant to be baptized. Thus, she chose to be baptized again. At age 98. This made her very happy.

After the sermon, the baptism, and lunch at Cracker Barrel, we went to Nanny's front porch. Nanny wanted to sit on the steps because she didn't want anyone to get up from the front porch swing or chairs on her behalf.

This is Nanny and my great-aunt Mickey, whose real name is Kazue (Kah-zoo-way).

This is Cheyenne. She is five and a half. The half is very important, mind you.

This is Jasper. He is seven and three-quarters. The three-quarters is very important, mind you.

When I was little, my uncle would take us to this creek and bridge near Nanny's house. I felt very old taking Jasper and Cheyenne there today, but it made me so happy to carry on the tradition. Every grandchild and great-grandchild of Nanny's has always gone to "the bridge."I love this abandoned building. If it were ever restored, I think I'd cry. It's been like this for as long as I can remember. It needs to stay abandoned. There is something very nostalgic and poignant about an abandoned building. I'm not sure why.





"Why aren't you taking a picture of me? Take a picture of me!"




I told them to a make a normal smile. These are not their normal smiles.

I love this bridge. I hope it always stays rusted and shaky.