Marie

this weekend is about to be the kind where you are just about incapacitated by the extreme heat and humidity. it will swallow you, it’s that thick. powerless to the weather.

my great grandma died this morning. I’ve been pretty fortunate to know four grandparents and three great grandparents.

she was about 4′ 11″. she had these noisy, jumpy little dogs and a bunch of birds. the bird cages lined the dining area. one of her birds was missing a leg. I wonder if that happened before or after she got the bird. and why she decided that these birds were good for keeping her company.

she corresponded faithfully with my mom through hand written cards. letters with small cursive handwriting. she wrote even when my parents separated and then divorced.

when visiting her we would sit and talk in her living room. we would chat about things going on, church, family. usual stuff. when we would try to leave she’d keep us captive until somebody accepted a knickknack or a novel or something. she was trying to pass on the accumulation of keepsakes she’s acquired over the years. these are the things I will be giving people in the years to come.