Special Day because of a Special Person

I just realized that I didn't take a picture of my Aunt Joan today when I was with her. Dang bang it! Today is Aunt Joan's happy birthday! She is so very special to me. My parents divorced when I was about ten and Aunt Joan divorced at some point around then also. Maybe earlier actually, I'm not sure. She and my cousin Greg came to live with us for a while during the time that dad was working in Vietnam. Dad went over there when I around eight years old, so it would have been in 1968. He wasn't in the War, he went there to work on a newspaper (I think setting up the machines) so that he could make more money than he could in the States at the time. Aunt Joan and I would stay up late and watch Medical Center together on Saturday night. I think it came on at 11:30 PM and it was an hour long show. We both thought that Chad Everett was really cute. I wouldn't have been allowed to stay up that late by myself at that age, but because Aunt Joan wanted to see it too and didn't mind me watching with her, I got to stay up to see that darling blue eyed man with his brown hair! I'm pretty sure the station went off the air after that show. It wasn't like today with the 24 hours of non-stop shows and hundreds of stations. I think we had three in Dallas back then. Right before the late news each night, they would say "It's 10 PM, do you know where your children are?". When the stations did sign off for the night, they played the Star Spangled Banner while showing the Flag waving. I always thought that was wonderful, even as a little kid. These were the years of the Laugh-In TV show. I used to kid Aunt Joan and call her Fanny Farkle. I think I called my momma Lady Fish during this time too. I know I came up with the ideas of these odd "pet" names for these wonderful women in my life because of Laugh-In! They never showed any irritation with me over these names either. They were always such good sports about it. Truly patient, loving women. I was lucky to have them around me.



I love to go see Aunt Joan. We usually go to Tyler and have lunch and then we go to the Barnes and Noble book store. After all, we both love to eat and read. Today was no different. Although it was raining, we hit the road and had a good lunch at Jason's Deli. Then went to the bookstore. Y'all will be pleased (and some of you will be extremely surprised) that I didn't even buy a magazine! I didn't even look at the books, but it sure was tough. I started feeling a little weak and wanted to start book shopping, so I was really glad that Aunt Joan was sitting in the Starbucks area, so I could join her there and get away from the temptations. We had a good time. We usually do, thankfully. We get along great and have always been close. I enjoy every minute I get to spend with my special aunt.



This cute little coffee place is in Tyler. We've seen it in the past and wanted to take a picture of it. Today, I finally remember-ed to do that. The coffee cup has steam coming out, but it's so cloudy today, that it's hard to see. Click on the picture of it and it shows up a little better. I didn't get the name of it, but on the cup it looks like it's Yahooz. If anyone needs it, let me know and I'll go back over there and get it for you.

I just thought of another sweet memory of my aunt. When my hubby and I were pretty much newly married, money was tight. He was in the Air Force and we lived in Biloxi, MS far from my family. I was pretty lonely and with a tight budget, I didn't get to do much or have many "extras". One day I went to the mailbox and Aunt Joan had sent me a letter and a $5 bill. She told me to go do something fun. So, I gathered up my courage to go to the movies all by myself. Something I had never done before. I went to see Coalminers Daughter with Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones. I loved it. I had fun. And to this day, I can still quote parts of the movie. My favorite line was when Loretta got upset at her husband for being cranky and she'd tell him "You sound like an ol' bear a growlin'!". I say that to my hubby sometimes too.