The Things We Think We Remember

I probably spend too much time reminiscing about when life was simple and easier. But I had a pleasant trip down memory lane today when fellow blogger Ruth Ashley posted the following article on her Facebook. It’s been 25 years!

WATCH: 20th Anniversary of Jacksonville’s Freak Snow Storm

Here are a few pictures that are on the site:

 

It was Saturday, December 23rd of 1989. I was the ripe old age of 3. I remember being outside with my friends Bradley and Brent (I’ve always had mostly guy friends lol) eating icicles off of cars. Hindsight tells me that wasn’t the cleanest thing to do. But, hey, I guess that’s one of the perks of being young. I had not a care in the world not even for germs. So that’s all I knew about that date. I smiled and forwarded the article over to my mother. That’s when she told me even more about that day.

It turns out she and her friend Daisy were stuck down in Plant City. The snow came and coming north on I-95 wasn’t allowed. So my Granny came over to our place while my mom was out of town because she wanted me to feel comfortable while she was gone. My cousin Kuturah was possibly with her too. I asked her where my dad was at this time. She said she didn’t know but he wasn’t with us then (my parents divorced when I was 2 – and later remarried) but that’s why my Granny stayed with me. I didn’t remember any of that at all.

I couldn’t help but feel love and sadness after hearing the side of the story that I had known nothing about prior to today. You see my Granny died July of last year. I miss her every day. Of all of the memories I have of her, I’m a little sad that I can’t add more from December 23, 1989 because I was so young that I don’t remember. But I know that I loved having her around. I love my mother too. Sure you might think it’s no thing for a mother to make sure her baby is well taken care of while she’s out of town because that is what mothers are supposed to do. But I still feel grateful for her each and every day for the love she’s always shown me even if she wasn’t around and the sacrifices that she’s made for me over the years.

I’ll stop it here because I’m getting teary-eyed. But I’ll end my random post by saying:

Mom: Love you, Mommy! Thanks for adding to my memories of this day!

   

Bradley and Brent: if you ever happen to come across this article, I miss you guys! We had lots of fun back in the day.

Much thanks to Ruth and Jacksonville.com for the memories!

Until next time….

Hattie Lee Robinson

Today’s post isn’t about acting or acting tips or even events (since it’s Throwdown Thursday.) Instead, it’s about my life and someone very dear to me.

My granny (my mother’s mother), Hattie Lee Robinson, died this morning at 2:30am at Community Hospice. She was 77 years old.

She was born Dec 22, 1935 to Realious Baker and Rosetta Taylor Baker. She was one of 11 kids. All of her life, she lived in Jacksonville, FL.

I remember always wanting to go over Granny’s house. Honestly, it was mostly to see all of my cousins lol b/c you just never knew who would pop up over there. I was an only child so my cousins were the closest I had to siblings. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to see my Granny also.

Nobody’s perfect so I have fond memories and also I can remember times not so fond. But I’ll never forget the time that I was over her house early one morning. It was one of the last times during my childhood that I spent the night over her house. I had horrible stomach pains and I had no idea what was going on so I woke up my Granny and told her. She came out to the living room (where I was sleeping) and gave me some Tylenol and had me lay my head on her lap and told me it’d be alright. And it was lol it was just really bad gas lol. I think I spent my 14th and 15th (or 15th and 16th) birthdays at Granny’s house.

I have so many memories of being at Granny’s house. It was a place you could always go to to get away with stuff lol. I used to call boys from my Granny’s house phone even when my father said that I couldn’t have phone conversations with guys at home. My younger cousins Audre’Ana, Aerial, Tiara and I made up a step group on Granny’s front porch. Lol we called ourselves The Sweets. We used to play under Granny’s dining room table pretending that it was our house. I don’t think Granny liked it because every now and then she’d make us come from under there. I even planned to run away with my cousin Tiara while at Granny’s house lol. We packed up some pickles in aluminum foil and made a few styrofoam cups of koolaid and covered them with aluminum foil. Then we put it in a box and headed out the front door. By the time we walked around to the back the koolaid was starting to spill lol so we sat on the steps in the back of the house and ate our food and drank our koolaid. Shortest runaway attempt ever lol. I remember another instance where Tiara and I found kittens under Granny’s house. They were fast little things but we managed to catch two of them with plans to keep them. We had to go to the Navy base with Papa though and he wouldn’t let us take them with us so we put them under a box and left. When we got back Audre’Ana and/or Aerial (can’t remember) had picked up the box to see what was under it and let them go. We were so mad! I got my first puppy while at Granny’s house. He was an adorable mutt and I named him Sparky. I got that name from the little terrier on the classic dog movie Beethoven. Anyway, my memory sort of eludes me on this story but I think he was left out in the yard overnight and either somebody took him or he ran away.

Of course, there are SO many more memories of my Granny and the fun adventures I had at my Granny’s house. But I’d be typing until tomorrow recounting them all.

My mom is the oldest of her 8 kids so she’s dealing with the most right now. I took off from work today to help her with whatever she needed. I’m not sure how much funerals/cremation are but I’ve heard it’s a lot.

My Granny has been in and out of the hospital for awhile now and she was just admitted to Hospice care on Monday, July 22. That is when I cried the most. I especially let it all out after I went to go see her. My Papa (Granny’s husband) had Hospice care at the house before he died so I already knew that Hospice is synonymous with impending doom.

I sort of selfishly battled with whether or not I was going to see her. I’d rather remember her how she was in the picture above and nice and healthy instead of the extra soft and fragile skin that I saw recently. But I’m glad that I did. I’m happy to carry on her ever strong Baker genes down to my children some day.

Granny, I love you with all of my heart. I’ll see you soon in paradise. Boy oh boy will I have some stories to tell you then!