Histories

My earliest memories of her: "Always ironing or sewing; standing at the red stove over steaming gumbo pots"

What she looked like when I was young: "plump, warm; twinkling eyes; always wore a cotton housedress with her dark hair tied or held back"

What her personality was like: "preferred to be alone, always busy, wistful, hopeful"

What made her special to me: "She was my best friend; she seemed like a kid trapped in a grownup body."

Her Favorite...
Color: "Blue"
Scent: "Toujour Moi"
Season: "Spring"
Flower: "Rose"
Place: "Abbeville"
Person: "Jeanne Dixon"
Book: "A Gift of Prophecy"
Writer: "Stephen King"
Music: "Church music (Latin chant), Michael Jackson"

Her best story about growing up: "One day she came home from school and her family had moved!"

How she met her husband: "I think they met at a country dance."

What attracted her to him: "I think she wanted to get out from under her home life."

Her finest qualities: "adventurous, optimistic"

Her happiest moment: "when she cooked huge holiday dinners"

The most surprising thing she ever did: "flirt openly with young men - she said this was the special privilege of older women!"

My most vivid recollection of her kitchen: "smell of a roux being prepared - the red porcelain enamel stove always full of steaming pots"

Her best recipe: "lobster dressing - made with fresh turkey stock, rice, and canned lobster"

How I would describe her special place: "a rocking chair in front of the TV, with sewing and a book nearby"

What I want people to understand about her: "She lived halfway between the earth and heaven - didn't quite fit either."