I can always tell when we’ve arrived in Beaumont because, in spite of being in the car, you can feel the humidity rising to levels that will destroy your hair no matter how much Super-Hold Aquanet you’ve applied.
And I know this for a fact because I singlehandedly used enough Super-Hold Aquanet throughout high school to ensure that there was a big hole in the ozone layer right over Southeast Texas, and it still wasn’t enough to help my spiral permed curls defy gravity.
We went straight to Nanny’s house and arrived just as the party started. Caroline informed that she was going to be a “little bit shy” and it actually took her all of thirty seconds to come out of her shell.
However, it only took her eighteen seconds to find the electric organ in the back room.
If I had a nickel for every time I played “Little Brown Jug” on that organ while my sister provided sound effects by hiccuping in the background, well, I would have a lot of nickels. I can offer no explanation as to why my sister and I were so fascinated by a song about a drunk hillbilly.
This party was the first time the entire family has been together in over ten years, so we spent a lot of time catching up with everyone and laughing at old memories. Apparently, this past Christmas Nanny announced at lunch that no one else in the family would live as long as she has because they’re all too soft.
It was just like a moment from one of those sappy Lifetime channel holiday movies.
Here’s Nanny blowing out the candles on her birthday cake. Please note we did not have 90 candles because a house fire would have been tragic since there wasn’t anyone there strong enough to carry out the electric organ.
Also note that half the cake has already been eaten. We take our cake seriously.
Later on that evening, the whole family went out to eat at Casa Ole’. Even though I live in the birthplace of great Mexican food (Well, kind of. I guess technically Mexico is the birthplace of great Mexican food.) there is still something about that Dinner El Paso coming out fresh from the microwave that makes me happy.
I have no explanation for this and I should be embarrassed to admit it, but it’s who I am and I’ll own it. I sometimes enjoy fake Mexican food.
Caroline wanted to sit right next to the birthday girl at dinner because she has an innate ability to sniff out where the action will happen. Sure enough, the waitstaff brought Nanny a dessert while singing “Happy Chimichanga to You”.
Truly, one of the most underrated birthday songs in history.
That’s my child trying to steal a dessert from her great-grandmother. She has no shame.
The next day, Amy and I decided to take the girls to the mall with hopes of providing some type of air-conditioned entertainment. Naturally, Sarah had to bring “tato head” as part of her entourage.
Who knew the mall would be such a hotspot for toddler entertainment? The girls were able to take forty second ride on a mechanical school bus that only cost Amy and me $4.25 in lost quarters before we found a bus that actually worked.
Then, as we made our way down the mall, I saw something way off in the distance that frightened me. I saw children bouncing way up in the air while attached to some sort of harness. Discreetly, I whispered to Amy, “I think we should turn around before Caroline sees this.”
But it was too late. She had spied it with her little eye and was off and running towards all the bouncing. It turns out that there is bungee bouncing in the mall. In Beaumont, Texas. Who knew?
All we have at our mall here is a lame playscape with some hollowed out trees to provide minutes of imaginary play.
The girls were so tired after our big mall adventure that they fell asleep on the way home. Perfection.
We finally arrived back at Nanny’s house where Caroline spent the rest of the afternoon carrying around Nanny’s poor cat.
Between the cat and the electric organ, it was an abundance of riches.
A good time was had by all (well except for maybe the cat) and on Saturday night I sat around with my mom, my Nanny, and my sister while we watched the Miss Universe pageant. It felt like I’d stepped back in time about thirty years.
Except this time the stubborn little girl who refused to go to bed for fear of missing all the fun wasn’t me, but my daughter.
Later that night, I curled up in bed with her, the same bed where I’ve slept since childhood, the bed where I spent so many Christmas Eves’ listening for Santa Claus, where I stayed up reading way too late because Nanny would let me, where I cried over more than one bad breakup with a boyfriend, and I was filled with gratitude for that moment.
The blessing of watching life come full circle.
Before we left the next day, Nanny told us that she was going to have to get her handicapped sticker renewed for her car. She hadn’t realized it expired until my aunt pointed it out, because when she got it a few years ago they told her it was good for life.
My aunt said, “They probably didn’t think you’d live this long”.
And Nanny replied, “I guess I showed them”.
I’m so glad she did.
…. and how wonderful and blessed we all are to witness life’s full circle (can’t look at a wedding ring without thinking of love with no beginning and no end)… thanks for a precious story!
Wow, that’s a cat?
Your Nana looks absolutely wonderful.
I love that you guys ate the cake before Nanny even had a chance to blow out the candles!
And Nanny looks gorgeous! Does she have any skincare secrets she would be willing to share with us?
90! Microwave, Mexican, Cake first, whatever ya’ll are doing the genetics look great! She still’s stunning @ 90! You and Caroline look like you’ll have many good years ahead – lots more organ and cats, bungee jumping.
There is no way your beautiful nanny is 90 years old. Lands sakes… I’ll have what she’s been having for 90 years.
Then maybe I could look that good and be that spunky in years to come.
She’s gorgeous!
Great post! The malls are like amusement parks here in WI with all those things available. That cat looks huge! Happy Birthday Nanny!
Your Nanny looks AMAZING! I think you will be celebrating many more birthdays with her!
The picture with the cat is too funny!
Are you sure that’s a cat?
Your Nanny looks like she’s in her 60′s! Sounds like a fun family weekend. I love those times when your children can experience parts of your childhood first hand.
Your nanny looks great – I can’t believe she’s 90. At this rate you should live to be 110 and Caroline may live forever.
HOLY COW! What kind of cat is that???
It looks more like a standard poodle in the picture!
Yes, your Nanny looks beautiful!I’m thinking she looks better at 90 than I do at 53!
I’m still laughing about the half eaten cake at candle blowing time! Y’all couldn’t have fit 90 candles on there anyway…too much of the cake was already gone!
I’m with everyone else – your nanny looks fabulous! Those southern women sure do age well!
You have amazing genes (your grandmother looks 70 – maybe) and the strength and spunk she does, I’m sure. What a treasure.
Everyone else has already said it, but, your Nanny does not look like she’s 90. Are you sure she didn’t tack on a few extra years in there when y’all weren’t looking? Maybe so she could hear Happy Chimichanga To You several years early? Yes, by all means, get the scoop on Nanny and her skin care secrets.
Ahhh, it’s all coming back to me now. The humidity, Casa Ole, and Parkdale mall. Yes, even my kids have done the bungee bounce thingy too.
As soon as I hit the highway outside of Beaumont I thank my lucky stars I no longer reside in SETX!
Girl your Nanny is looking great for 90, hello! I have seen 50 year old women who look like they are your Nanny’s momma….
I just love your whole story. Great Grandma looks awesome! I laughed out loud about tato head and dear God what kind of cat is that? It is just huge! Thanks for sharing a slice of your life, it was truly touching.
Your Nana looks so young and I am not just sayin’ it to make a comment. Hope you snatched up some of her good genes.
What a gorgeous woman – and she seems to be so full of spunk! I love it! Isn’t it wonderful to go ‘home’ and visit with family?
Oh my gosh, I can’t believe your nanny is 90. She looks WONDERFUL! I’m so glad y’all got the chance to visit with her. What wonderful memories.
Aaaw, that sounds like so much fun! Also, I second the commenters who said that Nanny is lookin’ GOOD. I want to know her secret!
Also, was there a law that young girls in Texas had to get spiral perms in the 80′s? I think there must have been. Oh, the pictures someone could blackmail me with…
As everyone else said, your Nanny looks great for 90! Wow!
And Caroline with the cat? Priceless.
That’s no cat. It looks like a gorilla!
Your Nanny is beautiful. Love the matching earrings. Maybe she could guest host a Fashion Friday. She’s got what it takes, clearly.
Is that cat for real?
Melanie..that is just beautiful. I got teary-eyed at the end. I wish my boys were able to meet my Nanny so they could sit in her rocking chair and get grilled about life….and love it just like I did.
hugs,
Fran
So fun…but I am so distracted by the size of that cat I cannot comment on anything else…IS that an optical illusion?
WOW!!! We definitely need Nanny’s beautycare secrets! So very glad that God blessed you with a wonderful weekend full of precious memories.
OK, it’s just not right that Nanny looks younger than me and she’s got 33 years on me. I suspect she didn’t spend her youth laying around on the beach covered in coconut oil and iodine. Look at that flawless complexion!
Her cat is HUGE but gorgeous. Obviously, the cat stayed out of the sun too.
What a great post, Mel.
Nanny looks beautiful! Glad everyone had a great time. Parkdale Mall has a plethora of child entertainment. I have a picture of R8 on the same bungee thing when he was 5. Funny how kids have some kind of radar for things like that.
I loved your story about your grandmother. My grandmother turned 90 on July 6 and we had a big party for her. At the end, she played basketball with some of her grandchildren and greatgranchildren. They are amazing at 90. In fact, Granny had a double bypass heart surgery 3 years ago and dr said he would not do it that late in life but she was a young 87 at that stage and we still have her so we are glad. Im so glad my children get to have her for a while in their lives at 6 and 12.
I hope you had a chance to get a 5 generation picture! I have one & its a special keepsake that I hope one day my young son will cherish.
Ack! That’s a cat? Are you sure?
That is one big cat!
And Nanny looks AWESOME!!! Seriously, I hope I look that good when I’m that age!
Go Nanny!
Kelly S.
Glad you guys had such a fun time together. Your nanny does look great.
I laughed so hard at the cat picture, my daughter asked me what I was laughing at. I showed her the picture. And I thought my cat was big.
You make me want to go home to visit! I am from Groves, and traveling to Parkdale Mall when I was a kid was a treat! About the humidity… One time a friend was looking at my old pictures and asked if that was my hair or a shadow. Between the humidity and the need for a serious perm, she couldn’t tell! Glad to hear you had an awesome time!
Times like those are so precious! Your Nanny looks incredible at 90 years old!
I’ll echo everyone else and say that you’re Granny looks great!!
and…
I’m glad you told us that was a cat (I wasn’t sure what it was!)
I love this post. I rotated between laughter and tears. I love family! I can’t stop laughing about how the cake is half eaten before y’all blow out the candles!
Nanny looks awesome! Her cat is . . . freakishly huge! Glad y’all had fun.
Loved this post. Your Nanny looks wonderful!
And here I thought my family was the only one who got into the cake before the candles and pictures. Looks like we are in good company! BTW, that cat is enormous– I almost cried I laughed so hard!
Your Nanny is beautiful! I can see where you and Caroline get your spunk from!
“no one else in the family would live as long as she has because they’re all too soft”–your nanny is a firecracker! I love the spunky grandmas that dole out the sass. It’s obvious where you inherited your wit.
Please, the cat? What is the story with that cat?
Beautiful post, Melanie. I love when you write about your grandparents. Now on to the comedy–that cat pic strikes me as one of the funniest yet. Caroline’s expression is a little bit like the farmer couple’s in American Gothic. It’s like the cat is the pitchfork. And she also reminds me of a stoic hunter like Teddy Roosevelt displaying his game after the kill. Bet you never thought you’d hear anyone say, “Your daughter reminds me of Teddy Roosevelt.” Loved this post. She is adorable.
I have really enjoyed these recent posts, Mel! I didn’t think you could top Bops and Caroline’s big airplane adventure, but this trip to Beaumont is just too sweet for words.
And clearly, if she could ever figure out how to work “the www” (as my grandparents call it), Nanny should have her own blog.
I’m sorry, but SHE IS 90???? I know women in the South are better at make-up skills, but not THAT GOOD. I’d say if you get her genes, you have some happy, young-looking older years ahead of you.
Your Nanny is GORGEOUS! Are you sure she’s 90? Have you checked her birth certificate.
Wish her a belated happy birthday from me!
I think fashion Friday should be filled w/ Granny’s youthful secrets.
I am thoroughly impressed! With your wonderful family and these numerous comments to a great story. I loved your story. You told it in such an interesting way that I slowly read it to the very end. Read all the comments, too! We have a blond Caroline, too, who is 5 years old. Thanks for sharing your family with us.
What great memories you had this weekend.
Whoa. Is that a real cat? I thought it was a black feather boa at first. HUGE!
Are you sure that’s a cat? It looks like a swamp creature.
So sweet that you could share those things from your childhood with Caroline. She might not appreciate it now, but she will one day. If that cat doesn’t eat her.
I cannot believe she is 90!! She doesn’t look it at all! And are you SURE that was a cat!!! lol….had to take several looks at that thing!
Nanny looks nothing near 90. I hope you got her genes…
“That’s my child trying to steal a dessert from her great-grandmother.” Why does “Like Mother, Like Daughter” soundly ring in my ears now?
wow! your Nanny doesn,t look a day over 70!! amazing!!
that cat however… not sur which side is the front or the back! it is ginormous! and adorable! my daughter would be jealous if she saw it…
she LOVES cats!
Wonderful. I’m so happy for you.
A perfect day. Say, this is the first time I’ve ever seen a 90 yr old grandma with blonde hair! : )
That is one ginormous cat!
Sounds like y’all had a wonderful time; and DANG! Your great-grandmother looks FANTASTIC at 90! Hope I look that good at 90.
Wow-you have some good genes, Melanie! Your Nanny looks to be 30 years younger than what you are saying–are you sure she’s 90? And that Caroline? She’s no softie–no ma’am, she’s not.
The cat looks more like a giant rug
Perhaps you can borrow it for your bathroom?
I sincerely hope your Nanny reads this – she is STUNNING!!!! I swear I look older than she does and I am 50mumble!
That is not a cat. Obviously that is Nanny in a gorilla suit. She’s such a spitfire!
I’d also be willing to accept Cher’s hair from the 70s. But cat? No way.
I think my very favorite thing about C is the serious looks she gives the camera. They crack me up.
OH what a sweet post! Your Nanny! SHe looks amazing! WOW! She’d dones something right! She is just stunningly beautiful! THE CAT? IS that a cat? WHAT? GImongous!
I so enjoyed this post….Happy Birthday, Nanny! I hope I look this good at 90!
Dang! Texas women defy gravity! So glad to see that your Nanny is single handedly making 90 the new 60!
I absolutely adore the picture of Caroline with the cat! Hysterical.
Your nanny looks amazing and hip and put together at age 90. She inspires me.
Glad you had such a sweet time with your family.
There is nothing better than the last picture of Caroline carrying that cat. The expression on her face is priceless!
Nanny is my kind of lady!
And I think she kidnapped my cat. Looks just like Maggie!
Your grandmother so does not look 90 years old!! Wow!
The look on Caroline’s face holding that cat (which, I am sorry, I swore I thought it was a dog when I looked at that photo!) is absolutely priceless!
Nanny looks amazing! Bungee ay? You must have been in the “new part” of the mall! xoxo
The picture with the cat is a scream! I love hearing all about family reunion stories! You’re right…the full circle thing is so amazing! Now if I could just get that Lion King song out of my head!
I think you and Boo need to look into the family trees to see if you’re related because there’s an aunt or a cousin or someone in the background of the candle blowing picture who looks remarkably like Sophie!
Holy moly – you’ve got some excellent gene pool working for you! If I’m lucky enough to look as wonderful at 90 as Nanny does, I’ll look better than I do now! At 37! Maybe I should go get a royal blue pantsuit!
Hppy Birthday to Nanny!
Nanny 90??? You would never ever guess it! And what abt that cat?? It is the size of a dog!:) Glad you got to enjoy the special times with your family! If only my Nanny was still around……fond memories of sparklers on the front porch and the game of trying to guess what color the next car would be that drove by! Ahh good times! Hope you had a safe trip home and thanx for bringing us along!:)
Good Grief! That is one purty lady for 90!
And her kitty…that’s no small feline, is it?
WOW!!! That is ONE big cat!
Your Nanny is beautiful! Glad you could all celebrate with her.
That is an enourmous cat. But I guess you knew that… FROM ALL THE OTHER COMMENTS SAYING IT TOO! : ) Oh and because you have eyes!
Happy Birthday to Nanny! 90 is the new 70, don’t ya know?
Wouldn’t it be great if the world had more people like your Nanny? She sounds like SO much fun! And I quite agree that Nanny is a real beauty.
Thank you for introducing us to your dear grandmother!
There is nothing like an electric organ in the other room to provide much entertainment for kiddos at older relatives’ houses.
That is the biggest cat I have ever seen lol!
I thought the cat was a feather boa and we were going to have Fashion Friday early…I guess in a way, we did.
I’d love to be able to go back to my grandma’s houses but both have “passed on” and as for the houses, the one in Rolla, Missouri, is now the site of apartments and the one in Terra Haute, Indiana, well, can’t just drop in from Katy, Texas to a total stranger’s house! It was a cozy Craftsman style bungalow and Grandma and Grandpa and all the cousins slept in the creepy, fun and DARK basement where I was convinced monsters resided but that Grandpa’s snoring scared them away! (sob!)
So instead I’m working on making MY house a fun gramma house for my 5 “next genners”.
Oh, and MY grandpa had a hand accordion – the kind that gypsies had with a little monkey holding a tin cup for money! We used to wish he had monkey…
My grandmom had an organ too. She could play the life out of that sucker.
Apparently the humidity slows down the aging process, as Nanny is looking pretty darn young!
How utterly wonderful. NOthing like families getting together. Hope Caroline doesn’t have back sprain from carrying that HUGE (Great Dane???) CAT???
Wow! Grandma looks great but I am not so sure about the cat. Are you sure it is still alive? At our house, we tend to watch the movies that we give as gifts before gifting them. Eating cake before the candles get blown out = same thing!
Jeanette
Your Nanny looks so good! Wow, she is so gorgeous. Have fun and enjoy every moment!
Maybe Nanny needs to be part of a podcast with you and Boomama…I bet she is a riot!
And sweet mercy what a cat!! My eyes are itching all the way in GA!!!
steph.
Holy Cat!
I cannot believe that Nanny is 90. You have GOOD genes in you, Melanie! One thing I love about getting older is seeing life come full circle over and over. THAT CAT! WHEW! You covered all the bases in this post. Glad you made some lifelong memories.
how big is that cat? Seriously!
I was thinking along the same lines as another commenter…..your Nanny looks better and younger at 90 than I do at 55! Where did I go wrong? Maybe my genes? If that’s where it comes from then you and Caroline will live long and beautiful lives!
Marilyn in MS
oh my. this post makes me so sad. so see pictures of sweet sarah. and to hear tater stories. and to hear of your sweet sister who i adore.
big mama. you had me at “I can always tell when we’ve arrived in Beaumont.”
thank you.
Happy Birthday Nanny! And many, many more!
I love this post – The special blessing of family. Tonight we spent the evening reliving past memories with our kiddos. We laughed, we sighed, we cried (well that is our 3 yr. old cried because she wanted to watch HERSELF as a baby!) Ahhh, it was a wonderful time!
Blessings to you!!
Wow – your Nana looks GREAT for 90!
That is one BIG Cat!
Ho-ly COW!! That woman is gorgeous! I really need to know her secret. Please tell your Nanny happy birthday from all of us.
Just a hunch but I bet you are not the only one in southeast Texas to cause a hole in the ozone layer.
Nanny is one beautiful lady, and I love her!! And that cat? Rather large.
Come over and check out my giveaway. Bring Nanny.
I generally believe what you write on your blog, but I’m gonna need PROOF that your Nanny is NINETY and PROOF that Caroline’s not hauling a BEAR around the house.
I’m sure I’m probably the 99th person to say that your Nanny looks FANTASTIC. You are one lucky gal to have her genes running through your veins!
Cayce
Let me be the 100th person that says your Granny looks INCREDIBLE and that is the BIGGEST cat I’ve ever seen!!
Love you blog!
Wow. Nanny makes 90 look AWESOME!
I love the part about life coming full circle. Just love it.
And that cat…Is it 90 also? ‘Cause that thing is HUGE!
WOW!!!!!!!! (That’s for both the cat and Nanny’s never-would-have-guessed-it age.)
Are you sure that’s a cat in the picture?
It is so nice that granny had her make up on so you could take some great pictures for all of us to see.
P.S. Did anyone play “Happy Birthday” on the organ?
Um…It’s a cat? That thing is enormous. It could eat *my* cat for a mid-day snack.
Your grandmother looks amazing! And her cat looks ginormous…love the story.
That cat is just plain funny! I can’t help but notice how it’s just limp like it’s just given up. The only other cat I know of that is that large is my pastor’s cat…who uses a storage container for a litter box because it’s too large for a normal one.
By the way, I’ll have what your grandmother is having. She looks amazing!
Great post! I have been reading your blog for a while now and I have been meaning to email you b/c I went to WB too and still live in Beaumont. I graduated a year behind you but I don’t think we ever really knew each other! However, I do relate to the big hair, hairspray and humidity.
I’m sure someone (or alot of someones) said this already but your nanny does NOT look 90! wow! Sounds like a great party
And that is one. big. cat.
Good ol SE Texas. What is it about that Dinner El Paso? I’ll tell ya. It’s that you get chile con queso on your enchilada and I think you get the queso chip before your meal. While I know I am eating something that was just minutes out of the freezer, I can’t help it. It takes me back. And there ain’t nothing like that queso anywhere else.
I always love your Beaumont posts. My mom is still down Hwy 69 in Nederland. Glad you had a fun trip. Your Granny looks phenomenal!
I love this post! You truly recognize how blessed you are to still be able to spend the night at your grandmother’s, esp. with your child! I love that photo of the cat – is he in denial or what?! Isn’t Beaumont where they set the Footloose movie? You could be in the 6 degrees to Kevin Bacon game if it is!
Holy COW! That is one enormous cat. I thought my 15 pounder was big! Happy birthday to your nanna!
I grew up in Pasadena, the birthplace of Casa Ole’. Sometimes a girl just needs some good old fake Mexican food!
Melanie, enjoyed reading your blog about the party. Suzanne sent it to me. You may not remember Joe and me. Your mom and I have been friends since childhood so we made many memories in your Nanny,s house in Floydada. I know you have heard many stories(especially our twirling stories) and then it was fun when you and Amy were born and we would visit you and your parents in Spring. You all would come and see us in several different places we lived. You and Amy have beautiful girls and I know Suzanne is very proud of you. Shay and Brandon are our children. Shay is 39 and Brandon is 36. They each have 3 children. Both have two girls and one boy. They live very close by so we get to see them often. Someday hope to see you again and meet Caroline.
Thanks again for the great blog. Jan