I wrote this about my Nanny almost two years ago but, since today is her 90th birthday, I thought I’d post it again.
She is the original firecracker.
My Nanny is 88 years old, but you would never know it. She has more energy and enthusiasm than people half her age. All of her friends are at least 15-20 years younger than she is because as she will tell you “I don’t like to spend time with old people”. In fact, the week before we arrived she had hosted a Bunco party at her house, you know for all her young friends in their 70’s.
She has always known how to stay young. I remember being in high school and walking down the street to borrow her clothes and her jewelry. I’m betting that not too many grandmothers have a wardrobe that their granddaughters would like to wear. You don’t see too many 15 year olds wearing SAS shoes with a nice paisley polyester blouse. But Nanny has always had style.
She was the first person I knew that owned a video camera, a VCR and an answering machine. In fact, my mama said that Nanny called her just the other day and asked “What is an iPod and do I need to get one?” I am sorry, but that is current.
When we walked through the door, it was all so warm and familiar. I can’t identify what her house smells like, but it’s a part of my life. Even when we got home on Sunday, I could smell it on my clothes and in my hair. It’s just the smell of home and comfort, a combination of Sir Walter Raleigh pipe tobacco, fresh cinnamon cake out of the oven and perfume. If I could buy it in a bottle, I would.
Caroline was in complete awe of Nanny’s house. There are more things to look at than you could possibly see in just one visit. She still has our old toy closet filled with toys from our childhood and books that bring back so many memories. Caroline walked into that closet, found a huge box full of more jewelry than you can imagine and said “Oh Mama, this is interesting”. It’s like a little piece of heaven on earth for a little girl, and I know because it’s where I spent so much of my childhood.
At one point, I was on the other side of the house and I heard a familiar noise that made me laugh out loud. It was the sound of Samba music coming from the electric organ that Nanny has in her sitting room. I knew that it was only a matter of time before Caroline discovered it and once she did, she was hooked. I spent a lot of hours playing that same organ with my sister making up variety shows and musicals that would rival the Sweeney Sisters. We’d put Nanny’s nightgowns on our head for our hair and drape ourselves in anything we could find in her jewelry box.
If you don’t want a honest answer, then you better not ask her a question. Sometimes she’ll even give her opinion before you’ve asked. When she came out of surgery last year, my mama was waiting for her and sat holding her hand. Nanny looked at her and said “I really wish you’d do something with your hair. It just looks terrible”. I have always thought she’s kind of like a mama cat, she likes to take all her babies and get them cleaned up just right.
I remember one Thanksgiving when P and I drove 7 hours to get to the lakehouse and when I walked in the door she said “Oh it makes me so sad that you don’t wear makeup anymore”. She feels strongly about looking your best (even on 7 hour car rides), in fact I don’t have a picture of her from this weekend because she didn’t have her “face on”.
The biggest thing (literally) that she worries about is all of her girls’ weight. Gulley said that she knew she was officially part of the family when Nanny told her she’d put on a few pounds. But here’s the kicker, anytime you visit she will always have your favorite dessert fresh out of the oven. It’s like she wants you to look good, but she also wants to indulge you in your favorite food. In fact, one of the first things she said after I walked in the door was that she had made my favorite banana pudding. It was so good I could’ve eaten the whole bowl. And oh my goodness, her sweet tea is like no other you’ll will ever taste. I’d be willing to bet that the sugar to tea ratio errs high on the side of sugar. It’s like heaven in a glass.
After Caroline finally passed out from the sheer exhaustion of looking through all that jewelry, Nanny and I stayed up talking. This has always been one of my favorite things about Nanny, she’s a night owl like me (or at least like me before I had a 3 year old that likes to wake up when it’s still “darken” outside). When I was little she always let me stay up late with her to watch The Tonight Show, in fact the night that Johnny Carson did his last show I was off at college, but I had to call Nanny on the phone because the sound of Johnny’s voice will always remind me of those renegade nights at her house where I was allowed to stay up until 11:30.
When we got up to leave the next morning, Caroline wasn’t ready to leave and neither was I. That’s the thing about Nanny, she knows how to make you feel like you’re the most important person in the world when you’re with her. She listens to everything you say and even when I was little, never made me feel like my thoughts didn’t matter. I think Caroline summed it up best as we were leaving, she said “Oh Mama, I want to take one of these road trips again sometime.”
Mama does too.
Happy Birthday, Nanny. Love you.
Julie says:
Your Grams sounds so wonderful!
July 4th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Jamie @ Purposeful Pursuit says:
Oh so sweet! She sounds like a wonderful lady.
July 4th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Joanne (The SImple Wife) says:
What a lovely tribute! Without knowing her, I want to be just like her when I grow up.
My grandma always had a jewelry drawer for me to play in too. Think I’d better start collecting…
July 4th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Amy Beth @ Ministry So Fabulous! says:
How precious!
July 4th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Dana D says:
What a sweet story! It made me smile! Now hurry up and make time to load Caroline into the car and take another trip to Nanny’s! It will be worth it!
Now I’m off to call my own Nannie and wish her a happy 4th! You’ve made me miss her!
July 4th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Jan says:
beautiful.
July 4th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Marilyn says:
I loved reading this! I hope that I will be able to make lasting memories for my grandchildren!
Thanks for sharing your Nanny with us!
Happy 4th of July!
Marilyn in MS
July 4th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Dawn says:
Thank you for sharing that story. I never had a relationship with a grandmother like that. It sounds perfectly wonderful.
And I think your Nanny may have just taught me something as well. I have been so busy teaching my daughter to be polite and not interrupt when adults are talking that I think I may have sometimes made her feel like what she had to say was unimportant.
Thank you for the lesson. I will be more mindful of that now.
July 4th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Amanda says:
That was so sweet. It’s my dog’s birthday today and I’ve been so mean to him lately that I thought about writing him a birthday tribute. It probably wouldn’t be as sweet as this. Happy 4th and happy birthday to your Nanny!
July 4th, 2008 at 11:41 am
cara says:
It sounds like my sweet mississippi grandmother, I loved spending time at her house with her and miss her so much now! Happy 4th
July 4th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
MooBeeMa says:
I miss my Nanny. Took up knitting the year she died and I wish she could’ve seen my work. I’m looking forward to knitting with her in heaven someday.
July 4th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Jo-Lynne (Musings of a Housewife) says:
That’s beautiful. I missed this the first time around. She sounds like a real pistol. Makes me miss my Gramma.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Holly at Crownlaiddown says:
Chris Mom is the same way with looking your best and all the fun jelwelry and the really good food!
I love folks, who savor life like your Nanny does.
Happy Birthday, sweet Nanny!
Love,
holly
July 4th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Kacey says:
Today is my firstborn’s birthday, too. People born on the 4th of July are truly wonderful. Your Nanny sounds just as special as my Lesley amd she is a real firecracker. I hope her children remember her with such tributes when she is ninety. Happy Birthday sonderful ladies!
July 4th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
k&c's mom says:
Well. I was truly blessed by your post today. Here’s to Nannys everywhere!
July 4th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Mozi Esme's Mommy says:
Oh my - she sounds wonderful! Hope she has a happy birthday - is she getting an ipod??!
This makes me miss my Grandma - 96 now . . .
July 4th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Missy @ It's Almost Naptime says:
Oh, Melanie, you are so blessed. My grandma died when I was 11 and I miss her so much more now that I have children. She would have loved my babies so much.
My husband’s grandma turned 88 last week and sounds just as fiesty as Nanny. She went to Africa last year. And just today she was telling me about her alcoholic brother and how he was a blaspheming reprobate. She tells it like it is.
PS - Eva Rose used to say darken too. I finally figured it derived from “It’s dark in here.” Dark in = darken.
Hope you had a good 4th.
July 4th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Jennifer (Et Tu?) says:
What a beautiful post. You are so blessed to have such an amazing grandmother!
July 4th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Natalie @ I AM (not) says:
I can’t wait to go to heaven and see my grandparents again. My dad’s parents died in a plane crash when I was 13 and my mom’s parents died when I was in college. I feel cheated, but I know we’ll have a good chin wag when I get there. I’m sure they’ll smell the same and that will be worth the wait.
Thanks for the sweet post. It warmed my heart. (coulda been the wine, but we’ll just go with your post)
July 4th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Krista says:
You are truly blessed to have a grandmother like that. I’m thankful that I married into a family with a set of grandparents like that because I never had any.
July 5th, 2008 at 12:19 am
PartyofFive says:
What a sweet story. She sounds wonderful. My grandma was also born on the 4th of July. She turned 88 today.
July 5th, 2008 at 1:41 am
Nana Trish says:
Mel, I feel like I know you well enough to call you Mel..I hope it’s okay. Well, I think someday Avery will call my Nanny and you know if I was half as classy as your Nanny I will be so very proud! P.S. I love it that you are with LifeWay now. I get to see more of your writing and insights. hooray!
July 5th, 2008 at 4:30 am
Lilibeth says:
She sounds wonderful, and the time Caroline spends with her will be treasured later on. Take more road trips.
July 5th, 2008 at 6:41 am
Shelly W. says:
What great memories you have! Reading this was like a balm to me and made me think of my own grandma who lived right down the road from me until I went off to college. She died after I had my second daughter and I still miss her so much.
July 5th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Lisa says:
What a lovely woman, and what great genes you’ve inherited!
I can relate — sort of. The women in my family live for a really long time and have for generations. My great-grandmother died at 98. Amazing woman, as is my grandmother and my mother. Unfortunately, I lost my mom not long after my great-grandmother to a brain aneurysm. Just goes to prove we’re not guaranteed tomorrow. Leave nothing unsaid when you talk to your dear granny (or to anyone really); that way you have no regrets. Share your love through your words and your actions. I did, and I’m so glad now.
July 5th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Fuschia says:
How amazingly sweet! I miss my Grandmother so much. I’d love to be able to take a road trip to her house and eat one of her fried pies…nobody seems to know how to make them!
July 5th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Shara says:
I’d almost swear you were telling a story about my Nanny. I feel exactly the same way about her, and I think I need to take one of those road trips soon! Thank you so much for sharing this.
July 5th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Jessica says:
Melanie, thanks so much for sharing about your Nanny. It brought tears to my eyes as I lost my grandmother last year shortly before my son was born and I miss her very much. Parts of your story reminded me fondly of my MawMaw as well. Happy 90th Birthday Nanny!
July 5th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Mel says:
Your grandmother sounds wonderful. My grandmother was like that. She had a gold-plated hand mirror (looks like the one from Beauty and the Beast), brush, and comb. My sister and I LOVED playing with set so much that my grandmother gave both of us the same set in silver for Christmas when we were kids. Mine still resides on my dresser.
July 5th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Jackie Sue says:
I want to be just like Nanny when i grow up. I want to have a home my grandkids love to come to. Thanks for sharing.
July 5th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
patty says:
How sweet!! Your Nanny is a wonderful and special person and she sounds like a lot of fun!! This makes me miss my Nana. She had cool cars. I am talking muscle cars. Yes, she did! We would get in her car just to speed down the street. We enjoyed watching Price is Right and she loved to play board games. Fun times, fun memories.
Have a great night.
Love,
Patty
July 5th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Shelly McCabe says:
Oh, I know that kind of smell. I used to have that at my “Gang Gangs” house. That is what I used to call my grandmother. I think it is so wonderful when you are able to have a smell or a favorite food or something that reminds you of your grandparents. My grandmother passed away about 15 years ago and I’m so sad my boys won’t get to know her. I’m so glad you have that for Caroline. It is wonderful to share such an important part of your childhood with your own child.
Happy Birthday Nanny!
p.s. My sweet little Sawyer’s birthday is today, July 5th. We were so excited to celebrate the big 2.
July 5th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Lisa D. says:
Oh my word, BigMama. My sweet Granny is going to be 106 next month…living in an assisted living place, slowly failing in this earthly body but reaching for that glorious, heavenly body. When I was little, she also let me play with her jewelry and her china and silver as my sister and I played “restaurant.” Her china and silver for crying out loud! She and my mom after her certainly put my perspective on “things” in place! Your Nanny sounds like such a blessing. Thanks for sharing her.
July 6th, 2008 at 8:02 am
Becky says:
Melanie,
This is such a great post. My Nana will be 89 on the 30th and she sounds very much like your grandmother. We just visited her yesterday as she is rehabing in a nursing home after having her hip replaced and in just a week’s time you can tell that the pain has diminished as she was back to her feisty self, or hopped up on pain meds! Ha! I too have so many great memories of Nana’s house as her and Gramps took care of me very often after my folks divorced. I adore her so that we named our daughter after her. Hope you had a great holiday weekend!
July 6th, 2008 at 11:30 am
robin brookshire says:
Ok..you are big time now with Amanda writing you about her dogs birthday ! I loved seeing that..I also loved catching up on your blog as I have been gone a few weeks traveling with hubs..I have a prayer request. Please check my blog for todays post. It is so sad but worth reading. Glad you are home safe and things ar back to normal or crazy..with that cute little girl fashionista of yours..Much love..Robin
July 6th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
beverlydru says:
I can relate to this so much. Would you believe my grandmother is 101 and still a joy to be with? When she moved into an “assisted living” place at 98, she complained that everybody in there was “old”. LOL- she was the oldest but still does not feel like it. We are blessed.
July 7th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Simply Shannon says:
That is one of the sweetest posts that I have read. What a wonderful woman your Nanny must be!
My Grandmother will be 83 in just over a week…I may just have to a similar tribute. Thank you for the inspiration.
July 13th, 2008 at 4:13 am