auntie bEk

sooooo.... i'm gonna be an auntie! i'm super excited because i'm gonna be the coolest aunt EVER.

hAmmIE

Hey guys. I would like for you to meet my great grandma, HAMMIE. You might better know her as the coolest 92 yr old white lady reckoning the EAST COAST. Most of my friends know her because whenever she was around she was very never hesitated offering her opinion.... for example telling Jacob's friends they stink and need to shower, always telling everyone to put some shoes on their bare foot (she would often step on our feet to get her point across), or the signature heavy handed "pat" on the back, shoulder, or the tender crown on your head (poor thing doesn't realize her own strength... or maybe she just knows you can't yell at an old lady for hitting you).
I remember her, and I'm sure my brothers and sisters can agree, as one who loved to garden... she was always out in our huge garden (back in the day) picking cucumbers, tomatoes, squash etc etc... and she would eat them fresh out the garden. She also as long as I can remember been a walker. Everyday she would walk to Military Circle Mall ( and I'm convinced she still would if it weren't for her stroke but now "her legs don't work")... she actually stills goes to the mall to sit with her friends and greet her passing "mall buddies"... in fact for Hammie's 90'th b day party half of the Military Circle Food Court attended... how random to have some indian dude, african americans, philippino's, all gather to celebrate their well known friends birthday. Although, most of her fellow mall friends have passed away Hammie still goes and "holds down" her table where they all once gathered to chat and tell young teenage hoolagans to put a belt on to hold up their pants.
Hammie absolutely loves flowers. She often schools in me the ways of how to care for plant, how to pinch off the dead buds... my Mom takes after her in this way. Last week my Aunt Kim came up from Carolina and we all planted some flowers with Hammie. I love the picture of her with her arms crossed looking all grumpy... this is not an unfamiliar countenance of Hammie... but don't be deceived she is quite the jokester... ( I think I may keep her legacy alive in some respects... :) She told me once about putting tacs behind her sister's boyfriends car because she didn't care for him! HAHA. Popped his tires. Wow.
It's pretty amazing talking to somebody who lived through the depression, worked in a tabacco field, back in the ride your horse down the field kinda days. WHAT!? Hammie is also very bright... she had a full scholarship to Virginia Weslyan... However, her family couldn't afford books and board so she gave it up to help support her family. What a truly noble soul. I'm proud to be related to her and I know she is so very proud of me and my school endevours. I'm always excited to tell her about school, and she's always quick to ask me how my grades are. To see her grin ear to ear when I can tell her I earned an "A" for a semester is far more rewarding than any degree I could dream of. I always tell her I got my smarts from her... she quickly agrees.
Bottom Line... I LOVE HER A LOT. And I wanted to let you guys in on it.