And So It Continues

I think that I may have to call out the troops for this one.

If Aunt Susie can't remember me telling her I was going to shoot her tongue off, maybe Laurie&Lisa will. I tried to call Laurie today to verify my facts, but she's busy working so I will have to wait for her to return my call. Until then, I thought I would share a few memories I have of Susie.

Aunt Susie used to come over and babysit us sometimes, or at least that's how I remember it. She came over one summer, I think, when Mom was attending Education week at church. Mom got us a new slip in slide and we got to have Ding Dongs while she was gone. I remember Aunt Susie telling me to, "Cool It, Leslie, "and I have always said this to my kids and still do because it reminds me of her. I can even imitate exactly how she used to say it to me. I thought it was funny then and I think it's funny now.

Aunt Susie also came over to watch us when Roy was born, or maybe she just came with Grandma. I remember she was there and it was also my birthday. Susie asked me many times if I wanted to bring cookies or cupcakes or something for my class and I remember telling her no but not telling her why. This I clearly remember; I wouldn't let her do it because I wanted my mother to, but when mom came home I told her Susie wouldn't do it. Poor Susie.

Laurie&Lisa and I spent the night at Grandma's house a few times while Aunt Susie was still at home. I used to get to look at all her records on the floor in the front room. I remember looking at Beatle records, Abbey Road in particular with Paul walking across the street bare foot. Lisa and I used to play Come Together over and over again because I liked it, and I always thought for some reason that they were saying, "shoot the banana." Clearly, the mind is a mysterious thing.

I also remember looking at the inside of the first Crosby, Stills & Nash album. There was a picture of David, Steven, and Graham wearing parkas in the cold. I remember staring at this picture and think this is when the obsession with CSN began. I remember Susie and Billy listening to them as well, and I want to say hearing them listening to them in Yosemite. Somehow, CSN, Susie& Billy and Yosemite are all inexplicably linked together in my mind, along with Lisa who also loved CSN. But, I like to think it started with Susie.

I feel that I must warn everyone that I feel a new tangent coming on, so get ready.

I love records and I miss records. I loved looking at record covers, and I loved that they were so big, especially when I was so little. Cd's are too small. I open Cd's today and look at the Cd covers but it is not the same as spreading records out all over the floor and studying them.

Mrs. Globerman sat with me on the floor once and spread all her records out for me to see because I wanted to. Alayna's mom let me look at all her records, too. So did The Bryant's who

I used to babysit for and and so did Becky Gottes who I babysat for sometimes. I always wanted to see everyone's record collection. Everyone was nice about sharing their records with me and letting me play and borrow their records, too. My friends, however got sick of me hanging out with and talking to their mom's when I was suppose to be hanging out with them.

But, I was always interested in the mom's and what they liked, what they were up to, how they did things, what they made for dinner, and what kind of detergent they used. But, I will save that for another day.

I know a lot of good aunts who have had to put up with many headstrong little nieces and headstrong little nephews. I can think of about seven or eight of them right now. Luckily, the aunts are older and wiser than the nieces and nephews who know everything. And the aunts have somehow managed to look upon them mildly and with humor. Aunt Susie is one of them.

But, think about how poor Dad must have felt. At two years old I was already telling him, "I'm the boss." It was one of the first things I learned how to say.