Remembering Nona - Carnival Blog 2 Tallies

This completes the story of a family member and submitting to a Carnival

Carnival Blog
Smile For The Camera *Shades Of The Departed*
Submission: Remembering Nona

My sister was a very special person. I wish I could just write the story that is in Megan's book (See below). She was 14 years older than myself and 8 years older than my brother. Mom had to work to care for us so Nona became the "mom". She stayed home from school if one of us were ill. She cared for us while mom worked. When she graduated high school and was working as a secretary she bought me clothes - I recall one leathery feeling pink jacket at age 10 that I fell in love with. Don't recall what happened to it but I wore it until I outgrew it.

She bought a new car when my brother was 16 and when she drove up in this green convertible she told my brother he could use it when he wanted to. A BRAND NEW car and she just handed him the keys. No, he never broke the trust she put in him. When I was 13 she took me to the local Holiday Inn for Filet Mignon.. Her advice about eating out gets repeated to my grandchildren still. IF you cannot eat all your meal, she would say, then eat the meat as we could get the potatoes at home all the time. Words to the wise was her way.

She was witty and always doing comical things.. One story that will never be forgotten is calling me at home (She went to Grand Rapids to work and would call me) She would say, "This is Digger O'Dell the Undertaker, and I would like to order a coffin!" The first time she did this I went along with it thinking (age 14) it was her but well into the conversation I was having doubts. I said to her, "What size would you like, how long and how big is the person?" and on it on it went. Memories are not many because she died at age 38 of Hodgkins Disease, but the ones my brother and I have, we treasure dearly.

There is a story called "Remembering Nona" in Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak's book, Honoring Your Ancestors" Thanks again, Megan!

About the book:

About the contest:
The word prompt for the 5th Edition of Smile For The Camera is Crowning Glory. Show us those wonderful photographs of hairdos and maybe even a few don'ts. Don't limit yourself to just hair fashion through the ages, got a great photograph of a hat, helmet, bonnet, or some other interesting headgear? Share! Choose a photograph of an ancestor, relative, yourself, or an orphan photograph that is the epitome of Crowning Glory and bring it to the carnival. Admission is free with every photograph! Your submission may include as many or as few words as you feel are necessary to describe your treasured photograph. Those words may be in the form of an expressive comment, a quote, a journal entry, a poem (your own or a favorite), a scrapbook page, or a heartfelt article. The choice is yours!