A mighty woman

I flew to San Clemente, CA this past weekend, to celebrate my grandmother's 90th birthday, along with many of my cousins, and a couple of friends from Texas. She was quite surprised to see us all gathered singing Happy Birthday!

I call her "Baya." When I was a baby, I tried to say "Granny," but it never took. So I ended up using the first two syllables in my very limited vocabulary and named her "Ba" "Ya." As always, Blaise diligently followed in her sister's steps... I only discovered her real name in my early 20s, flipping through her passport: Phyllis L Freeman. For the longest time, Blaise and I also thought she had curly hair... until we discovered she used curlers and had a perm!

Growing up, I remember flying over that "big blue pond" (as my Mom used to call it) to visit her in Beaumont, TX. I loved flying and feeling that humid heat hit my shoulders as we walked out of the Houston Airport. I was always a little confused that Beaumont literally means "beautiful mountain," but it's as flat as it gets!

I used to play Scrabble with her every night. I remember getting into laughing fits for no other reason than misspelling a word or calling each other names for using up a player's spot... We just liked to laugh, I guess. We also watched "The Price Is Right" with Bob Barker every morning. RELIGIOUSLY.

My Baya also made delicious Tex-Mex, pralines (my Dad's favorite!) and all sorts of yummy pies: pecan [pronounced "peh-kahn," not "pee-can"] pie, Boston cream pie, lemon meringue pie, etc. Thanks to my Aunt Cindy and cousin Emily, we had a taste of each over the weekend!

She loves people-watching. She can stare at passersby for hours, and will strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere, and leave as friends. She is a social butterfly! She is also a talented seamstress. She used to make all of her clothes, and some for me and my dolls. She even made a quilt that adorns my bed. I think of her every night. She's a world traveler, and the most resilient person I know. She lived through the Depression, multiple wars, two husbands, my Mom's passing, and Hurricane Rita.

I love her, and hope I can be as mighty and strong as her at 90.