Happy Birthday Vida Mae!

***Warning*** Long, long post to follow that brought many tears, but was totally worth it.







You know it is odd how you have been on my mind all day. I knew it was your birthday, but for some reason, this year, more than any other, you have lived in my heart. You would have been 95 today. March 8,1995 I received a call my freshman year at ACU that you had gone to be with our Savior! You were a beautiful lady. I remember so much about you, things I love. I, also have those memories I would like to forget. That disease that controlled your life those last years robbed us. I remember those days in Clarksville, Sunday lunch at your house every Sunday, fighting those crazy crawldads, playing in your sewing room, buzzing that button above the bar that would ring that back room...why did it do that? I remember your love for Blue Bell, I remember you dishing it out, pouring that Magic Shell on top, and us sharing it. I remember you humming. Home again, home again, jiggity jog is what you would always say as we pulled your blue car into the garage. I loved sitting with you at church, in the same row...for how many years was it Nanny? And your hats! You didn't go to church without one, usually purple to match your suit and of course a feather. I sing that old hymn that you would sing to me when you pushed me in your swing set to Parker now. He can sing it now too! Then we moved to Paris. I remember you and Buddy coming to bring me the necessities when Mother Nature visitied this unsuspecting 5th grader! Eating at Furrs. Then, you became my roommate! I am so sorry for all those times I was unkind to you. I know you have forgiven me, but a middle schooler sharing her room with her grandmother was uncool or so I thought! You know what I remember...the example you showed me...you read your Bible every night. You were such a kind person. I remember hearing MANY stories about you and how you helped customers at Self Serve by probably never bringing home a pay check yourself. Those last few years were tough. It was so hard to come visit you, knowing you really didn't remember me. You would call my name, but you called everyone my name! I think it was because of that year we shared my full size bed, bathroom, and closet!







Thank you, Vida Mae, for being a Christian example for me. I miss you. I am proud that Emaline carries your name. Happy Birthday Nanny! I love you!



The photos below are really for all of the cousins, but feel free to scroll through our family history! I added some commentary of the pictures in case you have stuck with it this long.You can read who is who on the bottom of this one. Ruby, well she belongs to the faithful commenter Marianne, that is her MIL, and Bessie, well she belongs to Andrea and Lyneil ( and Amy but she never updates her blog). Bessie told me that they gave Buddy that apple to keep her still. I may have to try that on one of my photo shoots! Vida, Bessie, and Ruby above. I think they were visiting someone in Commerce? Any one know the rest of this story? Here they are, all the girls: Bessie was 20, Vida was 19, Ruby was 18, Martha was 2 (Cousin Susan belongs to her, as well as, Missy) and Betty was 7 (Roselyn, Avery, Julie, and Kanyon belong to her). Uncle James wasn't in this picture, with was Will Ed or Hilliard.



The studly man in all these pictures of course is my grandfather. His name was Harry Houston Bowden. A sawmill man, a rancher, and a fisher he was. He was taken before I was ready, before I really knew him with a heart attack on a fishing trip. I love the stories about his love for my grandmother...amazing examples!