Aunt Rozella

A post from 2010:
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My Spring PROJECT is to completely morph my little "back room" into a room for Lillian.

Of course, this involves cleaning out filing cabinets, boxes, suitcases, bags -- well -- take my word for it. This room could have served as my audition tape for the Hoarders show...

Here are some examples of buried treasure...

• 3 packages of pictures of me and Mary Mulari the year we went to Norway and Sweden. Oh My God I was fat.


• Pictures of me and my friend Marion at the Grand Canyon. Oh My God I was fat.


• A Thank You Note from Nancy Zieman, along with some lovely stationery. Oh My God Nancy is thin...


• A program from 1995....for the very first "Gospel Music Festival" in Davenport, Iowa. Oh My God...I can't believe I saved this...

Growing up, my mother's sister Rozella was my favorite adult person. After we moved back to Iowa, the boys and I would visit her most Sunday mornings after church. She was always a big fan of mine....and their favorite Aunt, too. She gave them Easter baskets, remembered their birthdays...

In 1995, out of the blue -- I called her and said, "we're going on an adventure. I'll pick you up at 5:00 tomorrow night -- wear your best outfit." This was completely out of her usual comfort zone..and she had noooo idea where we were going or what we were doing...

I treated her to an early supper at a restaurant -- then we went to the Masonic Temple for the First Gospel Music Festival. It was amazing. Lots of choirs...many powerful soloists...we loved it, loved it, loved it.

We were the only white people in the room. Aunt Rozella kept asking me, "where do all these ladies shop for those fabulous hats?"....

The next week, Aunt Rozella's cancer was diagnosed.

So -- maybe TODAY is the day you plan an adventure for somebody you love...

I'm just sayin...