My Aunts

How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!--Ps. 139:17

I have a good number of aunts. There are: Pat, Jakie, Audrey, Deedee, Jeri, Priscilla, Julie, Barbara, Linda, Susan, Sue, Lorelei, Phyllis, and Kathy. Now I don't know all of these women well but I can tell you that they are all remarkable and admirable, each in their own way. I am truly blessed with my aunts.

There have been a couple of divorces in my parents' lives, so it gives me more aunts but also more fragmented relationships with them. However, I do not want to leave this earth without immortalizing these wonderful ladies in my infamous blog. My aunts are a part of me. They influence the way I see the world and my place in it.

I'll just start with Pat. Pat was born on the same day I was, in of course a different year. I think I have always been special to her because of that. Anyway, she sends me a birthday card every year. Sometimes I remember to send her one. I'm not good about sending birthday cards. Pat is the mother of three grown children, and now has one granddaughter. She has always loved children. She sends my children gifts at Christmas and their birthdays--usually books. Pat is a librarian.

She is creative. She writes Haiku for a little magazine and of course she loves to read. She did play piano but I don't know if she still does. She used to sew as well. When I was very small she made me the most exquisite dolls of characters like Pinocchio. Unfortunately, I did not take care of the dolls and discovered that they were stuffed with nylon stockings. I no longer have them. I wish I did.

Pat is always happy to hear about and receive pictures of my kids. It is very encouraging to have people like that in my life. She also cheers me on with my painting, though I really don't have time anymore to do that. She pretty much supports me with whatever I'm doing. Pat loves cats, she always has a couple. Usually a Siamese. She has had a couple of mean cats. I can never understand keeping a mean cat, but I guess somebody's gotta love 'em.

Pat has a very cool house. It's a Spanish style, stucco with a bright orange tile roof. She has lived in that neighborhood since I was a kid. It is integrated, which was always very colorful to me and somewhat foreign, as I always seemed to live in strictly white neighborhoods. I guess, too, her town has a different feel from being closer to the city. Those old Coca Cola signs blistering off the sides of buildings, places like "Maricela's Beauty Shop" and the old neighborhood corner grocery are things I remember.

Pat has influenced me in different ways. Some of her ways are just infused throughout my being, like from being in her home as a child, liking cat knick-knacks, homemade afghans and pillows. I don't know quite how to describe it. It's a comfy feeling, a permission to walk to my own drum beat. There is no way to pigeon-hole Pat. Though she is very meek and quiet, you can be sure she is doing things exactly the way she intends.