Inspiration: A - Z

Now that I'm back in the blog world on a consistent basis (because one whole week = consistency, right?), I thought I'd give this whole alphabet thing a try. 

Tonight (actually this morning - it's 1:59 a.m. and I can't sleep...no surprise there) I'm going to start with (drum roll please) - letter A.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of letter is A is Ann.  Or Anne.  Because both are significant to me.

Ann was my maternal grandmother's name and I was the Apple of her eye (couldn't resist).  She died when I was 9, but I have so many memories of her.  I think God allowed me to keep those memories because He knew how very much I loved her.  Some of my memories of my mama's mama:

- She wore Charlie perfume.  I always curled up in the backseat with her when we would go places as a family and she smelled like Charlie all the time.  She drove a gigantic Lincoln Towncar with navy blue leather interior.  You could press a button and have these little round lights come on in the backseat - I thought that was way cool.

- She had an infectious laugh.  So did my Papa, who has also since passed. 

- She always had a couple of my favorite things to eat in her freezer.  Namely brunswick stew from Redwood Fire Department.  I loved that stuff.

- She devoured books like I do.  Or I guess I should say, I devour books like she did.  My mama told me she read Gone With the Wind in one day and I totally believe it because I've read similar length books in a day.  I love getting lost in the characters and I bet she did too.

- I distinctly remember sitting in her lap one night at the shop (her and my Papa owned Triangle Ford - basically an automobile parts and repair shop) and biting into a gumball machine figurine from my shadow box.  Why was it in my mouth?  I have no clue.  But I remember my mama freaking out and trying to piece back together the glass to see if I had swallowed any (I didn't).

- Her and my Papa had beach homes in Salter Path and Atlantic Beach from the time I was born and one of my clearest memories is of my grandma waving my family goodbye from either of their beach homes.  She would stand on the porch/deck and wave until we were out of sight.  Later in life, my mama would do the same when I would leave the beach.

- She was my mama's best friend.  And now my mama is my best friend.  I pray Kendall and Raegan feel about me the way I feel about my mama.

- She could cook...old fashioned, fat-back included country cooking.  I'm pretty sure that's where my love of all things greasy and salty came from.  She also made a mean cheeseball.

- She bought me my Holiday Barbies - which I have in my Hope chest.  She gave the Hope chest to my mom, my mom gave it to me and I'm going to pass it to Kendall.  She also gave me my very first American Girls doll.  Samantha.  She collected dolls - she had a complete library in her home and that's where she kept her doll collection.  I remember the way that room smelled - like old books (which is the absolute BEST smell in the world) and those dolls.  She had an Elvis doll that played music that I loved.

I loved my grandma very much.  Still do.  I can't wait to see her again someday in Heaven.  Grandma accepted Christ late in her life...actually she was fighting for her life when she finally accepted Him.  Praise be to Him that He doesn't give up on us.

So back to the Ann part.  My grandma was Ann (she was actually Minnie Ann Womble, but she hated the Minnie part...I don't blame her).  My mama is LuAnn (obviously named after grandma).  My middle name is Leann (for grandma and mama).  And Kendall's middle name is Anne.  For my grandma, my mama, myself and.....Anne of Green Gables.  Yep - you read that right.  I named my child after a fictional character (Anne with an "e").  Like I told you, my grandma loved to read.  And I happened to learn to read (and comprehend) books at a very early age.  I don't claim to be smarter than the average bear and I can't think of one single talent that I have, but dag on it - I can read with the best of them.  One book that was a favorite was a green hardback copy of Anne of Green Gables that belonged to my grandma.  It was (and still is) one of my favorite books.  So when it came time to name my first baby girl - Anne seemed like a logical middle name.

So, there you have it.  Letter A.