So I talked to my sister, Henny, last night. She met some of our favorite cousins, Mel and Mas, for lunch. Apparently they made much fun of me for getting the date wrong; color me shocked that those three would make a million jokes at my expense. Also, they made many of the jokes in back and forth email before Saturday just so I wouldn't miss out on the all the jesting at my expense. They're giving like that.
Henny also wanted me to know that my adorable niece and nephew remember Aunt Lana. It seems Hogie and Uncle B were at the store the other day and Hogie said, "Can we get some powdered donuts?"
Uncle B bought the powdered donuts, but since they never buy them was completely mystified at the request itself. Henny was not and immediately asked, "Hogie, when did you have powdered donuts?"
"At Aunt Lana's house!"
She then put him on the phone so he could tell me himself and being a Mrs. Baird's brand snob, I actually asked if they got the good kind?
"Oh yes, Aunt Lana. We got the white ones!"
Yes. I know. I'm a brand snob about almost nothing, but I'm a purist when it comes to powdered donuts. My maiden name is Hogan. We Hogans are serious about our junk food. Don't even get me started about the knock off Cheetos.
Then Henny said Ella might just have had a bonding moment with me also. At the ripe old age of 2, Ella has renounced the use of honorifics and only calls me "Lana", but it's a sweet, delightful, sing-songy "Lana" that conveys the love, so I won't hold it against her.
As Henny related, "I don't know if this is fact or fiction, but she keeps singing this song she assures me she learned from Laannna."
Raise your hand if you know me well enough to know that she most definitely learned this song at my house, regardless of what it is. Raise your hand if you're surprised my sister even questioned it. This is the same sister that invited me to help her with a teen camp, we were registering people together at the sign in, and eventually someone said, "Say anything! ANYTHING! They will find a way to sing a song about it!"
I was already laughing since I was pretty sure I knew what it was, "How does it go?"
"Its' Peanut Butter Jelly Time! Peanut Butter Jelly Time! Peanut Butter Jelly Time! There ya go! There ya go!"
In fact, we only watched it and sang it approximately 2000 times, give or take. As I only see the little devils once every couple of months, I am thrilled I made an impression and they think about their Aunt Lana. Also clear? Since we're all related, food association is a great bonus in the bonding process.
Mel stopped by on his way home to San Antonio to visit with me for a few hours. This would be my cousin with the many degrees, at least one in history. I don't know what the others are, but I believe they qualify him to win on Jeopardy! for approximately 2 years or until they run out of questions and cancel the show. At least, that's how his brother Mark tells it.
I know the kiddies will never forget the walking tour we took of The Alamo with Uncle Cousin Mel. After waiting outside in the heat, in the middle of July for an hour, we finally entered The Alamo and Mel called us over for the first of his impromptu history and trivia lectures:
"You do realize why the Texans and the Mexicans fought to the death here on this sacred ground? It was the only place in Texas with air conditioning."
My other favorite quote, "Be aware these are the original fire extinguishers."
As Mel was leaving, I was, of course, giving him crap because he hasn't sent me a funny email in months. Then I apologized, "Well who am I to complain? I don't think I've sent you a funny email in months either!"
And Mel said, "But I do read your blog! Love the new picture. Mark told me you were blogging again."
Mark? Um, Mark??? Mark is his older brother and the total emails I've received from Mark, funny or otherwise, would total approximately 5. Since the invention of email. And that's a generous estimation of our ongoing correspondence. Although I must say the nicest email I received was actually from Mark and if my computer hadn't crashed I'd still have it saved.
However, the last one-on-one time I spent with Mark, and not in a Robbie Benson way, was when we were both visiting his brother Mike in New York. (Yes, I have noticed our family displays the disturbing tendency to start all siblings' names with the same letter or have them rhyme. Now guess what my sister's real name is. Hint: Not Henny.)
But back to New York, Mark had a debilitating back issue, causing him to be in extreme pain and also in a wheel chair on the return trip. As we happened to have the same flights, we flew together so that I could help Mark make it back to Texas in one piece. As I was pushing the wheelchair the entire time, I'm not certain he returned in one piece, but I remember hoping he had some really good pain meds to make up for the fact that he was stuck with me as his in-flight health assistant.
The last time we hung out he had no choice and was on drugs. Forgive me for being just a wee bit surprised that he carefully follows my blog, but based on my dumbfounded look and question, "Mark reads my blog?!?!?"
Mel explained, "Aunt Wilma makes him."
"???"
"She says he needs to "bust a gut" laughing every morning, so he has to read your blog."
Potentially, that is a lot of pressure. It all depends on whether he's supposed to be laughing with me or at me, does it not? If it's with me, I'm now responsible for making a financial planner and broker, in this economy, giggle every morning. If it's at me, well then. No worries.
As an aside, who else is reading this blog because my mother made you do it?
O.K. Made him read your blog is a little strong. I only told Mark that you had started blogging again and the last post was funny. I don't even remember what it was but think it was about Wally Clever. Like I have that kind of influence is flattering. Glad you got to visit with Cousin Mel. You probably had a better visit than Jana since they had 5 kids to visit around and at Snuffers. If they are making fun of you they are letting someone else off the hook because you better believe someone is the brunt of the jokes.
Posted by: Gran | April 20, 2009 at 01:05 PM
wilma's Daughter...well she does not make me read your blog...but the monthly offering she sends to my ministry always includes a quiz over your blog that i return with next month's offering envelope that she return's ...my lord why hasn't tbn thought of this yet??? ha! I love your blog and no your mom does not make me read it...ha
Ron
Posted by: Ron | April 21, 2009 at 12:47 AM
I am raising my hand and singing with you!!! Love you! Miss you!
Posted by: Shaila | April 21, 2009 at 01:23 PM