A Good Place to Begin

The muse is upon me.

I've been thinking about starting a blog for awhile. Strangely, I seem to think I have something interesting to say. I've been inspired by my cousin Kat, and here I am.

My Mother-in-law, Marie

3/6/31-2/15/10.

"What-ev-er"

I wish every one could have known my mother-in-law, Marie. She was so full of life, ready for anything. She wanted to do anything she heard about. She had the gift of living vicariously through others, soaking everything she could from their experiences. She was the woman you wanted to be when you got to be her age.

Marie was my mother-in-law 1992-2000, officially, but the clan she belonged to lives by the credo "once part of our family, always a part of our family". She was everybody's MawMaw.

She loved everything she loved with every ounce of her being. She was game for anything, loved to watch people perform karaoke and loved to hear live music at the casinos. She didn't like to go to movies, though, I think the dark theater kind of freaked her out a little bit, she loved the light. Marie was always on the go, a whirling dervish of good natured Southern ladiness. Wouldn't bake you cookies, but she'd buy you what ever kind you wanted. On your birthday, she bought your cake and gave you money for new tennies. Love pizza? Marie would go to Domino's personally and sit in their waiting area for your favorite pie to surprise you with. She didn't call it in, she went in person.

Hey, come think of it, that describes Marie perfectly. She didn't call it in, she went in person. She was there for you, she loved you no matter how horribly you messed up. She didn't preach nag or scold. She loved turnip greens, Mountain Dew, pigs, kids, making prize eggs for Easter egg hunts, bread and butter pickles, yard sales, couch nappin' and getting "Kissy kisses" from little kids. Did I mention she liked kids, cos she loooooved kids. Anybody's kids, the more kids the merrier. And she was a spoiler. Kids love her, too.

How many times have I watched her, face aglow, watching my daughter discover things, fascinated and proud.

I love Marie, she was more than a mother-in-law to me, I had a relationship with her I had not been able to enjoy with my own Mother, but that's a story for another time. I'm lucky to have known her and have been part of her world.

God has an angel willing to dress in a cow suit.