MY !

Aunt Coletta would have called this week a " BEESER"...none of us can figure out just what the word really means, but that's what we all call a really hot day. After Aunt Margaret died Aunt Coletta went to live with my cousin's mom...my godmother. I used to visit Aunt Coletta  frequently in Greentree, where she'd be sitting on the sofa, treating the latest schnauzer to a couple of M&M's (in spite of warnings from the entire world). Aunt Coletta would review the latest news with me, how one of her nieces had finally called her...and Aunt Coletta had "laid into her" for not calling sooner. If I commented on the warm weather she might say she had already "shed" twice that day..(taken off a shawl and a sweater). If I reported something that she didn't approve of she might simply reply " MY.." Now that word came to mean that your attire wasn't proper, or your voice was too loud...it kinda meant a general shock or disapproval. These days  if I see my cousin pouring his third cocktail I might catch his eye and simply say " MY....".

Speaking of disapproving, she often referred to one of the distant relatives as " old hag Petterson". I loved it when she'd say " I had to come to GREENTREE to see this". Any of the relatives that she wasn't particularly fond of were referred to as "that tribe". Once when I was visiting her I looked out the window and said " oh here come your relatives from Dormont " to which she replied a very soft " oh hell ".

Aunt Coletta also smoked into her nineties. She'd hide her cigarettes when the priest would come to see her...she was worried that he wouldn't give her communion if he knew she smoked. You see my grandmother, her sister had always said that any girl who smoked would do ANYTHING.

A few years before she died she asked me to take her to see my grandmother's grave...her name was Eleanor, but Aunt Coletta called her "Elnora". The grave is located down somewhat of a steep grade, and we traveled slowly...with her cane and a firm grip on my arm. When we stood before the big granite stone Aunt Coletta sort of bent over very close to it while I stood back to respect her moment of grief. When I moved a little closer to comfort her ,the situation was actually a little different than I had projected. Aunt Coletta was grinding out her cigarette butt on the grave as she said very softly " that's for you Elnora ".