Seventy Years of Sisterhood

Hi, Y’all!

Yes, I am back with another gooden for y’all—and I promise that it is a real gooden!

There is a very special milestone that my Gramma Jewel is celebrating today. You see, it was on this day in 1946 that my Gramma Jewel became best friends with one Ms. Millie Vanderkellen. As the story goes, these two ladies grew up in the Mississippi Delta, and though they grew up in different backgrounds, their friendship has always remained strong and steadfast through these seventy years. As a matter of fact, Gramma Jewel has made it clear on several occasions—and I can quote her on this—that long before Auntie Gladys and Auntie Thel, there was Ms. Millie Ann Vanderkellen.

The sisterhood that Gramma Jewel and Auntie Millie share was inspired by the foundation of friendship and trust laid down by my great grandparents and Auntie Millie’s mom and dad. Both ladies shared how they were somewhat sheltered by the evils and hatred of the world, yet they noticed how their respective parents boldly stood out against bigotry and prejudice. Of course, their actions led them to be relatively exiled, but it was Auntie Millie’s dad who stated that he would rather lose a lot of phonies than lose “one damn good friend in Gregory Otis Coleman.”

And as you can see in the picture, Gramma Jewel and Auntie Millie have continued to keep that legacy alive to this very day.

In closing this blog post, I would like to say that I am grateful to have Auntie Millie as part of my family. She is such a fun lady, and she’s got some spunk in her, too… but then again, that’s from years of hanging around Gramma Jewel!

Congratulations, Ladies—and may God bless y’all with many more years.


Smooches,
Natasha

A Surprise Appearance from the Fam

Hi, Y’all!

So, guess who showed up in Bearcat Country this morning and surprised me!

That’s right, y’all—with my graduation just three days away, I am happy to report that my mom and dad, Cousin Becky, and Gramma Jewel have finally arrived, and they brought along Mother Davis and Brother Hawkins! Oh, I sure hope that Rust is ready for the rowdy rambunctiousness that my peeps are gonna deliver come Sunday, because it is officially on and crack-a-lackin’!

Mom told me that their flight landed in Memphis about 7:30am CST, and they got their rental car and made a beeline to see little old me. At the risk of sounding all mushy, they really know how to make a gal feel special! And yes, my peeps got to converse with my family once again… and Neo Theo was doing some hellified flirting with Becky!

I really can’t tell who’s more excited out of the five of us. I mean, I’ve got a reason to be excited on account of I’m the one that’s walking that aisle to get my Bachelor’s Degree in three days. Then again, my mom and dad have a reason to be excited because I’m their onliest child and they’ve invested so much in me. And then again, Gramma Jewel’s got more than enough reason to be excited; after all, I’m the last grandchild in the family to graduate from college. Even more so than that, though, I will officially be Gramma Jewel’s fellow alumna in a mere three days, and I already know that this means so much to Gramma Jewel. And then too, Becky’s got a reason to be excited because she’ll be graduating from Chamberlain University around this time next year—and y’all already know that we’re gonna show up and show out when she receives her Bachelor’s Degree.

So, in essence, we all have legitimate individual and collective reasons to be excited for my graduation… and now that I think about it, Gramma Jewel once said that when one person graduates from college, the whole family graduates. Well, I can only imagine what’s gonna happen in three days’ time when Mrs. Martin and Pastor & Mrs. Clark join in with my family. Like I said: I sure hope that Rust College is ready for the Joneses, because when we celebrates, we celebrates!

Well, that’s gonna do it for now. Until tomorrow, y’all take care and be good.


Hugs & Kisses,
Natasha

More Than Friends—They're My Brothers and Sisters!

Hi, Everybody!

No surprises here—we are officially four days away from my big day! And just for the record, y’all can expect more of the same until the big day finally arrives.

So, this afternoon, I was chillin’ with my peeps in the cafeteria, and the roundtable discussion involved exchanging phone numbers and email addresses immediately, because we needed to keep in touch. Well, it was then that Neo Theo—who will be receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Print Journalism—took down everybody’s name, number, and email address, and made it his mission to email us with the pertinent information.

And then, Ruby took it upon herself to ask us a very important question: “Graduation notwithstanding, what is your most memorable moment here at Rust?”

Well, I had to think long and hard about my answer, mainly because I had stored up so many memories within these past four years in Bearcat Country. With that said, I opted to go last while I listened to everyone else. Imagine my surprise when all four of my friends said that their most memorable moment was meeting “some sassy chick named Natasha Renee Stewart.” I was flattered, to say the least, as Ruby chimed in and said, “Tasha-Girl, you just don’t know how blessed we are to know you. I mean, to think—you could’ve chosen to attend any college in all of California, but you chose Rust College. Tasha, on behalf of the ‘Peep Patrol,’ I just want you to know that we love you so very much. Southern Cali’s loss was Rust College’s gain, and we are so glad to call you sister and friend.”

If Ruby ‘nim was trying to mess with my heartstrings, then they were doing a damn good job.

“Now, Tasha, we know that you’re mushy,” Ruby continued. “But we feel that we should give you your flowers now—you are truly one of a kind.”

So, there I was, smiling modestly and trying my damnedest not to so much as sniffle, but that didn’t work out too well. I promised Ruby that I would beat the hell out of her for making me show my mushy side, and of course she laughed at my comment.

But then it was my turn, and I basically said that I couldn’t really narrow it down to one memory because the Rust College experience was all that and then some. And of course, one of the experiences involved bonding with four individuals named Ruby Jean Hudspeth, Theodore James Campbell, Craig Michael Dixon, and Azalea Cherie Thomas… and right then and there, I presented them with their very own report cards, where I gave them each an A-plus for their time, talent, and friendship. And because I’m gonna be a kindergarten teacher, I gave them all stars and happy faces. It should come as no surprise that they enjoyed their gifts and were very appreciated, then Azalea said, “See, Tasha—this is why we are blessed to know you.”

My Gramma Jewel always said, “Let the life I live, speak for me.” Well, it goes without saying, but according to my peeps, the life that I’m living thus far is speaking in great volumes.

Until tomorrow, y’all take care and be good.


Hugs & Kisses,
Natasha

Preppin' Up for Graduation!

Hey, Y’all!

So, with graduation coming up in just five days, my peeps and I were chillin’ in the cafeteria this afternoon at our favorite table that we sat for all four years here at Rust, and we have decided to make grand entrances when we receive our respective Bachelor’s Degrees. Check this out, y’all: Ruby is gonna strut like a supermodel, Azalea is gonna recite an original poem called “About Damn Time,” and I’m gonna imitate Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson! As for the fellas, Neo Theo says that he’s gonna moonwalk across the stage and back to his seat, and Craig is gonna run around the auditorium and shout “Yes! Yes! Yes!” a la Daniel Bryan.

And of course, y’all know we’re only kidding—or are we? Hahahaha!

But seriously, the topic of the week has revolved around the fact that our graduation is rapidly approaching us. Now, I know that I made mention of it a couple days ago, but it bears repeating: It seemed like yesterday that Ruby, Theo, Craig, Azalea, and I were all little naïve freshmen trying to find out where we fit in. And here’s the amazing thing about our four-year journey together: All five of us are only children, but throughout our time at Rust, we became brothers and sisters. And considering that we never joined a Greek organization (though we have the chance to do so if we go to grad school), we wore a lot of blue and white, so much so, that we were considered honorary Zetas and Sigmas.

And while we were yet reminiscing, I was hit in the face with an idea: Seeing as how I consider Ruby, Theo, Craig, and Azalea to be my brothers and sisters, I’ve got to show them just how much they mean to me… matter of fact, let me close up this blog post, and I’ll holla at y’all tomorrow.


Hugs & Kisses,
Natasha

Graduation is Right Around the Corner!

Hey, Y’all!

Well, it sure has been one crazy day today, what with these exit interviews and collecting signatures and all, but I stand on record to say that it is all well worth it, considering that my graduation is right around the corner. I am literally six days away from walking that aisle and achieving my greatest academic achievement to date.

This evening, I was chillin’ in the cafeteria with my peeps, and we were all talking about the memories that we gained in these four short years. Of course, I brought up how I began as a timid little freshman girl who planned on being a introvert, but I soon discovered that my plan was shot to hell when I hung around Ruby Jean Hudspeth, who has proven to be the sister that I never had. And of course, there’s my other homegirl Azalea, who is more quiet than I am… and that’s saying a helluva lot!

Oh, and I talked to my mom and dad this afternoon. They wanted me to know that they already got their tickets, and they’re flying out here by Thursday evening or Friday morning. Now, y’all already know that my Gramma Jewel is making her way down here as well—she ain’t gonna miss my graduation for anything in the world. I think she’s heading out this way by Thursday morning. In case y’all forgot: When my family celebrates, we celebrates!

Well, that’s all the news that I’ve got for now, but I’ll be talking to y’all sometime tomorrow. Until then, y’all take care and be good.

 

 

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Eight Days Away, Y'all!

Hey, Y’all!

Oh my word—I cannot believe that in eight days, I will officially earn my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Rust College! Some tell me: Where in the world did all that time go? It seemed like yesterday that I was a mere college freshman, making my debut to Bearcat Country, and now we have arrived to this point. I can tell that I’m very excited about the great milestone in my life, but I gotta admit that there’s a part of me that is a little emotional right now. Let’s face it—I have some great memories and greater friends  in my four years here at Rust, and even more so than that, I’ve grown quite accustomed to the Southern ways, in particular my Southern drawl that I cannot seem to get rid of… and quite honestly, I like my Southern accent!

Yet and still, I miss my Southern Cali home, and I’ll be back home soon.

So, according to my schedule, I’ve got an exit interview to take care of this upcoming Monday, and I’ve got all these events and activities that are mandatory for a graduating senior to attend… for a moment, I was hyperventilating  because it just occurred to me that I am graduating in eight days. Lord have mercy on my soul—this is what I’ve dreamed about for so long, and the moment of truth is right around the corner.

Well, I hate to cut this blog post short, but I gotta get going—Ruby, Azalea, and I are gonna take a trip to Memphis this afternoon, if for nothing but to celebrate our sisterly bond. I’ll holla at y’all later, but until then, take care and be good.

 

 

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Happy #74, Mrs. Martin!

Hi, Y’all!

 

So, today’s blog post is dedicated to my former kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Ingrid D. Martin, and it is quite apropos that I talk about Mrs. Martin on account of today is her birthday—she is 74 years young today!

 

Naturally, I called her around 10am CST this morning and left a birthday message on her voicemail, and she just now called me back to thank me for thinking of her. Now, check this out, y’all: Mrs. Martin stated rather emphatically that she’s gonna be there on Sunday, April 24, 2016 to see me receive my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education… that’s right, y’all—Mrs. Martin is gonna be making a cameo appearance, as well as making her debut in Bearcat Country. As you know, I mailed off the invitations about two weeks ago, and of course I had to send one to Mrs. Martin… and y’all already know that I am just tickled pink about this! Let’s just put it this way: When your former kindergarten teacher goes out of her way to see one of her students graduate from an out-of-state college, you gotta be very special—well, I am very special to Mrs. Martin.

 

Okay, y’all—I had best get going, but y’all take it easy, and I’ll holla at y’all later on. Until next time, y’all take care and be good.

 

Oh, and Mrs. Martin—HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, ONE MO’ GINN!!!

 

 

Hugs & Kisses

Natasha