The smells that lingered out the front door is another big one for me. Before you walked in, you would know what was hidden behind the closed door: beans cooking on the stove, mopping with pine sol, canning salsa, carrot & onion relish (that was the worst smell), chocolate chip cookies or brownies in the oven, fresh Downey folded clothes on the back of the couch, or Pete was home making Mexican breakfast.
Even the routines & schedules in the house were constant... If you were sitting at the kitchen table with your little gold mirror putting on make-up earlier than normal you could bet that I would ask "where you going?"
Some of my favorite memories involved Holidays, especially Christmas time...stockings hung, the same tree with homemade ornaments (except the year you "changed" the tree with one Juan gave you, blah!) the Christmas cards that came in the mail (couldn't wait to hear what Melba's family had accomplished that year), Dirty Santa is the best idea ever because the laughter that comes with that game is the BEST (seventeen).
December was by far the best month of the year with Christmas and all the birthdays it was a guarantee that tostadas would be served twice in one month: once for Brent/Steph's birthday then again for Juan & I.
There were certain "visitors" that came to visit that would always stand out.. I couldn't wait til they came back: the Mata's (and the strawberry preserves), Kitty (her beautiful crochet blankets that sat at the end of your couch), Uncle Freddie singing When a Man Loves a Woman, and Sonny(all the laughter he brought with him).
My most cherished memories was when I came home from the hospital after having Blaene & you had the front door decorated welcoming me home..
when you had the luncheon for me in "my honor" and even put down the lace table cloth.
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Brent- my memory of you is you were always so good with Steph, if she didn't want anyone else she would go to you. I remember you sitting on the stair case with your guitar singing Sister Christian, drums, library of albums, NardBAg and your contagious laugh always brings a huge smile to my face.
Kyla-you always talked to me like I was "big", you taking us swimming with the radio blaring to Jack and Diane, you making me watch Friday the 13th, (look Brenée at the beautiful water, then the hand comes shooting out) (I still hate scary movies), you cleaning the kitchen after every meal top to bottom and never complaining, you blow drying your hair in the mornings before school, your beautiful formals that hung in your closet that I dreamed of growing into, when I wet your bed, you putting make-up on me, and letting me hang out with you & Crystal.
Peetie-when you would make pancakes/French toast with that yummy buttery syrup, watching three stooges, MTV, & dukes of hazard, break dancing, football goal, & look "I'm a piece of frying bacon", Bernard, when the girls would come decorate your bedroom before a track meet, and you falling out of Brent's bedroom window talking on the phone..you said, "Don't tell Mom."
Juan-playing checkers, watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, prank phone calls with you & Kyle, you eating bananas & peanuts (gag me), when you spit in my yummy food just so you could have it, walking in the cement creeks, break dancing, riding bikes, you taking care of me when I had migraines, the candy your dad brought us from the truck stops, the postcards (of giant jackrabbits) from your dad, and laughing til our belly hurts or Dr. Pepper would come out of our noses…
Steph-I will never forget when you came home from the hospital with chicken pox, I remember what you were wearing & where you were standing & my thoughts when I saw the spots all over your body… 45 records, Savannah Smiles, you escaping by playing the piano, singing to Reba, your 1st day of school, you eating salsa (in the green 1/4 measuring cup) with Lays, dancing to footloose, barbies & babies, Chipper & Joy, playing cards (you always beat me), Coal Miner’s Daughter, fluorescent outfits, Babysitters Club Books, a bushel & a peck & a hug around the neck, playing in the playhouse, swinging on the swing set & you writing my college papers(I always got an A),the last “gathering” we had at 800 S. Bouziden was Savannah’s baby shower, I remember watching you climb up in a chair to hang the decorations.AuntGranny-you licking the whole side of my face, singing Head Acher, going to Grandma Martinez's and singing as loud as we could in the car, honking the horn under the bridge, tostadas, mashed potatoes, watching M*A*S*H & Dallas, working in the garden, your phone that stretched no matter where you stood in the kitchen, our late night talks, making stockings & ornaments, photo albums FULL of memories (that will always be cherished), pork guiso, picking me up at school in the middle of the day because all I wanted to do was wrap up in Kitty's blanket & watch Coal Miner’s Daughter, when you took out HBO so there was NO more Coal Miner’s Daughter, Saturday morning house cleaning, Pledge, your sun burned legs, getting that motorized car stuck in your hair, your amazing foot rubs and back massages, you giving Buttman my house key & always making things better no matter the circumstance.. My whole heart loves you!
So putting all of this together I realize it's not the house that was constant & consistent: it is all of you that have made my life constant & consistent ...no matter where you are, it will be HOME.
I love you,
Nay
P.S. Steph is always giving me homework, something to study. This was by far the hardest assignment she has given me, but I enjoyed it the MOST.
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