Happy Birthday Inklings!

Nene beat me to the punch in posting for Inklings' birthday, but that's only because she is 8 hours ahead of me :P.

I wanted to write some memories of Inklings, but I need to first state that she is about 12 years older than me, so by the time I was about 7 or 8 she was married. I don't really feel like I lived with her and Nene very much as a child. So many of my memories are of visiting her when she was married.

I do have a few memories of her during the time I was young. I remember that she always had a really cool bedroom, no matter where we lived. In our home in Texas, she redecorated her bedroom and picked out the cloth for curtains and bedspreads. I also remember that she made over a dresser. She cut out small squares of paper and decopauged the dresser with them, then painted over it. It made a really interesting textural design. She had all kinds of cool things in her room and I would go in when she wasn't there and look and handle all of them. lol

During the summer, Inklings worked at my great Aunt's restaurant. I remember that when she came home at night, she would bring candy and leave it on the nightstand for me to find.

I have a very vivid memory of when I was in my Aunt's basement, and Inklings came downstairs and showed me her engagement ring. I didn't really know her fiance/soon to be husband, but I remember how exciting that was. I also remember that I was a flower girl in her wedding, and they cut my hair right before the wedding. I think they tried to curl it, but I don't think it ever looked quite right.

I remember visiting Inklings and how fun it was to see the trailers she lived in the first few years. We only visited in the summer time because we lived far away. I do remember that once I wrote letters to her and Nene. I was quite young at the time. They both answered the letters, and I still have the letters they sent. :)

Inklings is possibly the most creative person I know. She writes, including poetry. She draws and paints. She makes children's toys and books. She is always making something with her hands. She often makes signs and posters for different organizations, and also has helped with bulletin boards for the school, or set design for plays. I think all of my brothers and sisters have books they would like to get published, but I think Inkling's childrens books have the best shot of actually being published.

She is the mother of 7 children, and grandmother of ...hmm.....I think 17..hope I counted right. That in itself is a huge accomplishment. And she isn't even as gray headed as me!

My husband never understands why our family likes to talk so much when we get together. But I especially enjoy the "sister chats". I don't think we ever run out of things to say, especially if one family member is missing. ;)

Happy Birthday Inklings! I love you!