Happy Birthday Irma

Today is a special day, it is the day that marks the birth of my grandmother Lucille Irma Wiese Ladner, known as Irma to friends, and MaMaw to me. I loved this day when I was a child. It was always so special as we would generally spend the day with my MaMaw doing something she liked. Whether it be going to lunch at Morison's Cafeteria, or Cajun's fried chicken and then going shopping of course, the day was always a happy one. The best part was that she would never fail to say, "Five more days until your birthday! What kind of cake do you want me to make you?" My grandmother and aunt baked cakes for a living. But on her day, my aunt usually bought her a baker shop cake. One she didn't have to bake herself.

As a child I always asked her, "What do you want for your birthday?" She would think a moment and say, "When I was a girl I always got a shiny silver dime. A dime would be nice." So each year I would search for the oldest dime I could find. Because the older dimes had more silver in them. I would shine it up and give it to her. She always seemed so pleased. As an adult I usually bought her a real gift, but I never failed to include a shiny old dime with it. Each year, I still place a shiny dime on her grave.

She and I shared a lot of things, but both being the middle child, and both being born in March were the two that we talked of most often. She always wore a birthstone ring that I loved to touch and look at because it would one day be mine. She promised it to me from the time I could remember. Because after all we were the only ones who could wear aquamarine as our stone.

We often talked about how nice it was to share our birthday with Spring and Easter. My birthday often fell on Good Friday or even on Easter, and on one of her last birthday's with us she and I were discussing how hers had fallen one time on Easter.  She told how back in those days there was no celebration at all until on Easter Sunday because of the restrictions of Lent and how lucky she felt to be able to have her birthday celebration that day.

 So, here's to memories, to Spring, and to Easter Birthday's! Most of all to the grandmother whom I miss today with all my heart! Until we celebrate together again.... Happy Birthday MaMaw!