Meet Virginia

Today I received word that my great aunt Virginia died.  She lived in Louisville, Kentucky.  I remember the first time I met her--at least that I recall meeting her.  She had come for a visit and stayed at the O'Hare Motor Inn.  To residents of my home town, they know this place.  It is famous for two things:

tripadvisor.com

Mermaids in the pool

and

tripadvisor.com

Piano Pat in the tiki lounge.

Now as a youngster, I was oblivious to the tiki lounge, but I swam in that pool.  I was fascinated by the window that let me see into another realm that I would not visit for many moons.  

Why my great aunt made reservations there I will never know.  My sister and I though had great fun. I recall early the next morning getting up and going shopping with Virginia.  Even at the tender age of whatever-the-hell-age-I-was I knew that 6am was an incredibly ridiculous time to go shopping downtown, yet we did.  We went window shopping.  Thankfully at this time the Adam & Eve store was not there.  I can't imagine what that would've done to Virginia's sensibilities.  

I recall being fascinated by her Kleenex pouch.  Before we commenced window shopping, she took this slim, plastic envelope and placed Kleenex and money inside.  Then put it in her cleavage!  What?!?  I recall being very confused yet intrigued by this.  

We went to Glacier Park as well and she was not terribly taken with Going to the Sun Highway--fear of heights.  We went over it though and she enjoyed seeing the beauty of Glacier.  We played a lot of cards to pass the time that visit.

While I was at college, Virginia wrote to me.  I'd receive these lovely postcards or delicate stationary postmarked Louisville and I loved them.  I never knew why she wrote to me or if she wrote to other cousins--distant or close.  I did, however, make a point to reply.  We exchanged Christmas cards for a long time as well.  This holiday, I didn't do the card thing.  Just didn't get my act together for it, but I wondered about Virginia and how she was getting on.  

So farewell, Virginia.  I hope your passing was peaceful and beautiful, just like you.