Blue moccasins & an orange Mr.Rogers sweater / Remembering Great Aunt Leda

Where did April go?
That question works for both month and person.

As far as where the month went - I'm not totally sure but MAN it was busy. I'm writing this in the last 30 minutes of what is left of it. it As far as the person thing (or at least this particular April) . . . I did travel a little to St. Louis to do a private gig, and a few others in various other cities like Pleasant Grove, etc. :) I also traveled a lot to the studio and to rehearsals for those other gigs.

I also went to Richfield for a special occasion - to attend/sing at my Great Aunt Leda's funeral. It's interesting how one weekend you can be singing for a funeral and the next weekend singing at a wedding.

My Great Aunt Leda: one amazing lady. I would describe her as generous, hard-working, wise, charitable. . . and just plain fun. She had a keen sense of humor and enjoyed making candy (a personal favorite). She would visit others who were sick or lonely and sing to them. She loved music and she loved God. And she used her music to serve the God she loved.

To tell you the truth she is who I got a lot of my clothes from growing up. These clothes were from various decades spanning I think from the 40's or 50's all the way up to now. Aunt Leda was a legend to me ever since I was a young girl - these mysterious bags or boxes of clothing from earlier decades would arrive at my g'ma Sharlene Cowley's house in Reno. All of us kids would raid the clothes to see what threaded treasures we could find. Times were not always easy financially for us - so going through these clothes was akin to storming a gold mine for us.

A couple of the things from Aunt Leda that were the most memorable for me: my treasured blue moccasins with orange thread and my orange Mr. Rogers sweater with the alligator on it. Right there in Reno I felt as though I had hit the jackpot (without ever touching a slot machine).

I almost got kicked out of my highschool AP Art class on account of those moccasins. I wore them until they were literally falling apart. The soles were coming off. So I would often come to my art class early before school to either duck tape each shoe together - or glue gun it together (or a combination) so they would last another day or so until I could do it all over again. Um, my art teacher did not super appreciate that so she told me that until I came back with different or new shoes I wouldn't be allowed back in class. Well, I told her straight up that I couldn't afford new ones at the moment and I was fine with the ones I had and I doubted that one could keep her student out of class purely on account of their not having newer shoes. How does the saying go? "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." Exactly my point . . . well, she let me back in. :)

And that orange sweater made it all the way through highschool and college (literally weathering many storms with me - rain and snow, sun and shine). Lol. Still have both sweater and shoes (or the remnants of what is left).

My Great Aunt Leda has played a significant role in my life, despite the fact that she lived so far away- precluding frequent visits. I know my g'ma Cowley is happy to be reunited with her sister, Leda. Grandma was a was a songbird too. I hope I can continue to learn from them even though they've both moved on . . . it's good to know I'll be seeing them again though.

But knowing my Aunt Leda and g'ma Cowley- they'd wink and tell me not to plan on seeing them too soon ;)

Maybe when I do see Aunt Leda again, and she greets me in heaven, I'll have to put on my blue moccasins and orange sweater just for old times sake and thank her again.