Whose birthday was it this past week since we’re in the birthday celebrating mood recently? That would be Pretty’s dad who turned 91 (or 90 – no definitive date but what’s a year here or there among friends) on May 2nd. Last weekend Pretty and I met our granddaughters and their daddy Drew for an overnight visit in the upstate to celebrate Walker Williams who is known to his family simply as Papa. As always, the hospitality of Darlene and Dawne, their dog Gabe, and an assortment of cats made the celebration in their lovely lake home extra fun for everyone. We missed the granddaughters’ mommy Caroline who had to leave early for a wedding in her family.

four-year-old granddaughter Ella napped during an afternoon boat ride

on Lake Bowen

Nana needed her sunglasses – Naynay had sunshine on a cloudy day

(what can make me feel that way? my girls – talkin’ bout my girls)

Naynay, is this yellow thing a bracelet? asked two-year-old Molly…

outside local brewery following dinner later that evening

Hm. Better ask Neena, Naynay said

Neena, is this yellow thing a bracelet?

Molly, the hole is too small to be a bracelet for me, Neena said as Daddy smiled

oh, so this is where the yellow circles go

three cheers for the kindness of strangers

On Sunday morning, we took Papa for a birthday brunch. Molly sat at the head of the table next to her great-granddaddy who she felt obligated to entertain since older sis Ella watched “tubes” on Neena’s phone. Whenever Molly understands her behavior is inappropriate, as in throwing food she doesn’t like on the floor, she has learned to give an infectious smile and say “Molly funny.” It’s impossible not to smile back at her.

look, Papa. Molly funny

When Molly was finished, she said, All done.

And on that note, so are we – for today.

Stay tuned.

Published by Sheila Morris

Sheila Morris is a personal historian, essayist with humorist tendencies, lesbian activist, truth seeker and speaker in the tradition of other female Texas storytellers including her paternal grandmother. In December, 2017, the University of South Carolina Press published her collection of first-person accounts of a few of the people primarily responsible for the development of LGBTQ+ organizations in South Carolina. Southern Perspectives on the Queer Movement: Committed to Home will resonate with everyone interested in LGBTQ+ history in the South during the tumultuous times from the AIDS pandemic to marriage equality. She has published five nonfiction books including two memoirs, an essay compilation and two collections of her favorite blogs from I'll Call It Like I See It. Her first book, Deep in the Heart: A Memoir of Love and Longing received a Golden Crown Literary Society Award. Her writings have been included in various anthologies including Out Loud: the best of Rainbow Radio, Saints and Sinners New Fiction from the 2017 Festival, Mothers and Other Creatures; Cowboys, Cops, Killers, and Ghosts (Texas Folklore Society LXIX). She is a displaced Texan living in South Carolina with her wife Teresa Williams and their dogs Spike, Charly and Carl. She is also Naynay to her two granddaughters Ella and Molly James who light up her life for real. Born in rural Grimes County, Texas in 1946 her Texas roots still run wide and deep.

Join the Conversation

12 Comments

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Reply

  2. Before I talk about Molly, let me say I snooped on Paula’s comment. WOWSA, how exciting is that?! I love those kind of blog-making connections!

    Molly is too adorable!!! I’m so glad you have such lovely little girls to keep you young, Sheila. They are both really something. So glad Molly found out where the yellow bracelet goes hahaha.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. You have so much fun ahead of you!!
      I was thrilled to have a cousin reach out from a post about our shared family history and DNA…I am so excited to know she is from Texas and another lesbian activist in the family. Seriously, Luanne, how cool is that??
      Thank you for noticing!!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  3. Hi Shiela,

    My name is Paula Buls. I do believe we’re cousins. I was recently showing my wife some information about how my great grandfather arrived in Texas on the bark Fortuna and as I was searching I found your blog post about that very thing! I have been absolutely unable to find much of anything about the Buls family in Germany other than they left from Bremen.

    I was also tickled to see that you were “family”. You’re the first person I’ve found on my father’s side of the family that was LGBT.

    My wife and I finally left Texas in 2022 and are now living in Europe. I don’t know if there is a way we can communicate as I would love to see if you can fill in any gaps in my genealogy regarding the Buls family prior to Texas.

    cheers,

    Paula

    PS, I’m a retired clinical social worker and worked for many years as a therapist for the LGBT community and also as an activist.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Hi Paula, what a delightful surprise for me today!! I just opened my blog to your wonderful comments!
      I would very much like to visit with you cyberspace – I have a few cousins who follow me because I do write about personal family history fairly regularly.
      Unfortunately, I won’t be much help to you about the Buls family prior to the Texas landing. I am equally excited to shar.e your LGBT DNA from my mom’s German ancestry. Thank you, thank you for writing. Are you on social media? If so, we can communicate that way, too. My wife Teresa is active on Twitter, but I quit them over the “X” thing. Anyway, lets’ definitely find a way to get to know each other better…
      Good for you for leaving Texas. I left, too, but just not far enough away apparently.
      Sheila
      Onward.

      Like

      Reply
  4. Reply
  5. Reply
    1. Reply