ain’t no slide steps high enough

Posted on September 28, 2021 by Sheila Morris

Our granddaughter Ella James will be two years old this week on Friday, October 1st. so Pretty and I decided last night we would have a zoo day today to celebrate her day off from school (Jewish high holiday). It was a memory maker, as my mother would declare on the days before she lost hers. Whenever I get discouraged, whenever I feel like the world brings us all too many problems, I find a day’s dose of Ella James with Pretty works wonders.

Pretty and Ella make joy real

None of us quite understood proper bird feeding

Cherry Icee fabulous

Uh, oh. The Icee fell down.

What’s this? Ugh. I get no respect. Seriously?

Ain’t no slide steps too high for me to climb

Do I know you? I don’t think so.

Wheeee – let’s go, Nana!

Bye, Bye, everyone – see you next time!

(Another highlight of our day was the wonderful carousel ride which Ella rode twice, but my pictures weren’t suitable. Next time.)

Ella and I were very tired after our morning at the zoo so we sat on a bench outside the entrance to wait for Pretty to bring the car around to pick us up. Unfortunately, my perfect granddaughter threw several wipes on the ground after she snatched them from the pack of wet wipes we brought for emergency use. Ella, I said sternly with my most authoritative voice, I have to tell you something very important. We never throw any trash on the ground.

She looked at me with the same look Pretty gives me whenever she gets aggravated at something I say.

Hush, she whispered. Hush.

I burst out laughing. And that’s the way we roll.

Thanks so much for indulging our zoo day pics – stay safe, stay sane, please get vaccinated and please stay tuned.

About 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 in 2008. Her writings have been included in various anthologies - most recently the 2017 Saints and Sinners Literary Magazine. Her latest book, Four Ticket Ride, was released in January, 2019. 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.
This entry was posted in family life, Humor, Lesbian Literary, Life, Personal, photography, Reflections, Slice of Life, The Way Life Is, The Way Life Should Be and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

9 Responses to ain’t no slide steps high enough

  1. Wayside Artist says:
    September 28, 2021 at 4:22 pm

    I’m just a little envious of you feeding all those lovely lorikeets. I don’t need lions and tigers and bears when parrots are about.

    Ella would have me laughing too. I’m useless at adult supervision. She’s a fiery, precious little sprite.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  2. cindy knoke says:
    September 28, 2021 at 5:19 pm

    She is such a sweetie! Happy Birthday beautiful Ella. Yesterday I drove mechanical animals around the mall with my grandsons. People burst out laughing at the sight. I was very glad to be wearing a mask so no one could actually see me.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  3. Bob Slatten says:
    September 28, 2021 at 10:43 pm

    Adorable AND sassy?
    That Ella is going places!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  4. Charlotte Hoather says:
    October 2, 2021 at 6:27 am

    How time flies two, happy belated birthday to Ella. Such lovely happy photos made me smile.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  5. Dianne Heiser says:
    October 3, 2021 at 6:23 pm

    Thanks for sharing! That was cute! Dianne

    Sent from Mail for Windows

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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