Remembering Lucia

When I was a little girl and we lived with my Porter grandparents.  It was always special when my mother's brother, George Porter, would come to visit.  He was not married and when he would come home, my Bubba  would take me for long rides to see the trains in downtown Norfolk VA.  He also would take me to Dr. Master's Drug Store several blocks from our house to buy me an ice cream cone.  Bubba was special to me.

He lived in Richmond VA and worked for the then V. E. P. CO.  One day he came home grinning all over, he had met a young lady, Lucia..  It was agreed that he would bring her to visit.  Lucia 14 years younger than Bubba.  She was fresh, young and to my eyes very pretty.  She had heard about me from my Uncle and had made a doll just for me, Alice in Wonderland.  She was having trouble getting the face just right.  So mom ended up painting the face with oil paints.  I adored my Alice that my soon to be Aunt Lucia made for me.

That was the beginning of my love for Lucia.  She always talked to me as if I were grown.  They were married in Richmond.  Our family stayed at the Jefferson.  The wedding was at her cousin's home. They were blessed with the birth of my very first first cousin Margaret Owen Porter, Peggy.  I was elated.

Peggy, was adored by the whole family.  None more than her father and mother. My Nana was so happy to have another granddaughter.  I guess I got a little jealous because I was quoted as saying, "Those darn Porter kids."  May be I was a little jealous.  My Brother, Don and I had been the only grandchildren for a long time.  Sharing was a little hard.  We were always very glad when the family from Richmond came to visit my grandparents.

I was allowed to go visit occasionally for a week during the summer.  Lucia was always fun to be around.  She liked the garden and one time found a farmer who had chicken manure.  She loaded up the back of their station wagon.  After the manure was cleared out the evidence that it had once been there hung in the air.  They were forced to find another vehicle.

She was curious about natural occurrences.  Why did the weeds at the base of one of the trees in the front yard always grow more on one side than the other.  Was it a magnetic field?  Lucia was always inquisitive.

They both cared for my grandmother, Nana, after my grandfather died.  They were always open to our visits even, when we called that day to say we were dropping by.  We always felt the warmth of their welcome.

I remember that because Peggy, and Ralph, her little brother, loved MacDonald Fries, Lucia kept trying to make fries that were better or at least as good as McDonald's.  Lucia was someone that I not only liked but loved very much.