My mother has taught my grandmother how to get on the internet. At first it was just to read email, but they have now graduated to lessons on Google. Since the first result on a vanity search for “Ansonia Walls” is this site, it is pretty hard to miss.

Welcome.

Even though there is very little chance that she will ever read this, I want to make sure that I wish my grandmother Ansonia Walls a happy birthday.

If I recall correctly, she was actually born Stephia Ansonia Walls, in Anderson, NC. My great-grandfather wanted to name her Andersonia, but my great-grandmother vetoed that idea and she became Ansonia instead. I remember being in my twenties when I found out that her first name was actually Stephia (which I may be spelling wrong), but since she didn’t like it too much, she never used it.

This is actually a trend for her and her children. My mother’s first name is Lillian, but she goes by Bonnie, which plays off of her middle name Bonita. My aunt’s first name is Lydia, but she usually goes by her middle name Cheryl. My uncle’s real name is Adolphus Vaughn Walls, but he goes by Vaughn for people who don’t call him by his nickname Skip.

I only halfway follow that trend. Most people who are introduced to me call me Derek, but only family and very few childhood friends call me Chris. In fact, if I’m only used to you calling me by one name I will not answer to the other.

Anyway, she was born on January 10, 1927 in Anderson, NC and currently lives on the East Side of Detroit.

This is a picture of my grandmother, my granddaughter Gabryale, my daughter Jaymie, my mother and me.  It was taken by my other daughter Jazmyn on Thanksgiving 2008.  I have no idea why it was datestamped 6/16/2007.

This was the first time that Gabryale had met my mother and grandmother. At first she didn’t want to go to anyone but Jaymie (and begrudgingly to Jazmyn), but for some reason she wanted to go to my grandmother. After two minutes, she didn’t want to go anyone else.

My mother and grandmother had already been there for hours by the time the girls showed up and were ready to leave.  My mother works midnights and while she had already took a nap on my couch, she wanted to go home and try to catch a few minutes before she had to get up again.  However, I don’t think it worked out that way.

When my grandmother handed Gaby back to Jaymie, the baby started to cry and howl.  Her reaction to being separated from her great-grandmother took everybody by surprise. The only other time that I had ever seen her that upset was when I was holding her and she didn’t want me holding her.  She cried the tears of separation until my grandmother was no longer in sight.

She sniffled a little while and my daughters kept giving her a pacifier, which I immediately took out of her mouth every time and since she didn’t fight me about it, I guess I did the right thing. Finally she just looked at me for a while and let me hold her.

It occurred to me much later that I should have gotten a picture with Jazmyn and Stephen as well. OK, actually Patti had to point it out that I should have gotten a picture with Jazmyn and Stephen as well.

Overall, it was a pretty good night.