To Nana on Her 90th

I spent last Saturday with family and friends to celebrate Nana's 90th birthday party. It was a fabulous party for a wonderful woman. I wouldn't have missed it for the world (though the airline gods--and my own ditzy-ness--certainly had it in for me).

Nana, you are a beautiful, incredibly talented, classy, and gracious woman. You prove all those Hollywood types wrong--woman can and do age gracefully and beautifully, without one stitch of plastic surgery (or do you have a little something going on the side that we don't know about?!).

But more than that, it is what is inside. Mom gave me a book for Christmas, and in it, she mentions that your name, Lottie, means "petite/feminine/strong." How did your parents know that this name would suit you to a T?! You are generous and kind, but you are also honest and will tell us what you think if you think it is good for us (and though we sometimes hate to admit it, you are usually right). You have been able to do just about anything you put your mind to--from refinishing and restoring what looked to be useless furniture to designing and sewing an entire line of teddy bear clothes, from hosting incredibly fantastic parties to beating us all at basketball.

I'd like to think that because you and Grandpa helped raise me that first year (and many years in between) that I might have inherited many of these qualities. I'm still working on a lot of it, but it is definitely something to aspire to. However, I am the first to admit that no matter how hard I try, I will never inherit your sense of style! You have never, ever looked bad, even when you would be the first one up making us all fruit salad and toasting up bagels for breakfast. How do you do it?

I love you so much and I thank you for everything throughout the years.

And thanks to Charlie and Debbie for the great photo (which I "borrowed" from Snapfish)!