I think I am going to be busy today. Two babies !.....And I have to write a poem for an old friend's funeral....And I'm going to tell you about her ...because I don't think many people are around to know or care.........she was a sweet old lady.........very eccentric......Most people thought she was a little crazy......she has been in a nursing home for the last 8 years or so.......before that she lived in Sutton Gardens apts..........so maybe some of you have heard about her. .....I bet your parents have if they have been in the area a long time. Her name is Marietta Cole and she has no family ......but I really loved her......I kind of felt related........and I guess we are sisters in God's eyes............I met her, In the '80s.....our church was desperate for an organist......one of the members called me and said she had met this woman on an elevator and that she was an organist....I got the woman's number......... called and heard this squeeky little voice answer, "Praise the Lord, Hello!"...........(I thought well that's a bit "out there" but we need an organist)..........the church hired her........She was colorful in every sense of the word...... she wore was hot pink .. bright turquoise......feathers.....sequins......rhinestones......frnge...ruffles......and she had pink rouged cheeks!......... when we had "praise report time" in church........Marietta would todder up to the mic , and begin....."Dear ones......I must praise God and give him all the glory for.........and then she would tell about how God helped her have a bowel movenent!.......or find her keys........the best was when she got stuck in her bathtub and how "the Lord sent the maintainence man by her window just as she was hollering, to come get her out of the tub".........then there was the time the Lord guided her to a pink ruffle in the store - that was just the right size to put around the bottom of her dress because it was too short........I could go on....and her praise reports always did too...on and on.....and a lot of people would roll their eyes as she approached the microphone........I admit, I did my share of eye rolling...or laughing.....too....but also many people were brought to a new way of looking at God through these stories.........thinking that maybe He does care about the little things...... ......She and I became pretty close as the years went by.............She loved to go out to eat , so I would take her out quite often....usually to Homers....the PJ Diner......or Squire Coleman.......one time we went to Red Lobster and she came shuffling out of the rest room with a "streamer" of toilet paper attached to her foot that went all the way back to the ladies room......how do I know how far it went?....I "detached" it and gathered it up...as the rest of the diners chuckled.......but we had already aquired the attention of onlookers.....just by our presence......(did I mention, Sandy Bear?...... a stuffed bear who always went with us?.....) well he went everywhere with us....usually she would give him a fresh bath in "Calgon" for an outing.....and he did tricks........he performed at church sometimes......and usually for the waitress.....especially if the waitress would say, "what a cute bear!"..........during any meal, Marietta would talk so much, that she wouldn't get around to eating.... I was usually done before she began..... and then I would have to sit there till she was done........Before any meal began .....there was the ritual of a.." long , head bowed, out loud " ...prayer.............followed by a "toast" that went like this: ...................... "Here's to you, as good as you are, and here's to me , as bad as I am....but as bad as I am ,and as good as you are, I'm as good as you are , as bad as I am.".................then we would start to eat (well I would...and she would start talking)........We had a lot of laughs together too.....she had a great sense of humor.......but everytime we got laughing....she would wet her pants......and anounce it!....and laugh harder......one thing we always laughed about was..... every time she would ask me to hand her something...whatever ti was...she would say ,"hand me my unbrella"....and then say, "my umbrella? why did I say that?" then we would laugh.......and she would wet her pants......(sometimes I almost did!)........but as nutty as she was........there was something special about Marietta and her openess to tell everyone (and I mean everyone ...the waitress......store clerks...every where we went........about "The Lord Jesus Christ" as she always addressed Him.......and you know , I was thinking......some of you may think of me like I thought of Marietta........"this woman is a little nutty.....and a little too crazy abour Jesus".......but I hope you think of me with as much fondness as I think of Marietta.......bye Marietta.........Love ya......see you when I get there!
