Aunt Vera

I think that Aunt Bea from the Andy Griffith Show is a great role model on how to age comfortably.  She was not fussy really.  No hair dye.  No make up.  Comfortable clothes.  But Aunt Bea could not can.  Remember the episode when everyone had to try to spare her feelings because her pickles were awful?  With that, I need to replace Aunt Bea with my Aunt Vera.  Vera could can anything in any kind of jar – shampoo, mayonnaise, recycled pickle jar.  If it was glass, she could use it.  I remember her specialty was Chow Chow.  Fig jam was one of my brother’s favorites, if I remember right.  I liked her pickled watermelon rind.  This weekend I canned salsa.  I hope I did Vera proud.  I would like to think so.

Vera had flare too.  She was always tanned.  I got you covered there, Vera.  This is where I will stray from being like Vera.  She always wore makeup.  Green mascara and Ponds face cream were on her vanity along with a jar of bobby pins.  If her hair wasn’t styled or in the process of being styled, she threw on a wig to make her appearance presentable.  Another way I will not follow Vera is having a cigarette lit in every ashtray of every room of the house.  I wonder if she ever inhaled those cancer sticks or simply used them as incense.Vera’s been gone since 1999; but she was in my thoughts this weekend.  Thanks for the inspiration, Vera.