Well, my main purpose for starting this blog was to have a journal that I can someday show T.J. and remember how I felt as he was growing up. So, this may be one of the most important posts that I want him to read. I always want him to know how much thought was put into his name, and how we decided what special name to give such a special boy.
T.J. stands for Travis Jeffrey - Jeffrey comes from his Daddy and his Pa - 2 great men who will always play such a special role in his life. But, his first name - Travis, comes from Mommy's grandfather, James Travis Perry (Granda). We chose this name because he was such a special person and influential in both mine and Daddy's life. Granda's body left this world on December 26, 2009 - the day after Christmas (we think he stuck around to see one more Christmas, he always loved family time at Christmas). We loved him very much and it makes us so sad to know that T.J. will never remember Granda the way we do. So, I want to let you know a few things about him.
1. Mommy, Stacy, and Tracy would always ask Granda what his name was, and here is what he would tell us: My name is "Rasnus Napoleon Bonaparte John Julius Ceasar Penerole Jack Washington Sylvester Jones Edgar Allney Buttercup Brewster James Travis Granda Perry."
2. When all of the grandkids (Mommy, Stacy, Tracy, and Uncle Gee) were little, Granda would take us to what we called, "The Bitty Store". The Bitty Store was a convenience store where Granda would get a small paper bag for each of us, take us to the candy aisle, and tell us to "fill that sucker up!!" We, of course, would with candy necklaces, candy rings, and every other kind of candy we could fit into the small bag. (I'm sure our parents loved that!!)
3. When we drove down the street Granda would say "Beep, Beep, Ooga, Ooga here comes the Stacy and the Tracy and the Lara and the Matthew." We would also "shoot" cars with our fingers and decide what was going to happen to them when they started their car in the mornings ("When they start their car tomorrow, their doors are going to fall off." OR-The favorite - "When they start their car tomorrow, all 4 of the tires are going to fall off!!")
4. Granda would take us to eat lunch at the country club, Bentwood (which we thought meant he was rich!) and there was a big hill when you left the parking lot. Much to Mimi's dismay, he would drive really fast down that hill when Stacy, Tracy, and I begged him to. We felt like we were flying!
5. When we were kids, we would spend the night at Mimi & Granda's house and after swimming all day long, we would crawl into bed with Granda in his silk pajamas smelling of Listerine and he would tell us the story of Stinky the skunk, who had trouble making friends, but finally all of the animals in the forest sang the song, "Stinky is our friend, Stinky is our friend, come and play with us, come and play with us" and they of course lived happily ever after.
6. Granda always said, "You flip my switch" - in fact, one time, we found a little plastic lightbulb filled with jelly beans that said that and gave it to him.
7. We once held a court case to get Granda to quit smoking cigars, and he did for many years.
8. Granda would sing the song, "I Went to the Animal Fair" for us. We liked it because it said the monkey got drunk.
I went to the animal fair. The birds and the bees were there. The big baboon by the light of the moon was combing his auburn hair. The monkey he got drunk, and he sat on the elephant’s trunk. The elephant sneezed and fell to his knees and that was the end of the monkey, monk, monk, monk.
9. Granda also had a poem about a mule named Maude that we would beg him to say over and over.
“There once was a farmer, his name was Sly Slick. He owned a buckin’ mule – Oh, how that mule could kick. She kicked up seven china men, she broke an elephant’s back. She stopped the Texas railroad train and kicked it clear the track. Old Sly hitched her up one mornin’ to ride her into town, she let in to kickin’ to let him know she was around. She kicked the baby in the jaw, she kicked the yellow dog, she kicked the tomcat clear the fence, that old mule’s name was Maude. She went into a saloon one day, feelin’ sort of dry. She went up to the counter and asked for a drink of rye. The man behind the counter, he commenced to grin. Old Maudy turned around and kicked the whiskers clear his chin. Now, when Maudy dies and leaves this world my heart for her will yearn. I know she’ll be with the angels, though she’s too tough to burn. When Maudy goes through those pearly gates, Saint Peter’s gonna yell, “If Maudy’s coming to live in paradise, you can check my butt to …”
10. Granda went to church, but he also drank beer, smoked, cussed, and bought lottery tickets - I had never know anyone like that as a kid.
11. My first year of college, when my grades were not so good, Granda told me that in 10 years that would not matter. As I was walking across the stage to get my Master's degree, I couldn't help but laugh to myself at how true that statement was.
12. Granda never judged people. He would speak the truth in love, but you never felt that he didn't love you even if he diapproved of your choices.
13. I was the only peson I have ever heard of who would go to meet friends for a drink at Chili's to find her grandfather alreay there. People of all ages and walks of life looked up to him.
14.. He was, as Stacy would say, "the best preacher who never had a church", and "the smartest man who didn't have a college education.
15. He was the most religious man I ever knew, but he didn't have a lot of patience for old-time religion - he thought it was too judgemental.
16. Granda was one of the first people you met. When we put you in his arms for the first time (the night we brought you home) he said, "You see the face of God when you see this. Thank you, Mr.Jesus, we sure do love this guy".
17. The last time I saw him, he told me how lucky I was to have you and Daddy. He loved you very much and was honored for you to have his name.
Granda was such a special man, and I think you have such a special name. We love you Granda! Thank you for helping to make me the person I am.
