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Sunday, September 2, 2012

Self Portrait

When I think of inspiration, my sweet Mimi is always the person who comes to mind.
She got married at the young age of 21, to Clyde Vincent who fought in
WWII in 1942, in the Rainbow Department.
She had three daughters, gave birth to her first daughter, Pat, alone
when her husband was at war. She bought her first house in that same year.
She left Louisville to go to Chicago. She was not afraid to speak her mind,
stand up for her husband's job, & was willing to seek out injustices.
From Chicago she moved to Jackson Mississippi.
Went to the far east, to Japan & Hong Kong, on business at foreign agricultural shows.
Survivor of a terrible car crash.
Clyde passed in 1980. Remarried to Bud 1983.
She was an active member of the PTA, president of the Women's club, &
president of the beautification league-industrial grounds.
Dorothy Magruder Queenan
Age 94
Louisville Kentucky
***
What is your favorite childhood memory?
Being at my grandmother's on Northwestern Parkway.
Playing in the yard between the sidewalk & the parkway.
We could hear the music from the Fountaine Ferry Park.
The splashing from the neighborhood pool.
On the back row was Aubrey's dude ranch where there were ponies.
My favorite was Sugar. I rode Sugar & my kids rode Sugar.
We rode in the pony driven carts. It was a very very very fun place to be. Real fun.
If you were an animal what would you be?
A dog. I'd have someone I could cuddle up to.
What is your favorite memory of your dad?
A man that you could tell anything to. He told me all the time how much he loved me.
He never left our house without kissing all the ladies of the house.
He was so loving. He was very masculine. He was a golfer. He was an inventor.
I'd spend hours with him while he worked on his inventions.
He made an insulated pad for gas tanks so they could put
the gas in without scratching the hood of the car.
That's when Ford made gas tanks on the hoods of cars.
He didn't make much money on that invention because
that was the only model they made like that.
What are you obsessed with?
I don't think I have any obsessions. I think I like things. But I don't really crave.
Most poignant goal for the next 5 years?
Well actually truthfully when u reach my stage of maturity you just thank God for everyday.
You don't think in terms of achievement in the next 5 years.
You are just grateful for today.
What is your favorite item of clothing?
My mink coat.
If you could stop only one injustice what would it be?
Cruelty to children.
If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Right where I am. I've been many many places. Many countries.
There isn't a better place than to live right here.
Not Paris. Not London. Not any of the large cities. Not any resorts.
Varied climate is better than one climate.
Seasons are better. It's just the best place to be, Louisville.
What is your favorite thing to chew?
Food. Chocolate.
If you could only do one thing every day for the rest of your life what would it be?
Play cards. Play bridge.
What is your manifesto?
I want to try & leave the world a better place when I am gone.
To inspire someone to try to fill the steps of my inventor & the inventors in my family.
Try & create something. I want to try to better things.
When you think of adventure what comes to mind?
Going to New York to see a play!

Disclaimer:This post is part of a series. The questions are designed to provoke memories and thoughts that will expose the subject’s sense of self, and the pictures are always going to be self portraits, contributed by the subject, therefore showing them just as they wish to be shown.

4 comments:

lynnesy said...

"What are you obsessed with?
I don't think I have an obsession. I think I like things. But I don't really crave."

what a lady. enough said.

Today's Letters said...

oh myy! my heart is so full after reading this. your mimi is amazing! must. meet. here. soon. deal? #begratefulfortoday #rightwhereiam #seasonsarebetter #food.chocolate #createsomething

Chelsea Slevin said...

I love this! Sweet mimi!!

Molly Roberson said...

Lynnesy-I love that you noticed my favorite answer. She's incredible.
Em-you get it. That makes me happy. Yes you'll meet her ASAP!
Chels-so happy that you love my Mimi ;)