Rest in Peace, Mamaw...

Lola Mae Carter, my grandmother, passed away this morning at 11:49am CST.

She was a fantastic woman in my book.  A wild Cherokee woman, and always seemed to never let to go to that little bit of "edge" that she had in her.

She was known for riding motorcycles, racing cars - hell, she even wrestled teh Fabulous Moolah in her younger days.  We have a photo taken of her, in her late 30's or early 40's by my estimate, wearing a white cowgirl hat and boots... and probably the skimpiest bathing suit you could have found at the time, all 'posed' up like she was in it for a magazine spread.

She was, in NO way, a dull woman... nor did she leave this world without a heavy trail of memories.

Hell, she gave herself the gift of a boob job for her 70th birthday... while dating a trucker about half the age of my FATHER.

She never called me by my name... it was always "Angel" or more specifically, "her Angel."  Every phone call, every card or letter, even on the envelope, was addressed to Angel... signed with love, from Mamaw.

I'll never, EVER forget you, Mamaw...  you keep on riding, you keep on racing, you keep that jet-black hair that just never seemed to age when you did flowing behind you in the wind.

And you join the ranks of women who have passed before you, in becoming yet another watchful eye over your great-grandson.

She is being cremated, and yes, we will receive some of her ashes.  And she will join the others, in our own little odd sanctuary here, with my other grandmother.  I think we'll be adding my mother-in-law to the same shelf... where maybe they can share a story or two... and conspire as to what ELSE they can inspire in my son to make those of us who are left here a little more crazy, yet just a little more inspired... by how much they truly meant to us all.

I love you, Mamaw.  We'll all miss you, always.

Lola Mae Carter
March 17th, 1931 - September 10th, 2007