My sweet assistant, Miss Dorothy Jean Bubbles, was a skittish sort when storms were overhead. I told her just to plug her headphones into her music playing contraption and watch for the phone to light up whenever need be. Dorothy Jean is just so cute and tallllll. Why I think her legs are longer than a yard stick. She was voted Best Legs in her d'Oasis graduating class. She also won the talent portion of the Miss d'Oasis High pageant with her one woman salute to the Rockettes.
We got many phone calls that morning from concerned d'Oasians but Dorothy Jean and I assured everybody that d'Oasis Electrics would be mindful of any damage done to power lines. The storm that hit was a gully washer I can tell you. We did lose power for about 45 minutes at City Hall, but those men who work at the dEC are quick and sharp when it comes to powerline repairs. Poor Dorothy Jean looked like a little chihuahua trembling in the winter. I kept plying her with soothing tea and she made it through the day. Her brother Dobbin came to pick her up from the office at 5:00 pm on the dot. That Bubbles family is so thoughtful.
I know you're thinking that Bubbles is an interesting name for a soul, but I can tell you the history of that pseudonym. When the family arrived in d'Oasis, everyone was astounded at how good looking they all were. Their actual last name is Buble' but no one in d'Oasis could give it proper pronunciation. People just started calling them the Bubbles so the family made an official name change in 1987. It seemed to fit the family perfectly because they're all just so effervescent.
Okay....I know you're at the edge of your seat to find out about Meemaw's red toenails. She'd told me the story under her breath while we were sitting in the Eat It, Too the other day...after the Flying Muumuu incident. The night before, Meemaw's daughter, Tania Dean Doolittle, had paid a visit with exciting news about a venture into beauty school at the Dyein' for Style Beauty School over near Cathedral Hospital. Tania Dean had wanted to practice some things on Meemaw before her testing at Dyein' for Style and Meemaw had agreed to a pedicure. Meemaw lay back and relaxed in her easy chair as Tania Dean went to work with a gentle foot massage. The massage felt so good that Meemaw drifted off into a restful nap. Her breathing had been heavy for quite a while before Tania Dean exclaimed, "Ta da....!"
The "ta da" had jolted Meemaw up in her chair and she looked around in a fit, having forgotten that Tania Dean was even there.
"Meemaw, it's all right...it's just me and I'm done with your beautiful toes," said Tania Dean calmingly.
Meemaw looked toward the floor and wondered who the heck belonged to the feet she was looking at. She quickly realized that Tania Dean had adorned her toenails with a harlot red! She was about to put Tania Dean in her place - as one would think one's only daughter would know what shades Meemaw was famous for. She counted a quick ten in her head, put her hands to her face with a glow and just went on and on about what a beautiful job Tania Dean had done. Meemaw also ignored the clumps of red on her big toes where the nail meets the skin. Being the good mother she is, Meemaw immediately wish Tania Dean success on her testing.
That poor Tania Dean has a little trouble holding down jobs and Meemaw hoped that this new escapade would lead her sweet little girl down a successful path. Up until now, the only job Tania Dean was able hold onto was her part-time job at Hooters. She works in the kitchen four hours a day glazing those famous buffalo wings.
As long as I'm relaying Meemaw's toenail woes, I should let you know that Meemaw and her family have a lot to do with the history of d'Oasis. She and I both married into important families in the d'Oasis community. We weren't looking to marry up. It just turned out that way. The first two families to inhabit this pretty burgh were the Doolittle's and the Fedderhopp's. The families met up while both traveling around this great country in covered wagons. They quickly became friendly and decided to search for a heavenly piece of land on which to stake a claim. When they arrived at what would become d'Oasis, there was the discussion amongst the tribe about what they would name their new community. It was decided that one family could name the mountain and the other the town. With a flip of a coin, the country realized Fedderhopp Mountain and the town of Doolittle's Oasis.
The name Doolittle's Oasis lasted for 87 years when the town council decided that the name was just a little long. There was a citywide contest to pick the new name of the town provided the new name reflect the old. Meemaw's husband's father had come up with d'Oasis. "d" for Doolittle, a lower case d to reflect the "little" of Doolittle and Oasis was retained. People wondered if the Doolittle's would be offended with the name changed, but the fact that one of them came up with the town name eased all worries.
And here were are, now, living and loving.
Until tomorrow...don't be tacky...Peggy!
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