Growing up as an only child, BabyGirl was at a distinct disadvantage when it came to finding someone to blame stuff on. Sometime around the age of four she found a scapegoat in the form of an imaginary friend named Dickie. Whenever she got pushed up against the wall on mischief she could blame her transgressions on him. I'd say " Sugar, who made that mess in the bathroom?" " Dickie did it" would be her reply. Hmmm. "LP! Did you eat that candy?" " No Mama, Dickie ate it." And so it went for awhile, BabyGirl passing off the blame to Dickie and me wondering if there were other personalities.

Turns out there was ONE other one a few years later. She calmly related to her cousins one night that she had a brother named Alvino in Texas. I racked my brain trying to figure out when I had given birth in TX and was absolutely sure it hadn't happened. Childbirth is one thang you never forget! Alvino evidently was a hanger on in her imagination from a trip to Padre Island when she was not quite two and was deathly afraid of the pounding surf. Imagine, if you will driving the 18 hours from West TN to Corpus Christi with a toddler in the back accompanied by a double amputee great aunt who traveled with a bedpan because she was on Lasix. Not exactly your dream beach trip. Well, kind of a BAD dream. We were taking Aunt 'Nez to see her sister in Odem and to this day I believe I earned a star in my crown on that one.

Here's the veggies of my labor today. Y'all want it grilled or cut off the cob and fried in butter?