The story behind Poella Divine

When I was a child, my Great Aunt Rebecca, gave me this oh-so-fabulous nickname because I look so much like the Poe side of my family. Poe is the married name of my great grandmother, Mary Louise Copeland Poe, for whom my daughter (assuming and hoping I have one) will hopefully be named. Yes, the child will have four names, but it's a very dear name to me. So Mary Louise Copeland Poe (we called her Mama Lou) was my great-grandmother and her daughter, my grandmother, was Eloise Copeland Poe (we called her Dutch). I have the same big brown eyes, dark complexion, and build of both my great-grandmother and grandmother so my Aunt Rebecca nicknamed me "Poella Divine." When I think back to these two women for whom I am named, I have wonderful memories of the many visits we took to see them in Chapel Hill. These are my most fond memories of Dutch and Mama Lou:

Breakfast on Mama Lou's best china- Singapore Bird

Playing in Dutch's Estee Lauder makeup sampler

Going to Spanky's on Franklin Street in my rollerskates

The gorgeous eyelet curtains that hung in Mama Lou's bedroom

Cruising Franklin Street after a Tarheel victory while hanging out of the sunroof of my Uncle's Carolina blue peugeot (my mom would have died if she'd have seen us)

The bells on the back of Dutch's door that clanged loudly when we'd arrive and slam the door in excitement of seeing her

Lunch at K&W Cafeteria

Homemade chocolate popsicles

Dutch's kitchen witch (which to this day would still frighten me)

Watching Jeopardy

Mama Lou's ultra suede suits

Classical music

Daddy Bill's gas station on Franklin Street (my great-grandfather used to own a gas station in the heart of downtown Chapel Hill just down from Spankys!)

Shopping at the Purple Puddle

http://www.purplepuddle.com/

Feeding the birds off of Dutch's balcony

Falling asleep in Dutch's king size bed while she sang us to sleep . . . I can still hear her humming the words to George Gershwin's Summertime

Summertime,

And the livin' is easy

Fish are jumpin'

And the cotton is high

Oh, Your daddy's rich

And your mamma's good lookin'

So hush little baby

Don't you cry

One of these mornings

You're going to rise up singing

Then you'll spread your wings

And you'll take to the sky

But until that morning

There's a'nothing can harm you

With your daddy and mammy standing by

Summertime,

And the livin' is easy

Fish are jumpin'

And the cotton is high

Your daddy's rich

And your mamma's good lookin'

So hush little baby

Don't you cry

What I wouldn't give to go back and relive every single one of these moments. As I continue in my blogging adventure, you will hear many more stories about my childhood, my roots, and the way my parents raised me. It is, my friends, just the beginning of the Sweet Life of Poella Divine.