"Give them hell, honey."

This past Sunday, the world lost the biggest spitfire I've ever had the luck of getting to know. 

Good-bye Great Aunt Syble. You will be immensely missed.

I hope that you keep those boys in line up in heaven and that you continue to be as glamorous and beautiful as I remember. You advised me to give 'em hell and look good doing it. You were the epitome of humor, grace and put-up-with-no-one's-crap.

Syble and the boys

I will always remember what you taught me:

1. Keep my man in line, but make him think he's in charge
2. If you quit doing something you love you won't live longer, it'll just seem longer
3. If you should be doing something but you could be having fun, go with fun
4. Screw what everyone else thinks
5. The answer is always one more drink

     ...her genius goes on and on.

Uncle Cal, Aunt Syble, my beautiful mom and my baby head

I'll never forget the first time she and Uncle Cal picked me up from the Dallas airport in their 1970's olive green Oldsmobile boat of a car. We drove 35 miles an hour down the interstate with Syble randomly yelling "oh hush", "damn heathens" and "let's go Cal" while smoking her cigarettes she kept in a sequined pouch through her foot long cigarette holder. She always wore sunglasses and lipstick, always smelled of perfume. 

She loved that car. It was in mint condition and she told me that she often was asked in the Wal-Mart parking lot if she'd sell it but "no one is making my car into one of those damn low-riders".

Uncle Cal & I

I hope you are up in heaven dancing with Uncle Cal, laughing with Aunt Oneva and still putting my hard-ass papa, Coy, in his place. 

Drink a Colorado Bulldog or three, I'll share one with you from down below.

Pure attitude

I only hope that I can be the woman you represented to me. 

"Give them hell, honey."

Oh, I will. You did it for 90 years, it's my turn now.