Posted on 03/28/2006 6:03:10 PM PST by Kidlett CLR
HEY TOMKOW we getting heavy rain in SO CAL right now
More breaking news off Interfax wire Russians are invesgtigating more cases of bad vodka
Hi SevenofNine:)How are you doing beautiful.
Evening Tom! Hope your day went well! I kinda had my 2nd Monday today! lol *hugs*
Hi fatima :)
Good Night, Kidlett.
Sleep well. Thanks for the wonderful thread you created. :)
I'm doing good Gracie....a little tired. Now....what I'm wondering is if your Hubby is here.....why are we not visiting over a starbucks right now?:)
I'm going to do some chores then head for bed....See you tomorrow!
You deserve it! (((hugs)))
You always bring smiles. Thanks, Luv!
Awwwww...you're sweet! (((hugs))) So do you!
NOTHING MUCH and BBC wire has interview with NEWW Israel PM Olhmet who claim he want Likud party to join his coaliton after today narrow victory which it isss
I LOVE your graphics...and am stealing a lot of them! LOL!
By Andrea Jares
Reata Smith starts every day at Whataburger, often with biscuits and gravy. But on Tuesday - her 96th birthday - she had cake.
Joining her was a roomful of regulars at the East Lancaster Avenue restaurant, as well as Whataburger managers who have seen Smith on her visits for breakfast and dinner for more than a decade. From her spot in a corner booth, Smitty has become a hub of the neighborhood.
I like the atmosphere. I like everything about it, Smith said. It feels like home.
So on Tuesday, Whataburger managers and regulars wished her a happy 96th birthday, complete with an applause-peppered rendition of "You are So Beautiful". The managers and crew also presented Smith with a 20-inch television they all chipped in for.
Shes the kind of lady who brings joy to everybody, said Jauch Edwards, manager of seven Whataburger restaurants, including the East Lancaster location. We consider Smitty part of the Whataburger family.
The neighbors feel that way, too. The seats around her are usually filled with friends who stop by to say hello.
If its breakfast time, shes already here or on her way, said Sheila Harrison, another Whataburger regular, who calls Smith a legend.
Maxine Nowlin from the Handley area of Fort Worth was one of the many people who pinned dollar bills to Smiths lapel Tuesday. She met Smitty at Whataburger, where she usually goes twice a week for breakfast.
I see her every time Im here, Nowlin said. I cant believe shes 96 years old and still driving.
Smith makes the short trip to Whataburger in her 1968 Ford Torino, which she also occasionally uses to take friends to the doctor.
Its good transportation, cheap transportation, Smith said. It takes me where I want to go and if Im able, I will.
The Torino also lets her friends know shes inside.
I stop in when I see her car, said David Nation, a well-wisher who also had a birthday Tuesday. Hes 75.
Smith was raised a farmer gal in the cotton fields of Sweetwater, just west of Abilene. Her nephew Beasel T. Marchbanks of Aledo lived 35 miles away and remembers earning $1 for a days work and living in a house with no electricity.
Smith came to Fort Worth with a friend in 1939. She worked for eight years at General Dynamics and 15 at a Curtis Mathes assembly plant. Shes lived in the same house since 1963.
Shes very outgoing - she doesnt meet strangers, said Ann Whatley of Haltom City, who said she has been Smiths hairdresser for about 50 years.
Smith keeps on the go with regular visits to the salon, where she has her short hair styled in finger waves, or to church services at nearby Watson Memorial Nursing Home. She never married.
You want me to ruin my good life by getting married? she said. I wouldnt have no fun.
On Tuesday, surrounded by friends, she was having fun.
I love it, she said. I want to be 100.
LOL! Great story, Lauren! I want to be her some day! :o)
Me too sweetie!
I thought you might enjoy the story. Have a grrrrrreat day tomorrow! *HUGS*
LUV W,They belong to everyone.They are on the internet-steal.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.