One More Story About My Nana

I just have to share this story. I was there when this happened, but I had forgotten about it until my Dad told this story during Nana's funeral yesterday.

If you know me IRL and have met my Dad, you know that he is quite "a character". He loves to amuse and entertain people, and he LOVES a good practical joke. But, when it comes to practical jokes, my Dad met his match 18 years ago when he met Nana.

I'm not sure how it all got started, but during the first 2 or 3 years that Papa and Nana were married, my Dad and Nana got into a little friendly competition of sorts, trying to see who could give each other the WORST Christmas gift. They would buy each other the cheapest, ugliest, most worthless thing they could possibly find, wrap in something awful, like the label off a can, or some toilet paper, and present their gifts to each other every Christmas.

I think the "object" of this game was to get the other person to FINALLY say "Oh, my word, that is the UGLIEST thing I have EVER seen!" or " Where in the world did you go shopping, the dump?" but neither of them would crack!
Nana would give Daddy the ugliest tie on earth, or a hideous hat, and he would put it on immediately, and wear it for the rest of the day. Daddy would give Nana some trinket that looked like it had been run over by a truck, or a wall hanging that looked like a pit bull had used it as a play toy, and Nana would exclaim that it was beautiful, and immediately put it on display. Neither one would "give in" to the other.

Last year, 4 or 5 months before Christmas, Daddy lost his favorite jacket. My Daddy loses things quite often, so none of us were terribly concerned about his jacket, as we asssumed it would turn up somewhere, sooner or later. But, Daddy really like this jacket, so he looked for it EVERYWHERE. He turned his house upside down, and even looked at my house and my sisters house. He tried to remember when the last time was that he remembered having the jacket, and attempted to retrace his steps, but he never did find that jacket. Finally, he gave up, and bought another jacket, but every time he wore it, he complained about how he just didn't like it as much as the one he'd lost.

When Christmas came around, we went to visit Papa and Nana. Nana opened Daddy's ugly little present for her, and proudly displayed it on her living room shelf. Then, she slipped out of the room. The children continued opening their presents, with much oohing and aahhing, but everyone got quiet when Nana walked back into the room with a big, beautiful box.

This box had been wrapped in gorgeous paper, complete with ribbon and bows. It looked lovely! Daddy, having expected something wrapped in toilet paper, was, for once, speechless. He began to open the box, looking quite confused. Then, he opened and looked inside, still not saying a word. No one else could yet see what was in that box. It seemed that Nana had finally "gotten" Daddy by letting him present her with his piece of junk, then giving him a "real" present!

The look on Daddy's face was priceless as he stared into that box and said "Well, Jeanette, I don't know what to say! What a nice jacket!"
Nana had a huge grin on her face and looked as if she were about to bust.
For my part, for just a minute, I was disappointed. What on earth was up with Nana giving Daddy a "real" present? That's no fun!

Then, Daddy slowly began to lift the jacket out of the box and hold it up for everyone to see. The room erupted in laughter as we all took a look. And we laughed even harder when it took several minutes for Daddy to be the last one to realize that he was sitting there holding HIS OWN JACKET, that he'd driven himself crazy over for the last several months!!! LOL!!

He'd left it at Papa and Nana's house, and instead of returning it, she decided to keep it and wrap it up for Christmas. Daddy had no choice but to admit defeat. Nana had gotten him, and she had gotten him good. I know she relished the moment when he stood and bowed to her, and decleared himself conquered by the joke master.

I don't know if the Lord ever lets His saints see what's going on down here on earth once they are in heaven, but if He ever does, I KNOW Nana was grinning again as Daddy told that story during her funeral yesterday.

You got him, Nana, and you got him GOOD! LOL!

Vicki