Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!

Souvenir

Elmwood Springs, Missouri

November 1968

When Norma and Macky returned home after visiting Dena in New York, the first thing they did was to go over to Aunt Elner’s house and give her the souvenirs they had brought for her knickknack shelf. One was a little bronze Statue of Liberty and another an Empire State Building paperweight with fake snow inside. Two hours later she called Norma with the paperweight in her hand.

“Norma?”

“Yes, honey?”

“You might have to come over here and take this paperweight away from me.”

“Why?”

“I can’t stop myself from shaking it up; it’s just like a little winter in there, isn’t it?”

“Well, I’m glad you like it. We didn’t know what to get you.”

“Oh, I’m just getting the biggest kick out of it, you have no idea.”

“Good.”

“And Baby Girl really seemed like she was getting along all right?”

“Oh, yes, but we didn’t get to spend nearly enough time with her. They have her working morning, noon, and night.”

“Is she still too skinny?”

“No, she’s filled out and has quite a nice shape.”

“Did she like her fig preserves?”

“Oh, yes, she was tickled pink to get them. She probably never gets anything homemade; they all eat in restaurants up there day and night.”

“Well, bless her heart. Do you reckon she might like some hickory nuts? I’ve got a barrel full out on the porch. My tree just went crazy on me this year. Maybe I’ll make her one of my hickory nut cakes with the caramel icing; do you reckon she’d like that?”

“I’m sure she would.”

“It’s still hard to believe Baby Girl is a grown-up woman! Last time I saw her she wasn’t no bigger than a minute; what was she, four?”

“Four or five.”

Then Aunt Elner asked the same question she did every time they discussed Dena.

“Did she mention anything about her mother?”

“Not a word.”

“Well, what would you say if she did?”

“I’ll just answer whatever questions she has as truthfully as I can, that’s all I can do. As it is, she doesn’t say anything and neither do I. I will have to follow her lead on it.”

There was a pause. “That’s got to be a hard thing for her to come to terms with, don’t you think?” said Aunt Elner. “You know it must prey on her mind.”

“I don’t know, Aunt Elner, but I imagine it’s hurtful for her to even think about so I just don’t bring it up.”

“Yes, that’s probably best. Well, honey, thank you again for my present. I sure am enjoying it … and tell Macky to run over here for a minute, will you? My back door’s stuck again.”

“OK, I’ll tell him.”

Aunt Elner hung up and turned the glass paperweight upside down one more time and watched the tiny pieces of fake snow swirl and settle around the miniature Empire State Building and said out loud to herself, “Look at that … it’s like it says, a winter wonderland.”

A day later Norma sat down and wrote a letter.

Mr. Wayne Newton

c/o the Tonight Show, NBC

New York City

Dear Mr. Newton,

Just a note to say hello again. As you know my husband and I and our Aunt Elner have always been your biggest fans. We always watch you when you are on television and have all your albums, and four years ago were lucky enough to see you when you performed at the Missouri State Fair.

So you can imagine how grateful we are to our cousin Dena Nordstrom for giving us an opportunity to actually meet you in person and get an autographed picture. It was the highlight of our trip.

You were so sweet to us and we were happy to find out that you are such a nice, down-to-earth person. I know that you travel a lot and probably don’t get a chance to get to church so I’m sending you a subscription to the Daily Word and some fig preserves from our Aunt Elner. Mr. Newton, if you ever get anywhere near Elmwood Springs, Missouri, please know you have a place to stay and I can promise you some good home cooking. I am sure you must get tired of hotel food and we would love to have you as our guest.

Best wishes,

Mrs. Norma Warren

P.S. You are now on our “Wall of Fame” in a prominent place next to our cousin.