Aunt Leah

I didn’t even know I had an Aunt Leah until I was nineteen years old.

We were in Miami for a long weekend and as we waited for her to pick us up from our hotel I was given a quick character sketch.

She was the family black sheep.

Was a flapper in her youth.

Ran with bootleggers.

Had been married more than four times (they lost count) and it was suggested she didn’t always legally divorce one husband before moving on to the next.

She had written a book about her misspent youth on Long Island (which I searched for when I got home but could never find!)

In other words she was a true eccentric!

She lived up to all my expectations the moment I saw her!

A crazy old lady, bigger than life with a loud voice and a contagious laugh! Her high heels were at least two sizes too big for her feet, she carried a huge straw handbag, had flaming red lipstick that matched her cats eye sunglasses and her dyed too dark for her age black hair piled high on her head!

I liked her immediately!