I'm Not Lisa, My Name is Suddie

It's not Sookie or Susie. It's Suddie.

You see Suddie was my dad's nanny and I am named after her. He would tell you that the term nanny is a little too fancy and doesn't really capture their relationship. Because, you know, they liked to watch Merv Griffin and Mike Douglas and Match Game together after dad came home from school. Now as I understand it Suddie had a son, Nathaniel, who lost one of his legs. And he and his wife Lilly May lived on a dry old hill. Suddie would sometimes call my dad and say "come get me off of this dry old hill" and they would go together to a restaurant called Bill Knapp's and have chicken and biscuits and ice cream cake deluxe. Suddie also had a daughter named Verneeda and I think I heard tell that Verneeda stabbed someone or that she was stabbed herself. But, other than that, I understand she was a very nice person.

My dad loved Suddie and he loves me. I guess that's why I'm named Suddie. I think it's an honor. You might call it an endearment.

I have a reverse painting on glass that shows Suddie in heaven surrounded by angels looking down on me. I am in bed with my favorite frisbee tucked in next to me. We were passing through Tucson, on our way to the Rio Grande or some such place, when we met the artist, Janet K. Miller (www.janetkmiller.com). She specialized in the painting of dogs. Reverse paintings on glass of dogs. Imagine. We visited her house/studio (it was funky, I loved the cement floors they were so nice and cool on my belly) and she wanted to know all about me, my favorite toys and pastimes, and about my name. Some currency was exchanged and with this information she created my painting. It's my favorite work of art. I call it the Suddie Lisa.