Mississippi pilgrimage Part I

I am a lifelong Mississippi visitor. The trip has been a family pilgrimage all my life. This time was to surprise my Mimi with Mom & Cassie for her 87th birthday!
This is "The Boob & The Butt Peach" in Gaffney S.C. as my sister & I named it when we little. A cool landmark and giant sculpture of a peach, it looks like a big butt from the interstate and has what looked like a boob near the bottom to our juvenile minds. We have passed on a sense of anticipation and reverence for The Peach to my sister's kids. When you see it on the way down, it's the first Mississippi roadtrip landmark; good times are inevitable once you set your eye on this monument!
Seeing it on the way back home, you know you have nearly made it and you will soon be back home, it's a happy close to the end of a long journey.

We were all prepared for the 600 miles of fun armed with snacks and sandwiches with our names:

Cassie felt like a queen with the entire backseat to herself, a rare luxury. She is a spectacular traveling companion; initiating car games, asking questions, taking pictures for me when she sits in the front, talking about what all she's looking forward to once we get there and "just tryin' to keep the conversation goin'" in general. Rest assured, she will keep the party goin'.

As we rolled up into Mississippi, it was just before dark and gorgeous. You always roll down your window once you cross the Mississippi state line no matter how hot or cold it may be. Nothin' like that first blast of Mississippi air!

We got into Laurel a little after dark.

My Mimi lives in the renovated home of my great grandparents in the country. My Aunt Suzi and her family live there and Mimi just had her suite built onto it about a year ago. Suzie had planned a surprise "88th" birthday party for her...actually it was her 87th! She's still a spring chicken. Apparently, she's never had a birthday party in all 87 years! Suzie invited us to come for the long weekend but Mimi didn't know. The guise was, Suzie was throwing a baby shower for a friend-on Mimi's birthday. My Mom told Mimi on the phone "Suzie does so much for you, but I just think it is tacky to throw a baby shower on your birthday!" Really rubbing it in.
We walked into the house while Mom was on the phone with her, and as Mimi heard her voice on the phone and in her house at the same time, she thought "Well I don't know what button I mashed on this phone to make it sound like this!"
Cassie was so excited to be executing the surprise!

We walked into Mim's kitchen and surprised her, she was nearly speechless, and Cassie can mimic her reaction perfectly. It was a huge success!

I wrote in my journal, the old fashioned way, every night so I wouldn't lose a thing in my leaky memory.
We sat up and visited and recounted all the hilarious things that occurred on the drive down.
Mississippi Part I, complete!