I sat at the kitchen table with my mother-in-law, Iva Dee; we sipped coffee, read bits and pieces in the paper, and had our last chat prior to her visit ending.  The morning paper had numerous photos and articles about Lady Bird Johnson�s life and death and our conversation followed suit.  Was I shocked when Iva Dee quipped, "I guess you knew my mother attended grade school with Lyndon Johnson in Johnson City, Texas?" 

No, I'd not heard that story!  I chuckled when Iva mentioned her mother didn't like Lyndon.  Maybe he pulled her pigtails or dipped them in the inkwell on his desk?

It only seems right to recognize Lady Bird since I am writing from the state she loved; the state that was her home.  She made a lasting impact on our country, most notably with her beautification programs and it is evident as you travel the highways of our nation.  Even within the Dallas city limits it's not unusual to find street medians alive with native wild flowers in bloom.  Their vibrant colors dance on the breeze and soon chase away the dread of being entangled in traffic.

Claudia Alta Taylor was born in Karnack, Texas, just 10 miles from the Louisiana border.  I often wondered how she acquired such an unusual nickname.  Nursemaid, Alice Tittle, was tending Claudia one day when she exclaimed, "You're just as purty as a lady bird."  It was as simple as that; the moniker was coined.