“My brother and I moved to the Mobile area from Birmingham in November for a change of scenery. Almost everyone in my family had open heart surgery, and it was my turn last January. That was rough. I am tired and still hurt, but here I am at 68 years old enjoying my first Mardi Gras. The parades and crowd have been a good adventure and distraction. People have been so nice, and I give almost everything I catch to the new friends around me.

I have done a little bit of everything over my lifetime and cared for a lot of people. I worked in fast food restaurants, retail, and home health. I also worked in a hospital cafeteria and a nursing home.

I was almost 57 years old when I went back to school for culinary arts and got my associates degree. I was the oldest in my class, but I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn’t too old to do something like this. I love to bake and my specialty is red velvet cake. I made one in class and got it all over my white apron — it looked like blood. My teacher asked me who I had murdered.

My dad was a policeman in Birmingham for 31 ½ years. He was working in the Birmingham Jail when Martin Luther King was sent there. My mother and dad passed away years ago, and I still miss them. My brother and I are the last ones left. We may not be in great shape, but we are still living life and trying new things. We will be back for more Mardi Gras.”

Wanda