Tammy looked at me, then over at my aunt and continued, “They were black.  Can you believe it?  Herb got himself a whole house full of little pickaninny grandbabies. So the first day of every New Year, I love to call Herb.  I love my voice be the first thing he hears, an annual reminder of what he's done to himself.  So I called him this morning, told your aunt I’d do it there in the room so she could hear me, and I called Herb and said ‘Here’s to another Happy New Year, darling.  Praised be to the good Lord, and may he bless each and every one of your little Pickaninny grandbabies.’   Well, old Herb, he slammed the phone down, but not before he heard me,” Tammy said.  “Now isn’t that the way to start out the New Year.”

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