Seems like lots of folks are back from vacations now. The folks in Frankfort are already in in-service, with opening day on Monday. I had a back-to-school dream recently--same place, same folks, but I wasn't teaching. I was just visiting. I was upstairs in the copy room running something off for a friend, and I met my replacement. She lived in Georgetown and was asking about the possibility of a ride--sorry to tell you this, sis, but it isn't going to happen. I wonder how long I'll keep having these dreams? I wonder if they'll be like the "final exam" dream that continues for years and years after a person graduates from college.
Another recurrent dream, possibly brought on by Lydia and her baby-to-be: I dream that I'm pregnant, and that the pregnancy keeps going on and on for ever. Most recently, I dreamed that I had given birth, but that the baby was already a three-year-old Annie, or at least that was what I thought. Then Lydia found the REAL baby in a bassinet in the living room, under some blankets. He/she/it was okay but hungry--no telling how long it had been there without eating! I didn't get a chance to change its diaper before I woke up, so I don't know if it was a boy or a girl. There is some truth to that old joke about why women my age don't have babies--we'd for sure forget where we had put them!
Family updates and prayer requests:
1. Ann has a job! She will be teaching preschool in a Christian school near her apartment. Everyone is delighted for her. I don't know when she starts, but folks, I know she would appreciate your prayers. Daniel's family is much improved healthwise, but he really misses them. Pray that paperwork goes well, and that they will get a chance to be together soon.
2. Everett is going jet-skiing this weekend and rock-climbing next weekend with different groups from his church--college one week, middle school the next. Then immediately after that, he is leaving for Miami to help bring the Trinity University Miami branch's library into the 21st century. He and a team from the University in Deerfield will be there for a week. Pray for safety for both him and his campers and fellow team members. There is a lot of potential for danger in both situations, but also a lot of potential for fun.
3. Lydia's baby has decided she likes to sleep and live crosswise (breech) rather than head down. Right now it is less of a concern than it will be in five weeks or so, when it is time for her to come into the world. If she stays in her current position, Lydia will probably need a c-section. This is really causing her some worries, despite everyone's comments that c-sections are the way to go. I guess I passed that breech business on to my grandbaby--I did the same thing, resulting in my mom having to have a c-section. Shame on my lazy butt. I think she should name the baby Susan, just because of that. We're already showing similarities. Pray for Lydia's and Geron's peace of mind, and for Geron's continued support of her--he's been a Godsend so far.
4. David has a toothache and is going to need a root canal. His appointment isn't until the middle of August, which is no fun. Our dentist here at home has him on penicillin to prevent infection, but he is just toughing out the pain. You can probably figure out what and why to pray for him.
5. Me? Good news--I went in for my fourth or fifth diagnostic mammogram this morning, and I am now on the once-a-year screening schedule, rather than the twice-a-year diagnostic schedule! What a relief! Prayers of thanksgiving are appropriate here.
Well, now that you know more than you ever thought you would need to know about the Meadors family, feel free to pray for us as God puts it on your heart. Good night, and God bless.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Friday, July 21, 2006
Have You Missed Me?
This is Friday, day five of our sojourn with the Alurus. Need I say that we all stink by now? At least the Meadors' side of the family does, although we have had showers and brushed our teeth regularly. It's just time for us to get out of here, if we want to stay on the good side of our son-in-law #2. I told Annie the next time we came (and she didn't start screaming in horror), we would drag their bed into the living room and sleep in there, so that she and Daniel could have their bedroom back.
One might wonder how we spent fish day and the day Daniel took off work for vacation. Again, one might not, but I'm going to tell you anyway. On Wednesday, we spent most of the day running from grocery store to grocery store looking for lamb meat. Daniel wanted to fix lamb curry. Unfortunately, the grocery stores we tried here in Madison (Kroger's) and Hendersonville (Wal-Mart) had discontinued it. That was a big disappointment. I figure they will have a search on their hands like unto Little Bo Peep's. Wednesday afternoon, David fixed hamburger goulash along with corn, green beans, and sweet potatoes, for supper--it was supposed to be lunch, but it came ready closer to supper time. It was great. That night, Everett and I took our newly purchased pool noodles and headed toward the apartment complex swimming pool, only to meet Ann and Daniel on their way back from a walk with the news that the pool was closed. We went home, ate ice cream with Magic Shell, and conked out for the night.
On Thursday morning, everyone slept WAY too late. We had intended to head for the zoo at 8 or 9, but instead ended up eating "live" dosas that Daniel graciously cooked for us. We went to the Parthenon to see the statue of Athena, replicas of the Elgin marbles, and a nice little art gallery. After that we took Ann for a job interview and waited for her across the street at Jack-in-the Box. That was the entire family's first experience with JITB, and it is a nice little chain. We took our own sweet time eating lunch, saving Ann a french fry or two. When we picked her up, we took her to lunch at the same place. The woman at the counter got a kick out of Everett's comment: "You told us to come back soon--so we did." Gentle fun.
Daniel fixed supper for us--dal and rice. Really nice. After that, we went to the Ryman and saw Marty Stewart. That was a great show--a highlight of the trip. Eddy Stubbs, the announcer and a commentator on WJM, told us there was a difference between a concert and a show, and that Marty would do a show. He did. It was great. He had guests, Charlie Cushman, who plays banjo with Mike Snyder, Leroy Troy, a commedian and banjo player from Goodlettsville, the Sullivan family (also known to Everett as "Mighty Lemon Drops of Joy"), a gospel group--according to our family musicologist, the "first Bluegrass gospel group", and Connie Smith, Marty's wife. Did I say it was a great show?
Now we're packed, waiting for the clothes to finish drying in the dryer, and Ann and I are leaving shortly to get her hair cut. Then we're off to Lydia and Geron's. This has been a really good week. Love to all, and God bless.
One might wonder how we spent fish day and the day Daniel took off work for vacation. Again, one might not, but I'm going to tell you anyway. On Wednesday, we spent most of the day running from grocery store to grocery store looking for lamb meat. Daniel wanted to fix lamb curry. Unfortunately, the grocery stores we tried here in Madison (Kroger's) and Hendersonville (Wal-Mart) had discontinued it. That was a big disappointment. I figure they will have a search on their hands like unto Little Bo Peep's. Wednesday afternoon, David fixed hamburger goulash along with corn, green beans, and sweet potatoes, for supper--it was supposed to be lunch, but it came ready closer to supper time. It was great. That night, Everett and I took our newly purchased pool noodles and headed toward the apartment complex swimming pool, only to meet Ann and Daniel on their way back from a walk with the news that the pool was closed. We went home, ate ice cream with Magic Shell, and conked out for the night.
On Thursday morning, everyone slept WAY too late. We had intended to head for the zoo at 8 or 9, but instead ended up eating "live" dosas that Daniel graciously cooked for us. We went to the Parthenon to see the statue of Athena, replicas of the Elgin marbles, and a nice little art gallery. After that we took Ann for a job interview and waited for her across the street at Jack-in-the Box. That was the entire family's first experience with JITB, and it is a nice little chain. We took our own sweet time eating lunch, saving Ann a french fry or two. When we picked her up, we took her to lunch at the same place. The woman at the counter got a kick out of Everett's comment: "You told us to come back soon--so we did." Gentle fun.
Daniel fixed supper for us--dal and rice. Really nice. After that, we went to the Ryman and saw Marty Stewart. That was a great show--a highlight of the trip. Eddy Stubbs, the announcer and a commentator on WJM, told us there was a difference between a concert and a show, and that Marty would do a show. He did. It was great. He had guests, Charlie Cushman, who plays banjo with Mike Snyder, Leroy Troy, a commedian and banjo player from Goodlettsville, the Sullivan family (also known to Everett as "Mighty Lemon Drops of Joy"), a gospel group--according to our family musicologist, the "first Bluegrass gospel group", and Connie Smith, Marty's wife. Did I say it was a great show?
Now we're packed, waiting for the clothes to finish drying in the dryer, and Ann and I are leaving shortly to get her hair cut. Then we're off to Lydia and Geron's. This has been a really good week. Love to all, and God bless.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
The Stinky Day
Day three has arrived, after which both house guests and fish begin to stink--just ask Benjamin Franklin. Most of we (Daniel not included) did not leave this apartment until 12:00 noon. We spent our afternoon today eating lunch at a Mexican restaurant called El Rodeo. One of the highlights of the meal was trying to figure out the Jerry Springer-type show that was being broadcast in Spanish. It was way similar to what we see on Geraldo or Montel or something like that. We think it may have been that the teenaged/young adults on the show were rebelling against their parents. We weren't sure. We did manage to translate one caption, where a girl was saying, "Rufus (or whatever his name was) is not my father, and I have nothing but loathing for him." I think we got that one right. We didn't understand any of the other captions. Oh, yeah, the food was really good too. We ate all of it. Ann left a pile of greasy cheese on her plate and tried to tempt the rest of us with it, but we were really nearly full by then. We still had room for dessert, though. Flan, three-milk cake, and ice cream on a fried tortilla thingy. Good stuff. Oh, nearly forgot--Ann had a Malta drink. I thought it might be a root-beer thing, but it was more like carbonated molasses. Nobody wanted to share it or finish it off for her.
After that we spent some quality time buying toenail polish, face cleanser, a new camp chair (hers died), and groceries at Wal-Mart. Then we came home to read and nap some more. Not our typical vacation, but okay.
Love to all, and God bless.
After that we spent some quality time buying toenail polish, face cleanser, a new camp chair (hers died), and groceries at Wal-Mart. Then we came home to read and nap some more. Not our typical vacation, but okay.
Love to all, and God bless.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Vacation, day 1, 2, and part of 3
Okay. We are now in Nashville, at the apartment home of Vijay Aniel Louise Aluru Meadors. (Daniel doesn't like that name) We are completing the second day of our stay, and tonight we will begin the third day, after which fish and house guests begin to stink.
We had a fairly uneventful trip down. The biggest excitement was when I (who drove the lead vehicle) got behind a group of bicyclists on Pisgah Pike. This is a rural road, barely more than one lane, with no shoulders and quite a few curves. I just followed the bikers. The folks in the car directly behind me thought that was pretty dumb, I know, but that's what I did. One time I pulled out in a half-hearted attempt to pass the bikes, but then I spied a curve up ahead and decided to stay where I was. The following car's thoughts when the bikers stopped: "Is Mama going to stop, too?" I didn't, I went around the slow group and then followed the lead cyclists until they pulled over, too. After that, there was nothing to talk about in the caboose car other than, "I don't think I understand how that woman uses cruise control." I didn't--I couldn't figure it out. At the rest stop above Bowling Green, Everett took over the driving of the lead car and the rest of the trip proceeded without incident, except that he didn't get the hang of the Taurus' cruise control, either.
Daniel and Annie cooked chicken byriani and chicken curry for supper for us on Saturday. They are cooking as many meals as we will allow. It was good--we ate all the curry, lots of the rice, and much of the byriani. And all the green beans--forgot those. David and I were given the bedroom, and Ann, Daniel, and Everett slept in the living room. We had a great night's sleep.
Sunday morning, breakfast was rosemary bread, followed by Panera bagels--great, by the way--at church. Ann and Daniel attend a Vineyard fellowship in Hendersonville, about 15 minutes from their house on a Sunday morning. The fellowship is a new plant, only having been in existence about 7 months. It is small in number but great in spirit. They are meeting in an apartment complex clubhouse. It is weird to sit around on couches and upholstered chairs finishing up coffee during a worship service, but weird in a nice sort of way. This Baptist from a very traditional Baptist background found the contemporary-style Vineyard service to be, in my thinking, very much like the fellowships the early Christians must have had. I would go again.
We lunched at Black-Eyed Peas, a family-style restaurant in Hendersonville. Although we didn't get there until around 1 on a Sunday afternoon, we still had a thirty-minute wait. The food was worth the wait, though. Everyone seemed to enjoy what they had, and group consensus seemed to be that we would eat there again, if only for the basket of hot rolls and cornbread they brought before the entrees.
Sunday afternoon we all slept, all of us. We awoke around 6 and went to Old Hickory Lake, again near Hendersonville. Daniel considers this "his lake". David said on the way that he was looking forward to seeing the mother elephants washing their babies with their trunks--he claimed he was surprised there were no elephants there. There were ducks, boats heading into the marina, families fishing, little children throwing bread to the ducks--really a great family place. I got a kick out of a young man and his son who walked fairly close to us. The little boy was leading the way, walking with his head back, his tummy out, swinging his arms just like his daddy. The daddy was following behind loudly complaining about this two-year-old who still dirtied himself and then made an even bigger mess before daddy got him cleaned up--Two year old didn't seem to mind, just marched on in his "manliness". Too cute.
We came home to a late supper, the last of the byriani, kichiri (or something like that), peanut chutney and celery. It was probably almost 11 before we finished supper, and then we were asleep again.
Right now, Everett is reading, Ann and David are napping, and I am about to finish up my blog post for today. Our plans for today are to go to the Goodwill Superstore and try to find the knife Ann accidentally donated a while back, and then to go buy me a pair of Croc's and maybe another pair of shoes to replace the bag of shoes we left at home.
Love to all, and God bless.
We had a fairly uneventful trip down. The biggest excitement was when I (who drove the lead vehicle) got behind a group of bicyclists on Pisgah Pike. This is a rural road, barely more than one lane, with no shoulders and quite a few curves. I just followed the bikers. The folks in the car directly behind me thought that was pretty dumb, I know, but that's what I did. One time I pulled out in a half-hearted attempt to pass the bikes, but then I spied a curve up ahead and decided to stay where I was. The following car's thoughts when the bikers stopped: "Is Mama going to stop, too?" I didn't, I went around the slow group and then followed the lead cyclists until they pulled over, too. After that, there was nothing to talk about in the caboose car other than, "I don't think I understand how that woman uses cruise control." I didn't--I couldn't figure it out. At the rest stop above Bowling Green, Everett took over the driving of the lead car and the rest of the trip proceeded without incident, except that he didn't get the hang of the Taurus' cruise control, either.
Daniel and Annie cooked chicken byriani and chicken curry for supper for us on Saturday. They are cooking as many meals as we will allow. It was good--we ate all the curry, lots of the rice, and much of the byriani. And all the green beans--forgot those. David and I were given the bedroom, and Ann, Daniel, and Everett slept in the living room. We had a great night's sleep.
Sunday morning, breakfast was rosemary bread, followed by Panera bagels--great, by the way--at church. Ann and Daniel attend a Vineyard fellowship in Hendersonville, about 15 minutes from their house on a Sunday morning. The fellowship is a new plant, only having been in existence about 7 months. It is small in number but great in spirit. They are meeting in an apartment complex clubhouse. It is weird to sit around on couches and upholstered chairs finishing up coffee during a worship service, but weird in a nice sort of way. This Baptist from a very traditional Baptist background found the contemporary-style Vineyard service to be, in my thinking, very much like the fellowships the early Christians must have had. I would go again.
We lunched at Black-Eyed Peas, a family-style restaurant in Hendersonville. Although we didn't get there until around 1 on a Sunday afternoon, we still had a thirty-minute wait. The food was worth the wait, though. Everyone seemed to enjoy what they had, and group consensus seemed to be that we would eat there again, if only for the basket of hot rolls and cornbread they brought before the entrees.
Sunday afternoon we all slept, all of us. We awoke around 6 and went to Old Hickory Lake, again near Hendersonville. Daniel considers this "his lake". David said on the way that he was looking forward to seeing the mother elephants washing their babies with their trunks--he claimed he was surprised there were no elephants there. There were ducks, boats heading into the marina, families fishing, little children throwing bread to the ducks--really a great family place. I got a kick out of a young man and his son who walked fairly close to us. The little boy was leading the way, walking with his head back, his tummy out, swinging his arms just like his daddy. The daddy was following behind loudly complaining about this two-year-old who still dirtied himself and then made an even bigger mess before daddy got him cleaned up--Two year old didn't seem to mind, just marched on in his "manliness". Too cute.
We came home to a late supper, the last of the byriani, kichiri (or something like that), peanut chutney and celery. It was probably almost 11 before we finished supper, and then we were asleep again.
Right now, Everett is reading, Ann and David are napping, and I am about to finish up my blog post for today. Our plans for today are to go to the Goodwill Superstore and try to find the knife Ann accidentally donated a while back, and then to go buy me a pair of Croc's and maybe another pair of shoes to replace the bag of shoes we left at home.
Love to all, and God bless.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Official knee news
The doctor has called. At least his nurse called. He says all the x-rays show is arthritis in both the hip and knee. Why am I surprised? I could have told him that (and did, as a matter of fact). Why it gave out on me on Wednesday, no one knows. They said they could write me a prescription for pain meds if I need it, but I seriously do not need pain medication. I just need something to make my knee hold weight! They also told me if it wasn't better by Monday, to call. I guess that will have to wait until Monday a week. We're still going on vacation!
Love to all, and God bless.
Love to all, and God bless.
Knee News
There isn't any. I can hobble to the john, I can hobble to the computer, but I don't do anything in the kitchen or anywhere else in the house--except my recliner.
I guess we'll hear later today, and if, and when, I do, I'll try to spread the news. I did sleep well last night, though, and got to the bathroom this morning with a minimum of stumbling. Love to all, and God bless.
I guess we'll hear later today, and if, and when, I do, I'll try to spread the news. I did sleep well last night, though, and got to the bathroom this morning with a minimum of stumbling. Love to all, and God bless.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Friday, July 07, 2006
MVB for MVP, part 2
Correction to last post: Libby said I had a lot of my details right in the last post, except that her mom died five days before Christmas after my mom married my dad, so Mom wasn't there at the time, and she was around 8 when her dad died.
Soooooo we have a ten-year-old orphan living with her grandmother. We visited Granny and Libby when I was little. I remember on one visit, Libby took me to the store near their house. About all I remember about the store was the wooden floor, and that I wasn't tall enough to see over the counter. (As far as I was concerned, stores didn't start selling merchandise until I was about six--then I was tall enough to see what was there.) I also remember the smell of roasted peanuts. We probably bought candy, since Libby was a big candy kid--candy and soft drinks. Daddy said she would have a bowl of chili and an RC for breakfast as often as she could.
When Libby was 16, about to be a senior in high school, Granny got pretty sick. She wasn't able to take care of Libby anymore by herself, not that Libby was a problem, just that Granny wasn't well. They moved to Eminence and moved in with Mama, Daddy, Mike and me. That was so much fun. Libby would play with us and take us to the drug store for ice cream. She also walked to school with me. I started the first grade the same year she started her senior year, and we were both in the same school. I loved having an older sister around. There are pictures of me dressed up in her prom dress. I also remember being so envious of her getting to go to Florida on the senior class trip! We never even got to do that when I graduated from school, 12 years later.
Libby said Tuesday that Granny lived long enough to get her raised. She picked out Gene Banta for Libby. Gene was the older brother of one of Libby's school friends, Naomi. He had three sisters, ranging in age from senior in high school to a second-grader. I'm sure Daddy checked out his background--Gene was from a farm family. His father died when he was a boy, in a farm accident--his tractor turned over on him. So he and Lib both had grown up without a father at home. Once they were dating steadily, Granny died. Libby continued living with us and moved with us to LaGrange. She and Gene got married at the Methodist Church in Eminence the year after she graduated from high school. Pretty soon after that, Gene was in the Army, and Martha Ann was on the way.
After Martha was born, Libby was still living in LaGrange. She had a little apartment not far from our house. From the apartment, she moved into a trailer, then into again into another trailer, still in LaGrange. I loved to get to sleep over at her "house". Pretty soon, Gene was home from the Army, and the boys were coming along regularly--David, then the three younger ones, Jimmy, Mark, and Kenny Mike, five children under the age of 7, I think. A full house! Libby said the other day that she had always envied her next-door neighbor and life-long friend Alma as a child--Alma had maybe upwards of 8 siblings--so she decided to have a big family, too! What I also remember her telling me, though, was that all Gene had to do was sneeze, and she was pregnant. I remembered that when I had my own family and tried to keep my David's allergies under control.
By then they had moved to Louisville. I was in high school, and Libby was busy raising children. We loved to have her and her family come to visit, and we loved going to visit them. We also liked to take the kids places. Once we took Martha and David to the circus, at Freedom Hall in Louisville. They looked so cute. Martha had her hair French-braided--did I mention that Libby was a whiz with hair?, and David had on this cute little suit with button-up short pants that he had worn as a ring bearer in one of Gene's sisters' weddings. David did NOT like the noise at the circus--he cried, and Daddy had him in his lap, with his hands over his ears. About halfway through the circus, David had to go to the bathroom. Daddy had a dilemma--here was this little fellow who wouldn't let him take his hands off his ears, but he HAD to take him to the bathroom. Finally David agreed to walk out, holding Daddy's hand, and they went to the BR. When they got to the john, Daddy proceeded to unbutton the shorts--maybe six buttons. They were like sailor pants and buttoned on either side. Once he got them undone, he found out that wasn't necessary, that David still sat down to pee, so all he really had to do was to pull them down. That story got a lot of mileage in years to come.
Okay, Libby sounds like a nice enough person, right? I'm sitting here trying to figure out how to convey to you how special she is, and I think it's going to be a while before I get that figured out--look for more on Libby in another post.
Soooooo we have a ten-year-old orphan living with her grandmother. We visited Granny and Libby when I was little. I remember on one visit, Libby took me to the store near their house. About all I remember about the store was the wooden floor, and that I wasn't tall enough to see over the counter. (As far as I was concerned, stores didn't start selling merchandise until I was about six--then I was tall enough to see what was there.) I also remember the smell of roasted peanuts. We probably bought candy, since Libby was a big candy kid--candy and soft drinks. Daddy said she would have a bowl of chili and an RC for breakfast as often as she could.
When Libby was 16, about to be a senior in high school, Granny got pretty sick. She wasn't able to take care of Libby anymore by herself, not that Libby was a problem, just that Granny wasn't well. They moved to Eminence and moved in with Mama, Daddy, Mike and me. That was so much fun. Libby would play with us and take us to the drug store for ice cream. She also walked to school with me. I started the first grade the same year she started her senior year, and we were both in the same school. I loved having an older sister around. There are pictures of me dressed up in her prom dress. I also remember being so envious of her getting to go to Florida on the senior class trip! We never even got to do that when I graduated from school, 12 years later.
Libby said Tuesday that Granny lived long enough to get her raised. She picked out Gene Banta for Libby. Gene was the older brother of one of Libby's school friends, Naomi. He had three sisters, ranging in age from senior in high school to a second-grader. I'm sure Daddy checked out his background--Gene was from a farm family. His father died when he was a boy, in a farm accident--his tractor turned over on him. So he and Lib both had grown up without a father at home. Once they were dating steadily, Granny died. Libby continued living with us and moved with us to LaGrange. She and Gene got married at the Methodist Church in Eminence the year after she graduated from high school. Pretty soon after that, Gene was in the Army, and Martha Ann was on the way.
After Martha was born, Libby was still living in LaGrange. She had a little apartment not far from our house. From the apartment, she moved into a trailer, then into again into another trailer, still in LaGrange. I loved to get to sleep over at her "house". Pretty soon, Gene was home from the Army, and the boys were coming along regularly--David, then the three younger ones, Jimmy, Mark, and Kenny Mike, five children under the age of 7, I think. A full house! Libby said the other day that she had always envied her next-door neighbor and life-long friend Alma as a child--Alma had maybe upwards of 8 siblings--so she decided to have a big family, too! What I also remember her telling me, though, was that all Gene had to do was sneeze, and she was pregnant. I remembered that when I had my own family and tried to keep my David's allergies under control.
By then they had moved to Louisville. I was in high school, and Libby was busy raising children. We loved to have her and her family come to visit, and we loved going to visit them. We also liked to take the kids places. Once we took Martha and David to the circus, at Freedom Hall in Louisville. They looked so cute. Martha had her hair French-braided--did I mention that Libby was a whiz with hair?, and David had on this cute little suit with button-up short pants that he had worn as a ring bearer in one of Gene's sisters' weddings. David did NOT like the noise at the circus--he cried, and Daddy had him in his lap, with his hands over his ears. About halfway through the circus, David had to go to the bathroom. Daddy had a dilemma--here was this little fellow who wouldn't let him take his hands off his ears, but he HAD to take him to the bathroom. Finally David agreed to walk out, holding Daddy's hand, and they went to the BR. When they got to the john, Daddy proceeded to unbutton the shorts--maybe six buttons. They were like sailor pants and buttoned on either side. Once he got them undone, he found out that wasn't necessary, that David still sat down to pee, so all he really had to do was to pull them down. That story got a lot of mileage in years to come.
Okay, Libby sounds like a nice enough person, right? I'm sitting here trying to figure out how to convey to you how special she is, and I think it's going to be a while before I get that figured out--look for more on Libby in another post.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
MVB Party for our family's MVP, Part I
Her eminence asked me about the Mitral Valve Birthday Party, so here goes.
You have read references to my cousin Libby in the blog. If God only allows one good thing to happen to you for the rest of your lives, and you get to choose what it is, meeting Libby and becoming a part of her extended family should rank pretty high up there on your list. Libby was one of the sisters I didn't have but SHOULD have. She is the only child of my mother's sister Florence.
Here's the kind of person Florence was: she didn't have a middle name, so when people asked her what her whole name was, she would say, "Florence Ann Rebecca Tincher". (You might notice that two of my children also have the names Ann and Rebecca.) I never got to meet Florence, since she died before I was born. She had rheumatic fever as a child and had a weak heart. That didn't stop her from being a wild, fun-loving person. We have pictures of her where she has this great, free-spirit, beautiful smile on her face. (My daughter Ann bears an uncanny resemblance to her.) Florence was several years older than Mom, old enough that Mom was her bratty little sister. Mom said she used to love to dress up in Florence's clothes (and get in trouble for it). Mom also remembered going to Nashville with Florence on a bus to see the Grand Ole Opry. Mom said she hated the Opry--but sometimes now I wonder if she really did.
Florence married Herb Bynum. I have no details of their romance or early married life, but I bet Libby does. All I know about Herbie was that he had red hair, he was a barber, and he had tuberculosis. At the time that he got sick with TB, the accepted treatment was isolation in the Waverly Hills TB sanitorium in Louisville, so Herb went there, leaving Florence and baby Libby with my granny, Florence's mom. Herb died way young, maybe when Libby was around six years old.
Florence made a living for Libby and herself, and helped to support my Granny, with whom they lived. My mom also lived there at the time. Florence Ann Rebecca worked really hard, maybe at Steiden's Grocery, a hat factory, seems like a dry goods store (think Dillard's, you young folks). One day two or three days before Christmas, when Libby was still a little thing (maybe about 8 or 9), Florence came home from work and told Granny that she thought she'd lie down for a while. When she hadn't awakened after a couple of hours, someone checked on her and found she had died. Too early a loss of one of the world's great people, in my opinion.
All this knowledge to get to the place where Libby was an orphan at the ripe old age of 10. How that affected her life is the subject of a future post.
Love to all, and God bless.
You have read references to my cousin Libby in the blog. If God only allows one good thing to happen to you for the rest of your lives, and you get to choose what it is, meeting Libby and becoming a part of her extended family should rank pretty high up there on your list. Libby was one of the sisters I didn't have but SHOULD have. She is the only child of my mother's sister Florence.
Here's the kind of person Florence was: she didn't have a middle name, so when people asked her what her whole name was, she would say, "Florence Ann Rebecca Tincher". (You might notice that two of my children also have the names Ann and Rebecca.) I never got to meet Florence, since she died before I was born. She had rheumatic fever as a child and had a weak heart. That didn't stop her from being a wild, fun-loving person. We have pictures of her where she has this great, free-spirit, beautiful smile on her face. (My daughter Ann bears an uncanny resemblance to her.) Florence was several years older than Mom, old enough that Mom was her bratty little sister. Mom said she used to love to dress up in Florence's clothes (and get in trouble for it). Mom also remembered going to Nashville with Florence on a bus to see the Grand Ole Opry. Mom said she hated the Opry--but sometimes now I wonder if she really did.
Florence married Herb Bynum. I have no details of their romance or early married life, but I bet Libby does. All I know about Herbie was that he had red hair, he was a barber, and he had tuberculosis. At the time that he got sick with TB, the accepted treatment was isolation in the Waverly Hills TB sanitorium in Louisville, so Herb went there, leaving Florence and baby Libby with my granny, Florence's mom. Herb died way young, maybe when Libby was around six years old.
Florence made a living for Libby and herself, and helped to support my Granny, with whom they lived. My mom also lived there at the time. Florence Ann Rebecca worked really hard, maybe at Steiden's Grocery, a hat factory, seems like a dry goods store (think Dillard's, you young folks). One day two or three days before Christmas, when Libby was still a little thing (maybe about 8 or 9), Florence came home from work and told Granny that she thought she'd lie down for a while. When she hadn't awakened after a couple of hours, someone checked on her and found she had died. Too early a loss of one of the world's great people, in my opinion.
All this knowledge to get to the place where Libby was an orphan at the ripe old age of 10. How that affected her life is the subject of a future post.
Love to all, and God bless.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Reunion update
We decided not to go to the Brumback reunion. Libby called David while I was out running errands and said she and Dexter weren't going. When I got home, I talked to Linda. She hadn't left LaGrange yet, so she didn't go to the official Brumback reunion either. It just isn't the fun it used to be. There are so few people there that I know--David seems to know more of them than I do. And we never see them or contact them during the year--no phone calls, no Christmas cards. We do occasionally run into Franklin at Libby's.
I believe Libby's house is our new reunion headquarters. We are going there tomorrow after church. We do have to stay at church for the whole service, though, since the choir is singing. I believe, just for old time's sake, that I may wear a skirt and a shirt, with a pair of shorts underneath--or at least in a bag in the car! I'm not sure what I'll take--maybe a broccoli slaw. David says we won't take dessert, that there is always plenty of that--and boy, is he right!
Tuesday, the official Mitral Valve Birthday, Libby invited us to come to Louisville again and to bring Sam, Ting, and baby Alex with us. Sam said they were looking forward to the "party". We'll probably bring Aniel too, since they are supposed to be in town Monday afternoon and night. Libby said there wouldn't be as many folks there, since the main part of her clan was gathering on Sunday. I know there are folks who will enjoy the change of pace from the usual gatherings.
I love you all, and God bless.
I believe Libby's house is our new reunion headquarters. We are going there tomorrow after church. We do have to stay at church for the whole service, though, since the choir is singing. I believe, just for old time's sake, that I may wear a skirt and a shirt, with a pair of shorts underneath--or at least in a bag in the car! I'm not sure what I'll take--maybe a broccoli slaw. David says we won't take dessert, that there is always plenty of that--and boy, is he right!
Tuesday, the official Mitral Valve Birthday, Libby invited us to come to Louisville again and to bring Sam, Ting, and baby Alex with us. Sam said they were looking forward to the "party". We'll probably bring Aniel too, since they are supposed to be in town Monday afternoon and night. Libby said there wouldn't be as many folks there, since the main part of her clan was gathering on Sunday. I know there are folks who will enjoy the change of pace from the usual gatherings.
I love you all, and God bless.
Julie
Read Julie's blog, folks. She has a gift. It's called Mental Meanderings. Here's the url: http://mom2alexv.blogspot.com/ Since I still haven't managed to get the kinks worked out as to posting links, you will have to copy and paste. But I guarantee it is worth reading. Love to all, and God bless.
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