When Alline and Clarice were able, I used to like to take them for a ride over to the farm. Naturally their favorite place to see was the front porch at Ronald and Mary Lou’s house. But the visit was not complete until we came back and stopped at Donald’s front yard to look at “Kathy’s flowers.” Both Alline and Clarice love flowers, but this lawn/garden had special meaning because it was a reminder of the person who planted it, our sister-in-law Kathy. Continue reading “Kathy remembered”
Uncle Jesse remembered
My brother-in-law Jesse was probably one of the kindest men I have ever known. He must have learned his caring nature at an early age. He had plenty to be bitter about, but he was the opposite. He lost his mother when he was only 16. Before then the family had lost a child of three by drowning,* and later on in Jesse’s life, his younger brother Virgil was killed in WWII. Jesse had to drop out of school at his mother’s death to take care of his baby sister. Continue reading “Uncle Jesse remembered”
Reflections on families and flowers
Bet all of you have noticed the small blue blossoms along the interstate this summer and probably during summers before. This blue flower is called chicory. Hazel said the Indians once used it for tea, and maybe they still do…like the folks in New Orleans. But Mom would fuss when she tasted chicory in her coffee. Mom was serious about her coffee. Continue reading “Reflections on families and flowers”
Mary Lou’s birthday
Today is the birthday of my sister-in-law Mary Lou Williams. I knew her as Mary Lou Putteet when we were classmates at Middleburg High School in the l950’s. Mary Lou was always a very pretty girl with honest-to-goodness blond hair. I liked her even before she met my brother and became part of the family. Among other things, we had four years of Mrs. Brock’s rigorous English classes together. One thing I especially liked about Mary Lou was that she didn’t seem to mind that I had the quirky habit of carrying a dictionary around with me. She just accepted me. Sometime during our senior year she and my brother Ronald met each other. Well, you know the rest of that story. Continue reading “Mary Lou’s birthday”
Bruce memory
Tomorrow would have been my nephew Bruce’s birthday. He was Ernest and Ginny’s second son, your cousin Danny’s younger brother. He was a nice young man. At the time of this picture, Mark, Kim, and I were living with Frank and Marcella in the same house where Alline now lives. I think it was a Sunday afternoon. Continue reading “Bruce memory”
My sister-in-law Marcella
For the last several days from time to time, I have thought how I would like to go visit Marcella. I wish I could. Remember her greetings when you would visit, her smiling, inviting you in, even when it was hard for her simply to be standing? Remember the blooming plants all across her front porch? Her house seemed like a happy place though life grew harder and harder for her. And can you remember her wide kitchen with the cabinets that Frank had built for her and the big window where not-quite-ripe tomatoes were sitting in a row for the morning sun? Continue reading “My sister-in-law Marcella”
My brother Frank’s birthday
Clarice and Alline have both talked about something they remember about the morning after Frank was born. They said that Aunt Lola, who was staying with Mom, showed the baby to them and said, “Now just look at your little blue-eyed brother.” Both of them also recall that Frank had curly hair right on top of his head even when he was very small. One memory that Hazel told me about happened when Frank was just a toddler. She said one day he got a new pair of overalls. The girls thought he looked cute, so they wanted to show him off. She remembered that they led him out across the field (in front of Ronald’s house today) to Grandma Williams’ house (still standing) to let Grandma see her little grandson. They were very proud of him. Continue reading “My brother Frank’s birthday”
My brother Ernest
Today is the anniversary of my brother Ernest’s birthday. You may remember that Ronald and Danny both wrote wonderful tributes to Ernest about a year ago. If you can, I encourage you to read them again. They are outstanding. With the following thoughts, I would like to honor my brother, too. If you knew Ernest, you cannot help but miss him now that he is gone I miss his laughter. I miss his stories. I miss his energy and happy presence in our gatherings. He was a wonderful brother. Continue reading “My brother Ernest”