How can we say goodbye?

That is the title of the song the Tift County Chorus sings at the end of every school year. I think it is very appropriate as we watch Carol and Joe drive off towards the mountains, littering the way with discarded possessions but taking all the memories with them.

In my childhood Carol was the one who got us in trouble.

I know it was she who convinced Jimmy to be a monkey and swing from branch to branch till he lay there dangling and gasping for air. I had to share in the spanking that followed. She was the queen of the bedroom we three shared. She arranged it and assigned spots. That is why I can sleep on the floor with only a thin blanket to throw over my shivering body. In our teen years she designed and sewed our wardrobe. We had swatches to indicate our choice for the day since we all wore the same size. Guess who got first choice? She introduced me to the wild side of life when I visited her in Jacksonville after graduating high school. I don't think I was quite ready for bar hopping.

When I became a mother, she sent clothes for Jennifer and flew me and Jen down so I could show off my baby to everyone. She was with me when Helen was born and still bears the mark in her palms to prove it. She has kept my children at various times when I was dealing with family crisis elsewhere. I would still be stuck in PA if she hadn't come up and driven the car back down for us. I think everyone knows from her blog the things she has done concerning Timothy.

Ours has not been a perfect relationship. We have had our moments. I certainly don't want to diminish Susan in any way either. To me the definition of family is to know the faults and overlook them and to love in spite of. I hope we will always be "of one heart."

A Cross Between Jen and Carol

Jen has been talking about books and Carol has been getting rid of a lot of them. G-dad is cleaning out to make room for some from CArol so I have those which I will pass along to Susan or Helen. Get all that? The ones from G-dad are cookbooks. That got me thinking about how that is one thing I share with G-mom. I love "reading " cookbooks. That is about the only thing I read these days besides stuff for seminary. I know it drives my familly crazy but I am always looking for something new and different to cook. I often hear "what is wrong with the way you used to do it?" At least I am sociable when I am cooking. I have become very selective about my cookbook collection. I love the little regional books put out by schools. In the ones Dad gave me were a collection published by Relief Society sisters way back in the sixties. I also have one from the boy scout troop in PA that Dave and Donald belonged to, a school in Alaska from Donald's aunt, and one from the American Legion post in Waycross. My cookbooks are a type of family history if one takes time to look and listen to the stories behind them. Maybe one of the great granddaughters will carry on this family tradition.

Timber!

There is a tree by the G-parents house that has been getting way to big for its space. We decided yesterday was sthe day for it to begin to come down. Dave climbed up a ladder onto the roof with a chainsaw and began the process of trimming branches. Yes, Eileen and Dave have insurance. Eileen needs to blog about that family joke. Donald climbed up on the overhang to assist Dave. The rest of us stood around cheering them on and praying, and praying, etc. G-dad told us how when he was sixteen he could cut a tree to go precisely where he wanted it to go. Luckily the only mess up has been the disconnecting of the bat-phone line in the gathering area.

Video Link

http://www.sgasports.net/new/images/stories/shine/movingwall.wmv

If you follow this link you can view a terrific video made by a local gentleman. I hope Susan doesn't mind me listing this, I just wanted to make sure everyone sees it. It is of the Moving Wall and has a great closeup of the Grandparents.