Our Gardner does Great Work~

Early Birthday ~ Brundidge

Left-Right: Johnny, Loretta, Turner [behind], Steve & Carol [behind Steve, Jonell & Ted, Patrick & David,Rita with Reagan in front. [explanation for "gun" Loretta is holding. It's a pellet gun she had retrieved from Reagan] We tried to use the bridal wreath  as the backdrop; don't know quite why we ended up in front of it.

They said this was supposed to be a seventy-th birthday celebration..but surely they didn't mean ME..mine is not until the 29th.

[there were only 8 things wrong with this day..the 8 who are missing from this picture: Deanna, Tim, Dylan, Zack, Samantha, Ethan, Ryan & Sarah]

Your Invitation~

~ Pour yourself a Cup of your Fav Tea, turn the TV off, Pull up a Chair and soak in all the Pretties I have scattered about the house for you - join the conversation-Leave Me a comment, feedback you want to share. If I did not like tea I would drink it anyway just to have an excuse for collecting pretty tea cups and teapots.

I look forward to your input!  http://mygrammashouse.blogspot.com/

Daddy's Girl~

Aren't we all? If we were not Daddy's Girl we were wanting to be. Fortunately I as the oldest child and my sister as the youngest got to have that kind of "daddy's girl" relationship with our Dad.

My father was not the most upstanding citizen in the community.  He was not always a picture of respectability or being responsible.  He was not "always there for us." I am reasonably sure he was not always a faithful husband.  He let us down. He left us in a lurch numerous times. Daddy was not a Wise Man.  He was not always the example his two sons and two daughters should have had.  Oftentimes he did not even come close to 'measuring up,' as a father, husband and man.

Having said that I have to share these additional thoughts and observations. My Daddy did always love us. I knew that. He taught me to do things like tying my shoes, learning the alphabet, counting, memorizing multiplication tables.  He taught me to "tell time." I think that was about the first or second grade if not earlier. Daddy only attended school through the fifth grade.  He taught me what he knew and was learning. Daddy didn't go to church with me..but he never hindered me from going or discouraged me concerning church or what I was taught. If he had money he always gave me money for the offering at church..back then if you had a penny or two you knew you had it covered. You had an offering for church.

I know my Daddy was proud of me; I never doubted that. In 1957 when I was in the 10th grade my Dad stood outside the school auditorium and watched through the window as I received a satin and tinsle crown and bouquet of red roses as Miss Patterson High School of 1957.  I wasn't aware of this until  weeks afterward when my Mother told me.  I was never sure if he didn't go inside because he felt he was not dressed well enough or if admission was more than he could pay.  Realistically, if there was a charge it would not have been more than a dollar. I never asked him. 

My Daddy had a sense of humor.  Perhaps I might describe him as a 'charmer' .  I realize as I look back at some of the photos saved in my inner photo album that Daddy didn't lie easily.  I recall conversations between him and Mama when I suspect he was lying and he didn't do it well.  That would be a good trait.  Daddy didn't use good judgement in choosing friends and he was not strong as a leader. He was not a man of strong character.  He was easily led by others and there were always consequences our family paid for those poor choices in following others.

I saw how he hurt my Mother.  She didn't talk a lot about it but children see and hear and perceive more than adults often know.  He broke my Mother's heart but he didn't break her spirit.  She was encouraged to leave him and by most anyone's standards she had justification. She did not. She stood strong and faithful in every way. The struggles that were more than  a few lasted until the last few years of their lives together. Of course that saddens me even today [after they are both gone years ago] It saddens me that my Mother [ & Daddy too] didn't live long enough to know the joy of seeing the wonderful life we have had and how their Grandchildren grew up [quickly] to be such fine adults.

The saddest reality to deal with is that I have no assurance that My Daddy will be in Heaven when we get there.

For my Mother I thank God for the knowledge that she'll enjoy Heaven for eternity.

[My Mother: Another chapter-another time].

I couldn't write this any other way. This is the way it was. It cannot be changed now.

God did show me that in the middle of all those negatives there was still something for which to be thankful: "My father was not 'a good man' but he was A WONDERFUL DADDY."

Something Yummo Good~

I've just been waiting for something good to post. 

Got it! A Bacon-Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich on a really good bread w/ real Mayo. 

It should be cheap & easy to feed me traveling because I think I could eat a BLT EVERYDAY..SERIOUSLY!

[ btw: the only way it can be better is with FRESH FROM YOUR BACKYARD TOMATOES/not the supermarket]

Cousins~All

Thinking of the people with whom we grew up and graduated from high school with -someone said about those of us in the same little community of Mershon,Georgia: "We were like family.  We played together, ate together, slept with and went to church & school together. "
Perhaps today that seems a strange statement but it is true. We were all just like cousins.. Could that be where the phrase "kissing cousins" comes from?
Thanks for the thought gsw-t !

Mershon Georgia Girl~Going Home!

Going Home...that would be for me the Community of Mershon, Georgia, Pierce county- "southeast Georgia."

It is first of all one of those places too small to be called a town-perhaps just a Crossroads-but stretched out over  acres & miles. The people make it  Community.

More than anything else Mershon/southeast Georgia is [as has been said before] an attitude, a state of mind.  Going home brings a sudden gasp  as you recognize that little place alongside the road..it's still there!  Funny how you can spot a turn in the road that still looks familiar in spite of time and heartbreaking changes. It is equally emotional and shocking to suddenly arrive at a once familiar landmark and now there's a new landmark..bearing no resemblance to what was...fifty plus years ago...oh no the change is more like a century has passed.  How could it be?  Didn't they know we would all be back one day expecting to snuggle up in the arms of this place that nurtured us, fed us, entertained and educated us during a time now only recognized in sepia prints of scenes captured of special events, moments & dear, dear people who with very few exceptions have been gone for a while now.  The teachers, pastors, business owners, farmers, aunts, uncles, cousins, parents and Grandparents..we knew they would not always be there, but I suppose we actually thought the homes, farmhouses, gas stations, school buildings, tobacco barns, sycamore trees would all wait for us to return.

So many of us have lived far away from what we now call our past, our history, our roots.  I remember when my own  family lived in  the state of Kentucky and Indiana in the 1970's and I longed to go home.  I had recurring dreams of making that trip to Mershon, Georgia. In my dream I traveled down that main highway that leads from Mershon to Alma and as I would approach once familiar homes, farms, landmarks there would be changes. Some could not be found [that's the way it is now] I cannot describe the feelings but I still  remember them. 

 In reality when I have actually made that trip and what I remember and dreamed of basically does not exist.. It is not there anymore but we can all carry the memories and the sepia photos within our hearts and minds from now on.

[ I am writing this for all my Mobley cousins, family members & PHS class of 59  alumni ] It would be wonderul if some of you would add your random rambling thoughts ..you know, while we still CAN REMEMBER..just click on COMMENTS and add your own

Still Learning~

Over a lifetime one does not always accomplish everything on the personal planner-you don't always get to make the trips, see the sights, reach the goals you would like.

Even relationships are not always what you dream  of in different decades of life especially as years pass and the family dynamics change.

One thing that compensates for these dissapointments is ENJOYING WHAT YOU GET AND BEING THANKFUL FOR THE PRESENT..for the NOW!

I don't ever get tired of making special time for my family..my heart is never so crowded that I can't  make room for our Children, their mates and the Grands.

Every day is a gift..every birthday, anniversary, graduation,wedding or just a gathering..is an Event for me! 

I guess that's an advantage of getting old..being able to see so many years behind that each day is a gift to treasure. I do!