Winchester, cont.

Back to Winchester...

Sue swears the parsonage was haunted. She was 2-6 when we lived there, and can remember sitting calmly on her bed and talking to two children with red hair that floated around outside her window. Not to put too much stock in this, but we WERE immedialely up the street from the hospital... and it WAS a really old house with lots of history...

But, come to think of it, both of her older siblings DID make her watch Dark Shadows every afternoon.

It was a pretty, nice, moderate sized house on a good street. The house had a great front porch, on which we played "Lost in Space"


I was always Dad or Don, because I was oldest. Ed was Will Robinson. Jennifer Costello was all the women. Sue, being youngest, was the robot.

New house Roanoke

I think I'll go back to writing about the avarious parsonages we lived in while I was growing up.  I was writing that series a couple months ago, and it seemed to be slightly amusing (as parsonages usually are!).  Apparently, however, I had not gotten very far into the series, because I seem to have ended it in "old house Roanoke", which is a place in which I lived from ages 6 to 8.

"New house Roanoke" was a lot larger and more suitable for our growing family.  Ed had his own room, and Granny always had her own room, so I guess we had 4 bedrooms... unless, that is, they perhaps turned some small room that wasn't supposed to be a bedroom into Granny's room.  They did that sometimes.

All I know for sure is that I HAD TO SHARE MY ROOM WITH THE DRATTED BABY!!  Can you believe it???!!!  How could my parents have forced someone as special and as adorable as I was to share a living space with an annoying little baby?

We had an outdoor patio attached to the house. It was a concrete slab with a steel grate that surrounded it and no roof.  I firmly believed that, if my parents really loved me, they would enclose that area and make it into a bedroom for me.  When I played on it, I would deccide where to put all my furniture.

The house was located on a steep hill in what was known as the Round Hill neighborhood.  We were about halfway up the hill.  One of my earliest memories is of poor Mom getting out of the car on an icy, snowy day, and slipping, and sliding on her rear end through several streets worth of yards and pavement. 

Thanksgiving dinner

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It was an old time family Thanksgiving, just like we've had my whole life. Ron had it at his house, and it was absolutely lovely. Mom and Dad and Sue and I came, as did our dear friend Martha.

Ron's house was beautiful - very tastefully decorated. I haven't been in there since David passed way, but Ron has done wonders cleaning out and simplifying, making the space very livable, comfortable, and attractive.

Dinner was wonderful - turkey, gravy, dressing, rolls, green bean casserole, squash, pumpkin and apple pies, Whipped cream.

Dinner was great, but mainly it was great to have all of us gathered around a big dining room table! We could have all eaten at the Hermitage, but it isn't even close to the same. Ron, thanksgiving was wonderful.

Ron set a beautiful table, too, with the good china and plate chargers and fresh flowers.

Poor Sue

Sue had an operation on her back today. She threw a vertebrae out of place on that damned roller coaster
in Dollywood.

Sue seemed to be doing real well. She even sat straight up in bed to drink water out of a cup, which sort of amazes me, right after a back operation. They plan to let her out tomorrow.

Poor Mom, it turns out, went to the emergency room last night because her arm was aching so bad. It has been aching for a couple months. I still don't know what they decided was wrong, and neither does Mom, but they put her arm in a sling... which she wasn't wearing when I called just now - aaarg!!

Roanoke

Hello, long neglected blog. I hope there is someone out there who is still reading me.

I started what was supposed to be a string of entries about the various parsonages in which I grew up, but I fear that concept must have bored me so badly that me that I didn't write anything at all. There were some amusing points to share, though, so maybe I'll try to cover it all today.

After Virginia Beach we went to Roanoke.. "We" consisted of Mom, Dad, me, Ed, (who was "Edward" then), and Granny (Dad's mom). It was a wee, tiny, totally inappropriate house - in response to which, Mom had another baby.

I barely remember that first house. After all, I was 5! I kow it had a big carport, because I remember being out there with Ed when Mom and Dad. called us in to watch the Beatles on Ed Sullivan.

Isn't it amazing that I remember that? Somehow Mom and Dad knew that the Beatles on Ed Sullivan was a major historical event, even though they had no idea what the Beatles would eventually mean to the world. I remember Mom saying, "Watch this! Someday you can tell your children that you saw this!"

I further remember that Mom and Dad and Granny said nothing about the music. They just laughed at the shaggy hair.

Hot

The heat has just been incredible this month. Today was a bit better, but it won't last. It is supposed to be high 90's again by the weekend.

I don't remember it being so hot in the past. Is it global warming? Or is my memory failing?


Heat is horrible for MS. Thank goodness for air conditioning.

This leads me to a discussion of the air conditioning status of the various parsonages we lived in when I was a child. It could actually be a quite short, succinct discussion, consisting of the phrase, "There aint none." Or, rather, more correctly, "There weren't none".

Francis Asbury, at Virginia Beach, is the first parsonage I remember. They had no AC. As a matter of fact, they didn't even have a church. Dad built the church building in the front yard of the parsonage... Which was not air conditioned.

We had a screened-in porch with an overhead fan. In summer months, that is where we ate our evening meal. I know it was still quite hot out there because I can remember my dumb little 2 year old brother standing on the porch in his dirty, baggy diaper. He was screaming over and over that he was hot and wanted water.

So Dad poured a glass of wrater on Ed's head.

I guess that incident was just yet another illustration for Mom and Dad of how silly it was for them to have produced a 2nd child when they already had a perfectly wonderful girl at home.

TO BE CONTINUED!

coasters

Modern roller coasters are evil. Sue and Ron rode the one in Dollywood (actual picture above), and Sue threw her back out so badly that she's been in agony ever since. She's been to doctors and a chiropractor. Finally she went to a neurologist who gave her steroids - prednisone - and she says it is finally feeling a bit better. And not long after that happened, a veteran with no legs rode the same type roller coaster and fell out and died! So don't ride roller coasters!

Roller coasters used to be gentler. They didn't flip the rider upside-down. Examples were the "Rebel Yell" at King's Dominion, the coaster at Lakeside amusement park in Roanoke, and the little coaster on the beach in Virginia Beach. Those coasters were fun, not deadly.

When I was just ages 3 to 6, we lived at Virginia Beach ans went to that amusement park all the time. I, of course, didn't ride anything but kid rides, but I remember they had a row of glass boxes windows across the top of the arcade. In one of them was an animatedd doll of a great big fat lady who rocked back and forth and laughed and laughed endlessly. I loved her!

4th of July

4th of July this year was a tame family affair, but was quite enjoyablele. Sue and Ron are newly returned from their vacation in Tennesseee and it sounds like they had a good time. Ron was actually on a business trip, though, so, if any of his bosses are reading this blog, he had no fun on the trip at all. He just worked like a Trojan from dawn until dusk. (Not that kind of aa Trojan. Get your mind out of the gutter, please!) Martha, a friend from Park Towers, and Ron's across the hall neighbor, was there, too. Every one left after dinner but me. I went up to the penthouse with Mom and Dad and a bunch of Hermitage residents. They have a beautiful view of the Washington Monument. You couldn't have asked for a better view of the fireworks.

lets see if this works

Sorry I haven't posted for a while, but my computer has been very odd. Ron says he'll come look at it. I think I'll TRY to manage a short post now. Anything might happen, though, so, if I suddenly disappear, it probably wasn't the Rapture that took me, it wras probably a computer glitch.

I've also not been feeling very funny because my wonderful Aunt Brenda just found out she's sick. She's a real great person, so please pray for her. She's a strong lady, and I'm sure she will fight this thing.

There are multitudes of wonderful things I could tell you about Brenda, but here is a cute story insteaad... Brenda was just a little kid when she and Mammaw came to visit Mom and Dad in the parsonage of their first church. One day they all went to a grocery store. In the aisle, a passing woman spotted Dad. She was very happy to see him and greeted him enthusiastically. When she left, Brenda asked, "Who was that?" Dad responded, "Oh, just some woman I married." Brenda burst into tears. "What's wrong, honey?" Mammaw asked. "If he married her," Brenda said, "Then what will happen to Mildred?"

Mom

Since it is Mother's Day, here are an assortment of pictures of Mom from the last few years. (Obviously, she's a good sportt!)

Ron and Sue and I went over today for dinner and a celebration. It was very nice.

HAPPY MOTHERTS DAY TO ALL!!!

Mom

Mom had a minor stroke Sunday night/Monday morning. She says she couldn't sleep at all Sunday night, and felt numb on one side and "out of it" Monday morning, and, thank God, she and Dad didn't waste any time, but just called 9-1-1 right away.

She is now in INOVA Alexandria Hospital. room 2516. Despite the stroke, she still walks and talks like normal. They have given her an MRI and an EKG and that test that uses magnets to measure brain waves (EEG?) and, for good measure, a mammogram. She's been well tested. She is on Coumadin (a blood thinner) and blood pressure medicine. The nurse said that the doctors often try to keep blood pressure somewhat high after a stroke, in order to keep blood moving through the brain.

I was there all day, but didn't see any doctor at all. Still yet, it's a relief to know she's there and that they are watching and monitoring her all the time.

Dad seems to be doing OK. I'm glad he's living at Hermitge, 'cause they give his medicine and check up on him, and escort him to meals.

I'll let you know more as I know more. If you are family, check with Deloris, also. She was there much of the afternoon. (Sneezing, but there.) And Gene also dropped by. Isn't it nice that they live so close?

50th anniversary

In light of Mom's and Dad's upcoming 60th anniversary, I decided to re-run the poem I wrote for their 50th. We (Ed, Sue and I) - with David's support, dedication,creative input, labor, and supervision, rented the party room in a restaurant, invited over a hundred people, including all of our many out-of-town relatives and all the congregations of all of Dad's old churches (only 2 of which were actually close enough to draw many people), served food, had beautiful flower arrangements (made by Bonnie Hamilton, David's friend from Christ the Servant), and were entertained all through dinner by a professional string quartet. And under David's supervision, it was all very affordable for us, Anyway, at the end, we did a long program where we showed slides of their lives through the years while
Ed, Dayna, Sue, and I alternated reading aloud sections of the following poem. which I'd written for the occasion:

PLEASE REMEMBER, ALL THROUGH THIS WE ARE SHOWING SLIDES OF THE THINGS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.

DEB
They were so different
In how they were reared,
You’d not expect marriage
That spans 50 years.

For him, northern cities
Were what he called home,
While she in the heart
Of the mountains was grown.

The one thing they shared
Was a hunger for knowledge,
So they both set their caps
To attend Union College.

And it was at school
That they met up one day.
Then in Dad’s senior year
They just both slipped away

Off to get married
At Cumberland Falls.
Then they went back to school
And told no one at all.

They returned to their dorms
With their own separate rooms
And never let on
That they were bride and groom.

Dad graduated.
Mother dropped out,
And they then, together,
Their lives set about.

Now let me just pause
For a moment or two,
For I have a question
I must pose to you.

What, do you think,
Would have been the reaction
If one of their kids
Did commit that infraction?

(Words had previously been distributed to all songs, so all could sing along. David provided accompaniment.)
TO: THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES THEME

Come and listen to my story ‘bout a man named Ed,
Poor college boy, Pennsylvania born and bred,
Then one day he was acting in a play,
Saw Mil there and she stole his heart away.

Next comes the story of a mountain lass.
One look at Ed and her heart beat rather fast.
Thought, “Kentucky boys now all seem rather lame!”
And from that moment on her whole life was not the same.

Next thing you know, young Edward took a bride.
Went for a time up to Boston to reside.
Said, “Virginia is the place we want to be,”
So they loaded up the Ford and the rest was history.

When it comes to kids,
Well, they had their share.
The first was a daughter
Who had no compare.

Look at that youngster!
She’s cute as can be!
And smart as a tack ,
As you plainly can see.

Oh yes, you can tell
That the first was the best.
And the next one, I fear,
Well, he’s sort of a mess.

ED
Hey, wait just a minute!
Now I’ll take the floor,
For next came a son
Whom they simply adored.

The boy was their favorite,
Of that there’s no doubt.
“He’s a fine fellow,”
Our parents would shout.

SUE
Now that’s quite enough!
And I sure don’t mean maybe!
Their favorite, of course,
Was their last darling baby.

She was adorable –
Cute as the dickens.
Beside her, the others
Seemed rather slim pickins.

TO: RAINDROPS KEEP FALLIN’ ON MY HEAD

My brother hit me in the head,
And that stupid jerk will very soon find out he’s dead.
I will have a fit.
That
Edward is going to bite the dust, he’s a goner.
Hey, he just changed off the TV from my show.
It’s my turn to pick the station, which I’m sure he knows!
Give me the remote!
Oh,
Edward’s a freckle faced freak-o, little monster!
Oh, aren’t kids fun?
A joy.
You think they will outgrow it, but you know it…
They never do.
They’re adults now but they don’t show it.
Still each one wants to be the best.
Each one still will put the others to the test
With sheer jealousy.
But
You’ll never stop them from their love of complaining.
No, not these three.
‘Cause they love it, you see.

ED
Dad’s been a preacher
For most all his life.
So Mom, all those years,
Had to be preacher’s wife.

Think of the pot lucks
And bake sales galore.
The picnics, the camp outs,
And, oh, so much more.

TO: THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS

There’s no business like church business, like no business we know.
Everything is done by a committee.
Even things like fixing up your house.
Therefore it would be an awful pity without a witty
And patient spouse.
There’s no preacher like Ed Taylor and
no spouse like his wife.
They go with the youth group to sleep in a tent.
And they have many hours spent
In attendance at each church group’s big event.
They’ve put on a good show!

SUE
Methodist preachers –
They go where they’re sent.
So we’ll show you some of
The places we went.

The very first places
I just can’t recall,
For I was an infant
Or not born at all.

The beach was the place
They gave birth to their boy.
And in Roanoke
To their pride and their joy.

Winchester next.
We all loved it a lot.
No better place
To raise kids could be sought.

And Mom learned to drive
While she lived there, and so
The kids then to scouts and
Piano could go.

Colonial Heights
Quickly proved to us that
It’s not the right city
For good democrats.

DEB
Charlottesville next,
That place was great.
And one year the family
Had two graduate.

For from UVA,
Much to Debbie’s surprise,
She got a diploma.
And, oh, how time flies,

Mom got her degree,
To her family’s loud cheers.
A project that took her
Just 29 years.

To Harrisonburg.
And then Falls Church lurked,
At this time all 3 kids
Found meaningful work.

Then off to Manassas –
And Ed 3’s ambition
Became to create a new
Family addition.

DAYNA
And so Dayna Taylor,
As here you can see,
Became a new branch
On the old family tree.

ED
Then to Roanoke
They quite gladly retired,
Where Dad took three churches
And Mom joined the choir.

DEB
And finally decided
It was in their wishes
To be near their girls,
Though I’m rather suspicious

That’s not the whole reason
They moved here at all,
Into a high-rise
Right at Tyson’s mall.

For Mom has become
A complete shopping nut,
And Dad seems to love it
With no grass to cut.

Whatever the reason
They moved in so near,
We both of us know that
We’re sure glad that they’re here.

TO: THE BEVERLY HILLBILLY’S THEME

Now the next thing you know they’re living everywhere.
Bishop says, “Ed, move away from there!”
Says, “I decided on the place you ought to be!”
So they loaded up their stuff and they moved the family.

The best part of moving,
We, all, of us found,
Is meeting nice people
As you move around.

And the folks sure enjoyed
All their family and friends,
The hours they shared, and
The good times they’d spend.

At magical moments
Distinctions would end
And friends became family
And family good friends.

Sitting and chatting
Or out in the sun.
When they got together
They always had fun.

And holidays, they
Were another fun time.
(Let’s wrap them up quickly,
And so end this rhyme.)

For these verses, see,
They could go without end,
‘Cause 50’s a long time
To cover, my friends.

At least 50 pictures
You’d be forced to see
Of us in our jammies
All under the tree.

And 50 more pictures
Of fine Easter clothes.
And then birthday pictures –
Now don’t forget those.

So let us just quit
And we’ll leave it right here.
And not show each occasion
The whole 50 years.

TO: WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS

We have got a lot of pictures,
We have got a lot of pictures,
We have got a lot of pictures
Of holiday cheer.
Of food and of gifts,
Of times that were fun.
We won’t show them all ‘cause we’d never get done.

So we’ve covered friends
And our different locations.
We’ve covered a lot
But we’ve not done vacations.

Our family went somewhere
Away every year.
We always found this
A time of good cheer.

Though have you ever noticed
The wild destinations
Our parents did choose
For their later vacations?

As children they took us
To mountains or beach –
Someplace quite fun
But within easy reach.

So we all grow up
And are no longer here,
And then Mom and Dad –
They shift into high gear.

Off to Korea,
Jerusalem, too.
A boat through Alaska
They decide then to do.

And so, with their luggage
Held tight in their grip,
They’re all the time off on
Another big trip.

But I’ve not been fair,
For they once took us all
Over to Britain,
And we had a ball

Until, I do fear,
On the very last day,
When off to the airport
We all drove away.

And friend Robin said,
With voice that was steady,
“Everyone got
Their passports all ready?”

Mom panicked, of course,
As she tore through her purse.
The rest of us sighed
As we silently cursed.

“Where can it be?”
She inquired of us,
As her frantic hands
Quite dismantled the bus.

The passport was found
In the first place she’d looked –
Safe and secure
In her own pocketbook.

With this ends the story
We’ll tell of their life.
One question remains, though,
Of this man and wife.

What is the magic
That, through all the years,
Has caused these two hearts
To together adhere?

How did they manage
When children threw scenes?
How did they make it
Through three surly teens?

Were there not times
When their money was low?
Times when their ducks
Were not quite in a row?

Yes, they were forced
To face troubles and such.
What keeps them together
Is loving so much.

They love each other
Through good times and bad.
They love each other
When sad, glad, or mad.

They love with a love
That on nothing depends.
They love without limits –
Their love has no end.

TO: BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND

How many years can a couple be wed
Because they desire to be?
Yes’n how many times can strong egos lose out?
They smooch and agree to agree.
Yes’n why do they cling to each other when they
Know that they could each be set free?
The answer, my friend,
Is love that has no end.
The answer is love that has no end.

W

around the house

Brother Ed and neice Charlotte were here all weekend, which was wonderful but explains my lack of posts. Here is a picture of Charlotte and me and my brother and sister from about 5 years ago. I seem to have quit taking pictures these days. Sue just called reminded me we need to have a 60th! anniversary party for Ma and Pa this weekend! Now THAT calls for picures!

ARRRRGGGGG!!!! Mom just called and said Ed got her computer almost all set up, but that there were still some things she was confused about and that she wants me to come and explain it all to her because "I know so much about computers". So I said, for the 900th time, "Mom! I know NOTHING about computers! PLEASE ask Ron or Sue.' It's nice to be thought well of, but I don't know shit about computers. I think she I think she doesn't want to bother them because they are busy, and I have one obligation fot 2 hours once a week, and am therefore NOT busy. But, still yet, I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT COMPUTERS! (except not to get them wet. I DO know not to get them wet!)

I did a good "settling in" thing today - I went and found the library, (it's within scoooter distance!) and checked out books. That's always the first thing I do when I move.

I got myself an Ipad a while back, and then did nothing with it because I was scared of it. Well, Ed and Charlotte set that up, and I can at least use it to play games and send and receive email.

Kenny

Uncle Kenny's funeral was yesterday. Aunt Delores sent a report about it, and it sounds like the family all gathered just like they always have, all through the years. She also says, "To top it off, when Gene and I left Kennesaw this morning, I looked to the Kennesaw mountains, across the highway from Kenny's final resting place, and there was a rainbow...what can I say...It was beautiful to know that Kenny is truly at rest and we will miss him very, very much. He was special and I loved him."

I don't know - something magic like that should also remind us that, after a hard life, Kenny's now in glory with Mammaw and Pappaw, and, though we miss them, that we WILL see them all again.

Delores also says, "Kim read a poem that Eddie wrote for Kenny in 1973. It was called "One Brother Short" and was about going to the farm at Thanksgiving to shoot the guns but Kenny didn't make it home that year for Thanksgiving. It ia a beautiful poem and I hope we all get a copy of it." Isn't it odd that writing poems seems to run in the family? I remember many years of many different Morris poems being read on many different occasions. I bet Eddie's was a real nice one. If I get a copy, I'll post it here.

Mi familia

My Uncle Kenny passed away Monday. I never had occasion to get to know him very well, and I almost never saw him, but yet I really miss him. He was a part of my family, and I loved him, and now he is gone. I remember him being sweet to me when I was a kid.

Mom had 8 brothers and sisters. Mom is the oldest, then Luther, Wilma, Raymond, Deloris, Kenny, Patricia, Brenda, and Eddie. Mom says that when she came home for Christmas after her first semester at college, she was furious to find that Mamaw hadn't done any shopping for presents for the little ones, and she hadn't decorated the house. Mom did it herself, cursing all the while because her Mom hadn't done it. On Jan. 2nd, Papaw woke Mom up in the morning by saying, "Come look what your Mommy has done", and Mom went in to find Mamaw in bed with a new baby, my uncle Eddie. Nobody, Mom included, had any idea Mamaw was pregnant. Mom felt totally rotten for having been angry.

Growing up, I usually only saw the extended family every Thanksgiving, Although I sometimes saw family members at various times throughout the year, it was very rare to get the chance to be with Kenny. My main memory of visiting him was when his now grown kids were tots and he lived with his family in a little house on my Papaw's farm.

I know it would be very important to Mom if she were able to get to the funeral, but I know that can't happen. Ain't it wonderful to deal with age and disability?

So! Changing the subject....

...I had Spanish class in Clarendon last night. Which is, I guess, the whole point of Spanish class - to change the subject of my life away from disability and living among the aged.

It was fun, I really need to actually study. Otherwise, it is kind of pointless, isn't it?

I have a unique opportunity here because I have native Spanish speakers here to practice with. I managed to tell one woman this morning that "Mi dormitorio no es limpa," which, I think, means "My room isn't clean." Upon hearing this, however, she seemed quite jolly, so lord knows what I said. With a word like "limpa", I'm kinda scared to find out!

This entry ends with royalty

I went to Mom's and Dad's house today. They are in a retirement community, but it seems so much more like a real apartment in a real home than this nasty room of mine does. Granted, they are in independent living rather than assisted living, but still.... Residents are treated as thinking individuals worthy of dignity and respect! It would be heaven were anyone here were to converse with me rather than just tell me stuff. The staff seems much more professional...

Maybe its different in assisted living there, but in independent living, when a resident says something to a staff member, the staff member actually listens and reacts in some fashion. Or at least pretends to understand and care. That isn't true here. For example, I changed clothes, with help, when I got back. Then I asked to be put back in my wheelchair, because I wanted to work on the computer. The caretakers didn't listen. They use this big Hoyer lift to move me around and were putting me into my easy chair where I read and watch TV. I said, "No! I told you that I want to go to the wheelchair!", to which the caretaker responded, "But that's not the chair I cleaned off!" As you can see by the fact that I'm managing to write this blog entry, I can be quite persuasive.

One just gets tired of being in an adversaial situation ALL THE TIME!

I had a good time with Mom and Dad. Mom and I played Scrabble. Sue ansd I bought her a groovy new Scrabble set for Christmas which has little ridges along all the lines on the board, forming boxes to put the letters in as one plays so that a simple joggle of the board doesn't ruin the game in progress. (Sorry, Ed!)

We also gave Mom a little figuine of Queen Elizabeth. It is solar activated and waves *hello* in a royal manner. Mom now has it in a window and SHE LOVES IT! She waves back! Mom has always felt a great kinship with Queen Elizabeth, you know. In fact, at times I believe she thinks she is Queen Elizabeth.

History smistory

Whoops - my bad! Every word of my last post is true, but appariently I put too much signifigance on the fact that Granny had included Sadie's name in the "list of relatives". I went to Dad yesterday with a listing of the people I couldn't place. Some of them he would say something like, "Oh, that's Aunt Nan's husband's cousin", so I would decide I didn't care about him, and would mark him off the list.

But then Dad started saying things like, "Fred Dorcas? Oh, he was the neighbor man." Which at first inspired salicious fantasies, since Granny included him on the list of fasmily members. But then I'd ask about Peg Dorcas, and Dad would say, "Fred's wife. I think they were in Mom's Sunday School class." So apparently Granny just wrote the names of anyone she had a nodding aquaintance with in her list of family members.

It's entirely posible that I might just give up on this. I don't really care about my family background. I think Dad might, but maybe he'd like stories about the place the family immigrated from or what they did in the war - there was some of that stuff in the documents, and it seems more fun than just a list of names. I even have some Civil War info.

Dialogue overheard at dinner:

OLD LADY: (to unrelated old man sitting across from her) I think my son'n may come tonight.

OLD MAN: What about tonight?

OLD LADY: Is my son coming?

OLD MAN: No, your socks didn't fall down.


I shouldn't make fun, but I hate that obnoxious old man.

Heartbreaking family history

Dad's 82nd birthday happened the other day, He says he wants no gifts, so, instead, I've been working on the family history which I promised to do years ado. Because of this, I have been reminded of a really tragically homophobic incident in my family history.

My granny's sister, Laura, was apparently a lesbian, I infer this because she never married, and she had a devoted female companion all her life. The companion's name was Sadie. Apparently they had lots of fun times together all through the years that Dad was growing up. There are, or were, many photos of Laura and Sadie wearing men's suits and engaging in comical activities.

At this point I sort of lose track of what happened. I'm going to try to find out when I go "home" tomorrow afternoon. What I do know is that Granny moved in with us, and then off to live with Aunt Judy.

Then, years later, she moved in with Aunt Laura, and Sadie was suddenly was no longer part of the picture. I seem to remember stories of Sadie being sent away to some kind of aged paupers' home.

I won't indulge in a lot of the commentary I'm tempted to make at this point, because it would be nothing but hurtful speculation.

I do know for a fact, though, that Granny went through Laura's house after moving in and cut Sadie's face out of every single photo of Sadie with Laura.

The odd thing is that I have a "family history" list that Granny put together when she was wotking on the family history. On it she lists each family member. She has Sadie listed.

Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I hope everyone's was wonderful! My family (Me, Sue, Ron, Mom, Dad, Martha, and Jackie the cat and Shirly) all went to Sue's. This was the first year when Mom and Dad haven't hosted, but they have no kitchen now, and Sue did a real fantastic job of providing us all with a homey Christmas. She had everything very nicely decorated and pretty. She had ham for dinner and everyone brought side dishes and desserts. We then exchanged a vast multitude of presents, talked, and watched the cat, who never did much, but we watched her anyway. (All except for Dad, who has absolutely no interest on watching a cat. Unless he is watching it walk away!)

Isn't family wonderful? I guess it's love that makes family. I'd say more, but everytime I try, I cry, and I don't think the keyboard is supposed to get wet...

Have you seen the show "Modern Family?" It's supposed to show how diverse modern families are. It ain't no contest, I guess, but we win hands down. They have gays and adopted a kid of a different nationality. Us, too, but we also have disability. I guess the truth about modern famillies is that they aren't created by bloodlines and legal documents, buy by love, And that sure does make for a happy Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving! We (Mom, Dad, Sue, Ron, Ed, Dayna, Charlotte, Lulu, Martha) all ate at the Hermitage for Thanksgiving dinner. The food was very good and the service was excellent.

Afterward, some of us went up to the penthouse, which was unoccupied, and let Charlotte and Lu run just as hard and fast as they could up and down the room. That was probably an excellent idea!

Then, (I guess just for everyone's general entertainment), Susan took it upon herself to repeat the story of my disastrous entrance into a Thai restaurant last New Year's Eve. Last New Years Eve I met Sue and Ron and a friend of Ron's at a local Thai restaurant for dinner. It was cold out. I was dressed in many more layers than I was accustomed to. I wet in the restaurant to find may group already seated at a table already neatly made with plates, silver, linens, filled water glasses, and various other beverages.

Immediately after greeting everyone, my glove got caught on the "GO" lever of the scooter.

Much to mine and everyone else's amazement, I came sailing into the room at breakneck speed and completely out of control. I plowed into the table where all were waiting, pushing the table into the opposite wall. Glasses, beverages, silverware, linens, etc., flew everywhere. Thai waiters ran madly about the room.

So now, why, pray tell, would that seem to anyone like a proper story to tell after Thanksgiving dinner?