2021 Christmas Letter of Activies

 My events of the year 

I began a daily Bible Study and reading online with Christy Jordan (Seeking Scripture). We began Jan 1, reading Genesis, and will end Dec with Revelations. 

Took several day trips this year and a couple of trips.

In Jan went to see several covered bridges in South Alabama, the Easley Bridge, the Swann Bridge, the Horton Mill Covered Bridge, and Noccalula Falls in Gadsden.

Feb Day trip to Guntersville and Huntsville.

 

March, we took a day trip to Oak Mountain State Park to the museum and to see rescued birds of prey.

July, we rode to Spring Valley Farms, Lutts, Tennessee, to the Sunflower fields with friends, and we rode to Clifton, Tennessee, for lunch.

October took a trip with sisters to Mooresville, North Carolina & Mount Airy (home of Andy Griffin)

November took a cruise to Cozumel and Progreso with a friend.

Three trips to Huntsville Botanical Gardens 

Cheek-wood Botanical Gardens in Nashville and their Lego art display. 

On March 6, Ava celebrated her sixth birthday party at Chuck-e-Cheese.

June River celebrated his third birthday. 

June 19, Atlas celebrated his first birthday(SR The ROOM 124 Wheeler Street Rogersville)(First Trip around the Sun)

June 29, Hazel Cate was born (fifth great-grandchild)

Dec 5, Hayne’s 2nd Birthday Party@Shoals Next Level 850 Howell Heflin Lane Tuscumbia (inflatables for kids inside) his birthday is Dec 10

(Onik, BAA, Cluck & Moo Hayne is turning two!)

Dec 17, Suprise birthday party for my sister Vicki (Zip City Community Center)she is turning 70

Hubby and I both got our first Coronavirus shots in March and the second one in April.

In April, I took Mike (my oldest son) to the orthopedic Center for back surgery after an accident at work. 

Events I did 

Walking Tours  & Hikes 

Florence Cemetery Walk 

Mooresville Walking Tour 

Donnell House Tour 

Sheffield Business Walking tour

National Wildlife Hike

PawPaw Patch Hike

National Mushroom Hike  

On May 7, Our Newly built Modular Home was delivered (this kept us busy)

May 20, 31, Furniture delivered (bedroom furniture and foyer)

May-June Hubby installed 4 ceiling fans and a sliding shower in the smaller bathroom.

June-July Utilities, plumbing, natural gas, internet, Dish, and septic tank installed.

June Washer and Dryer delivered 

June Sofa and kitchen table delivered 

June 75-inch TV  installed 

Aug Man returns to do repairs and install the chimney.

Sep-Dec Hubby built a Deck on the Side and Back of the Modular Home. 

Aug Concert driveway installed. 

Aug sold our RV 

Nov 1, Garage installed. 

On May 5, Robert H. died (my sister Paula’s husband)

On May 8, Marcus (grandson) graduated 4 UNA College with a Bachelor's Degree in Physics  

May 28, Montana graduated from Rogers High School (got job Monarch Tile)

Aug, our swimming was hit by lighting, filling the yard with gallons of water.

Sep, Killen opened the Used book store where I volunteer once a month. It has been closed for over a year and a half because of the Coronavirus.

July, Root canal and a bridge (tooth broke) 

Nov, tooth pulled and one filled (accessed)

Well, we finally settled into our new home, limestone gravel all around, concrete drive with garage and deck on side and back of home. 

We celebrated Labor Day with two pots of chicken stew with the kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. 

We celebrated Thanksgiving with turkey, ham, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, blackberry cobbler, cranberry sauce, Butterfinger cake, dressing, etc. 

We are planning a big Christmas, not sure yet what we are serving, but I am sure it will be good. 

So glad we sold the RV and got to move into something bigger so I can entertain at my house instead of taking everything somewhere else. 

I have my Christmas tree up, decorations everywhere, a couple of poinsettia setting on the table, & bar ready for Christmas. 

2021 ends with lots of good memories 

2022 may be even better.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

I grew up on a little creek in Alabama

 I grew up on a little creek in Alabama.

Way out in the country, far from the town

Nothing but family & farmland around

Crickets & mourning doves make their sound

The best people I knew were called Maw & Paw

They owned this land & farmed it all

Paw had a pet goose & rooster named Clyde

Maw taught me not to cuss or ever tell a lie

When I think back, only happiness inside

We called them Maw and Paw.

Come inside and sit a spell y’all 

Make yourself a plate & some sweet iced tea

Turnip greens, pinto beans, Maw smiles at me 

If I could go back there just one last time 

I would eat from paws Muscadine vine 

Paw was a veteran who served in World War II

He was by far the smartest man I ever knew 

Now, Maw loved to needle crochet & sew 

I believe she could do it with her eyes closed 

A horse named Cricket and a catfish pond

Apple trees, watermelons, and far beyond 

How they did it all, I will never comprehend 

They fed family, animals, and friends 

We called them Maw and Paw

The best people I ever knew

Cold Banana banana pudding & warm chicken stew

If I could go back there just one last time

I would eat from paws red grapevine 

Blueberries, strawberries, beans & potatoes 

Cherry trees, peach trees, plums & tomatoes

Oh, if I could go back there just one more time

Written by my daughter about her grandparents

2017 July 22, Events of the W. C. Handy Festival Saturday

I went to the Visitor Center to listen to Tom McDonald talk about three of the books that he wrote and had for sale. 

1. Promises to Keep

2. Dirt Road Memories 

3. When Memories Come Calling

I should have bought one. 

I stopped to talk to Tom for a few minutes about growing up in East Florence. 

Tom said that he grew up on Sweetwater Avenue.

I live in East Florence, but our paths never crossed. 

Tom went to Brandon School from the first to the sixth grades.

When we moved to Florence, I had already passed the sixth grade.

Tom's family moved to the Central area around the time we moved to East Florence. 

We talked about Sweet Water Creek and walking along the old railroad tracks down by the canal on the bank of the Tennessee River. 

When we lived in East Florence, my sisters and I would walk to McFarland Park to swim in the Tennessee River.

We also swam in the canal, which was not far from our home. 

Tom said once that he had tried floating down the Sweet Water Creek in a washtub and that he had hoped to make it to the Tennessee River in that tub, but it turned over, and he never made it. 

What sweet childhood memories we both could recall.

Then I went to Florence Library to read Watermelon Wine, the Poetry of American Music. 

Where I listened to Anne E DeChant, sing and play on her guitar some of her storytelling songs (she was very good)

 I left the library and rode to Jack's for lunch. There, I ordered a kids' Chicken Finger Meal, which consisted of two Chicken fingers, green beans, Rice Kirby, and Diet Coke. I also ordered an Apple Pie. 
I still had time to kill before returning to the Visitor Center, so I went back to the Library.
There was a car show that was about to end, so I stopped to take a few pictures. It was going to be long with walking, so I just took several long-distance pictures. I walked back through the Library and saw Anne DeChant and Frye Gilard standing at the counter in the Library, so I walked up to them.
I told Anne DeChant that I loved her singing and playing and that her music reminded me of the storyteller and singer Tom T. Hall. 
She thanked me and said she appreciated the compliment. 
They were getting directions to Legends, where they were going to eat lunch. I said they have good food. 

 Then, back to the visitors center for Swampfest Songwriter showcase series #2 to listen to Buzz Cason and Russell Medford sing and play. 
The audience sang along with Buzz in a couple of his songs. "Hank Williams Christian songs. One way I saw the light. Russell talked about meeting a couple of songwriters at Killen Diner (which has since burnt down) to write a song. 
The fun show ended around 3:30PM.

I rode to Taco Bell to get supper, and there was a line of cars all the way to the stop sign. 
When I got up to the window, I said, you have been busy today. The girl at the window said we have been like this since 11AM today because we had four people to call in. What a bummer!!

After my busy day, all I wanted to do was eat my Taco Salad,  prop my feet up, and watch TV.

2008, April 7, Monday, Having fun in the park with grandkids

I picked up Sierra, Montana, and Nevada at their grandmother Clanton’s house.

I had packed a picnic lunch of peanut butter sandwiches, bananas, fruit bowls, and mountain dews. 

We ate lunch at St Florine Park and when we finished we walked the trail.

About mid-way of the trail was a hill of loose dirt

The kids wanted to climb atop the dirt hill and I said they could.

They said granny come up, so I did.

We walked around on top of the dirt pile, we walked up and down several times. 

The kids loved this area. 

We walked around the park and I took pictures. 

I took the kid's picture standing on a bridge next to a statue of an alligator.

Nevada 

Sierra 

Montana

We saw sitting on a stump some tin statue-singing frogs, which intrigued the kids. 

Along the walking trail, we saw a face carved into a tree, it had large marble-like eyes.

I took pictures everywhere in the park of the kids. 

When we finished walking the grandkids played on the playground.
Deibert Park was the next place we went to. 
We walked on the trail there were signs everywhere along the trail about the animals that they one might see along the trail.

Sculptures in Deibert Park

Sculptures in Deibert Park

The kids and I got very hot and so our next stop was McDonald’s for an Oreo’s McFlurry. 

Next, we went to Loaves and Fishes a thrift store in Muscle Shoals.
I let the grandkids pick out five books each and two movies. 

We stopped at train Tressel on the Colbert side of the Tennessee River.
We walked to the end and back by the time we finished  Montana's long curly hair was ringing wet with sweat.

Our next stop was River Heritage Park located next to the Marriott Hotel.
The kids played on the castle and the train playground equipment. 

Stopping for a poise

Having fun at River Heritage Park 

I made pictures of the kids playing and when we were leaving the park we stopped at the waterfall in front of the Marriott hotel.  

My granddaughter called said she needed someone to pick her up at school.

For dinner, I baked potato and the grandkids dressed their potato with cheese, bacon bits and sour cream.

For dessert, I served strawberry pie.

Strawberry pie is Montana's favorite and he ate pie until he said Granny my stomach is about to pop.

Hannah and Sierra went outside to ride scooters.
My grandson Jake came over to pick up his sister Hannah. 

He was hungry so he ate a potato with all the trimmings.
After Jake and Hannah left, I took the other grandkids to Ron's where they played with Ron's Star Wars Dolls. 

We came back home and later that day the grandkids mom came to get them.  

I spent the day with grandkids climbing a dirt hill, hiking, picnicking, walking trails, playing in the park, reading signs and making memories. 

Childhood Memories!

Memories, My memories

bottled deep inside

children laughing,

children playing 

children going down a slide.

Memories, My memories

stored away for another day

children hunting, 

children swinging

children playing in the hay.

Memories, My memories

write them down 

with pen in hand and

no tablet to be found

guess I’’ll have to go to town.

Memories, My Memories 

bottled deep inside

stored away for another 

guess I’’ll have to write 

them down another day!