October Days

Every Fall a local, historical (almost 200 years old) cemetary

hosts a "Cemetary Stroll"

and features local people dressed in period clothing

who portray the famous and not-so-famous that are buried here.

For example, I didn't know that one of Samuel Clemons' cousins,

Jeremiah Clemons, is buried here, and that he also wrote novels.

.This year there were almost 70 people that were "risen from the grave", so to speak.

This little event used to be a well-kept secret, but not anymore.

There were literally hundreds of people visiting the cemetary

on this gorgeous Sunday afternoon, each following their paper guide.

One actress portrayed Talullah Bankhead, a native-born Alabamian,

whose father was in politics.

Her mother died when Talullah was an infant and is buried here.

There were many Civil War soldiers and widows who retold their stories,

along with many prominent men and women, such as the famous madam

who donated her land to the hospital.

Then, there was the Southern belle who ordered her bridal gown from Paris

and was taking a special powder to whiten her skin. Only her illiterate maid gave her

boric acid by mistake. She became ill and called for her doctor.

When he discovered what had happened there was nothing he could do.

Still, the young couple married, she sick and dying and lying in her bed. 

When the young bride died a few weeks later, she was buried in her exquisite bridal gown

shipped all the way from Paris, France.

The last story we heard was from a famous widow well-known in my neck of the woods.

She had been married six times before the Civil War. Her first marriage lasted almost 20 years

when her husband passed away. The second one lasted six months and each husband

subsequently succumbed to some mysterious or short-lived illness. Now, this

is quite possible, seeing that this was the early 1800's, and being a strong, Southern woman,

known for her beauty (historical accounts claim that she was a beautiful woman)

she may have been smart and opportunistic.Remember Scarlett O'Hara?

Rumor has it that she had a hat rack in her foyer with a hat from

each of her husbands hanging on it.  At age 60, the beautiful widow moved to

Mississippi, after a trial involving slander and a feud with a local farmer.

 Coincidentally, the ancestors of that farmer still own that land

and now have a popular Pumpkin Patch in the Fall. See pictures below.

Oh! Another reason the widow moved away...the local Baptist preacher refused to marry her again.

I love these stories!

I never knew there were so many varieties of pumpkins. I didn't take pictures of all of them,

but I saw at least a dozen varieties.

Beautiful Mums

Baby granddaughter #3

Hope you are enjoying Fall as much as I am.

Blessings,

Anita

Fall Tidbits & More

One thing I love about Fall are the county fairs and street festivals

that abound at this time of year. There's something for everyone:

pony rides and fun activities for the children;

arts and crafts for the adults;

food and gorgeous weather for everyone.

What better place to hold a street festival except near the railroad tracks?

Believe me, that was the longest train ever!

Fall also means that I have to stock up on butter because I do more baking.

 This is "Walnut Pear Sour Cream Cake"

 found in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

 It's perfect with a cup of tea.

I love a bargain and found this bag for $3.99 in a thrift store.

 It looked like Fall to me.

After a long day at the street festival there's nothing like dining out and learning

how to color in the lines.

Remembering Mama

I've been thinking about my mother lately and how much I miss her, still. I wish she were here to talk to. It doesn't matter how old you get, sometimes you just need a mother. I was blessed to have her for 44 years, but I wish she could have stayed a little longer. Long enough to be a great-grandmother, for example. She would be tickled by the babies that have been born since she passed away. I wish she could have stayed long enough to enjoy her retirement years. But it wasn't to be. God gave her the rest she needed and took her home at age 62.

I was listening to a "paid advertisement" on television while reading a book. They were playing the old country songs from the 60's, 70's and 80's. My mother was a fan of country music and I grew up listening to Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Charlie Rich, and all of the popular artists at that time. Hearing those songs brings back so many memories.

Music always made my mother happy. She loved "The Sound of Music" and never tired of watching it. She would sing "Edelweis" when she though no one was listening, just as she would hum the little German songs from her childhood. Mama was shy, just as I am. When "GI Blues" is playing, I can remember Mama singing along with Elvis, " Muss ich denn, muss ich denn, Zum Stadtele hinaus Stadtele hinaus, Und du, mein schatz, bleibst hier?" Can't you see I love you, please don't break my heart in two... (Wooden Heart lyrics)

Like my mother, I sing along with the songs, if no one is listening.

Blessings,
Anita

Daughters

My daughters when they were little

My daughters are my friends and confidantes. They are my "go-to persons" when my friends are busy. They are strong, independent young women, a little opinionated, but that's okay. They get it honestly. We actually agree more than we disagree. They have blessed me with grandchildren and are doing a great job raising their families. They both also love to cook. I am proud to be their mother.

No, I don't want to make this a "brag fest" because they are not perfect. There are times that I still want to tell them what to do, or at least advise them. At times, they are my advisors, my mentors. They are good listeners and have a sense of humor. They get that from their father, who was a funny guy.

I thank God for my daughters.

The Innocence of Childhood

I love the innocence of childhood.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" I asked my grandchildren when they spent the night.

"Spiderman!" immediately responded my three-year old grandson. He is currently obsessed with this comic book hero.

"Tinker Bell," said the four-year old. She wants to fly when she grows up.

"A princess," replied seven-year old "Teka", "Probably Belle, because she looks like me."

I see many children that are miniature adults. My grandchildren still believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. And that's okay, because these years go by so fast and soon they won't remember their childhood dreams. But then again maybe they will grow up to be a princess.

Celebrations

August is a month full of blessings.

My daughter and her husband celebrated their 8th wedding anniversary today.

Their oldest will turn 7 next week and start 2nd grade. "Teka" is like a little Mommy to her four-year old sister and the new baby. She has been known to fix the baby's bottle and change her diaper when my daughter is busy. And she listens...most of the time. She was looking at the advertisements last weekend and pointed to something that she wanted, "Look, Mommy," she said, "Oh, never mind. It costs money."

My grandson just celebrated his third birthday. He loves Chuck E. Cheese, so that's where we had his party. His party guests were four girls. "Where's all my girls?" he asked when we arrived.

Have you ever noticed how little boys come with sound effects? And they actually say, "I want to be a Super hero." I didn't have boys, so I'm thoroughly enjoying the company of this little boy.

With school right around the corner, my older daughter is like a kid in a candy story, getting her classroom ready for her eighth-graders. She'll be teaching Algebra.

I have a couple of friends that have cause for celebrations, too. The daughter of one friend is finishing up a four-month hike along the Appalachian trail. She is down to the last 100 miles and will be home soon. S., whom I have know since she was in preschool, is quite the adventurer. She worked in a bear camp in Alaska last summer, after driving there all the way from Alabama! And in the fall/winter she worked at a ski resort out west and drove along the California coastline and then across the southern United States. And she is only 23 years old!

I love to celebrate the little things, as well as the big occasions.

Hoping that you have something to celebrate this month. Whether big or small, it's worth celebrating.

When I Get Older...

I want to be like my mother-in-law, when I get older. Her mind is sharp as a tack and even with her arthritis, two hip replacements, and a knee replacement, she doesn't sit still. She makes it to church on Sundays, cooks and cleans for her daughter's family, loves to attend hockey games, and loves to laugh at a good joke.

My husband is the cute kid on the right.

This week she is flying to Michigan, by herself, to go to her family reunion. She and her sister are the only remaining siblings out of nine children. Her son and granddaughter will fly in from Minnesota to meet her there. She's proud to be the oldest of the "Graves" family that will be attending.

She's 89 years young. She still has the dimples, too.

Growing Up in the 60's

Growing up in today's society seems so much different than it did 40+ years ago. The main difference between yesterday and today is definitely technology. There were no home computers in the 60's, no satellite television, no Wii, no cell phones, no Facebook, no email, no Twitter, no 24-hour news, etc. I can remember the days when TV went off the air at midnight and the station played "The Star Spangled Banner" at the end of the viewing day. Guess what? We actually had to interact with each other, instead of our video games and electronic gadgets.

I am the one in the middle, 1968.

It was a different world, a simpler world.

Remember hearing the Ice Cream truck come down the street and running outside just in the nick of time?

Remember those Toni home permanents and pink curlers that your Mom used to put in your hair? My hair was straight as straw and the home perms never lasted more than a few weeks.

Remember watching Saturday morning cartoons and eating Captain Crunch cereal? I loved watching the Flintstones and the Jetsons. And don't forget Captain Kangaroo.

Remember Moon Pies and ice cold bottles of Coca Cola that you bought at the corner grocery store, straight out of the cooler? We would return the glass bottles for a refund.

Remember having to share a room with a younger sister?

Remember watching The Ed Sullivan Show, Wonderful World of Disney and Mutual of Omaha's, Wild Kingdom? And of course, all the classic comedies, such as Andy Griffith Show, I Love Lucy, The Beverly Hillbillies, etc.

Remember the plain, black rotary telephone? We didn't even have a phone until the late 60's. I remember when the Princess phone became popular, in pastel colors. It was all the rage at the time.

Remember road trips and stopping at Stuckey's for souvenirs and a bite to eat, before the fast food chains and the Interstate highways took over?

Remember playing jacks and marbles in the dirt outside and drinking gallons of Kool-Aid in the summertime?

Remember shopping for new school clothes in August, which meant dresses for the girls, and a brand new pair of saddle shoes?

Remember the boxes of laundry detergent that came with a towel inside? And Mama hanging out the clothes to dry? And S&H green stamps that could be redeemed for all kinds of cool stuff?

Remember actually playing outside with the neighborhood kids?

The Front Porch

I love my front porch. When we bought the house it didn't have a railing, so my husband and I built one. We did a pretty good job, considering that neither one of us had carpentry skills. That railing has lasted almost 20 years.

The porch has had its moments through the years.

I would sit on the porch when the children were little and watch the yellow school bus come around the corner and drop them off at the end of the driveway.

I would drink my morning coffee on the front porch on a nice day and read the newspaper while listening to the birds sing.

I would bring a book out on the front porch to read when I needed a quiet moment.

The front porch served as a "Smoking Room" for my friends and relatives who smoked.

The front porch was a good place to have a chat with a friend or neighbor who stopped by.

Now, the grandchildren draw all over the porch with their chalk. I let them draw all over the driveway, too.

I was off today, so I scrubbed the front porch. I poured a bucket of sudsy water, equipped myself with cleaning rags and put on my rubber gloves. First, I cleaned the windows and then wiped down the railing and porch furniture. At last, I turned on the hose at full-blast and sprayed away the winter's dust and dirt.

There is nothing like a clean, front porch.

In Remembrance

My daughters and I were talking this past week about how we miss the "old days," when their father, their grandfather and their uncle were still alive. I loved to listen to them joke around and talk about the good old days and tell tales of their youth. My father-in-law was really special to me. We had many similar interests and the same taste in books. He would often send me a package of books when he was finished reading them. He also loved cryptoquotes, another favorite of mine, and kept index cards from the daily cryptoquote in the newspaper. He was a real family man and loved nothing more than to spend time with his children and grandchildren. My father-in-law was a veteran, but never made it overseas. While his unit was on their way to Europe during World War II he was hospitalized for several months for Tuberculosis, a lung disease that claimed the lives of several of his siblings. Out of nine children, he and a younger brother were the only ones to live past the age of 30. When he recovered he was discharged from the Army and went to college on the GI Bill, becoming a teacher. Not bad for a man with a wife and four young children.

While his father did not make a career out of the military, my late husband did, serving 20 years in the Army. Before he was 30 years old he had already been stationed in Vietnam, Panama, Korea, Germany, and Alaska, and these were not counting the stateside tours. Don was  proud of his 101st Airborne badge and the bronze star that he received for being wounded in action.  He was proud to serve in the Army and proud to wear the uniform. My husband was a spontaneous type of person and with the Internet, was able to contact some former soldiers of the 101st Airborne. He called one veteran late one night, against my cautious, "It's 11 o'clock at night!" He and the other Vietnam vet spoke for over an hour on the phone. Another soldier that he had contacted replied with this email, "Welcome Home, Brother."

I like to think that heaven has a flag-waving welcoming committee for all those who served, and that they are all holding signs that say, "Welcome Home, Brother."

It's Not Easy Being Six

My granddaughter, Teka (her nickname), has been getting into trouble at school lately. It's the usual stuff that first graders do  - talking too much and not listening. In her defense, the past few weeks have been full of upsets and changes. There were the bad storms and the power outage and having to go out of town. There's a new baby at home. Teka was also worried about her cousin that was having a tonsillectomy. She's a little worrywart. It's the end of the year and the children are getting antsy by now. Teka is usually well-behaved. She loves to read and is the typical older child, shouldering the responsibilities of big sisterhood. She has landed on "Yellow" before, but after a couple of days on "Yellow", my daughter made her write a note to her teacher, apologizing for her behavior.

"Nobody else has to do this," she remarked through tears.

"But what if you had to go to the Principal's office?" my daughter asked.

"But you don't go to the Principal's office until you're on "Red" and I was only on "Yellow."

It's not easy being six.

My Home's in Alabama

I've lived in Alabama for over twenty-five years. I was not born in the South, but I am a Southerner by the grace of God. I believe that every state and every region has something to be proud of...and together we can celebrate each other's gifts. That's what makes us the "United States."

But Alabama has always suffered in the way it has been represented in the media. We're always at the bottom of some list, and jokingly say, "Thank God for Mississippi!" It was pointed out to me recently, though, that Alabama was upgraded on a new list. It is now No.#1 for tornadoes.

There is one thing that is often overlooked about Alabama and the South. We have had some great talent come from the red clay dirt and cotton fields that dot this landscape, from the hills and hollows, and even from the Gulf Coast. I bet there are some people who don't realize that Alabama actually has beaches. But Alabama has produced some literary giants, like Harper Lee, who wrote "To Kill a Mockingbird" and Truman Capote, her childhood friend from Monroeville. Helen Keller was from Tuscumbia. Former Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, is from Birmingham. Fannie Flagg, another Birmingham native, gave us "Fried Green Tomatoes" and Winston Groom wrote "Forrest Gump." Somehow, the creative juices that were born in this southern state are ingrained in our minds. Who can forget Scout and Atticus, from "To Kill a Mockingbird?" Who will ever forget "Life is like a box of chocolates" from "Forrest Gump?" What woman hasn't jumped off of her sofa in her bathrobe, cheering Kathy Bates in "Fried Green Tomatoes" in the parking lot scene at Walmart? And who has not seen "The Miracle Worker" and knows the story of Helen Keller by heart?

 Everyone knows that Hank Williams was born in Montgomery, Alabama. His music needs no introduction, but I love his song, "I Saw the Light". My absolute favorite gospel song is " I Shall Not Walk Alone" by the Blind Boys of Alabama. The group, Alabama, recorded a song, "Angels Among Us" that has always been one of my favorites. Taylor Hicks, an Alabama native, was the winner on American Idol a few years ago. Tammy Wynette was also from Alabama. And, of course, Lynyrd Skynyrd gave us "Sweet Home Alabama."

Yes, here in Alabama we might live across from a cotton field or live in a mansion on a hill. We like our sweet tea and we like our football rivalries. We are passionate about our faith and our politics and we cherish our liberties. The Old South is no more, but the New South has a lot of heart and a lot of soul. Just listen.

Mothers

This is for the mothers who are sleep-deprived, stumbling in the dark to change sheets in the middle of the night when a child is sick.

This is for the mothers who wake up at dawn to bake cookies or brownies for snack day at school.

This is for the mothers who yell at their children and hide in the bathroom while they wipe the tears from their eyes.

This is for the mothers who practice spelling words while washing the dishes.

This is for the mothers who clean up after the puppy, tackle loads of laundry, and make it to all the soccer games.

This is for the mother who saves every homemade Mother's Day card, and crayon drawing from their child.

This is for the mothers who read to their children.

This is for the mothers wno stay at home or work outside the home because a mother's shift is 24/7.

This is for the mothers who learn how to text, so that they can communicate with their young adult children.

This is for the mothers who are not perfect, but whose love for their children is perfect.

This is for the mothers young and old alike, who will tell you that being a mother is the most important job she ever had.

Happy Mother's Day!