More Re: Sunday Dinners

Laura Beth, my "second born", left a comment on my last post regarding the Sunday meal. Most folks who read this blog are either here by accident or are here via Ann's, Laura Beth's, Sarah's, or Kate's blog. I guess just to check out if the "apple fell very far from the tree". Anyone ever heard that analogy? My close friend, Mary Bratton, always has used that saying describing the behavior and tendencies of a child. She would say, "Well, the apple doesn't fall very far from the tree". Of course meaning we need only look to the parents and see how all of this developed. That can be good and that can be not so good.

Back to Laura Beth's comment on my post. She was drawn to my meal descriptions - I'm guessing she was salivating and having heart tugs to be on the scene, around the table - Well, if you follow her blog and a lot of folks do - you've learned that she is very transparent and doesn't fake anything. She tells it like it is. She bemoaned the fact that as a young mother she isn't doing the Sunday Meal situation. I want to clear something up.

I have a distinct memory of being a young mom - with just Ann and Laura Beth - 18 months apart and wanting to begin the good memory traditions. We were just getting started at Calvary Baptist and loving the security of that church family - and I wanted to be able to come home and have a good Sunday meal after the good fellowship at church. So I did that - I started with a determination to have those meals - but my girls were little and those Sunday afternoons turned into many hectic moments - They would be so sleepy and getting them fed and down for a nap was time consuming - plus all the cleanup of the meal - There was no rest and Sundays should be restful and relaxing if possible, as much as possible. Plus, in those days, we thought if we didn't get back for church training and evening church - well - that our world would collapse, I guess. The light bulb went off in my brain one afternoon, knee deep in dishes and so tired - "This is crazy!", I thought. I'll just have to make the "meal memories" at a later time - when the girls are older. After that we did easy quick stuff, often McDonalds or whatever else. Then Sarah and Kate came along and at some point we gathered around the table for Sunday meals again and it wasn't so crazy.

I just love Sunday Dinner, as I said yesterday.

But when the girls got a lot older as in Teenagers, not only Sunday Dinners but evening meals also fell by the wayside. There were so many different schedules and so many different eating habits - people were on diets and older and independent - We lost the "around the dinner table habit/routine".

Next phase, College and Marriage - and for a little bit it was just Charlie and me. Just for a little bit. I remember wishing I had enough people to motivate Sunday dinner - but it was just the two of us and I just was not inspired to do big cooking - but then Ann, Steve and the children moved back and here we are and I really enjoy the Sunday Meal situation and making those "family" memories. But it's the only meal in the week that I cook that big and I really enjoy it. Rest of the week? Ask my girls. Don't cook much - just last minute things like Pasta with whatever tossed into it - or a really good Salad that Charlie makes - it's loaded and soooooo good.

So - Laura Beth and young moms - you have many years to cook and create around the table memories on Sunday - if you so desire - It's very early in the game for you - you'll get there eventually. Just love those babies.

Sunday Afternoon

It's a classic!

Sunday afternoon.

What did anyone else have for lunch?

We had

Meat Loaf

Fresh Green Beans

Fresh Butter Beans

Fried Okra

Cornbread

Sweet Tea

Cherry/Pineapple Cobbler

Vanilla Ice Cream

I don't enjoy that kind of heavy food during the week, but I love it for Sunday lunch.

Only in the South we always called it Sunday dinner.

Roast, Rice, English Peas, Rolls and Sweet Tea

That's another favorite menu. Add to that Pear Salad...ahhhh. I love it. That would be two canned pear halves on a lettuce leaf, tiny dollop of mayo, topped with grated cheese.

Love pie for dessert on Sunday. Chocolate Meringue or Coconut Cream with Meringue. Or Egg Custard. I don't make egg custard pie very often but it's one of my favorites. As a child I declared it my favorite. Recently Ann requested that I make it. So I pulled out "the famous recipe". By that I mean it was Mrs. Snowden's recipe.

Mr. and Mrs. Snowden were our neighbors on our right, facing the street, Williams Street. They had 5 adult daughters. Well, one was still a teenager when we first lived there. I was only 3 so she seemed like an adult. She soon graduated and married and lived away. On the other side of Mr. and Mrs. Snowden lived Betty Ruth and Harry Engle and their two sons. The youngest, Harry Jr., was my age and we all called him Poonkey. He was really really short and I was tall for my age. But we were buddies and spent a lot of time at my house, at his house and at Mrs. Snowden's house.

In those days neighbors were very very very neighborly. Mother was so connected to all the ladies, every age, on our street. Our culture had not yet padlocked itself into its individual homes. For really good communication adults had to get outside the house and talk and invite one another over for coffee or a grilled hamburger in the summer. Or adults would just stand and talk while working in the yard and the kids would play. We were all over that street, the kids. And we watched all the houses go up and we played in and outside one another's homes. Mostly outside.

But about Mrs. Snowden and her recipe.

She made great Egg Custard Pie - the best. It was always thick and didn't settle down into a flat filling. We loved it and she knew we did. I guess when she made one she made several and she was generous to share it with us. Mrs. Snowden was especially good natured. So kind and pleasant - always smiling and in a really genuinely good mood. One evening we had had an early dinner. It might have been lunch, but I think it was an early summer dinner. Not yet dark and we, the four of us, Mother, Daddy, Mary Ann and I, were sitting around the table - having finished our meal and wishing for a good dessert. One of us, either myself or Mother, knew that Mrs. Snowden had been baking Egg Custard Pies that day - plural. Mom said almost in jest that she could send one of us over to borrow a cup of sugar or flour from Mrs. Snowden and we just knew she'd send some pie back along with the cup of whatever. I immediately volunteered to go over. I did. I knocked on her back screen door - I can just see her kitchen and the whole inside of her house. I love thinking about it and about her. She was so dear. Always a smile. I asked to borrow the cup of something and she eagerly got that and then grabbed a whole pie and sent it back with me. In I walked, through our back door, with that pie - Mother, Daddy, & Mary Ann were still sitting at the table waiting. Call us deceptive if you like - we just hated to come right out and go over and ask for the pie - but we knew her heart and that she'd love to give us some pie. We just didn't know how to ask that directly so we opened the way for her to just give it to us.

Years later, after many requests for her recipe, she finally relented. I don't think it was that she didn't want to give it to us - I just don't think she'd ever written it down. It seemed like she didn't really know the exact measurements - But she finally gave me the recipe and I'll share it here on my blog.

It's the very best - not so different from any other egg custard pie recipe - I think it's the "tight fistful" of flour that does the trick. You'll see:

Egg Custard Pie

Mrs. Snowden

6 eggs,

running over cup of sugar,

3 Tblsp butter, melted,

tight fistful of all purpose flour,

2 3/4 cup of milk,

1 tsp vanilla(can use lemon flavoring, too)

Make a pastry shell - unbaked

pour filling into unbaked shell

Bake at 450 degrees for 20 min. Reduce oven to 350 degrees and bake about 15 or 20 minutes longer, until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Mrs. Snowden, on that day she told me the ingredients, I didn't even have pen and paper - Mother and Mary Ann were with me and all three had to commit to memory the ingredients. She didn't tell me the baking time - I looked that up under other egg custard pies. She just called out those ingredients. I think she guesstimated the ingredients when she gave an exact measurement. She'd say, "ooohhh, about....." and then she would say the amount. I think I'm right that we committed all of that to memory. I know I didn't have pen and paper with me or maybe just had a scrap of something and a pen or perhaps wrote it on my hand. I was scrambling because I'd wanted this recipe for soooo long. It was like gold to me.

It's a great pie.

Good Morning!

Wednesday morning.

Alarm went off early to wake Charlie for early morning men's bible study.

Usually sleep takes over following that unsettling noise, but this morning random thoughts got me out of bed.

Wonderful coffee. Black/Brown - Hot. That first cup is something to get up for.

Early mornings have always been better to me than waking much later. Slow starts, savoring the quiet, early sounds and prayers for the day.

The computer drew me in - which created a question - what is it about the computer. There are people in it whom I know - my girls, my friends, my sister who might email if she's had a sleepless night - or a game or 2 similiar to mother's crossword puzzles. Spider Solitaire and Free Cell are my games. Also wanted to change the disney music. Playlist will continue to keep that for Ellie and we can listen when she's here, but I had to get off of that and what better sounds than old hymns early in the morning at the beginning of the day.

This is a morning post, bringing to mind a quote shared before on this blog site - written by my grandfather and something I see on my kitchen wall each morning when retrieving that first cup of coffee.

Think how bad it would be if day were everlasting and there were no night, no rising sun, no morning dew, no morning glories, no smell of bacon and coffee, no new day with its chance and opportunity of starting all over again.

JHW - 1951

or

from scripture

Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, therefore I will hope in Him." Lam. 3: 19-24

or

The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth. 2 Sam. 23:3-4

or

Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. Psalm 5:3

Speaking of Magic...

and the imaginations of little girls....

I realize I go back in time to my childhood quite a bit. I'm ready to get off of this subject, but for two days now Ellie has seen my posts up on the computer screen and heard the music and she's loving the pictures. Yesterday she wanted to see Belle up here. I downloaded, off the internet, several Disney princess images. In spite of the fact that my yellow ink had run out - I printed out the images for her on regular computer paper. That was on Sunday. I told her the colors would be wrong. Belle's dress came out pink. She liked that. But I told her I would get some yellow ink. I did that yesterday. It was a priority. I did it after she had been at my house - so she hasn't seen the true colors printed out. Anyway - as I readied myself for the day, she stood in front of this computer, "working with the mouse" and staring at the screen. She saw her name on my blog where I've titled my music, "Ellie's Music". She came into the bathroom where I was putting on makeup and said, "Near! My name is on there!". I walked in to see what she was talking about. Ellie still says Furmaid for mermaid and Sleeping Judy for Sleeping Beauty - simply because none of us have corrected her. We're still going along with it. It's gotten out of hand. She can say correct words, but whose going to be the one to come clean with the whole thing? I think that's Ann's job....I'm feeling a bit deceptive - but I love hearing her say Sleeping Judy and Little Furmaid. On words? Yesterday Luke said AlaKirby for Albuquerque. He was talking to Laura Beth and I was telling him to tell her that Poppie was flying back to Albuquerque. That's what he said. AlaKirby. I can't remember how he pronounced Chattanooga, where Poppie(Wayne) had been, but I can assure you it was cute. The only thing is that Ellie and Luke are both old enough now, that when we discuss their cute antics, they hear us and feel a bit "laughed at". We have to be careful. They don't appreciate the humor in it. Children need to be taken seriously and respected...but they're just so cute!!!!! They bring so many smiles.
Okay - so seeing those Disney images - and hearing the magic in the music - I went again to the internet. There are so many folks out there who collect old things. Amazing psychology in that - that we do that!!! At least I'm not the only one. So many are much more into it than I. And I can count on that when I dive into cyberspace. So I did that yesterday and I found the exact image of the Miss Revlon Doll which I received for Christmas, one year, when I was at the peak of those "magical feelings" which little girls have. Here she is and I see her and remember how it felt and how beautiful I thought she was. I've done something similar to this before on an older post - but I don't think I have found this exact image before. This doll isn't even for sale. I was at a site that features so many Miss Revlon dolls. It stated that this particular doll belonged to an exclusive collection of somebody. Anyway...here she is...again.
Same dress, same shoes, same hair, same earrings. And if we could see her from the back, I know we'd see the same seams in her pantyhose.



I know I've talked about my Chatty Cathy doll - which I do still have - only not the original dress and box. Also, I've restyled her hair because it got a bit out of control. I trimmed it and she looks good. She also can wear all the American Doll Clothes - same body I suppose. She looks good in them. I've posted pictures of her before this. I think it was around Christmas of 2008. Anyway - I googled Chatty Cathy. - and guess what? Below are photos of a Vintage, same as mine, Chatty Cathy, never taken out of the box. It's for sale on ebay. 51.00 is the most recent bid!!!!! I would do that. I would bid on her if I could, but right now Charlie would just give up on my ever having any common sense...which I don't naturally have a lot of....I am not naturally reasonable....unreasonable is more appealing....but I was raised on reasonable and on common sense.....so I do find comfort in stability, reasonable, practical - but my gaze always goes toward the erratic...just a bit. So - here is how she looked that Christmas morning - I got these photos off of ebay. It's the box....it's all of it....just like she looked. I'd forgotten about the hairband. This is the same dress and everything!!! Do you get the same thrill in your tummy when you gaze upon this????

Ahhhhh....childhood..... and the way we felt. It's so fun looking through my grandchildrens' eyes. Seeing how they see.



Isn't she sweet and so new looking. I marked it on ebay as an item to be watched. I have about 5 days to keep from bidding. I have about 5 days to go back and consider buying her. Yipes.

About playing dressup.

I have a vivid memory regarding that. I was probably about 4 - I see these images and know how I felt - I think the feeling is very young and the visual perspective is out of probably 4 year old eyes - maybe nearing 5 but no older. I wanted to play dressup - so I remember walking through the den, through the kitchen, to the back/side screen door. I knew Mother was out on the back "stoop" doing something. Her back is to me and she is kneeling down doing something - in task mode. And I say, casually, hopefully, "Mother, can I get out the dressup clothes?" That would refer to about 3 outfits Mary Ann and I had - a stash of old dressy dresses - childsize evening wear - probably from former plays, events - perhaps dance recitals that Mary Ann had been in - (Mom never enrolled me in dance classes - only Mary Ann - who never enjoyed the stage - but I LOVED the stage as a child - give me the spotlights, the footlights, the applause and laughter of the crowd - I loved it)

Anyway, I submitted my request to Mom - who answered "No, not now". I started with a slight whine of a "Please" and she said "No", again. I got whinier and begged harder and asked why - to which she probably just answered that she didn't want to get all of that out right then. I think I remember something like that. What I really remember is how frustrated and mad I was on the inside. I also never recall her stopping her task to turn around and answer - she continued what she was doing and I continued to beg through the screen door - getting angrier and knowing she wasn't budging. The feeling was that she didn't have a clue what it felt like to be my age and want to play dress up as badly as I did. I loved it. So I just told her, in a very raised voice - not disrespectful - but within the bounds of my being able to express my displeasure with her choices - "WHEN I GROW UP I'M GOING TO PLAY DRESSUP WHENEVER I WANT TO!!!!" I still don't recall any remorse on her part. I remember thinking inside, "I know you think I won't do that because I'll be grownup, but I will. I'll never not want to play dressup". The memory ends there, with my walking back into the kitchen and it fades off. I don't know what I did after that instead of playing with the dressup clothes.

Mom was very kind and flexible - and tolerant - I just caught her at a moment when she didn't want to fool with it.

I always remembered that scene - and with four girls in my home - when they were small - I kept a box of "dressup" clothes which they could access at anytime. They did. I have some great pix of them in their showy garments. The box was in their closet and Ann has one for Ellie at her house. I even have a special "dressup clothes" basket which Ellie and Ada and Luke can get to - mostly Ellie uses it because Ada is only now getting to the age of choosing that. Luke certainly doesn't think of it unless Ellie thinks of it for him. There's not much in the basket for little boys to wear. Ellie absolutely loves the dressup game and she has a grandmother who respects that greatly.

Probably if Mother had a do over she'd think, "I don't know why I didn't keep that stuff out so you could just do it whenever" - but she didn't think of that. There must have been a reason because we had so much to play with and Mother let us do so much which I didn't have the patience for when I was a mom. I think for us adults and Mothers of small children, it's just whatever we can handle at the time - on any given day and at any given hour.

The Music

It's been time for me to change my music. I have so many playlists and each one is put together with a purpose. Today I've put up one that I put together for Ellie. It's the Disney Songs. Ann bought her a cd for her birthday party - it was the background music for her party when the theme was Cinderella.

A few weeks ago, 2 or 3, I was driving Ellie and Luke in their van. We were coming to my house and Ann had kept my car to bring Andrew later. There's a cute little cd they have about Proverbs. I love it and wanted to listen to it. They used to love it, but Ellie really really wanted the Disney CD on that day. So I put it in. It was obvious that both Ellie and Luke love this CD. They were singing at the top of their lungs, especially during the choruses or the crescendos of each song. Luke has a vein in his neck that pops out when he sings so hard and loud. His face gets red. Their hearts were in it. So - on arrival at my house I went to the computer to "google" and "order" my own Proverbs CD so I could hear it - and also wanted to give it as a gift to a children's camp - Maranook where Kate and Sarah have worked. Again - Ellie wanted to hear Disney - so I put together this playlist for her - just so she'd have some "princess" music to listen to and dance to. She got all the dressup clothes on and danced around in my bedroom as I played her specially made playlist.

I didn't intend to post it on my blog - but today when I was trying to decide what music to put up - I thought of Ellie and decided to put it there in her honor for a few days.

On another day, when Ada was here, Ellie encouraged 2 year old Ada to also dress up. Both my little granddaughters were dancing and twirling all over the house.

On this August Saturday.....

I don't think I'm going to continue in my memorabilia of Mother and Daddy's wedding anniversary. I did find the letters and began to post some - but there were so many and I just needed to do excerpts - plus - I couldn't imagine that when Daddy wrote those, knowing Daddy, he could ever have dreamed they might be in cyberspace. Time just continued to go by and here it is August 15 and it feels like the end of summer.

Sarah and Kate are both now back at Auburn. We had a wonderful summer with them here. All 4 of us "adults" had moved into the summer with a bit of apprehension. None of us are accustomed to living in the same "dwelling" anymore, for any length of time. But we did it and it worked out. It more than worked out and we had a pleasant time of it. I think that as we moved toward the time they would return to Auburn, we were all feeling the readiness of it. Still, as glad as I am of their "living" situations down there, and as much as I know they are content where they are, and as glad as I am to have my "spot" on the couch back again - well - I feel a little sad today. I can't see their faces when I want to. I guess that's it. I still think of Ann, Kate, & Sarah as blondes with blonde faces, and I still think of Laura Beth as redheaded with a redheaded face. Anybody understand that? I'm grateful Ann lives so close - as in....Scottsboro - I musn't take that for granted. Albuquerque was soooo far away - and I do think I handled that well - but now that she's so close well it would be hard to have that distance again - it might happen someday - so I want to enjoy this. Now McDonough, where Laura Beth is, seems far. Atlanta used to seem close compared to New Mexico. It's all relative. Auburn - well - it's south Alabama. I love South Alabama.

I just returned, yesterday, from Evergreen - my dear, faded, not the same, Evergreen. Now my aunt Florence has moved to Tallahassee to be with her children. So - here's what I have - Mary Ann, my sister, is there. My aunt, Mary, and uncle, John Law, are there with my cousin, Melissa, and my cousin, Edward. I have my cousin, Bert, and his wife, Susan living there (in the house where I grew up). Their son, Michael, and his wife, Sharon, are there with their teenaged son, Michael, Jr. Their daughter, Susan Ann, is at Auburn. There used to be so many more - and so many gatherings -

so as I've paused from typing, indulging in a few tears that really aren't so bad but cleansing, I ask Mother, as if she can hear me, to please tell me I needn't fret - that it's all just a continuation - only better - in eternity - and that it really is just a matter of a brief bit of time - and I can see her again - and Daddy - and the other family members whom I have the assurance of seeing. Most of them. Really. I want to see them all.

Isn't God's grace and salvation beyond words to describe - the riches that not only can we have eternal life - but a life here on earth empowered by Him. and a blessed life, no matter what the circumstances are. Is there anything to do but give our life to Him - living in Him - and passionately for Him - surrendered, dependent on Him - leaning, leaning, and hoping to look like Him - trusting Him to make us sanctified, set apart for His glory. How can we live any other way? What else matters - so that when all the things on this earth that we hold so dear, when those dissolve and sift through our fingers - He's there - He's always there - never absent - ahhh ... blessed leaning. There is a bit of grief and there is a lot of grief at times - yet - His everlasting arms -

I'm not one who is at home with melancholy. I have a sanguine nature and a laughing nature. It fits me better - so - I had some good laughs with Mary Ann in Evergreen - We get so tickled about the worst things, and the best things, and the things in between. Mother did too.

Mary Ann and I were in CVS on Thursday and were behind someone who was checking out. The attractive female customer was enjoying some fun banter with the clerk regarding the piped in music and she was doing a little dancing to it while the clerk said, in her South Alabama, African-American dialect, which is music to my ears, that the music was the thing that got her through her work day. I laughed loud enough to get included in their banter when the lady who was dancing did a doubletake when she saw me. She said, "Elizabeth Wilkerson?" She hadn't seen Mary Ann who was standing off the to side - we all 3 paused in a moment of effort for me to gain some recognition of her identity. I couldn't do it. I couldn't see a known face in the attractive, albeit 59 year old face. I know because I'm 58. She spoke out boldly with a huge grin, "Melva Brown!" I gasped and said O My Gosh and we hugged. I hadn't seen her since she was 18, a senior and probably in her cute little all green cheerleader uniform - or just a cute school dress from the late sixties. She lives in Houston, Texas and is really Melva Kelly - but when we go to Evergreen we drop our married names around old friends so we have some hope of idenity with folks. She did, though, marry someone from Evergreen whom my cousin Scott graduated with - Byron Kelly and he is from a large family there in E'green - a lot of Kelly's. It was so much fun and there was only one customer who was having to be reassured by me that I would hurry through my purchase and not keep her waiting during this "class reunion".

Melva was a grade ahead of me and her sister, Barbie, was in my class. So I actually was more acquainted with Barbie - but we all knew each other because each graduating class averaged about 60. We were all big fish in a little pond - very little pond. a puddle. It was fun. Due to the human condition I have to acknowledge that in that little pond, the pecking order deemed some to be little fish - which I hate - because noone really is little ... everyone matters ... but there is suffering in social structures - isn't there. Here I go again... getting melancholy.... Let me move on. It's Saturday. I'm home. Fall is around the corner. August is drying up my green stuff - but we do have mostly green, still. The edges of the hydrangea leaves are a bit burned, some of them. There's a dry scent - but it's still August and I'm still calling it summer. I'm going to savor every last day - and then will enjoy the fall. I do love Fall so much - who doesn't? I think Fall is the grace of God - He used those wonderful colors and those wonderful scents as we let go of the green and color and freedom of summer. Fall makes it easier for me to let go of summer.

Wedding Clothes

So - yesterday I wrote that Mother and Daddy's anniversary was August 3, 1947. I have now posted pictures of her "Wedding Suit", which she wore on that early Sunday morning, and one dress which she wore on her honeymoon to St. Augustine, FL.

This is her hat, described in the newspaper writeup as an "off the face beige felt."

It reads that she wore "a mink brown suit, an original model of bengaline."

Sarah is modeling the suit without the jacket.

Here are the buttons which have come off, but perhaps I'll sew them back on. I'm wondering about having the suit cleaned.


Here is the casual dress, modeled by Sarah.

(have to mention that I promised Sarah not to get her face as she had not been out of bed very long - still had "the look")

And now I'll write the newspaper account of their wedding.

WILKERSON-NORTHCUTT--

The marriage of Miss Edith Northcutt of Evergreen, Ala., to Frank Wilkerson of Troy, ALa., took place at a morning ceremony on August 3, at the Methodist Church with the Rev. A.B. Carlton officiating.

The ceremony was preceded by a musical program consisting of "Fifth Symphony"(theme) - Tchaikovsky, "Poeme" - Fibich, and the traditional wedding march. "Claire de Lune" - Debussy, was played during the ceremony. The musical program was rendered by Miss Virginia Suddith of Evergreen.

The Rev. A.A. Staples, of Evergreen was best man. Mrs. W.P. Price, sister of the bride, was matron of honor and the bride's only attendant. Her dress was beige with brown accessories. She carried a small bouquet of pink rose-buds.

The bride was given in marriage by her father. She wore a mink brown suit, an original model of bengaline. Her headdress was an off the face beige felt. She carried a bouquet of yellow rosebuds. The bride's only ornament was a necklace, gift of the groom.

The mother of the bride wore a white suit with black accessories. Her corsage was pink rosebuds. The mother of the groom wore a grey dress with black and white accessories. Her corsage was white carnations.

Immediately after the ceremony there was an informal reception at new home of the bride and groom.

Among the out-of-town guests attending the wedding were: Mr. and Mrs. L.M. Purifoy, Dalton, Georgia, Mr. and Mrs. John Wilkerson, Mr. Halbert Wilkerson, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wilkerson and children of Troy, Alabama.

After a wedding trip in Florida, the couple will make their home in Evergreen.

Next I'm going to post some correspondence between Mother and Daddy during their courtship. Daddy wrote Mom some letters when he traveled home to Troy, also one or two when he missed her so much, living "across town". Not a large town. I don't think Daddy owned a car at that time. He was boarding, or renting a room, at the home of Mrs. Henry Wiggins(Willie Wiggins was her name). Their house was located across the street from the high school and the bandroom was right next to Mrs. Wiggins' house. The bandroom was not in the same building as the high school. I think that Daddy probably walked to Mother's house to see her - also, once they were engaged, they built a small house on the same property behind my grandparents' home - it was a small wood frame house. We lived in that house behind Ella and Elbert until I was 2 1/2 or 3. Mary Ann was 5. So - when Mother and Daddy built their new home on Williams Ave, then my grandparents moved into the little house and my Aunt and Uncle, Florence and Waynard, along with their 3 children, moved into Ella and Elbert's house. That's the way we all lived and where we all lived for those many many years.

But when Daddy was single and living in that home of Mrs. Wiggins, I know that he attended the Baptist Church and surely walked to it. I can picture all of these places and know that it is no problem to walk these distances - quite pleasant actually. Sidewalks to stay on, even on the rather speedy Hwy. 31 coming into and through Evergreen.

That's all the posting for today.

1947

Mother and Daddy's anniversary was yesterday.

I really wanted to post regarding their engagement and wedding, but there were too many distractions here at the house.

I returned from my trip to South Alabama on Saturday. Laura Beth and Ada were already here; Scott joined them. We had a birthday party out at Ann's house for Ada's 2nd birthday.

Sunday was Sunday and very wet - so I stayed at home from church with the four little grandchildren - I'm talking WET - it was a "gully washer", for real. Our new church doesn't have the best accommodations for getting in the building reasonably dry. All my adult children, minus Kate who is in Auburn, went to church, and Charlie, of course.

Monday I kept Ada while LB and Ann went to H'ville to visit friends. Yesterday was Mother & Daddy's anniversary. August 3, 1947. I have Mother's "wedding suit" and "wedding hat", have to locate it - and wanted to take a picture of it. I also have a picture of a dress she wore while on her honeymoon - one photo of her and Daddy on their honeymoon. They went to St. Augustine, FL for their wedding trip. I need to find all of that, take pictures of it with Sarah's new camera, and post those. I also have letters written during the engagement period. Mother was 28 and Daddy was 34 when they married. Mother was working and living in Evergreen. Daddy was the new band director at the high school. He had come from his first job in Holly Springs, Mississippi. The former band director, before Daddy, was Bob Soule who was the husband of one of mother's best friends from high school. She was Jean Soule. They left Evergreen and moved to New York or Connecticut - somewhere like that. I know that before Mother met Daddy, she traveled to New York City to visit them - It was a big deal for her to make that trip. We always heard about her trip to New York City. Anyway - I've always thought that was rather unusual for her close friend to be married to the high school band director (and a talented musician) and then for Mother to meet and marry the next band director (also a talented musician). Both very well trained and educated.

I'm going to close this post and look for wedding memorbilia from Mother's stash.

Today is Tuesday and Laura Beth and Ada have returned to McDonough, GA. We have moved Kate and Sarah into their new homes in Auburn. Very pleased with their locations and setups and living situations. The move wasn't too harrowing. All in all, it was probably one of the simplest and least stressful we've experienced. We moved Sarah in, but she is back in Scottsboro for about 2 weeks. Kate is down there for prerush and rush. Sarah, being a 5th year senior, is now an alum. in her sorority.

I'm going to search for the memorabilia.