It's Been a Long Time

(warning - I haven't proofread this post - as I discover typo's when I go over it later, I'll change them - any reader will need to be forgiving)

February 25 was the last time I posted. Sad.

I'm actually in Evergreen, AL right now - I travelled down on Monday, leaving Charlie with all the Scottsboro stuff. Sarah arrived in Scottsboro yesterday for her spring break which doesn't really begin until next week, but all her classes after Tuesday were cancelled.

Kate leaves for China tomorrow.

Laura Beth and Ada are travelling to Scottsboro today. The Laura Beth trip was planned several months ago when I knew I'd be away during this time and unable to help Ann during this new baby stage. The plan was for LB to be there to help her. Ada will spend time with her other grandmother who lives not too far away. So - that all works out.

So - here I am. I've written in my blog that I grew up here in Evergreen, with many cousins who were like siblings to me. We've all scattered and have aged quite a bit. When, however, we were very young adults, our parents were all living, and also our grandmother. In those early years Evergreen was still the gathering place for holidays and weekends - giving all of our children opportunity to know each other.

One of my cousins, Melissa, the older daughter of my mom's youngest sister, remained in Evergreen - so her daughter grew up here amongst her great aunts - and in the same church that I've written so much about and even included pictures. When my girls would visit Evergreen with me, they would play with Mary Hamilton who is 2 years younger than Laura Beth - and then I had Sarah and Kate - so Mary Hamilton is sandwiched in between my two "daughter sets". We still call Mary Hamilton by her very long, beautiful double name, but I understand that her friends from college and young adult life now have shortened it to Mary. In this post I'll just type MH as I sometimes do for Laura Beth by typing LB. MH is getting married on April 18th and we all will have the pleasure of being in our beautiful home church where so many memories will be replayed. An additional fun thing for me is - Ellie(my oldest grandchild) has been asked to be the flowergirl. The two sons of MH's oldest cousin will be the ring bearers together. So - we're now into the 3rd level of cousins participating in this family event.

Back to this week and this weekend.

On Saturday Mary Ann and I are hosting a luncheon for MH. It's here at Mary Ann's house and all the female family members are invited. Of course not all can attend due to distance and schedules, but we do have 16 coming. Even with my having 4 daughters, Sarah is the only one who can be here and even that might not happen - but it should be a very pleasant day and event - and I am having such a good time getting ready. I've been polishing silver, which I really enjoy. I've washed napkins and ironed them - I enjoy that - and today I am washing the china that we'll be using. We're using Mother's old china which she inherited from my grandmother in Troy. It is so very old - white with handpainted gold edge and the monogram "W". We are also using some of my china which I selected, when I married, to blend with Mothers. It, too, is a creamy white(offwhite) with gold edge. And we'll be using mine and mother's stemware.

The menu consists of old family recipes with which we are all familiar. The theme is family and reunion and what we've known for so many years. I'll post the menu with recipes after Saturday. Don't want to reveal secrets before the luncheon.

I'm enjoying this rare opportunity of spending 7 or 8 days here in Evergreen - I've written that Mother and her oldest sister, Lucille, have passed away. But Florence and Mary are here. Of course, it's Mary's granddaugher who is getting married - so the "Robinsons" are all into the whole wedding thing right now. Mary Ann and I visited with (cousin) Melissa and (aunt) Mary on Tuesday and we couldn't stop talking about everything - so fun -

I think this afternoon Mary Ann and I will go over to Florence's and see her. We've been rather busy and haven't had much visiting time. But I want to see her before the luncheon to get in all of our visiting - because one on one will be difficult to do on Saturday with everyone here.

I brought my camera and tool for downloading - so I expect to post pictures following the luncheon. Perhaps before the luncheon. Time permitting.

That's my update.

Why haven't I been posting? Brain just went into a fog - during those final dreary winter days - I needed sunshine and warmth to clean out the cobwebs, I suppose. I don't know - didn't even email much - Mary Ann said she was concerned about me, because I was not emailing at all. She and I do email quite a bit - we prefer that to lengthy time on the phone. Finally, we'll just call each other and get so tickled.

I remember in my last post I said I'd type those special passages from God's word, when I couldn't think of anything on my own to write. I didn't even do that. It never works for me to say "what I will post" - because I don't usually follow through. It's always spontaneous for me in this blogging project. By the way - isn't blog an odd word for this thing we do? I don't think it is a very pretty word and would prefer another - but I don't know what it would be. Who thought of blogging? Weird. But a nice concept in our age of computers and cyberspace.

I have to go and wash more China.