I Am Back....from South Alabama

I drove down on Monday to Evergreen.  I went back to this place......these ghosts......

Images - Roots - What shaped me - What I knew...Whom I knew and Who made for me my base.....

Sister, Mary Ann and Aunt, Mary, for starters and then follow,

cousin, Suzanne and then, Mother, with both of us. sisters, sisters, sisters, always the two of us.

I drove down on Monday. Mary Ann was to have a colon screening on Tuesday.  Mary Ann is my sister if you've never read this post.  Our first medical thing for me to "help her with".  She needed a driver.  Neither of us was looking forward to any of it.  It went great - good report - no weirdness - we were applauding ourselves for being "big girls" about the whole thing.  Mary Ann being the more mature since she was having the procedure.  

and I drove away from that world, Evergreen, my roots, 

around 9:00 and came back to my present - which is a gift and so blessed - and so in the present.

North Alabama.

But...while in E'green ....  had the best visit with my Aunt Mary.  I love her so - and my cousin, Melissa - but had already visited in B'ham, on the way down, with Cousin, Mary Claire and Couin-in-law and Friend, Martha.  Blessed, blessed treats.  Thank you, Lord.  Plus, very positive, "I love my life" cell phone talks with Kate and Sarah....my two youngest.  Thank you, Lord, again.

Back to 2010 and Scottsboro and some pictures from Italy

I have to stick my head back in 2010 for some fresh air.

All those black and whites and old letters - they inspire me - they're my roots - but I have to come back to this place all along.

I've been out in my yard on this very hot Friday - sweating like all get out - but I like it.  I love it, in fact.

I'll come in all along and inside have been exchanging emails with my friend, Val Carrier...and also, Mary Ann, regarding old family letters.  Val has been showing me her pictures of Florence, Italy.  She traveled with our mutual friend, Sarah Stoner Dodd, to Florence a couple or more years ago.

She told me, at the time, that she was going to Florence with Sarah.  Guess what I thought?  I thought she meant Florence, Alabama!  Seriously.  I didn't question her - just wondered why they were going there and where they would stay - but I did think they could swing by and pay me a visit.  Fortunately I began to think about it and it came into my brain like a light.  FLORENCE, ITALY...of course.

Recently in Sunday School - M Ferry was subbing for Charlie and he opened with this question - it really did have to do with where we were in the Old Testament.  He asked all of us, if we could move anywhere in the world - where would we pick.  Okay, I figured saying Evergreen, Alabama wasn't what he was looking for, so I didn't say that.  People were saying places - nice places - exciting - I couldn't think of anyplace I wanted to move to.  The largest city I could come up with was Birmingham, AL.  Mike said that didn't count.  Then I thought of a place - I had to first ask, "Is Tuscany a place or an interior design style or a type of food?"  chuckle, chuckle - then they said place and I named it.  I had images in my mind of Tuscany - steep narrow streets - houses really close to each other.  White Sun washed stucco walls - red rooftops.  In my mind.  I mouthed something to someone across the room, without saying it out loud, "and good wine".

Guess what?  In all that emailing today, Val sent me pictures from Tuscany.  It is a place, a region, and my friend has been there and her pictures are beautiful.  Just look.

She said that this man is sitting under an olive tree.

And this is Sarah and Val - she sent me this, too.

They're not in Tuscany here.  They might be at a lake in Alabama - like Lake Martin.

Not sure.

Sarah was my first roommate at Auburn, when I transferred my Junior Year.

Val and I were in buds in high school.

And this is Martha who they also see a good bit.

Martha and I were in high school together, too.

Martha and I have always known each other, I think.

...and Martha married my cousin, John.

Here is Mary, Martha's sister - she lives in Dothan with her husband, Pat, who is also from Evergreen.

Fun story which Martha and I enjoy recalling from time to time.

My mother and Martha's mother were pregnant with each of us at about the same time.

I was born in July of 51, and 3 months later Martha was born in October of 51.

A bit later, Mother was visiting with Addie(Martha's mom) and remarked to her,

"Addie, aren't you glad we're not pregnant?"  

to which Addie replied,

"But I am."

WOW!  and that is Mary up there, Martha's sister.  They are very close in age.  SMILE.

I joke about this - but.....  I introduced 2 of my college roommates to Val - Sarah, above, and Mary Emily Heard Mulloy.  Each of them lived in Birmingham for a bit and I had this friend Val who was good to befriend them since they were new in the city.  That was when we were all very very young - as in fresh out of college.    This is the way it goes...I introduce a friend to Val and then they like her better than they like me.  Go figure!  :-)

So - Mary Emily is no longer in B'ham although she was for a year, last year.  She has lived all over as a missionary.  She is so fun and so dear and so indwelled by Him.  Well, so are the others.  I love what God has done in their lives and they bless my heart - but I don't get to see them much.  It's just hard to get from here to there.  We're planning something soon, though.  I have to have my Birmingham fix.

Churches in Evergreen

The Churches in Evergreen

(well, there are others, but these are the main ones that I remember)

This is the Episcopal Church.

I have only been in it once.

I was a Brownie Scout and for some reason we were attending a service here.  What impressed me was that we had to wear our little beanies.  Those brown hats that brownie scouts wear. And we wore our white gloves.  I was 6 or 7.  Even then, I liked ceremony.  I was all about it and the hat and white glove situation.

The Presbyterian Church

I had two friends who were members here, in my grade, I mean.  I knew other people, but two in my class with whom I could compare notes regarding church services, activities.

It was in this church, when I was 16, that I finally understood the gospel - what Christ had done on the Cross. I just had not understood it before - We weren't in the sanctuary, we were in the basement of this church - the youth - and Frank Barker of Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham explained it and the light came on - I didn't tell anyone - but waited until I got home and was alone in my bed.  That's when I prayed.  It was a very very clear event - not foggy - not a little moment here, a little moment there - I was one way - and then I was another.

It was a clearcut rebirth.

The Evergreen Baptist Church

I was not a member here, but had lots of friends who were.

It seemed that more of my friends were in this church than were in mine.  I've been to a lot of weddings here, I've been "IN" a wedding here, a lot of revivals here, some VBS here, Community Thanksgiving Services here.  Actually was even in the nursery here.   When Mother and Daddy first married, Daddy was still attending or a member at the Baptist Church.  I have a clear memory of his taking me to the nursery, sitting on the floor playing, but knowing he wasn't leaving me.  I also was aware, that after that experience, he concluded it would be simpler to just go to the Methodist Church with Mother.

And here is my not very good digital image which I got off of Google Images.

The Evergreen First Methodist Church.

It's been on my blog many times.

But I had a better picture of my own - would have to get out a disc to download it.  Don't want to.

This is home to me, besides my own home, and besides my grandmother's house and besides my cousins' homes -

so much time here.

I know that church in our culture now is having to regroup.

I know that is part of history, and God's providential moving of people and hearts, as He sanctifies His Church, honing us, changing the Church body to look like Him. I know that. 

So church buildings are not "looking" like these anymore - not the new ones.  But aren't they pretty?

Anyway - just had these images and wanted to use them

and that concludes most of my Evergreen Images for a while...I think...unless I travel down there and get more "material" for posting.

Speaking of Beginnings

I found this picture on Google Images.

This house is in Repton, Alabama.

Repton is between Evergreen and Monroeville.

On Highway 84, heading West.

This is the house in which Mary Ann was born, Mary Ann being my older sister - and only sibling. 

It was Carter's Hospital and Mary Ann was born in 1949 - January 16th.

What a great picture of the house/hospital!

Other google images I found:

The Evergreen Post Office.

On Rural Street.

Going  West or to the left of the photo,

through the traffic light,

one will pass Mary and John Law's house on the right in the dip of the road, and back up the hill on the right is Williams Street where I grew up.

Basically this Post Office sits on a corner which is one of the few main "intersections" in Evegreen.  Going on the street beside the P.O. one will pass the Evergreen Post Office.

The picture below is an old post card image I found.

It's how the Court House originally looked.

Then it began to look like the image below, which is worse than my childhood memories, but I never remember it as scenic and pastoral as in the above picture.  Those were in the really early days when Evergreen supposedly began as a "resort community", being so close to the coast.

But now the old courthouse has been torn down and a new one has been built - again - demolition won out over restoration.  Oh well.

Again, back to the post office.  We turn left at the light, going beside the Post Office and then

 we pass the Court House on the right, keep going,

and down the hill and back up and turn right onto

McMillan Street where my grandmother's house sat right behind my cousin's house.

Basically, before we all got so busy and so, um, well, dependent on cars, one could pretty much walk all over Evergreen to get from one place to another.  I'm not saying it wouldn't be easier to drive, but - if one is given to a slower pace and doesn't have a car - well - walking works.

I would love to be in a community in which we walked to most of our destinations. 

That doesn't happen in Evergreen, now, I'm just saying I like the concept.

It Was Worse Than I Expected...

In my last post I wrote that I was traveling south to Evergreen. I did that to see my old high school which is being demolished. It was worse than I expected it to be and almost wish I hadn't seen it like that - but now am glad I did. I salvaged a few treasures - but first I'll show our initial responses to the building.

Mary Ann and I seeing the inside of the Home Ec/Ag Building. At first it was the only building we could get into. Demolition and neglect had made the whole school an "enter at your own risk" kind of ruin.

Next picture - my cousin, Bert, looking at the demolished auditorium and remembering, sharing the same sadness over its having to be torn down - (By the way, if you want to see what Bert does - when he's not answering my call to show up at old EHS to help me with a door I want to take home - go to www.conniemfg.com - He is a really, really smart business leader and he's had so many career successes - this is just one of them.)



Our first step into the Home Ec building.

This building actually meant more to Mother, in her lifetime, than to Mary Ann or me. Mother took Home Ec in this building and learned, here, to perfect her sewing skills, cooking skills, and home management skills. She always talked about Mrs. McInnis being her favorite teacher and how close they were. I had Mrs. M. for my Home and Family teacher during my senior year. I didn't take Home Economics.

Next picture,

The interior looking from an outside entrance.

I couldn't even walk in there without hesitation.

There was a sense of the ceiling possibly falling in.

This was what we referred to as "the senior hall".

The light at the end of the perspective point is the opposite end of what is a very long hall. It runs the length of the front of the school and below are the doors which would take one out the other end toward the chemistry room or "the new part of the school - including the new bandroom". The new addition was built at the end of 1967 - completed that summer. Mary Ann graduated in 1967 and didn't get to enjoy the new bandroom which Daddy was so thrilled to have. I always liked the old bandroom better. It had more character and more memories. Typical of me. Same as now, not wanting to let go of this building. Before the original BR was our bandroom it had been a one room church which sat across the street from the high school. I don't know when it became the bandroom for Evergreen High School - but I remember it as far back as I can recall - going with Mother and Daddy and Mary Ann up there after school hours. Probably Daddy needing something up there and having something to take care of. It was my Daddy's "office". My memory goes back to at least 3 years of age.

An old desk
And Bert going into the back entrance to the lunchroom. Naturally we had never been through that door - only employees would have entered there. There was an old device just inside for them to "clock in".

And a photo of the lunchroom taken from the kitchen's perspective. I just didn't venture very far in.

Bert and I both were quietly remembering so many school days and school events in that lunchroom - senior banquets, lunchroom antics, band banquets and football banquets, conversations around tables - high school lunchrooms.

But, guess what?
The snow is falling today in Scottsboro, AL
We are bundling up for an "arctic blast".
Things are going to freeze over.
Kate - if you read this post - phone home, from New Orleans.
I don't know if on Saturday you'll be able to get from
B'ham to S'boro. See Kate's blog, www.katherinerhodes.blogspot.com. She is talking about her New Orleans trip.

Next post will either be snow or my school and what I brought home with me. It's beautiful.

Evergreen Wedding

I'm still catching up with everything. These are a few pictures of the wedding on April 18. It was in the Evergreen Methodist Church - Because Ellie was the flowergirl, and because Ann had to have help with Andrew, I was able to tag along for the behind the scenes stuff. We were at the rehearsal and at the church early for pictures. Again, so many memories flooding back. The last time I was at a wedding rehearsal in that church was for my own wedding. And of all things, the girl who played for my wedding, Connie Gunter Kilpatrick, was the same who played for this wedding, only she's 61 now. She was 31 when she played for my wedding. The reason I know that is because she was my neighbor on Williams St. and I know that she is 3 years older than I.

She's fun and funny and we were laughing about all the years that have zoomed by. I've actually written about her in my blog, in other posts. The reason I'm taking up so much space about the organist is that in my Evergreen world, that is such a big deal. Mary, my aunt, who is the grandmother of this bride, is the organist at this church - but of course she had to be seated for her granddaughter's wedding - Mary was the organist at Ann and Steve's wedding - at my wedding Connie was the organist because I wanted Mary, my aunt, to be seated for my ceremony.

This is pre wedding stuff. That's Ellie in her dress. I think she thought she was as big a player in the whole thing as the bride. It was a dream come true for her to wear that long white dress. That's Ann in the black dress, my aunt Mary in the turquoise blue.

My aunt, Mary, and uncle, John Law. In my family we just say first names. We don't say, Aunt Mary or Uncle John Law. Had to clarify that.
Ellie posing for me in front of the flowers.

The photographer getting a picture of Mary Hamilton and Ellie, and I'm getting a picture of that.

Left to right.

Melissa, mother of the bride, Bride, Mary, John Law.

Melissa is my first cousin, of course.

Left to Right.

Edward (Mary's youngest), Melissa, Mary, and Mary Claire, (Mary's middle child).

I have to say that Mary's oldest is John, Jr. who died suddenly in 2004. I've written about that.

His 2 grandsons were bell ringers in the wedding and so adorable. They came in ahead of Ellie.

They are Jay and William. At the reception Ellie would not let go of Jay, dancing with him to exhaustion. Mary & John Law also had a child, Jim, who died at age 4 - They've suffered that kind of grief twice in their life and I have to say that as believers they both only cling closer and with trials they are even more "changed into His likeness".

The reception was at the Evergreen Depot, which is in walking distance, around the corner from the church. It was beautiful and I saw so many people, cousins and friends, extended family in every direction - people who not only knew my parents but also my grandparents. That's called roots - and I am wired for that.

There are a lot of things I could write about regarding that week. Things we did leading up to the wedding. Ann and I travelled down with the children on Wednesday - had Thursday to relax - and then a luncheon on Friday, Rehearsal on Friday night, and Brunch, Wedding, and Reception on Saturday. That's a lot of activity and "getting dressed" with 2 preschool aged children and one infant. We were tired, but it was fun. We didn't travel back until Monday due to bad weather. And with that, Kate was in Auburn with an awful virus - so we swung by Auburn, putting about 4 extra hours on the trip - and I drove her back to S'boro in her car, behind Ann in the van.

Who loves family? I do. I talked with my cousin Rusty - seems he ran across my blog when he was searching for something. Imagine his surprise when he saw that I was blogging. I have another cousin, Michael Cook, who mentioned my blog to me. I saw him at the wedding. I know that Rachel has seen it. Susan Cook, who is married to my cousin, Bert, is the only cousin I actually told about it - oops! I did tell Martha, who married my cousin John. So - if there are any cousins or cousins in law who are reading this - Hello and I wish you would blog also so I could read what you write. Please let me know if you do. I love and miss all of my cousins. Those on earth and those in heaven.

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.

Don't It Always Seem to Go That You Don't Know What You Got Til It's Gone

THEY PAVED PARADISE AND PUT UP A PARKING LOT. - Jimmy Buffet

It's hard for me to intentionally use bad grammar. Here it is spoken the correct way.

Doesn't it always seem to be so, that you don't know what you've got until it's gone. They have paved paradise and they have put up a parking lot. elizabeth's translation

Ann and I, and Ellie and Luke, have returned from our trip to Evergreen.

We left on Thursday November 6 - last week. We made a stop at Cahaba Valley Rd and ate lunch at Burger King. I-65 took us through Birmingham, and we got off at the Hope Hull exit. Hope is a friend who lives there(I'll post those pictures on another day). She is Hope Baldwin Coon and her parents are Jamie and Beth Baldwin. Hope has a sister, Joy Baldwin Finch, whose Blog is on my list. Hope and Joy were friends with Ann and Laura Beth, beginning at ages 4 and 5 and 6 and 7. Their dad, Jamie, was our church's Minister of Education from 1986 to 1993. Beth and I are very close friends, and she and Jamie now live in Tallassee, AL where Beth grew up. Tallassee is a 30 min. drive from Auburn, AL - and thanks to hers and Jamie's generous hospitality, I often stay with them when I am visiting the girls in Auburn.

Back to our trip.

Planning to only stay at Hope's about 30 min, we indulged ourselves in a very long visit. Beth was there, also. It was so much fun. Ellie and Luke played outside quite a bit. Hope's little girl, Anna Beth, is such a girly girl and has all the same pink "stuff" that Ellie has. Anna Beth also has a wonderful swingset which her daddy built her. Luke and Ellie both loved that. They have cows and bulls. Luke was thrilled over the outside adventure.

Moving onto Evergreen, we arrived at about 4:35....

.... and acclamated ourselves to Mary Ann's house. Luke and Ellie took it over. Ellie's imagination ran wild - with no designated toys she was able to make up her own pretend games and involved Luke in all of them. After bathtime and bedtime Ann, Mary Ann, and I crashed, in the den, but then, in the bed.

Friday came - Ellie and Luke woke up in "full throttle". They were wild! We had an 11:00 luncheon date at my Aunt Mary's house.

List of those in attendance:
1. Florence Price: Mom's sister, 86.
2. Susan Bozeman Cook: married to my oldest cousin, Bert.
3. Melissa Robinson: Mary's 3rd born who lives with Mary and my uncle, John Law
4. Mary Ann: my sister whom we were staying with.
5. Mary Claire Robinson Warlick: Mary's 4th born who lives in Birmingham. She traveled down
to spend Friday and Saturday night - to visit with us.
6. Ann, Ellie and Luke
7. Myself
8. Connie Gunter Kilpatrick: A childhood friend. I've written about her on my blog.
She lived in the house next to mine, one Williams Street. Her mother still lives there.

We stayed at Mary's the biggest part of the afternoon, skipping Ellie's and Luke's nap.

Saturday Laura Beth and Ada arrived from McDonough, GA, but also Sarah from Auburn. We had Mary and Mary Claire over for late afternoon coffee ( a common habit in Evergreen - noone does that here in Scottsboro much, not that I know of) That was another good visit - after that, dinner.

Sunday morning, Ann had to leave for Birmingham, to cohost a baby shower for one of her college friends. The rest of us went to church. I stayed in the nursery with Ellie, Luke and Ada.

After church we walked around the corner to "Famous Floyd's" Restaurant. Again, saw folks I knew and the Robinsons were there, also.

As we were paying our bill, Floyd's wife told us she uses Mother's recipe for 7-minute frosting, which is in the Sparta Cookbook, for her cakes there at the restaurant. She said she thinks about Mother everytime she makes it. One of the ladies who I ran into at the restaurant, Mrs. Connie Nielsen, came to our table. I identified all of my children and grandchildren to her. She told Ellie she'd known me since I was a baby. I love it. It feeds my soul, to go to Evergreen. Everything's familiar. The air, the trees, the people, the places, the sound of the train engine, the names spoken - the ghosts or images I see in my mind's eye. Layer upon layer of images, memories, things seen, ages, events - it's all there. And when people speak of our past - I know I haven't made it all up. Sometimes it seems like I have.

On Monday we all took it slow - slow morning - but got out and ate, again, at Burger King. We like their fries. :-) Then we went to the train depot and took lots of pictures. Actually we'd taken some on Sunday - as Floyd's is across from the Depot - and that was when I first let Luke sit on the Railroad Track. He aptly named it the "ChooChoo Train Track". So.....Monday - we walked the streets of Evergreen. I named all the stores that used to be, but noone seemed too moved. They can't see it all, as I can. Mary Ann sees it.

Napped on Monday afternoon. Lazy afternoon. Oh - Florence came by on Monday morning. She had not seen Ada. This was Ada's first visit to Evergreen and all were wanting to see her. She is named for my great grandmother, Ada Chapman Henderson - whom everyone called Granny. The Robinsons had met her on Saturday - we missed Florence on Sunday - so she came by on Monday. Bert and Susan were out of town.

Tuesday we travelled home.

So - below are my pictures - and only a few compared to all the ones I took. Can't post them all.

Mary Ann's House

Luke sitting on Mary Ann's bed, wearing Daddy's Band Director's Hat.Florence, Ellie, and MarySitting at Mary's Dining Table
Again, we're beginning to enjoy the Chicken Pie, Baked Fruit, Marinated Green Beans, and Homemade Rolls which Melissa and Mary had prepared. It was so good and we were so hungry!I'm having a conversation with Mary. Didn't even know this was taken.
Connie Sue Gunter Kilpatrick and Mary Ann.Mary is getting Luke to blow out Florence's candle. Her birthday is November 29, but Mary had Melissa do this cake for her - since we were all together. Sunday Morning. Ellie and Ada in the rocking chair that Mother and Daddy have had longer than they've had Mary Ann and me. This was 'Daddy's Chair'. So many memories here. I've sat in it so many years. It's been recovered so many times.Ellie and Ada.Ada is dressed for church and we're playing in Mary Ann's front yard.running in Mary Ann's front yard.This chair that I'm getting Ada to sit in.....I remember when I was in the nursery and it was purchased. It was red with white arms to it. It was brand new to me, then and seemed so special to me. When I am at home, at church, I like to look and see if it is still there. This chair, behind which Ellie is posing for me, is one of the many chairs we sat in as preschoolers. The classes were called Primary Sunday School. Florence was my Primary Sunday School Teacher. I remember her teaching us, at Christmas, about the Christmas Story and how it was found in the second chapter of Luke. This room, in which Luke is standing under MUCH protest, has seen so many people and layers of years and conversations. Shortly after I became a Christian, our MYF met in here. I remember that and trying to communicate the change that had occurred in my heart. Some of my friends looked at me with complete confusion in their eyes, others understood what I was talking about, and others didn't seem to be bothered one way or the other.Ellie and Luke sitting at the church alter, for me. It was here I was married, Mother and Daddy were married, and their funerals were held. I knelt at this altar many many times and took communion here.Laura Beth and Ada posing for me. Behind them are some of the beautiful windows we have in our church, the choir loft where Mary plays the organ, and behind them is the piano at which Mary Ann plays. Laura Beth and Ada catching up with the others to walk around the corner to Famous Floyds where we plan to eat lunch.Inside the restaurant. Ada and Ellie.Mary Ann and Luke at our table in the restaurant.

Luke and the Evergreen DepotWalking down the track in front of the depot.

This is the train we watched.Watching the train.Waving at the train.Luke pointing out the train to us, with much enthusiasm.Black and White of the Train - more fitting for the time I grew up in.Ellie and Luke playing on "stuff" pertaining to railroads - this is between the tracks and the depot.

Ellie and Luke at the Evergreen Depot

The track which runs down the middle of downtown Evergreen - and you can see the bridge in the far distance.Luke standing in front of the track.Luke and the DepotSarah and Luke on the track.

Back in Scottsboro. Luke playing with cars. Ellie playing dressup.

Charlie and Luke, on my kitchen floor, pushing cars to each other.

They make a really cool noise.

That's it. Our trip to Evergreen.

Steve will return from Greece on Saturday. Have I mentioned that he is there?

This morning Ann talked with him. He was studying at a Starbucks in Ephesus. How strange is that? Imagine the Apostle Paul communing with God at a Starbucks in Ephesus.