Memorial Day Weekend

Pelham is all decked out as you ride down the highway with little flags and the names of Shelby County's fallen. There are many names to see as you drive down the highway.

I think about Larry Robison, who grew up across the street from me, and who died in Viet Nam in 1969 at the age of 22. On the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend 1996 there was a ceremony in Winfield with the unveiling of a plaque downtown in front of city hall honoring Larry. I see the plaque every time I drive through my hometown.

Our cousin Rickey Hankins was killed Viet Nam. I can't remember the year for sure, but I do remember going to the funeral up in North Alabama. My recollection is that he volunteered for a dangerous mission, and stepped on a land mine. I always thought that Rickey was naive and never fully understood what he was getting into over there.

Now we are mired in a stupid war in Iraq. May it end soon.

Smoke from a Distant Fire

We wake up this morning to the smell of smoke.
Is something burning in our house?
No, there is smoke moving over central Alabama from Georgia.
Some fire over there somewhere.
Thanks a lot, Georgia.
It doesn't clear until the afternoon.
Must've been a heckuva of a fire over there.

Mother's Day Morning

I awoke to finish making soup, which I stored in the freezer to have a quick and easy meal any time. The soup includes great northern beans, carrots, turkey, and green beans. I've made it once before, only last time I didn't put in the green beans. I always add hot sauce whenever I serve it. It is scrumptous!

As the northern beans were finishing, I went to Ingles to get some ingredients for a pork chops recipe I found. When I got there, I called Moyna to see what she is doing for Mother's Day. She said little is happening; it is just a relaxing day. She is, though, making some sweets for an event at the school next weekend, and Dad bought her a chocolate cake from a bakery in Alabaster. Dad is also treating her to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner tonite. I told her to get a piece of cheesecake - they're really delicious there - but she said the chocolate cake is enough.

While at Ingles, I had a conversation with two young cashiers when I was checking out. Why they were both at my register I do not know. I do know that these young girls had too much gritty spunk for 10:44 on a Sunday morning. When I arrived to pay my groceries, they were debating who would get to open a can of self-heating coffee they had. They would not stop talking about this self-heating coffee, which I think they offered me some of, but I do not remember with certainty. At first I couldn't figure out what was going on, why this can of self-heating coffee was so interesting. I felt inquisitive though, so I asked how this coffee thing worked, and they said if you pop the top and bottom off, the can begins to self-heat. I asked if you need to add milk or water or something, but they said no. Nothing needs to be added to the self-heating coffee. You just pop the top and bottom, it starts to self-heat, and I guess when it's hot enough, you drink the self-heated coffee. I couldn't understand how the coffee self-heats like that, so I asked them how this works, but I didn't get a definitive answer. The whole time I was checking out, it wasn't clear to me what was going on in this conversation. It was one of those random talks you sometimes have (or is it just me?) where you really can't understand what is going on, but instead of stopping the conversation and moving on with your life, you keep on talking anyway; then, afterwards, you realize you didn't know what was going on, and you never will.

I also bought some chocolate chip cookies from the bakery, a dozen total, and when these two girls asked me how many I had - I guess because I left the paper I picked out the cookies with in the box on top of the cookies and they couldn't see how many there were - I jokingly said two, which is what they rang up, and when I said I think there's actually more in there - I didn't say how many - they said oh well. I got twelve cookies for the price of two.

Meanwhile, when I got home, I began my laundry and finished my soup. I will try the pork chops tonite. However, I still want to know how this self-heating coffee works.

These Days in May

Last night we were watching the evening weather and the man said there was little chance of rain. About 10 minutes the heavens opened up in Shelby County and the area received 2 to 3 inches of rain. This is why I pay little attention to the weather reports---that is, unless a tornado warning is out.

This was a long day. I headed out around 2:30 and discovered I had a flat rear tire. I had the car towed in. I'm not about to change a tire on a minivan.

I watched footage of graduation at Virginia Tech. That was poignant.

Now it's Saturday night. All is quiet at the Hudson House in Pelham, Alabama.

Fellowship 2007

Moyna and I hit Winfield about 9:45 meeting the Herrings in the Wal Mart parking lot. On to Fellowship we go. As we drive through Sandy Hollow, for some reason I notice storm cellers. In the old days all of the country folks had a storm celler. It's always refreshing and energy producing to go back to Northwest Alabama where I grew up.

This year Freddy is in Georgia. The Alexanders can't come as they tend to Faye. We hope they'll return next year if Linda and Clay move to Pensacola.

It's sunny and hot. It seems like one of the hotter Fellowship Sundays.

Joanne and Tom came over yesterday. They attended Joanne's 50th high school reunion. The Winfield High class of 1957 still gets together.

The crowd at the cemetery seems smaller than usual this year. Not as many cars. Not as many people.

Tiffany is finishing 11 grade. I can remember the day she was born, July 4, 1989, and now she is going to be a senior next year. Then she'll be starting college. How quickly time passes.

Joanne may be moving to part-time status at the park where she works. Tom is retiring at the end of the year. Joanne's kids seem to be doing OK. Joanne passes around a nice picture of her 3 grandkids.

We have the usual great assortment of food from Moyna and Dawn. Such an abundance of good food.

So that's it for this year. Another Fellowship Sunday comes and goes.