This labor day weekend was a nonstop three day marathon. It was filled with celebrating birthday's, meeting new friends and appreciating old friends.
I got off work about 2:00 on Friday. I knew that Mark was coming home and bringing a new girlfriend with him. I wasn't sure what time they would be arriving, but wanted to make sure that I had dinner fixed for them when they got here. As it turned out they arrived around 9:00 pm. I know it is hard for a person you are meeting for the first time to come in and immediately sit down for a meal, but that is what we did. Paige proved to be a trooper and did not seem intimidated by the situation. Afterward we sat around and talked for a couple of hours then I had to go to bed. I had been up since 4:45 that morning so I was worn out.
Saturday was filled with working on our booth, watching parts of football games and working around the house. Sunday we all met at church and then had lunch at the Chinese Restaurant. I had to squeeze in a short nap in the afternoon.
On Sunday evening we went out to Freeman's lake house for a birthday dinner for Sandra. It was just a small group with Sandra, Charles, Suzanne and her husband and three kids, John and I, Mark and Paige, Johnny, Tracy, John Pearson and Emily and two other couples that are friends of Sandra and Charles.
The meal was great. Suzanne had made a Broccoli casserole, potato casserole, salad and Todd had smoked some really great chicken. I had made a chicken stew and carried it. We had plenty to eat and we ate plenty. Including a wonderful orange pineapple cake also made by Suzanne and watermelon.
The thing that I would really like to post about is the friendship that our two families have shared over the last 60 years. Sandra and I first met when her mom and dad moved into our small town when I was four years old and she was two. Our families would get together and make homemade ice cream on lots of Saturday nights. The kids would take turns sitting on the old wooden hand cranked ice cream freezer. Our Dad's would take turns turning the crank. They would turn until the handle just wouldn't turn anymore. Then they would wrap towels around the freezer and let the ice cream sit for a few minutes so it would get harder. In the mean time all of us kids would be standing with our bowls in our hands trying to rush the process. I can still remember how you would get the brain freeze after eating the first couple of bites too fast.
Sandra and I had always gone to the same church and was involved in church activities together. I was close friends with her sister who was my age and we graduated the same year. As I have said in and earlier post, we both met a couple of Catholic boys. She met Charles in high school and I met John at Kmart. Charles was a barber and John would go down to the shop and get his hair cut. John and Charles hit it off really well and the four of us started hanging out. Sandra and Charles got married in Nov. and John and I got married in Jan.
For a number of years we would go to both the Methodist Church and the Catholic Church on Sunday morning. We would go to early mass, leave church stop at the quick mart and get a pack of Cameo cookies and a carton of milk and eat these while driving from Florence back out to Killen to the Methodist Church. ( Sandra and I say this is where we went wrong. We ate too many Cameo cookies:(.
We spent many a evenings playing cards and making dinners for each other. We took picnics and hit every park and roadside area that we could find. We didn't have much money for going out so we made our own entertainment. We always had fun just enjoying each others company.
As we started having our own families we continued to do things together. We took a number of vacation to Gulf Shores and to Myrtle Beach. Our kids have always been friends so it has been easy to continue our friendship. It has been like a huge family.
We were laughing at some of the crazy things we had done over the years. Back in the 70's people claimed to have sighted UFO's up at the Lexington dump. One night Sandra, Charles and their three kids pulled up in front of the house and honked the horn. John was working late that night, so when they asked if me and the kids wanted to ride up to the dump with them, I said sure. I got my four (at the time) and we loaded into their car. Now that was nine people in one car. Oh I forgot to mention they were driving a little Vega. That was before you had to have a seat belt for everyone in the car. We were packed in like sardines.
Then there was the time that we were going to Myrtle Beach. John, Charles and three of the kids had to go to a band competition in Birmingham. Sandra and I with the other five kids went in our car. We were planing on stopping in Atlanta and staying over night, but as usual we got a late start and didn't get going until about 9:00. it is a five hour drive from here to Atlanta. We made it into Atlanta around 2:00, but I decided we should drive to the other side of Atlanta so we could miss the morning traffic. We got to the far side of Atlanta when the alternator went out on the car and their we sat. There were no lights on the side of the road, no traffic to speak of and just a massive wooded area off the side of the road. I was scared to death.
John had made me carry his 357 Magnum pistol with us, but I didn't have a clue how to use it. Sandra had a great big old purse with her so she told me to give her the gun and she put the gun inside. I guess her dad had taught them how to shoot. She and I got out of the car and made Johnny lock the door behind us. We got the hood up and I was looking under the hood while she held the gun . Out of nowhere up drove a State Trooper. I whispered to Sandra, "Put that D*** gun up before me and you both get arrested".
He ask if he could help and we ask if he could take us to the nearest place open. He said he would take us up to the La Quinta Inn that we could see down the road. When me and Sandra and then the five kids piled out car he looked a little surprised and told us he didn't think he could get us all in the car. After a little shifting around we were able to get into the police car. He dropped us off at the Inn and just as we drove up the No Vacancy sign came on. There happened to be a Waffle House open next to the Inn and we spent the night sitting there with a drunk man hitting on the waitresses and throwing money all over the place. The next morning we had a tow truck tow the car and had a new alternator put on. Finally we were on our way. It took us over twenty four hours to make the trip. When we got to Myrtle Beach, the house that we had rented had been sold and we were without a place to stay. We got to the real estate office and Sandra went in. I'm not sure what she told them but when she came out she had the keys to two condos. The vacation turned out to be one of the last vacations that we took together to Myrtle Beach. But it sure is one we will never forget.
One more tale and then I really need to head off to bed. One day Sandra and I went down to East Florence to a little variety-floral store. We we looking around and I noticed this floral arrangement. It had a little plastic telephone with the words "God called" written on it. I picked up the receiver and said "Hello, just a minute. Sandra I think it's for you". Well Sandra and I got to laughing so hard that we had to leave the store. We walked down the street to another similar store. The lady that ran the store said."Well you girls are sure having a good time. What's so funny". I told her we just saw the funniest thing and described the floral arrangement. She looked at me without cracking the slightest smile and said "Well that's my best seller". I looked at Sandra and she looked at me and we both burst out laughing again and headed for the door. I don't think I every went back to either store again.
My mother celebrated her 89th birthday on Sept. 2nd. She was born on Labor Day in 1920.
I got off work about 2:00 on Friday. I knew that Mark was coming home and bringing a new girlfriend with him. I wasn't sure what time they would be arriving, but wanted to make sure that I had dinner fixed for them when they got here. As it turned out they arrived around 9:00 pm. I know it is hard for a person you are meeting for the first time to come in and immediately sit down for a meal, but that is what we did. Paige proved to be a trooper and did not seem intimidated by the situation. Afterward we sat around and talked for a couple of hours then I had to go to bed. I had been up since 4:45 that morning so I was worn out.
Saturday was filled with working on our booth, watching parts of football games and working around the house. Sunday we all met at church and then had lunch at the Chinese Restaurant. I had to squeeze in a short nap in the afternoon.
On Sunday evening we went out to Freeman's lake house for a birthday dinner for Sandra. It was just a small group with Sandra, Charles, Suzanne and her husband and three kids, John and I, Mark and Paige, Johnny, Tracy, John Pearson and Emily and two other couples that are friends of Sandra and Charles.
The meal was great. Suzanne had made a Broccoli casserole, potato casserole, salad and Todd had smoked some really great chicken. I had made a chicken stew and carried it. We had plenty to eat and we ate plenty. Including a wonderful orange pineapple cake also made by Suzanne and watermelon.
The thing that I would really like to post about is the friendship that our two families have shared over the last 60 years. Sandra and I first met when her mom and dad moved into our small town when I was four years old and she was two. Our families would get together and make homemade ice cream on lots of Saturday nights. The kids would take turns sitting on the old wooden hand cranked ice cream freezer. Our Dad's would take turns turning the crank. They would turn until the handle just wouldn't turn anymore. Then they would wrap towels around the freezer and let the ice cream sit for a few minutes so it would get harder. In the mean time all of us kids would be standing with our bowls in our hands trying to rush the process. I can still remember how you would get the brain freeze after eating the first couple of bites too fast.
Sandra and I had always gone to the same church and was involved in church activities together. I was close friends with her sister who was my age and we graduated the same year. As I have said in and earlier post, we both met a couple of Catholic boys. She met Charles in high school and I met John at Kmart. Charles was a barber and John would go down to the shop and get his hair cut. John and Charles hit it off really well and the four of us started hanging out. Sandra and Charles got married in Nov. and John and I got married in Jan.
For a number of years we would go to both the Methodist Church and the Catholic Church on Sunday morning. We would go to early mass, leave church stop at the quick mart and get a pack of Cameo cookies and a carton of milk and eat these while driving from Florence back out to Killen to the Methodist Church. ( Sandra and I say this is where we went wrong. We ate too many Cameo cookies:(.
We spent many a evenings playing cards and making dinners for each other. We took picnics and hit every park and roadside area that we could find. We didn't have much money for going out so we made our own entertainment. We always had fun just enjoying each others company.
As we started having our own families we continued to do things together. We took a number of vacation to Gulf Shores and to Myrtle Beach. Our kids have always been friends so it has been easy to continue our friendship. It has been like a huge family.
We were laughing at some of the crazy things we had done over the years. Back in the 70's people claimed to have sighted UFO's up at the Lexington dump. One night Sandra, Charles and their three kids pulled up in front of the house and honked the horn. John was working late that night, so when they asked if me and the kids wanted to ride up to the dump with them, I said sure. I got my four (at the time) and we loaded into their car. Now that was nine people in one car. Oh I forgot to mention they were driving a little Vega. That was before you had to have a seat belt for everyone in the car. We were packed in like sardines.
Then there was the time that we were going to Myrtle Beach. John, Charles and three of the kids had to go to a band competition in Birmingham. Sandra and I with the other five kids went in our car. We were planing on stopping in Atlanta and staying over night, but as usual we got a late start and didn't get going until about 9:00. it is a five hour drive from here to Atlanta. We made it into Atlanta around 2:00, but I decided we should drive to the other side of Atlanta so we could miss the morning traffic. We got to the far side of Atlanta when the alternator went out on the car and their we sat. There were no lights on the side of the road, no traffic to speak of and just a massive wooded area off the side of the road. I was scared to death.
John had made me carry his 357 Magnum pistol with us, but I didn't have a clue how to use it. Sandra had a great big old purse with her so she told me to give her the gun and she put the gun inside. I guess her dad had taught them how to shoot. She and I got out of the car and made Johnny lock the door behind us. We got the hood up and I was looking under the hood while she held the gun . Out of nowhere up drove a State Trooper. I whispered to Sandra, "Put that D*** gun up before me and you both get arrested".
He ask if he could help and we ask if he could take us to the nearest place open. He said he would take us up to the La Quinta Inn that we could see down the road. When me and Sandra and then the five kids piled out car he looked a little surprised and told us he didn't think he could get us all in the car. After a little shifting around we were able to get into the police car. He dropped us off at the Inn and just as we drove up the No Vacancy sign came on. There happened to be a Waffle House open next to the Inn and we spent the night sitting there with a drunk man hitting on the waitresses and throwing money all over the place. The next morning we had a tow truck tow the car and had a new alternator put on. Finally we were on our way. It took us over twenty four hours to make the trip. When we got to Myrtle Beach, the house that we had rented had been sold and we were without a place to stay. We got to the real estate office and Sandra went in. I'm not sure what she told them but when she came out she had the keys to two condos. The vacation turned out to be one of the last vacations that we took together to Myrtle Beach. But it sure is one we will never forget.
One more tale and then I really need to head off to bed. One day Sandra and I went down to East Florence to a little variety-floral store. We we looking around and I noticed this floral arrangement. It had a little plastic telephone with the words "God called" written on it. I picked up the receiver and said "Hello, just a minute. Sandra I think it's for you". Well Sandra and I got to laughing so hard that we had to leave the store. We walked down the street to another similar store. The lady that ran the store said."Well you girls are sure having a good time. What's so funny". I told her we just saw the funniest thing and described the floral arrangement. She looked at me without cracking the slightest smile and said "Well that's my best seller". I looked at Sandra and she looked at me and we both burst out laughing again and headed for the door. I don't think I every went back to either store again.
My mother celebrated her 89th birthday on Sept. 2nd. She was born on Labor Day in 1920.
2 comments:
I had a wonderful time, the whole family made me feel very welcome...i cant wait to come out for new years!! It should be interesting...that many ppl in one place! But it will be a blast!
Love Paige!
I'm sure if you spend New Year's eve weekend with us you will find that the nuts don't fall far from the tree.
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