Andrew

HANGING IN AND HANGING OUT

i'm trying to figure out what to write about today. I seem to spin my wheels in all directions.
If I say what is on my mind, I'm in trouble. I guess it goes with the territory.

On a lighter note, the time is counting down to the cruise. We have our cruise clothes, I hope. We got hair cuts and today my toe and finger nails done. Three days preparation and still not packed

We went to the Thrift Store and found luggage. Evidently we decided we would not need luggage because we were traveling in a motorhome. We sold our luggage at a yard sale a couple of years ago. We have found we got rid of several things we now need.

The Story

Tomorrow Wade and I will celebrate our 41st Wedding Anniversary. Forty One Years, close to half a century. When I married Wade I had no expectation of 41 years. Now I expect 50+.

Wade and I was a fix up. I'm sure you all have heard the story. My Aunt Vera wanted me to meet her manager. He was divorced and had 2 boys. I was divorced and had 1 boy. Not the best scenario, but nothing ventured you know. She insisted I come to the store to meet him. They worked at KMart on Cleveland Avenue in Atlanta. Wade Lewis meet Donna Mitchell (ex) and my aunt promptly disappeared. Wade and I talked, he invited me to dinner. I then I told him I would have to call my Mother. I was 26 and I had to call my Mother. Well she was babysitting for me.
That was in October 1971, we were married January 29, 1972.

Cruising

We leave a week from tomorrow heading for New Orleans. We are going on our first cruise in over 10 years. The first and last cruise was to Alaska. I'm not sure this will be as awe inspiring, but I am looking forward to getting away to new territory.
The Bahamas. I never expected to go. I never expected to go to all the places we have been. God has truly blessed us.

Painted Desert, Petrified Forest just places you hear about. Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, Giant Sequoias, Redwoods all sites that boggle the imagination. San Francisco Bay, Golden Gate Bridge never thought I would ever be there. Mount Olympus, Mt Rainier and Glacier National Park. Magnificent. Yellowstone National Park with Buffalo, Elk, Bear all in natural habitat. Old Faithful, a dream. The Tetons, majestic. Mt Rushmore, Custer State Park. Taking five months just to see all that. Wow, I am in awe of the beauty and the majesty of this country.

This past Fall, New York State, the beauty of upper New York. Niagara Falls awesome. Lake Champlain in Vermont.New Hampshire, Mt Washington, White Mountains,The Coast of Maine, Massachusetts, Plymouth, Cape Cod. Pennsylvania, Valley Forge, Gettysburg and Philadelphia. All that history too much to absorb in one visit. It makes you stand taller.

We should have started younger.

I grew up

I'm skipping around as things come to mind.
I was born in Jacksonville, FL. on August 4, 1945. In about 1947 or48, Mother, Daddy and I traveled to Atlanta. We moved in with my Mother's sister (Eula and Edd Smith) at 2184 Rhinehill Rd, S.E. At that time this was in the county and not heavily developed.
I started school while I lived there. Lakewood Heights Elementary, grades 1-7.
In 1955, 4 days after my 10th birthday, my sister Martha Cheryl (Sherrypie)was born.
In 1958 we moved to 2168 Meador Ave., S.E.

Apple Cake with Walnut and Coconut

https://sites.google.com/site/jamsnpansprintablerecipes/apple-cake-with-walnut-and-coconut
I'm checking ways to use this blog.
I have included a link to a recipe
Apple Cake with Walnuts and coconut
Enjoy

Gabby

Mother and Grandmother

I had the most excellent role model. Vera Lee Newman was the poster for homemaker, Mother and Grandmother
She was loving, kind and the best cook.
Mother loved her children and grandchildren and great grandchildren.
She was willing to do what was in her power to help. She babysat, loaned, housed, fed and loved.
My Daddy James Benson Dodson came along for the ride.

Daddy was pretty much shifted from place to place growing up until he went to live with my Aunt Elsie. His Mother died when he was young and his Father was not able to deal with and support 6 children.

When Mother came along, she made a home for him. He worked hard to support that home and Mother.

The Story

In 1968 I divorced my husband, was with a beloved aunt at her death, struggled to overcome pneumonia, lost my Grandfather and a young Brother in Law. I do no look back at that year very often.

Until the Fall of 1971, I floated in a haze.  I have no particular memories that bears repeating. My son and I lived in the basement apartment of my parents. My attempts at making it on my own ended with my bout of pneumonia.

1971 brought a blessing to mine and my son's life.   An Aunt finally convinced me to come and meet her manager.  Wade Lewis brought stability to mine and Alan's life. He showed us that we were worthy of having a complete family.

We were married January, 29, 1972.

SNOW!!!!

Excitement, anxious, out of control. School closings early. Special news coverage and thousands of pictures FB'd and Twittered to the TV Stations. The grocery shelves empty of bread. Dire warnings of BLACK ICE from melting ice. Snow comes to North Central Alabama and it's already gone.

Being a Mother and Grandmother

I am not my Mother in a lot of ways that probably count.  I was not a stay at home Mom. Not by choice but by circumstance.  

I married at 18, a Mom at 20 and a Divorcee at 23. A single Mom at 23 with a lousy  ex who was not interested in being any kind of father to his 3 year old son. He did not support us in any way including financial.  I finally realized the monetary support was not worth the agony and torture he put me and my son through. 

If it had not been for the support of my Mother and Daddy and his Aunt and Uncle, we probably would have gone hungry. I worked for $75 a week and bartered bookkeeping services and waitressing for lunch, gasoline and car service. My Mother kept my son for me to work, fed us and was my best support system. 

I get a lot of talk about not turning my children lose. If my Mother and Daddy had not been there for me, if she had said you are grown now and you are on your own. The rest of this story would have been a lot different. 

I'm Learning. I Think

I have looked at all these great Blogs. I am not sure what I want to do.

I'm not crafty, though I love to look at and sometime purchase items of that nature.

I am not a farmer, I don't have enough viable land to even garden, but I love all things farm and country. 

I am not a good cook but if you look at me, you will see I love all things food. 

I am retired or unemployed, however you want to look at it.  I am currently bored out if mind.
I'm not a volunteer, though I have thought about it and probably should look around.
I enjoy Seniors, as I am one myself. I have access to a car. I should volunteer.
I read and enjoy reading, I should volunteer.

I have decided to Blog and stalk Bloggers in hopes something will hit me up side of the head.