The hottest day of the summer, so far, we decided to walk on the River Trail. Rebecca, Lindsay and I got there about 45 min. before Linda,Doug, Leanna and Tommy. We walked down to the concession stand hoping to get a snow cone, but it was not open yet. We walked back up and across the trestle and was almost back to the beginning of the walk when we saw Linda. So, we all walked back down , under the trestle and down to a bench beside the river. All the kids except Leanna were trying to catch a fish in a paper cup at the edge of the river. Leanna was watching the middle of the river. All of a sudden she hollered. "Look, G'ma, do you see that crocodile? See, he's right there. See his eye? Look he's swimming down the river." I looked and looked and I saw a big log with an eye shaped knot hole on it's side. "Do you see it, G'ma? What are we gonna do if he swims all the way up to where we are?" "Well, I told her, I reckon we'll hit him on his big ole flat head and then we'll all run." That satisfied her and even with all the other kids telling her there was no crocodile, she stuck to her guns. She could SEE the croc even if no one else could. Wouldn't it be nice to go back to the age of innocence when the biggest worry in our life is an imaginary crocodile?

The Secret Side of Boots 7/6/02

I guess all of you who read this and knew Boots have your own idea of what kind of man he was. But there was a side of Boots that others didn't see and that was his "softy" side. When we were first married, he worked for Durham Life Ins. selling policies and collecting the premiums. More times than I can say, we would come up short on our grocery money because somebody he tried to collect from wouldn't have the money to pay their premiums and so he would take his money and pay rather than have them lose their insurance. And that was a big "NO No" with the company. I remember one Christmas when the girl across the street had just had a baby and her husband was not working and he got one of those gift cards from the bank and put money in it and snuck it to her without letting her know where it came from. I don't think she ever found out. And EVERY Christmas Eve while we lived on Henry St. he would take our neighbors, Mr. & Mrs. Pruitt to Mr. Pruitt's sister's house so they could celebrate with her and her family and then go back and pick them up and take them back home. He loved to play his ukelele and sing "Mr Sandman" and he loved to try to play guitar and sing with my brother Connie.....who COULD sing! He was a big softy when it came to his babies. There was not ever another baby as pretty or smart as his. He would do anything for them, EXCEPT change a diaper! To my knowledge, he only tried once and that was when Tami was a baby.....just starting to toddle around and I had to work on Sunday. I decided to come home for lunch and there she was with a diaper (this was the era of cloth) hanging down around her ankles trying to walk. When the grandkids came along, they could do no wrong either. And when he got sick and didn't really remember who they were, he still had a soft spot for them......like he knew although he probably didn't really.But, who am I to say?

More about Boots 7/12/02

When Tami came along, you would have thought that she was the first baby to ever be born. He didn't think I could fix her formula right, so he did it for a long time. I've got a pic of him standing in the kitchen with the pitcher in his hand checking to be sure his measurements were correct. When she was about 2 years old, he went downtown to Belk-Leggett to get her a coat. He went up to the children's department and found just what he wanted, but for some reason the saleslady decided that he couldn't afford that particular coat and told him that the basement department had cheaper ones. He really took offense at that and informed her that nothing in that store was too expensive for his little girl. So, he bought the coat, a little tweedy one with pockets on the front, and brought it home and personally turned up and sewed the sleeves because they were a little too long on her. All of our girls wore that coat and I still have it in my cedar chest. Of course, over the years, it had new buttons and other trim added, but it was a GOOD coat. I don't think they make them like that, anymore!

Archie Bunker 7/12/02

I never watched Archie Bunker when it came on every week, but I've seen a lot of it since it's been in syndication. Tonight it was about his friend Stretch who died of a heart attack and Archie was asked to give a eulogy at his funeral. When he got there he discovered that Stretch was Jewish and his speech wouldn't be appropriate so he had to do big time ad libbing. It was so funny! Carroll O'Connor had a face that looked as if it was made of rubber and he could really screw it up and make faces. He was so different than he was in Heat of the Night......which I also watch now. He was truly a good actor, whether doing comedy or serious stuff.

Meow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 7/12/02

Yesterday evening I heard a cat meowing really loud and I thought Tiger had gotten shut up in the basement or one of the bedrooms. Well, I checked and he was on the steps looking down at me, so I knew it wasn't him. I followed the sound and it was a little kitten underneath the porch of the house next door. He was really howling but would not come out. This morning I called the guy across the street because he is supposed to be looking after that house while the owner is out of town. I told him I would call him if I heard it again. Well, tonight I went out front to water my plants and he was howling again. I called Cindy to come listen and she went over next door but couldn't see him. All of a sudden, a little dark streak went by us and jumped through the lattice and went back under the porch and promptly started howling again. Cindy went in and opened a can of cat food and took it out beside the porch and called the kitty but it wouldn't come out. A while later I went out on the deck and I could see the kitty eating the food. In a while, he finished, went back under the porch and started howling again. I wonder if he's calling his mama? He's bound to have a family somewhere. I wish he wasn't so skittish........he's such a cute little kitty. Sarah would love him!

Ashes to Ashes ............But Whose? 7/20/02

Today Rebecca, Tommy, Emily and I went to Charlottesville to see Sharon. We had a good trip, no problems except getting everyone out of the house and into the car. About 3/4 of the way there we passed a place selling headstones and I mentioned that I would like to get one for their grandpa Boots. That started a discussion that went like this, "G'ma, when you die and you're burned up and just ashes are left, can I have them?" "No, Emily, you can't have all of G'ma's ashes, you'll have to share them with me." This from Rebecca. "But, girls, I'm NOT going to be burned up and the word is cremated, not burned up," says I. They're not listening. "But maybe one of us can keep them for a while and then the other one can have them for a while." "No, that won't work 'cause I want to have them to tell goodnight everynight", this from Emily. "Well, I think we ought to divide them up," says Rebecca. "Well, from what I've heard, there's not much ash left, not enough for both of yall to get some," says I, again. "Well, we can add some cigarette ashes to them to make enough for both of us to have some", says one of them. "Listen, good......I'm not going to be cremated, so quit disposing of my ashes." "Oh, well, maybe you'll live to be 103 and we won't have to worry about who gets the ashes." That was a good thought for about a minute. Then, "Well, if you get buried I want to be buried right next to you, will that be OK?" Luckily, just then we saw a service station and it was time for a rest stop, so the subject was dropped. Thank Goodness, when we got back in the car they were so busy with their drinks, that I didn't hear anymore about what to do with my ashes or my remains. Maybe it'll be resolved on the next trip.

Let It Rain! 7/23/02

"They" have been calling for t storms and/or showers for several days now. Finally, today the sky started to darken, a few clouds gathered and Alex on the radio guaranteed that within 10 minutes the city of Danville would be getting rain. Rachel and I went out on the deck and saw lightning flashing and heard thunder in the distance. After a while Rachel hollered, "G'ma, it's really raining." And it did for about 10 minutes. I was really hoping it would rain a gentle, steady rain the rest of the evening, but, alas......no such luck. But it felt so cool and smelled so good there for a while after the rain. It reminded me of when I was a kid and my friend and I would play in the rain until we were drenched and then we would walk in the mud and squish it between our toes. Now, that was fun! Do kids do that any more? If they don't, they ought to!!!

You Got the Cutest Lil Baby Face 7/24/02

If you haven't seen Brittany Grace in the last couple of weeks, you are in for a surprise when you do see her. She has really grown and looks like a girl type instead of like a baby. She has a personality that just won't quit. She can turn over in the bed or play pen and can sit in the walker with only a little help to keep her from tumbling over. She can even push herself backward in the walker. She has a sparkle to her.....she loves to talk to you.....eeyeah.....gooo....yiii! I'm sure it all means something cause after she gets finished she looks at you and sorta cackles. And then she'll tilt her head and wait for you to say something to her. I also think she's part monkey or bird. If you touch her under her toes with your finger, she'll grip it just like Sosa does. She likes to sit on the porch in the swing with me and watch the cars go by. She really looks at them. She'll follow them with her eyes til they go out of sight. Today, we were swinging and a truck went up the street and somebody hollered "Hello, there, you pretty thing". Well, I waved until I realized that the guy was hollering at Brittany. I think it was one of Kerri's uncles. And, in addition to all her smarts.......she's a pretty good baby. Fusses when she has poop or when she's hungry or thirsty, but is content to play and entertain herself, too. Like I said in the beginning, if you haven't seen her lately, you need to or else she'll be up and gone with the big girls to shoot hoops. She's growing like a weed!!

A Close Call 7/24/02

You remember the guy in the wheel chair? Well, today about 4:30.....a busy time for the intersection of Worsham and No. Main, Rachel said, "Look, G'ma, here comes that man in the wheelchair." Well, he was coming up Worsham. He got to the curb on No. Main and had to wait for a long time cause the cars were just zipping by. Finally, he decided to venture out into the road. He looked both ways and his lil feet just trotted but there was a green Trans Am coming up the street and I don't think he saw the chair til he was right on it. Well, you never saw two feet go so fast as he added a burst of speed and got out of the way of that car. I found that I was holding my breath when he finally got on the curb on this side of the street. I don't really like that much excitement. I thought that man was gonna end up a greasy spot in the middle of No. Main with his chair a mass of bent wheels and handles. But I bet he really got his heart a racing and his blood a flowing!

Expectations 7/25/02

I remember one year as Christmas approached, I was with my mama at the Piggly Wiggly downtown. She was checked out and the groceries were in the buggy and we were waiting in the front of the store for a taxi to take us home when Mama remembered something she hadn't got and went back in to get it and I stayed with the groceries. While I was waiting I started talking to a woman who was also waiting with her groceries for her ride. We started talking about Christmas and what we wanted and she said she liked to paint and was hoping her husband would get her an easel. I told her that I was hoping for a piano.......I don't know why, but I really thought that on Christmas morning when we lined up and went into the living room that there would be a big, shiny piano there for me.I really don't think I had ever mentioned a piano to mama, but I knew Santa would bring it to me. All I had to have was hope and faith. That year my main gift was an I.D. bracelet with my name on it. I got other things too, and I really wasn't too disappointed that I didn't get that piano, but it was fun waiting in anticipation for something that never materialized. The first year that Boots and I were married we lived in an apartment and that year I really wanted a T.V. We had a radio, but "watching" the radio was not a lot of fun. So, I hinted at every turn and even got my friends, who had TVs to mention it to Boots. One day he came in and said that he had gotten my Christmas gift and he knew I would really love it. Boy, after that I couldn't wait for Christmas and when I got up on Christmas morning, I almost ran into the living room looking for that big box that I knew was under the tree. But, it wasn't there......then he rummaged around under the tree and handed me a little box with a gold bow on it. A new watch!! Just what I needed......but not much! But I oohed and ahhed over it and I wore it for a long time and finally when we moved into our first house I got a TV. And I really enjoyed it for many years. I guess it was worth the wait.

Holy Cat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 7/28/02

This past Tuesday, Richard went to the church to get the lawnmower out and while the door was open, a black cat snuck in. Richard didn't know it was in there 'til he went back in for some reason and it nearly scared him out of his breeches. Well, he left the door open for a good while but didn't see the cat come out, BUT, on the other hand, he hadn't seen it go in, either.Anyway, when I went to clean the church on Friday, Rachel and I went to the basement room where the tools are stored and opened the door and we saw green eyes way up above us and then Rachel saw the crickets and screamed like a banshee and scared the poor cat off his perch and he went way over to the other end of the room and we called him, but to no avail. Later that evening, we took some cat food down there and opened the door leading to the outside and put the food down and called him and finally just went up the yard out of his sight, but we could see the door; but he still wouldn't come out. Last night, (Sat.) Susan and I took some more food and some water but he wouldn't show himself, tho we could hear him rustling around. Pastor Glen and his wife looked for him this morning but didn't see him, although the food was gone. When I went to church tonight, I took some more food and checked his water, but again he wouldn't show himself. Least, I hope it's a him. It would be terrible if it's a pregnant girl cat and she had her babies in there. Anyway, the cat is a medium size black cat and I guess as long as I keep feeding it, it'll just stay in there. But, I'm feeding it so it won't starve in there and stink up the church like a big rat did once not so long ago. What to do? What to do? I'll let you know what happens.............