Brother Ray

People come into our lives many different ways.  We are connected by chance, by choice, and by birth.  It is by birth that I met my "brother" Ray. 

Ray is six years and three days older than I.  He probably waited anxiously for his older sister to bring home a new baby and make him an uncle.  I guess I was his birthday present.  For years we shared birthday celebrations and birthday cake.  Once I complained and they baked two cakes.  Ray never seem to mind how we celebrated our birthdays and as we grew up didn't mind having his younger "sister" to tag along.

Ray taught me how to ride a bicycle; to swim; to dance; and to sing.  (He was an excellent pianist and organized a group of us young teens to sing specials in church.) He also told me about Santa Claus to include the details about how he had helped wrap the presents.  That little bit of information about Santa could have waited for a couple of more years.

In the summer we spent many days at Russell Lake with friends and cousins.  I was always with him. I loved the idea he could drive and didn't mind having me tag along.  Once my cousin Susan and I rode to town with him in his 1954 Ford.  Susan and I waited in the hot car, with windows down, while Ray ran into the post office.  A nice newer model car pulled up beside us.  There was a young girl, much like ourselves, sitting with the windows up.  We knew she had air conditioning in her new car.  Not to be out done by our parking space neighbor, Susan and I rolled up our windows.  We sat there, with sweat rolling down our faces, to the point we could barely breathe.  Wait, you are getting ahead of me.

Ray came out of the post office.  He opened the door and asked if we were crazy.  Several factors came into play:  1) the car was not running; therefore, the air conditioner could not run; and 2) Ray's 1954 Ford did NOT have air conditioning.  Susan and I were sitting in a hot car, in 90 degree weather, with the windows rolled up.  It took a long time to live this little episode down, and he told everyone about our adventure with(out) air conditioning.

I have so many wonderful memories of my time with Ray.  He carried me to church. He helped me with homework when I didn't want to do it.  He encouraged me in my pursuit of a higher education. He listened to my pain when I needed an ear, and he offered gentle advice when I needed it the most. 

The day he married, I was maid of honor and Margaret's brother was best man.  I cried after the wedding when no one could see.  I felt I had lost him forever; however, he never let that happen. 

Ray was drafted in the army and while he was in Officer Training School in Columbus, I rode a bus to stay with Margaret for a weekend.  I was his sister.  When his daughter was born, I felt I was an aunt.  It was a wonderful experience having an older "brother."

Years later, when Barry and I got married, Ray escorted me down the isle. We had come full circle.  I have so many heartfelt and funny stories about growing up in our little part of the world.  I think, like many younger siblings, I embarrassed him many times, but he never stopped loving me nor me him.

As I continue to write my blog, I will share more stories about my "brother" Ray.  There was the time that Susan and I went cruising with her brother Tom and Ray.  That day they got so mad at us for flirting with boys and drove us back home.  It wasn't the flirting that made them so angry; it was the fact the boys starting following us in their car (we continued to encourage them by waving from the backseat).  When Ray and Tom got out of the car, they were so mad they took a short cut and jumped a bush to tell on us.  My mom said later she knew by the way they jumped the bush, they were mad at something we had done.  That anger didn't last any longer than it took for them to tell on us.  We loved them for that short lived temper.

God brings people we need into our lives, and they teach us lessons.  Some lessons are just too hard and we long to forget them; however, some folks are God's gift to us.  Ray was my gift.

It is me again, Lord, thanking you for the people who enter our lives by chance, by choice, and especially by birth.

A little Georgia Wisdom:  Never forget those who are responsible for caring, loving, and shaping the person you become.

Fall's A Coming

Don't you just live this time of year?  The cooler weather is beginning to make its journey into our area.  The mornings whisper with a cooler breath.  You know what I mean, the coffee-drinking-on-the-porch weather.  I just love fall.

There is just something refreshing about stepping out in the morning chill and seeing your breath.  "Brr," we say as if we are complaining, but we are excited. Excited because winter is not far away.

Did anyone count the number of foggy mornings we had in August?  The old folks say that's how many snows we will have this winter.  I forgot to count from the beginning, so I guess it will be a surprise to me when the snow comes. 

This fall we are having family over to gather outside for a barbecue. My hope is that the weather is chilly enough to be refreshing, yet warm enough and pretty enough to be gathered outside.  I want the children to roast marshmallows this year and the campfire feel good.  Oh, goodness, I can feel it already.

I love the outdoors, but I hate the bugs.  When it is cooler the bugs leave us alone which means no itching and swatting  at the uninvited guests.  So, maybe, just maybe, it will be a cool night and the bugs will stay snugly curled up where ever bugs go to snuggle. 

We have had such a dry summer that our grass had begun to crunch.  Today it is raining so the grass will turn green again.  The leaves on our trees in the yard have already started to turn colors.  Jack Frost is making his rounds with his paints and is decorating our trees for fall.  I hope he has time to get them all done before our barbecue. Wouldn't that make for a colorful picnic?

My cousin, Jack (not to be confused with Jack Frost), plays with a bluegrass band called Bluegrass Traditions.  They are going to entertain the folks with bluegrass and gospel songs.  A close friend of the family is bringing his karaoke so others can sing if they want.  We have a lot of family members who play several instruments and sing.  I am not one of them.  I have two very young nephews under the age of 10 years old who play the violin, or fiddle if it's country and maybe they will play a tune or two.  My cousin Bruce plays guitar and sings. Bruce, don't forget that guitar!  His dad, Uncle Clyde to me and the others, would come to the family reunions and play and sing. Uncle Clyde was asked by the Singing Cowboy, Gene Autry, to join him in his shows, but Uncle Clyde had family commitments back home in Georgia and chose not to stay in California.

Wow, this is exciting. Out-of-town family, we see only once a year, joining our local families for pictures and fun.  We can sit and talk; sit and eat; sit and listen to music; eat and listen to music, and enjoy each others company.  Hey y'all, it's Fall!

Fall, I am so glad you are coming.  The yard is looking forward to the new colors you and Jack Frost will use for decoration.  We are all looking forward to the cooler temperatures you bring with you.  Fall, you are invited to sit a spell and eat barbecue and listen to gospel and bluegrass music.  After all, Fall, you are a member of the family.

It is me again, Lord, thanking you for fall and family.  The two go well together.

A little Georgia Wisdom:  Enjoy the seasons as they come.  God has blessed us with the changes so be thankful for the uniqueness of each one.

Sweet Livin'

Life has it's ups and downs, but all in all, life is sweet.  At least that's how life seems to be treating me right now. One can choose to have a Pity Party and feel sorry for herself, or one can choose to have a Happy Party and  enjoy life.  Life is all about choices.

Today I am choosing to be extremely, wonderfully, and excitingly happy!  No particular reason, I am choosing to have a good day.  As I sit her and write this blog, I realize I have a world of work to do.  I haven't made the bed; haven't cleaned the kitchen; and haven't done anything on my "To Do" list.  Even though I have this work ahead of me, life is good.

Attended my class reunion and, although I was nervous, I really enjoyed seeing folks I haven't seen in a month of Sundays.  For you who do not understand what that means, it means a very long time.  Forty-five years is a very long time.  It was a happy time.  Many hugs and laughter later, I was so delighted to visit with my classmates, or fellow Rebels, from South Habersham High School, class of 1966.

First, let me say I did not like high school.  I enjoyed my friends, but I really did not enjoy my high school years.  Later when I decided to be a teacher my mother couldn't understand why I wanted to teach at the high school level.  She said, "you hated high school.  Why teach high school?"  My answer was simple. "I know how the student who doesn't enjoy this time of his or her life feels.  I can relate to that student and maybe make a difference."

Teaching was rewarding, and I did have students who felt that their high school years were difficult.  Hopefully I was able to bring an understanding to them that high school was just a stepping stone to better things in  life and that one day they would be able to look back and  realize it wasn't all bad.  The friendships made in high school are the rewards for enduring the journey.

Now, as I look back on my high school years, I can see I should have been a better student and should have planned the timing better for my future.  I did things backwards.  You see, I married at nineteen, had my children at ages 22 and 24.  Started college at age 27 and divorced during my last quarter.  I made some poor choices after those days, but finally got my life on the right track.  I am married to a wonderful man and together we have built for ourselves a good life.  One day soon I want to tell you about him; he has lived an interesting life.

God has blessed us with four children and eleven grandchildren.  Each one is a joy to know and keeps us filled with love.  What better way to live life than with the knowledge that you can love and be loved by special folks.  With our children and grandchildren, we may not all be linked by DNA, but we are linked by love and respect for each other.  I love my life.

Life is good.  God has blessed us in many ways.  It has taken awhile for me to be able to appreciate the love He has for me, but I am fully aware of the blood of Christ who died for my sins. 

It is me again, Lord, thanking you for loving me no matter what foolish mistakes I have made.

A little Georgia Wisdom:  Enjoy life, choose to have a Happy Party instead of a Pity Party.  Life is good when you focus on the blessings.  Make that glass half full instead of half empty.

We lived the '60s

On August 20, 2011 the South Habersham High School class of 1966 will meet along with the members from the classes of 1965 and 1967.  We are getting excited.  For many of our fellow classmates, it has been many years since we have seen each other.  What does one talk about after all this time?  Will we recognize each other?  I can speak for myself when I say the pounds have been sneaking up. It is time to put that fear of  how I look behind me and enjoy the reunion.

Life has been good to me, so what do I have to fear?  Why be nervous?  I think a visit to the past is always scary.  For me, high school was not one of my favorite times even though I had wonderful friends with whom I shared great memories.  We enjoyed the football and basketball games, drive-in movies, the Grand Theater in Cornelia, Lake Russell, cruising town on a Sunday afternoon, and eating ice cream at the Dairy Queen.

During our reign at South Habersham High School, the Beatles was the top music group.  President John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas, Texas. We watched in disbelief as Jack Ruby shot the accused shooter, Lee Harvey Oswall.  Martin Luther King made his famous "I have a Dream" speech and then later was assassinated.  Robert Kennedy was shot and killed in California. Malcolm X was shot.  The war in Vietnam was raging and many of our classmates served their country there.  (Bobby Sexton from the class of 1965 was killed there, and now his name is listed on The Wall in Washington, DC. ) Sonny and Cher were making their way up the music charts. The '60s Hippies were a growing number, but our class didn't seem to be touched by the movement.  The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is signed into law by President Johnson.  We didn't realize just how much history we were witnessing.

On August  20 this group of grown-up '60s teenagers will celebrate their memories by gathering together for their class reunions.  Although I am a little apprehensive, I am excited.  The years have flown by; the hair has turned grey; the pounds have crept on us; however, the hearts of our friends will be the same.  I look forward to hearing about their adventures through the years.  Class of '65, '66, and '67, bring it on!

It is me again, Lord.  Thanking you for the opportunity to reconnect with old friends.

A little Georgia Wisdom:  If you have the opportunity to attend your class reunion, go.  You will not regret it.

If Life Were Only a Script...

Have you ever watched a movie and thought about the words of wisdom the actor spoke?  When the wise mother or grandmother gives her doting family those wonderful words to live by, I think to myself how I wish I could spew words of wisdom like that. All their conversations seem to be filled with just the right mixture of life experiences and inspired intervention.

When I became a mother and wanted to be the right mix of inspiration to my children, I realized that I didn't have a script writer to put those life changing words in my mouth.  My twenty-two years of life experience didn't prepare me to be the perfect mother.  In fact, I wasn't prepared at all.  I had changed diapers, made bottles and taken care of babies, but when those little bundles of responsibility were mine, I knew I was out of my league.

There was a time when Chaos filled the kitchen.  Bottles were empty; the baby was crying; I was crying; and the dishes were piled in the sink.  Chaos had taken over my life!  What was I going to do?  What would  "Leave it Beaver"  June Clever, in her pearl necklace, perfect dress and heels, do in this situation?

I'm standing in my own kitchen in my night gown, dishes in the sink, empty bottles, baby crying, and I'm crying.  What I didn't know was that Rescue was about to enter the back door.  Just when I thought Chaos had me by the throat, my mother walked in the kitchen.  I stopped crying, the baby stopped crying, and like a miracle, things began to take shape in my stressful kitchen.  My mother, God bless her, took control and swept Chaos out the door.

Three years later, and now with some life experience, I brought home another little bundle of joy.  This time I was better prepared for the responsibility.  Chaos had a more difficult time getting a foot hold on me and my kitchen.  My mother, along with on-the-job training, had taught me how to be better prepared for motherhood. 

As my children grew older, I found that the words of wisdom that I just knew would eventually come didn't.  I did not have a script writer to put those "words to grow by" in my head  to be released at just the right moment to my doting children.

I really wanted those words of wisdom to be there when my children were teenagers, sadly they weren't.  Where was that script writer?  I wanted someone to write those words of wisdom for me to memorize and regurgitate at just the right time.

As I grew older, I realized there was a script writer.  God gave us life's instructions in the Bible. 

It is me again, Lord, thanking you for words of wisdom from the perfect book.

A little Georgia Wisdom:  When you need words of wisdom to share with your family, refer to the ultimate script writer.  Our God is an awesome God.

"Yes, I'm a Christian"

Today my granddaughter, Madison, and I spent the afternoon together.  She rode a horse on a trail ride, and I enjoyed a visit with an old friend I haven't seen in many years.  After her ride, we toured Helen, Georgia.  Something I haven't done in a very long time and something Madison hasn't done at all.  We enjoyed our afternoon meandering in and out of the shops.

Madison wanted to see the tarantula museum and I opted to have a cold soft drink outside at a picnic table while she took the tour.  It is while I was having my cold drink, a very nice lady came over to talk to me.  She and members of her church were Gideons, and it was their ministry to give out New Testaments.  She gave me one.  I gladly accepted it, but I told her I was already a Christian and expressed my delight in her mission.  Ms. Mary is from South Georgia and is a member of the Baptist church in her southern town.  We shared our religious backgrounds since both of us were Baptist.

It was nice to meet her and I applaud her and her husband and friends as they walked the streets of Helen and talked to people.  You see my brother Dwayne is a Gideon and I am very proud of his participation in this ministry of getting Bibles into the hands of the public.

Ms. Mary and I enjoyed our exchange this afternoon.  I may not see her again her on earth, but I know without a doubt we will meet again.  She is a dear lady doing the work God has called her to do.

It is me again, Lord, thanking you for folks like Ms. Mary, her husband and friends, and my brother Dwayne who have been called to share the Gospel by giving out Bibles.

A little Georgia Wisdom:  If you don't have a personal relationship with our Lord, I pray you will accept Him as your personal Saviour.  All you have to do is ask Him to forgive you of your sins and come into your heart today!  You will be glad you did.

The Girls With the Carnival Laughs

Recently I found an old friend on Facebook.  Nancy and I worked together at International Furniture/Schnadig Corporation years ago.  This was a time when her husband was in Vietnam and I was planning a wedding.  Nancy and I enjoyed life to the fullest as we worked together in the office of Schnadig.  We found humor in everything.  Sometimes our humor erupted into uncontrollable giggles.

I want to bring to your attention that the two of us were not the only ones who participated in our GiggleFest.  There were others working in our office, but Nancy and I were the instigators.  Everyday at 10:00 a.m. we had break.  I am a coffee drinker; Nancy loved her soft drinks and potted meat and bell pepper sandwiches, and we all shared cookies, potato chips, or any of  many different kinds of snack foods.  It was a one-for all and all-for-one break.  We shared our food, but no one wanted the potted meat sandwiches.  We had read the ingredients on the small can.

One year the owner of Schnadig was coming to the Cornelia plant and our office supervisor gathered all of us together to give us instructions on how to act like ladies while the owner was visiting.  Looking back on this office meeting, it was Nancy and I to whom this lecture was intended.

Our supervisor looked at Nancy and said, "Nancy, you have a musical laugh," and then to me, "Linda, you do too. When the two of you get together, it sounds like a carnival has come to town."  She didn't have to say anything else.  We both knew.  We were to be on our best behavior!  This was not going to be easy.

A few days later the big bosses visited, and the two of us made it through without reprimand.  It was not as simple as it sounds for two nineteen year old girls with the humor bug.  What were we thinking?  We both just loved life and found the funny side to every situation.

We had our teased hair, cute clothes, uncomfortable heels, and fancy purses.  We weren't the only cute ones working in that office.  Our other co-gigglers and stylish friends were Brenda, Judy, Shirley, and Carol.  These ladies just knew when to quit. Nancy and I didn't.

Some of the best times of my life were spend in the office with the above ladies.  We celebrated weddings, new births, and birthdays.  It seems like only yesterday we were taking a break together, telling jokes, and enjoying each other's company.  It was a time when the young men in our lives were in the military.  Vietnam was real and the stress relief we used to deal with the strain of not knowing what each day would bring was humor.  If often looked like immaturity, but it gave Nancy a few hours each day to try to forget the worry she had for her husband.  The others followed suit.  We needed that stress relief.  Nancy did for sure.  During this time, a young wife never knew when she might get a notice that she was a young widow.

I like to remember the late '60s, but I wouldn't want to go back to relive them.  Those are the times better left in the past.  I love remembering my friends made in a family-like office where young girls shopped during their lunches; celebrated birthdays with cake, laughed and cried together; and Nancy ate potted meat and bell pepper sandwiches at 10:00 each morning.

It is me again, Lord, thanking you for good memories of friends from long ago.

A little Georgia Wisdom:  Remember to "make new friends and keep the old; one is silver and the other gold."