Reunion

Wow...it's been so long since I've been on here, that Blogger has completely changed the format!!  Oh, well, haven't had much to say for quite some time, but that may soon change...we'll see how it goes:)

Casa de Envy is quiet now, but later this week the joint will be jumpin'!  For the first time in several years, my dad's family will be gathering at the homeplace for a reunion.  Snow White will be home, and family members will be arriving from hither and yon.  On the menu:  BBQ with slaw, chicken, baked beans, and a plethora of homemade side dishes.  You know we country folks like to cook;)  OMG!  I just gained five pounds thinking about it! 

I'm hoping that someone shows up to the reunion with a camera so I can share some of the joy.  A picture truly says a thousand words... 

Crossroads

The urge to get back here and post has been overwhelming, so here I am. Life has taken me to a place I never thought I'd be, and I am doing my best to navigate these waters. There are good days, and there are not-so-good days. All things considered, I feel stronger and more determined than ever to live life to the fullest. I have an amazing family and fabulous friends who have held me up when I was falling, and who have told me what I needed to hear when I needed to hear it. For that, I am MOST thankful.

I'm living in my grandmother's house and attempting to put it back in order. My goal is to have it ready to receive family and friends for the holidays. It's important that it be as warm and welcoming as it was when Grandma was at the helm...a daunting task, at best! I talk to Grandma every day, and I know she's here to guide me along. I just wish she could tell me where to find her recipes for homemade chocolate ice cream (hers was the best in the county), and for deer barbecue! It's the little things...

I lived in this house many years ago, and at that time the roads were identified by Route Numbers. When the county set up the 911 system, each road was assigned a name. I now live on New Hope Road, very close to where it intersects with New Beginnings Road. New Hope and New Beginnings...it's nice to be home.

Rope Swing

BHE

Age Two

One of my favorite memories of visiting my grandparents HAS to be swinging on the rope swing. My grandfather would take two large ropes, loop them over the biggest branch of the old oak tree, and tie them together at the bottom. He would then fashion a seat out of an old plank by cutting v-shaped notches into each end and fitting it over the rope. Instant swing!

Anyone who is familiar with OLD oak trees knows that they have incredibly large roots. Once, I was showing off teaching my sisters how to swing really high and I leaned back just a bit too far. The next thing I knew, my sassy sundress-clad back was scraping across one of the biggest roots ever documented in the northern hemisphere. Lesson learned. Keep your back in the upright position when preparing for landing.

To this day, there is a homemade swing on that same oak tree. A tire has replaced the wooden plank seat, but the sentiment remains.

98

Today my paternal grandmother would have celebrated her 98th birthday. She passed away two years ago on New Year's Eve. My life is not the same without her.

My sisters and I spent many summers at Grandma's house. There was no air conditioning, which taught us that it was better to get up early to get our work done, and to rest in the heat of the afternoon. There was no television, which taught us to find ways to entertain ourselves. There was a huge garden, which taught us that if everyone pitched in, the work would be light. There was homemade ice cream, which taught us the simple rewards of a busy day on the farm. Life lessons learned from a kind, gentle woman.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

The photo above shows Grandma holding a six-month old Snow White. I had hoped that SW would be born on Grandma's birthday, but we missed it by three days. There are SOME things over which we have no control!!