Good to see you here again on this blustery September day. Even though a little damp outside due to hurricane Florence over the week-end, today is a good day to either walk or sit and chat.
For the past two years, I have experienced difficulty in two things that lead me to my closet.
#1: The Decision: It is becoming extremely annoying to make a decision about what I shall wear for any particular occasion, particularly one that involves articles of clothing that need to reflect the reason for my outing. One example is Church: Should I wear a dress or pants. Usually in the warm summer months I prefer dresses to pants. So after narrowing it down to a dress I select one and place it on the bed along with the shoes, purse and jewelry that I think looks really good together.........that is, until I put all of this together on my body. What looked very coordinated lying on the bed looked like crap on my body! Next begins the dramatic exchanging of clothes until I finally find one that is acceptable to me when I look into the full-length mirror. Sometimes I will try at least four to five outfits before I am satisfied.
It used to not be this way! What has happened over the last two years? The most reliable explanation had to be that the clothes I had always purchased in the same size 10 for the past eon number of years had changed. They just did not make sizes the same anymore! Sounded logical to me......until.................................I tried on that dress that still hangs in my closet and has been there for twenty years, and was the perfect fit in a size 10 at that time.................when I realized....Oh No!
#2 My Body:
The clothes were not to blame. The blame was my body. I had to face reality. My entire body had shifted in such a way that there was no fixed size for me now. Nothing on my body is in the same place it was 10-20 years ago! No wonder the dresses are flat across the back of the hips and have no room in the front across my tummy for the dress to relax. Why, oh why, are all the dresses and tops sleeveless?! Why are the hemlines above the knees? And who decided that every female should now have necklines that expose a cleavage? There is no cleavage at this age unless the neckline falls around what once was a waistline, that has also disappeared from view and is now exposing a courtly frame referred to as mid-life waistline.
So here I am at this stage of my life with a closet filled with clothes that will not fit. I did take two large bags by Salvation Army two weeks ago............it felt good to lighten my load of articles of clothing I had to try on over and over. It is amazing how many lovely blouses I had been hanging onto for that special reunion, or Christmas gathering fooling myself into thinking I would be able to wear it. After trying them on year after year and watching them get tighter and tighter around the waist, it was an overwhelming relief to pass them on to a slender young person! I almost removed the beautiful jeweled buttons but held my hands from the scissors and left them there for the recipient. What was I thinking?!
So............there you have it.........................I will not go into my hair nor any of the other obvious signs of the times. Too depressing. Today is all about the clothing, which reminds me, these jeans are really tight with the zipper and waist button.....excuse me while I change into those comfortable jeans with the elastic waist........................................
Enjoyed the walk...................see you next time..................
Come Take A Walk With Me
Monday, September 17, 2018
Monday, August 27, 2018
Mall Sitter
Come, walk with me and allow me to share some of my most recent ponderings........In years past, I have had the good fortune to spend a good part of my time as a Mall Sitter. That is what I did whenever I was invited to accompany my daughter and granddaughters on a shopping expedition. There was a time ( some years ago) when I could maintain my stamina and keep up with their pace as we wandered in and out of ALL the stores in the Mall.
I especially remember the times when they were young teenagers and how they were attracted to those stores with the loudest music that was also very fast-paced. We would move from store to store and even though the music might have been different it was still loud and fast......never any soothing music as to the kind I refer to as elevator music. I suppose the music had to be loud and fast to keep the teens hopping among the various stores.
Those stores were all alike. They were jammed with clothes that were arranged in such a way that one had to be a shopping sleuth to find their way among the maze. I believe you could have left a child in there for a week before someone found them! It was after several years of this, when I discovered the various benches and chairs that were scattered along the walkways of the Mall.
It did not take long for me to become accustomed to this new method of shopping with them. I would leave them in the store after announcing that I could be reached outside the store in the comfort zone, comfortably seated on a bench or chair. I had learned to text and receive text messages so we could stay in touch with each other. This was important because I was usually notified by text when they had gathered the articles to be purchased. I did not worry about losing them because I was the keeper of the money........Mine.....soon to be theirs.
I did not waste the hours as I sat on the Mall bench while they shopped because I had learned to use my time wisely. I had learned to become a Mall Watcher, which can be an educational experience in itself. One thing I learned is that a person's gait belongs to the age one is in. For example: children do not walk....they jump, skip or run. They are always moving forward or side to side and they move quickly. If they happen to be in a stroller, they want out and they let everyone within hearing distance know it!
Next there were the teens. They were everywhere! They were easy to spot because they had cloned themselves in the way they wore their hair and dress. Teens try very hard to look like all the other teens and not at all like anyone over the age of eighteen. Most of the teen shoppers were girls and they always came in pairs, holding onto each other and walking very slowly. After all, they had all the time in the world!
Next were the parents. The mothers looked tired, they never smiled. They were also carrying all the shopping bags along with either a diaper bag or very large and heavy purse. They walked as though they were going to the gallows. They were too busy trying to quiet the toddler or hang onto another child. The fathers would usually saunter alongside or behind as though they had not a care in the world.
Finally.........my category.........the seniors. Some would waddle as they walked with weight-bearing more side to side than forward. Canes or walkers were an extension of their anatomy. From time to time they would stop and look all around. I knew what they were looking for, and it was not for a particular store. They were busy looking for an empty bench or chair so they could join the other Mall sitters for a while
My granddaughters are now adults and invitations to Mall- shop have slowly deminished to my gift of a gift card to their favorite store or one carried over from birthday or Christmas. Unfortunately those days have been replaced with appointments for me for my physical tune-ups to just keep me on my feet!
None-the-Less, the memories are pleasant and rewarding, even though my body is not.................................
Oh, the pondering of it all...............see you next time. Enjoyed the walk......................................
I especially remember the times when they were young teenagers and how they were attracted to those stores with the loudest music that was also very fast-paced. We would move from store to store and even though the music might have been different it was still loud and fast......never any soothing music as to the kind I refer to as elevator music. I suppose the music had to be loud and fast to keep the teens hopping among the various stores.
Those stores were all alike. They were jammed with clothes that were arranged in such a way that one had to be a shopping sleuth to find their way among the maze. I believe you could have left a child in there for a week before someone found them! It was after several years of this, when I discovered the various benches and chairs that were scattered along the walkways of the Mall.
It did not take long for me to become accustomed to this new method of shopping with them. I would leave them in the store after announcing that I could be reached outside the store in the comfort zone, comfortably seated on a bench or chair. I had learned to text and receive text messages so we could stay in touch with each other. This was important because I was usually notified by text when they had gathered the articles to be purchased. I did not worry about losing them because I was the keeper of the money........Mine.....soon to be theirs.
I did not waste the hours as I sat on the Mall bench while they shopped because I had learned to use my time wisely. I had learned to become a Mall Watcher, which can be an educational experience in itself. One thing I learned is that a person's gait belongs to the age one is in. For example: children do not walk....they jump, skip or run. They are always moving forward or side to side and they move quickly. If they happen to be in a stroller, they want out and they let everyone within hearing distance know it!
Next there were the teens. They were everywhere! They were easy to spot because they had cloned themselves in the way they wore their hair and dress. Teens try very hard to look like all the other teens and not at all like anyone over the age of eighteen. Most of the teen shoppers were girls and they always came in pairs, holding onto each other and walking very slowly. After all, they had all the time in the world!
Next were the parents. The mothers looked tired, they never smiled. They were also carrying all the shopping bags along with either a diaper bag or very large and heavy purse. They walked as though they were going to the gallows. They were too busy trying to quiet the toddler or hang onto another child. The fathers would usually saunter alongside or behind as though they had not a care in the world.
Finally.........my category.........the seniors. Some would waddle as they walked with weight-bearing more side to side than forward. Canes or walkers were an extension of their anatomy. From time to time they would stop and look all around. I knew what they were looking for, and it was not for a particular store. They were busy looking for an empty bench or chair so they could join the other Mall sitters for a while
My granddaughters are now adults and invitations to Mall- shop have slowly deminished to my gift of a gift card to their favorite store or one carried over from birthday or Christmas. Unfortunately those days have been replaced with appointments for me for my physical tune-ups to just keep me on my feet!
None-the-Less, the memories are pleasant and rewarding, even though my body is not.................................
Oh, the pondering of it all...............see you next time. Enjoyed the walk......................................
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Class Reunion
Glad to see you here this morning! A great day for a walk because we have lots of things to talk about today.............................................
First on my list is my class reunion that I attended this past Saturday. I was really glad it was scheduled in the middle of the day between the hours of 11:30 and 1:30. Why? you ask. Well as you will learn one day, OLD people do not see well enough to drive after dark and OLD people are tired after 4:00 p.m. At this age it becomes a struggle just to get on your feet anytime after 3:00 p.m.
You see, once you are a short distance from the dreaded decade of the eighties, naps must be scheduled in during the day. So the noon hour was a perfect time, even though I could tell by the yawns and droopy eyes some were well into their nap time as soon as lunch was over.
As soon as I entered the designated area, I was face to face with a large table upon which a triangular stand- alone arrangement of pictures stood encircling all our deceased classmates. There were forty-eight youthful pictures as they were remembered as seniors of the 1958 graduating class of old HHS. As I turned to leave the memorial, I found myself staring into the shoulder of a very tall gentleman whom I did not recognize until I read his name tag. He hugged me and with tears in his eyes was evidently in a deep grief state over the loss of his classmates that had occurred over a 60 year span. Recognizing that he must have a history of a previous stroke that must have affected his emotions, I hurridly freed myself and moved on. Surely there were some happy people here somewhere.........
As I navigated through the crowd that had accumulated just a few feet from the entrance doorway, I found my old friend seated in a back corner at a table with another classmate. As soon as we began our greetings, I realized she had a hearing problem since she kept saying "huh?". She admitted that she did need a hearing test after I revealed to her that I had worn hearing aides for the past twenty years and they were wonderful. Unfortunately I avoided her the rest of the evening because a conversation was impossible. I moved on...................................
I navigated through the crowd looking for a familiar face, all too soon realizing that I depended on the name tags for help. Unfortunately, most of those long ago familiar faces had disappeared. Why did they take the pictures away? The names were fine, but I really needed the pictures from long ago.
Suddenly an announcement was made for everyone to gather on the front steps of the building for a group picture. Well that was quite a feat for some since there were a few walkers and canes and obvious walking difficulties. Someone grabbed my hand and it was one of my very best friends from high school. She urged me to come and stand by her for our pictures. It did not help that I knew she had a face lift some years back.......who wants to be old standing beside the one person in the room who still looks like she is forty-something? At any rate she held my hand as we climbed up two steps for our posing position. Shortly before the camera shutters clicked I forgot to put my sunglasses on! So there I was in the class pictoral beside the youngest looking one in the entire class and I did not even have my sunglasses on...so to compensate, I tried to smile broadly and not squint my eyes ending up looking like Mr. Magoo in the old cartoons of the '50s. Must show you the group picture!
We did have a lovely lunch, prepared by one of our classmates who does catering. I enjoyed sitting at a table with two of my classmates I had not been able to talk to at the last reunion. The dessert table was filled with delicious sweets home made by some of our classmates.
I used my time following the meal to visit every table and speak to all who were there. I found it amusing that most everyone found a table as soon as they arrived and did not leave it for anything other that the picture and the food line. I would guess that there were only ten of us who navigated among the tables and tried to have a short visit with each person. Why would you come to a reunion and sit with the same person you see every day and not visit all in the room? Then, again, I suppose the imposition of walkers and canes played an important role in that decision.
Oh the pondering of it all......................................
All in all, it was a lovely noon gathering with lots of memories shared and wishes and prayers for each of us to return yearly instead of every five years. We left with plans to meet again in August 2019 on the 2nd Saturday. Same place..........same time.......................
We can only hope................................................................................................
See you next time............enjoyed the walk
First on my list is my class reunion that I attended this past Saturday. I was really glad it was scheduled in the middle of the day between the hours of 11:30 and 1:30. Why? you ask. Well as you will learn one day, OLD people do not see well enough to drive after dark and OLD people are tired after 4:00 p.m. At this age it becomes a struggle just to get on your feet anytime after 3:00 p.m.
You see, once you are a short distance from the dreaded decade of the eighties, naps must be scheduled in during the day. So the noon hour was a perfect time, even though I could tell by the yawns and droopy eyes some were well into their nap time as soon as lunch was over.
As soon as I entered the designated area, I was face to face with a large table upon which a triangular stand- alone arrangement of pictures stood encircling all our deceased classmates. There were forty-eight youthful pictures as they were remembered as seniors of the 1958 graduating class of old HHS. As I turned to leave the memorial, I found myself staring into the shoulder of a very tall gentleman whom I did not recognize until I read his name tag. He hugged me and with tears in his eyes was evidently in a deep grief state over the loss of his classmates that had occurred over a 60 year span. Recognizing that he must have a history of a previous stroke that must have affected his emotions, I hurridly freed myself and moved on. Surely there were some happy people here somewhere.........
As I navigated through the crowd that had accumulated just a few feet from the entrance doorway, I found my old friend seated in a back corner at a table with another classmate. As soon as we began our greetings, I realized she had a hearing problem since she kept saying "huh?". She admitted that she did need a hearing test after I revealed to her that I had worn hearing aides for the past twenty years and they were wonderful. Unfortunately I avoided her the rest of the evening because a conversation was impossible. I moved on...................................
I navigated through the crowd looking for a familiar face, all too soon realizing that I depended on the name tags for help. Unfortunately, most of those long ago familiar faces had disappeared. Why did they take the pictures away? The names were fine, but I really needed the pictures from long ago.
Suddenly an announcement was made for everyone to gather on the front steps of the building for a group picture. Well that was quite a feat for some since there were a few walkers and canes and obvious walking difficulties. Someone grabbed my hand and it was one of my very best friends from high school. She urged me to come and stand by her for our pictures. It did not help that I knew she had a face lift some years back.......who wants to be old standing beside the one person in the room who still looks like she is forty-something? At any rate she held my hand as we climbed up two steps for our posing position. Shortly before the camera shutters clicked I forgot to put my sunglasses on! So there I was in the class pictoral beside the youngest looking one in the entire class and I did not even have my sunglasses on...so to compensate, I tried to smile broadly and not squint my eyes ending up looking like Mr. Magoo in the old cartoons of the '50s. Must show you the group picture!
We did have a lovely lunch, prepared by one of our classmates who does catering. I enjoyed sitting at a table with two of my classmates I had not been able to talk to at the last reunion. The dessert table was filled with delicious sweets home made by some of our classmates.
I used my time following the meal to visit every table and speak to all who were there. I found it amusing that most everyone found a table as soon as they arrived and did not leave it for anything other that the picture and the food line. I would guess that there were only ten of us who navigated among the tables and tried to have a short visit with each person. Why would you come to a reunion and sit with the same person you see every day and not visit all in the room? Then, again, I suppose the imposition of walkers and canes played an important role in that decision.
Oh the pondering of it all......................................
All in all, it was a lovely noon gathering with lots of memories shared and wishes and prayers for each of us to return yearly instead of every five years. We left with plans to meet again in August 2019 on the 2nd Saturday. Same place..........same time.......................
We can only hope................................................................................................
See you next time............enjoyed the walk
Monday, August 6, 2018
August
A good day for a walk, so glad you could join me. Sometimes I get things on my mind and this is one of those days when I need a good friend to listen and share some of my ponderings.
I like the month of August. Nothing special has to happen in August except birthdays. Trips to the beach or wherever are winding down and those who are in school, college or graduate school are busy preparing for another year. It seems that August has a way of making us slow the pace a bit, look around and notice that already some of the leaves on trees are beginning to fade. The days have begun to get a wee bit shorter with daylight a little earlier and the sunset a little earlier also. That is fine with me. I do not like waking up at 5 a.m. to daylight nor do I like to go to bed at daylight. August seems to get things back in a more correct order.
As we walk along, there seems to be a special quiet about August. The birds are not frantically screaming and looking around for a place to nest for the expectant moms of birdland as they were in May and June. I no longer have to fight the birds from selecting their nests in my decorative wreaths or any of my planters. That is a relief. The breeze among the trees appears a bit more gentle now that the fierce summer storms have hopefully subsided. Most of the vegetables in the gardens have been harvested, the fruits have been enjoyed in pies and any freezing and canning in usually finished by middle August.
August is also the month for the last days of summer. It is the month for the last beach trip, the last tube ride down the river, the last of the barefoot strolls through the soft grass. It is the last of extra time off from work, and maybe finishing that last summer novel.
August ie a great shopping month for all those summer clothes you would like to have next summer. In a way, August allows you a glimpse into another year. Of course I will buy that lovely outfit I have been waiting to be reduced! I will enjoy wearing that next summer!
If I get really energetic, I may even use the calm August to begin cleaning closets to prepare for the cooler months of September, October, and on into the winter. It is also a very good month to do that extra cleaning of windows. There is no yellow pollen in August and it is not very hard to find a good day to work outdoors.
August also seems to be the perfect time for reunions: Family reunions, old high school reunions, college reunions, and homecomings for many churches. As the pace slows and summer harvest is completed, it is easier to call those who wish to renew family ties and acquaintances. August is a good time to come together.
Speaking of high school reunions, mine will be this coming Saturday. Many of those who attended and graduated high school in 1958 will once again come together for a renewal and remembrance of those times we shared so long ago. There will be many who will not be there due to poor health, disabilities and of course those who have deceased. This will be our last five-year reunion. It has been decided that since we are all Septuagenarians, perhaps meeting every year or two would be better.
And so it is with sweet August...........simple days.........renewed friendships..........shopping.................cleaning......................and...............August is...........
MY BIRTHDAY MONTH!
Oh the pondering of it all......................................................see you next time.
I like the month of August. Nothing special has to happen in August except birthdays. Trips to the beach or wherever are winding down and those who are in school, college or graduate school are busy preparing for another year. It seems that August has a way of making us slow the pace a bit, look around and notice that already some of the leaves on trees are beginning to fade. The days have begun to get a wee bit shorter with daylight a little earlier and the sunset a little earlier also. That is fine with me. I do not like waking up at 5 a.m. to daylight nor do I like to go to bed at daylight. August seems to get things back in a more correct order.
As we walk along, there seems to be a special quiet about August. The birds are not frantically screaming and looking around for a place to nest for the expectant moms of birdland as they were in May and June. I no longer have to fight the birds from selecting their nests in my decorative wreaths or any of my planters. That is a relief. The breeze among the trees appears a bit more gentle now that the fierce summer storms have hopefully subsided. Most of the vegetables in the gardens have been harvested, the fruits have been enjoyed in pies and any freezing and canning in usually finished by middle August.
August is also the month for the last days of summer. It is the month for the last beach trip, the last tube ride down the river, the last of the barefoot strolls through the soft grass. It is the last of extra time off from work, and maybe finishing that last summer novel.
August ie a great shopping month for all those summer clothes you would like to have next summer. In a way, August allows you a glimpse into another year. Of course I will buy that lovely outfit I have been waiting to be reduced! I will enjoy wearing that next summer!
If I get really energetic, I may even use the calm August to begin cleaning closets to prepare for the cooler months of September, October, and on into the winter. It is also a very good month to do that extra cleaning of windows. There is no yellow pollen in August and it is not very hard to find a good day to work outdoors.
August also seems to be the perfect time for reunions: Family reunions, old high school reunions, college reunions, and homecomings for many churches. As the pace slows and summer harvest is completed, it is easier to call those who wish to renew family ties and acquaintances. August is a good time to come together.
Speaking of high school reunions, mine will be this coming Saturday. Many of those who attended and graduated high school in 1958 will once again come together for a renewal and remembrance of those times we shared so long ago. There will be many who will not be there due to poor health, disabilities and of course those who have deceased. This will be our last five-year reunion. It has been decided that since we are all Septuagenarians, perhaps meeting every year or two would be better.
And so it is with sweet August...........simple days.........renewed friendships..........shopping.................cleaning......................and...............August is...........
MY BIRTHDAY MONTH!
Oh the pondering of it all......................................................see you next time.
Monday, July 30, 2018
Insomniac Cure
Glad you could join me for our walk today. I promise that I will not share any more weird stories regarding funerals or tales of the deceased. I would, however like to share a new hobby of mine called "Silent Movies".
What? you proclaim! Why would anyone want to watch those old things when we have the amazing movies today. I cannot argue with your defenses because of course, you are right. I have to say, though, for sheer pleasure, a good laugh and an appreciation of the year 2018 nothing beats a night at the silent theatre.
I discovered recently that the TCM channel has Sunday Silent Movie night occasionally, and I must admit it is the best cure for insomnia I have experienced. For example I discovered it quite by accident when searching for a movie with no murder or extreme stimulation in order to fall asleep during one of my many insomniac nights. The one I happened to watch last night came on around 11:30. Unfortunately I cannot remember the name but here is a brief description of what our parents and grandparents enjoyed during the 1920's.
At the beginning of the movie, you are presented with a reading, in the form of a scroll, that explains the story of the movie you are about to watch. It is like reading a short story. For your reading pleasure, there is some very annoying background music played by an organ. It was then that I decided to remove my hearing aides. Why bother? After all, it is a SILENT movie!
Next there was a scene to show where the first part of the movie would be filmed. There are very limited scenes in the silent films. I believe there were only a few in the one I watched last night. This was followed by another scrolled page that explained what the actors would be doing. This continued on so that each short filmed action scene always followed the story being presented first. In other words, you always knew what was going to happen. There were no surprises!
I particularly enjoyed the exaggerated facial expressions, and the actions in general as they were used without words to portray a reaction to the presented stimuli. Those actors had to be very adapt at portraying all sorts of emotions. Of course, having the story prior to each segment of the movie allowed one to interpret the body language.
The entire movie reduced my T.V. viewing size to a postcard, requiring that I position myself directly in front of the viewing screen. I tell you, getting that sofa in the great viewing position was quite a feat! Finally, I relaxed and enjoyed at least ten scrolls of the story and approximately five scenes.
And so it was...............on and on....................no surprises just laughter all the way. By the way, this was a drama and I laughed all the way to the end, actually did not make it to the end. I fell asleep after the first five scrolls.
Join me on a Sunday night on the TMC for an exciting anti-insomniac evening!
Enjoyed our walk, see you soon.............................................Brenda
What? you proclaim! Why would anyone want to watch those old things when we have the amazing movies today. I cannot argue with your defenses because of course, you are right. I have to say, though, for sheer pleasure, a good laugh and an appreciation of the year 2018 nothing beats a night at the silent theatre.
I discovered recently that the TCM channel has Sunday Silent Movie night occasionally, and I must admit it is the best cure for insomnia I have experienced. For example I discovered it quite by accident when searching for a movie with no murder or extreme stimulation in order to fall asleep during one of my many insomniac nights. The one I happened to watch last night came on around 11:30. Unfortunately I cannot remember the name but here is a brief description of what our parents and grandparents enjoyed during the 1920's.
At the beginning of the movie, you are presented with a reading, in the form of a scroll, that explains the story of the movie you are about to watch. It is like reading a short story. For your reading pleasure, there is some very annoying background music played by an organ. It was then that I decided to remove my hearing aides. Why bother? After all, it is a SILENT movie!
Next there was a scene to show where the first part of the movie would be filmed. There are very limited scenes in the silent films. I believe there were only a few in the one I watched last night. This was followed by another scrolled page that explained what the actors would be doing. This continued on so that each short filmed action scene always followed the story being presented first. In other words, you always knew what was going to happen. There were no surprises!
I particularly enjoyed the exaggerated facial expressions, and the actions in general as they were used without words to portray a reaction to the presented stimuli. Those actors had to be very adapt at portraying all sorts of emotions. Of course, having the story prior to each segment of the movie allowed one to interpret the body language.
The entire movie reduced my T.V. viewing size to a postcard, requiring that I position myself directly in front of the viewing screen. I tell you, getting that sofa in the great viewing position was quite a feat! Finally, I relaxed and enjoyed at least ten scrolls of the story and approximately five scenes.
And so it was...............on and on....................no surprises just laughter all the way. By the way, this was a drama and I laughed all the way to the end, actually did not make it to the end. I fell asleep after the first five scrolls.
Join me on a Sunday night on the TMC for an exciting anti-insomniac evening!
Enjoyed our walk, see you soon.............................................Brenda
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
CEMENTERY STORY # 2
Let's continue this long walk because I have not finished my unusual stories!
About the same time we were replacing headstones, I received a call from a member of the cemetery committee. He was creating a new plat for the cemetery because the former pastor had destroyed the old one. This was very disturbing because the graves in that cemetery had dates as far back as the 17th and 18th centuries! He said he needed to talk to me because he wanted to know why my first cousin's body was being exhumed after being buried one year!
I have some crazy cousins on my maternal relative tree! I had no idea what he was talking about and again I consulted the person in our sibling branch who has an excellent memory at the age of eighty-six. Unfortunately she had no idea what was happening but reassured me she would find the answer.
After many phone calls to cousins of the dead, but exhumed, cousin, she was able to learn a possible , amazingly stupid reason for this unusual situation. The dead, but exhumed, cousin had been married twice and had fathered a daughter in each marriage. The elder daughter was twenty years older than the younger daughter; however, the younger daughter was still living with her father at the time of his sudden death and had made all the decisions regarding the funeral.
Now.....stay with me on this......it gets better....................
The older daughter had been grieving for one year because of two very important issues surrounding her father's death.
1. He was not buried in the outfit she wanted
2/ His hair was not combed the way she liked
The funeral home tried to appease her anxieties and even offered to forgive any debts incurred as a result of the funeral expenses. She would agree to nothing but to have him exhumed and redressed!
Now this is the good part......................................
She had him redressed the way he always dressed, in a pair of shorts and a tank top.! I suppose he died in that attire because from what I remember as the cause of his death was this: He pulled through the drive-through of his local beer joint for his week-end supply of beer. He was, of course wearing the beloved attire of a pair of shorts and a tank top. When the clerk handed him the beer, he found him slumped over the steering wheel of his truck, dead from an apparent heart attack!
So the elder daughter buried him again, and this time he was apparently dressed the way she wanted to remember him. My memory of my cousin tells me that he would have been amused with all this foolishness. Poor guy continues his eternal journey in a pair of shorts and a tank top with God only knows what type of hair style. Can't help but wonder if she placed a carton of beer in the casket!
Oh, the pondering of it all.............................................see you next time
About the same time we were replacing headstones, I received a call from a member of the cemetery committee. He was creating a new plat for the cemetery because the former pastor had destroyed the old one. This was very disturbing because the graves in that cemetery had dates as far back as the 17th and 18th centuries! He said he needed to talk to me because he wanted to know why my first cousin's body was being exhumed after being buried one year!
I have some crazy cousins on my maternal relative tree! I had no idea what he was talking about and again I consulted the person in our sibling branch who has an excellent memory at the age of eighty-six. Unfortunately she had no idea what was happening but reassured me she would find the answer.
After many phone calls to cousins of the dead, but exhumed, cousin, she was able to learn a possible , amazingly stupid reason for this unusual situation. The dead, but exhumed, cousin had been married twice and had fathered a daughter in each marriage. The elder daughter was twenty years older than the younger daughter; however, the younger daughter was still living with her father at the time of his sudden death and had made all the decisions regarding the funeral.
Now.....stay with me on this......it gets better....................
The older daughter had been grieving for one year because of two very important issues surrounding her father's death.
1. He was not buried in the outfit she wanted
2/ His hair was not combed the way she liked
The funeral home tried to appease her anxieties and even offered to forgive any debts incurred as a result of the funeral expenses. She would agree to nothing but to have him exhumed and redressed!
Now this is the good part......................................
She had him redressed the way he always dressed, in a pair of shorts and a tank top.! I suppose he died in that attire because from what I remember as the cause of his death was this: He pulled through the drive-through of his local beer joint for his week-end supply of beer. He was, of course wearing the beloved attire of a pair of shorts and a tank top. When the clerk handed him the beer, he found him slumped over the steering wheel of his truck, dead from an apparent heart attack!
So the elder daughter buried him again, and this time he was apparently dressed the way she wanted to remember him. My memory of my cousin tells me that he would have been amused with all this foolishness. Poor guy continues his eternal journey in a pair of shorts and a tank top with God only knows what type of hair style. Can't help but wonder if she placed a carton of beer in the casket!
Oh, the pondering of it all.............................................see you next time
SOME TRUE CEMETERY STORIES # 1
Today is a good day for a long walk together. I have several rather humorous stories that I would love to share with you. Good that this June 12 weather is unseasonably cool. Looks like we may be out for a while.
So....here is how my story began. My husband's older brother died in 2016 and a few months after that, as co-executer of his will, he began to order the footstone for his grave in the large family plot. I decided this might be a good time to discuss the fact that my sister and I had been concerned for over thirty years that we had a relative buried in a church cemetery whose grave had never been marked by a headstone. This was something that had bothered my elder sister for many years and I finally told her I would make sure his grave would be marked. This seemed like a great opportunity since my husband would be having one made for his brother, I could have one made for my first cousin's long-deceased husband. My husband was in compliance with my decision and said he would help.
Well, what appeared to be a simple request quickly became one that required a bit of detective work on my part mainly because neither my sister nor I knew our cousin's husband's full name. We only knew him as "Whitey". I guess this does require some explanation on our part. We didn't really know him very well, but our cousin did marry him and had a daughter by him. She, in turn, when grown, married and had a son. Regardless of our cousin's disregard for her husband, we wanted future generations to know he had existed and where his remains were. She did place him in her father's family plot alongside both her deceased parents.
I began by calling my cousin so I might have the full name of her deceased husband, the name of the funeral home in Charlotte, the date and time of his death. After I had collected all this information, I gave it to my husband and he placed the order at the same time he ordered the footstone for his brother. "Whitey's" footstone would be his headstone, and I would incur the full cost of $300.00.
That being done, I decided to inspect the other graves where other members of the same family were buried. I knew her parents had buried an infant daughter there, but could not find the headstone. My memory was that the baby had a funeral and there was a headstone there at one time. I could not find one at all. I also knew that another infant daughter born early as stillborn was buried there but no evidence existed to show for her.
After consulting my sister, we decided the first infant had died in the early fifties....we thought around 1953. With this information, I ordered a small headstone for the first child that died in 1953. We made arrangements for this to be delivered the same day ad the one for Whitey.
As planned, the monument people arrived and began work on the new grave markers. As one of the men was digging a hole for the infant's headstone, he hit something very hard with the shovel. Further investigation revealed a monument that had sunk beneath the level of the ground. He managed to unearth it and there was the headstone of the infant who died in 1953. Oh dear, now what to do with the new one that I ordered?! WELL, we remedied that too.....we had them to change the 3 to an 8 for the second infant and place it at the foot. Unfortunately, we do not have the exact date.....just the one we guessed........but still feel better that it is at least marked.
We made a note of several repairs, adjustments and cleanings that needed to be done another time.....
More about those events later.......................................
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