An Anniversary Wish

Mom and Dad at the 2009 H**** Family Reunion

I want to send out an anniversary wish to my parents, Gene and Betty. As of today, May 31, they have been married 59 years!!! Happy anniversary, momma and daddy! I love you both and am thankful to have you as my parents.

And, as this is Memorial Day, I hope we all stop and remember that freedom is never free and take a moment to think of those who have served and are serving our country. May God continue to bless our nation and watch over our troops.

John-Heath's Day with Two Grand People

John-Heath loves his Ma-Ma and Pa Gene and they, of course, love him. However, due to their age (and his) they are unable to keep him as much as they would like.

Pa Gene and Ma-Ma watching John-Heath go UP the slide

They were always volunteering to keep Ren for us when she was younger and, to this day, she still frequently opts out of going somewhere with us in lieu of staying at their house. John and I had no shortage of "couple time" on weekends when Ren was small.

They did keep John-Heath when he was a baby. Many times they would keep him on both Friday and Saturday nights for us to go out and do whatever. But, at 78 and 76 they aren't able to keep up with a rowdy 4-year-old boy for any major length of time. Not that this does not bother them. I know they would love to keep him just as they did Ren. And John-Heath would love this too. He doesn't like it one bit when Ren gets to stay and he has to go with us. To him, it just isn't fair.

Well, last night the roles were reversed. He was able to stay the night and Ren had to come home with me. He was thrilled. In fact, he wanted to make sure I got him there before dark so he could "mow Pa Gene's yard". He has a small motorized lawn tractor that looks a lot like a riding mower and so he thinks he is mowing the yard when he's on it. I love watching him ride it. He loves to go in between any two objects he can find. He's just all boy.

Looking too old. Where did my baby boy go?

This morning Ma-Ma made him his favorite - fried eggs. He had two and then begged for a third one, which was granted. So, he's used up all his cholesterol tokens for the week. He loves eggs and does not hesitate to tell my mother each and every day he does not get them here at home.

After breakfast and playing in the yard - more mower time - they took him to a park in Portland where John and I, along with Ren, met up with them. There he hooked up with three little girls. He would growl at them like a monster and they would squeal.

Then it was over to 5 Chefs for lunch, a great little restaurant and gift shop set in an old Victorian home.

Ma-Ma looking around at some of the nice pieces of furniture at 5 Chefs. John-Heath sitting still, for the moment.

It was a great day!

Sophia A. Carter Heath

Can't sleep tonight. Random thoughts floating through my mind and it occurs to me that exactly 22 years ago on this very same night of the week and at nearly this same time I was spending the night at the home of my boyfriend's grandparents in Culleoka. I would marry said boyfriend that upcoming August but on this night I am sleeping in a rather large upstairs bedroom when I am awakened by a train whistle.

Granny and Papa's house was a short distance from the tracks so it wasn't such an oddity to hear a whistle - except that it was just after midnight and the train did not pass through at that hour.

I will find out at some point the next day that my grandmother, my father's mother, has passed on. Though her departure from this life and my awakening did not occur synchronously, I have always connected the two events.

Goodnight, Mammy Sophie.