Friday, June 06, 2008

Memories...

My parents are finally coming of age! Scott built them a computer and we took it to them today. I burned tons of pictures onto CD's...4 to be exact and they were packed.

Scott gets it there and sets it up and for about an hour we went through the pictures. A lot mom and dad haven't seen. Since going digital I have gotten slack at printing and making them available to them. I see them on the screen - I ooo and ahh and click go to something else.

Going through those pictures though was just the push I needed to really kick my butt in gear and not let down on my picture taking duties. How else will my child know the face of my brother who is in heaven? How will he (and I say he, because every dream, every feeling in me says we will have a son) know about how handsome his father was on our wedding day? How will he know how silly Misti and Little John were as kids? How will he know about all the smiles and laughter and music and love our family has shared and hopefully will share if I don't keep the camera hopping?

He will know.

ok, maybe a she...either way they will know!

Even the memories that looking at pictures evoke now is worth every snap of the camera. Looking at some of them I heard stories I had never heard. One in particular - a picture of me, 3 or 4...Mom and Louise took me and Lori to town and probably K-mart or Roses and there was a photographer there and they decided to take pictures of Lori and I. I just thought it was a picture with no story - but it has one.

Speaking of memories...Dad and I were laying on the bed and I asked him about his grandfather who was killed by two guys one night. He owned a little store and they hit him over the head with a coke bottle - one of those old thick coke bottles. He was 82 had maybe 30 bucks and they hit him, put him in the back seat of their car - hit him some more until he was quite. He was probably unconscious by then. This was probably 50ish years ago. I had heard the story before - but dad told me that his Grandfathers best friend pulled up to the store that night and the guys that had his grandfather in the car couldn't start the car. They asked this friend to push him off so they could crank it and he did - not knowing his friend was laying in the back seat near death. They dumped him off on the side of the road and someone saw him and he lived 10 days but never came to. Dads grandfather raised him.

The two men were caught. Both went to prison. One of them was mentally retarded and did what he was told to do by the other man. The main guy was out on work release and he messed with the wrong guys wife and her husband shot him dead. Most of that story I never knew!

Then dad and I talked about him and his brother how they stole watermelons and once a chicken! If you knew my dad those things would make you gasp haha. He told me about how his grandfather made wine but never used it to get drunk or anything. He made white lightening for that! He would put cherries in the jars. Well, one day Daddy and his brother saw the jars were empty of alcohol but thought they would eat the cherries. Needless to say they were drunk by the fifth cherry. I laughed at this story and told dad that I had done the same thing basically. Scott and friends made PJ for new years. I didn't drink but thought I would eat a bowl of fruit. Daddy laughed at me - funny how we had a similar experience as teenagers.

I am going to make a point of talking to dad and mom about stories of their lives. They have so much to tell I am sure. Mom was in an orphanage for a long time as a child. Her mother died when mom was 6. Being that she had all brothers and no mother, her dad thought it would be best. She did come back home later in her teen years.

I know that probably bored everyone to tears, but I needed to write it down in case I forget.

Make memories.
Write it down.

I feel a journal coming on - wait ... maybe this is it :)

On a different note, I am feeling better. Finally getting use to the new pills and I have diabetic neuropathy and this med is for that as well as depression and anxiety. My feet are getting some feeling back and are not hurting like they do - especially my toes - YAY...go CYMBA.LTA!

I will end her, I have some commenting to catch up on and then catch some zzzzzzzz's

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6 comments:

  1. Wow! That is a crazy story about your great grandpa. So sad. Who would do that to an 82-year-old man??

    I agree with you about the commentors who just say "Here from NCLM." Annoying.

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  2. That is such a sad story - but you must be having fron going through all those old pictures!

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  3. I think that's a great idea to get your parents to tell you more story. I have often thought to ask more questions of my parents and grandparents... we have such a habit of talking about easy things and the present, and forget to talk about all of the things that shaped the lives of the people we love.

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  4. wow what a crazy story about your grandpa!

    here from nacomleavmo

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  5. What a sad story. I have started getting my mom and my aunt to tell me more stories. I wish I had asked more of my grandmom when she was alive... NCLM

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  6. Hey Hope,

    Sounds like you're in nostalgic mode. I love it when I go there. It's like opening up a whole treasure chest full of memories... even if they're not MY memories. I love hearing stories from the elders, and learning more about the time in which they "LIVED"... in their younger years, I should say.

    I love the way you've redone your blog. Looks great!

    Thanks for the nice comment you left on my blog yesterday. I appreciate your prayers for my chickens. Some say it's foolishness, but I believe God can and will answer prayers concerning those we love... even if those we love happen to be chickens.

    I spent all day re-doing the chicken pen... added on to it, giving them much more room in their "play-yard", which also includes a nice spot under a shade tree. Finally got it finished... they seem to like the improvements. LOL

    You take care and do please keep in touch. Always good hearing from you.

    Love,
    Lois

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