Monday, September 04, 2006

just tying up some loose ends...

Yesterday's post brings today's thoughts. As I reminisce & look back to "what could have been", I so often think of the many, many bumps I had in getting to where I am now. I was one that always seemed to turn on the side streets and always wanted to ride down the "dead end" streets or roads. Why did the road just stop?

Quite ironic, as my husband lived on a dead end street and his mother still lives there now. Also, when we moved to our first home this street was also a dead end road. We married on Christmas Eve of '67 as I had to move from Charlotte and Jerrell had two weeks off from school as he taught then and had Christmas break and it was a convenient time. There was no hurry as we had just started dating the prior February of that year. Jerrell rented us a house in October and we had bought all new furniture and were all set for the wedding in December. I worked on in Charlotte until the first of December and moved back with my aunt and uncle til the 24th . We rented a house for four years before we bought the house we are in now. I have so many fond memories of the old house as we call it now. Both of our sons were born while we lived there. Kevin first in '69 and Jeff in '71. J was seven weeks old when we moved here-- HOME.

Without having taken the path I took, I do not think I would be the person I am today, nor have the wonderful family I have now. I do admit I would make a few minor small changes, but living a different life could in no way have allowed me to have all the blessings I had and continue to have each day I draw a breath. I could not have had better friends and lasting friendships that continue yet today. All in all, I had happy trails as I did prior to the death of my mother. See, she had already shared with me the hard times, the suffering of the world, the cruelty of cancer, the struggle of raising two children alone, so she had me prepared for whatever became of me; I would be able to endure as she thought it just couldn't be no worse than it was when she was living.

I married and was blessed with a patient husband. Putting up with me, patience not only was a virtue, but a requirement or we would not have these almost 39 years of marriage under our belt. God allowed us to have the joy of having and raising two fine sons and giving us the health and the ability to enjoy ALL things they did while they were still home and allows us to muster the strength to still enjoy them as they are now adults and now have lives of their own.

Therefore I am happy with the outcome. I have never been without, certainly have always had love, food and good graces and blessings of the good Lord. I am nothing as far as status goes, but I have an abundance & wealth of love, humbleness, the ability to feel when other's hurt and yet still foolish and silly in other ways, but that makes a person. I am a content, happy, unhealthy but grateful old woman.

I am proud to be Moo to both my sons and 'tho I am not educated as my sons are, I can talk about anything they want to and often they are surprised that Moo does know a little about most anything , but a lot more about the fun in life and I find that they too enjoy hearing it from me, as it takes their minds off all that serious stuff their poor minds are boggled with 24/7. I lived in the right times I suppose, as I truley would have been a "fart in a whirlwind" if I were trying to start out my life in these days called NOW.

So I shall continue on my merry way and take a day at the time and make the very most of each of them. Now with cell phones, the internet, keeping in touch with my sons is easy, sometimes they may think it is just too easy, but we have always been close and don't plan on nutin changing in the future. They love coming home and just unwinding and going through boxed up stuff in the basement with I guess almost all their stuff from birth on up. I just cannot get rid of the little outfits, baby shoes and even blankets. The best of things I have kept in a cedar chest and they are pretty much in mint condition. So many special things in there to me anyways. No two are alike, I don't think! My husband now sleeps in Jeffs old bedroom, known then only as the Bat Cave as it was a room I only entered to change bedding and make him get the drink cans out from under the bed (my highest count was 80). I honestly cannot remember if there was a trash can in his room or not, but I do believe there was. Oh it was so neat and tidy cause he was a hider and just across the hall was Kevin's room, it was perfect, always the same, every book lined up even, everything had a place and believe me, everything better be back in its place. His eternal wooden calendar with the always correct date on it as he did change it daily and I would change the bedding, smile and leave. To this day, he still has that eternal calandar on top of his fridge as he did in his bedroom while at home and atop every fridge he had on his moves from school to school. He finally went to real work after 24 years of educating. Maybe he needed to know the date at all times...


I am blessed and I am tired now, so until, have a good, but safe Labor Day...

God Bless!

6 comments:

Teresa said...

It's hard to part with those baby things. Yet, I have a hard time looking at them because they make me sad for the days when my kids were young. Family is everything.

Clara....in TN said...

Very well said indeed. I am a keeper also. I have a cedar chest full of their baby things. Don't know why....I just know I cannot get rid of them. So many precious times to remember. Thanks Claudia for reminding me!

Jana said...

I didn't keep too many baby things, but have a couple boxes of stuffed animals and a couple of hand-made toys to pass onto my granddaughter.
Thanks for sharing memories, I'm glad you can still be grateful, sometimes when health problems come up, we don't remember to be thankful for those healthy children and the good days we have had. A dear friend of mine has a poster on her wall that says "God gives us memories so we can have roses in winter". Amen

Gattina said...

I also kept most of his toys such as the "Goldrakes" remember ? and also his christening robe which wasn't a robe but a cute blue velvet suit with a lace colar as he already was 9 month old and he took the candle off the priest's hand and slapped him in the face ! Sweet souvenirs !

Kristi said...

I enjoyed this post so much. I can tell you love and miss your boys being at home but are so very proud of who they are today. That's so wonderful. I pray that when my children are grown, we will all have cherished memories.

:D

~Kristi

Moobear said...

Thanks to all ya for the visits and the comments and Ingrid I ain't heard of Goldrake toy. But I do now cause I googled it. Could be a toy native of your land, cause I don't think they missed wanting whatever new toy came out back then.
Teresa, clara, Ingrid and Jana know about "then and now" and happymama's little ones are surely blessed with a fine mama. You will most likely remember us old folks talking this stuff one day. Enjoy them now as we did. Well worth the ride.
Again thanks... Now I wonder how grammie is doing. Bet she is so happy!

God Bless!