mountains and memories

i had a pretty busy monday and tuesday - sorry i didn't write--did anybody miss me--hey by the way where are my comments -"where's my theme music".

monday robyn and frank and i went to the mountains--my oldest son (still forgot to ask family members if i can use their names )--and his wife-the writer-he's the actor-and their 4 kids -grandsons-almost 11 and 7 and two grand-daughters ,almost 6 and 3--my son had been talking about taking their vacation sometime up in the mountains--i think he might be re-thinking that idea--

we had a long scenic drive--that's the way i always like to go -i mean what's the point of going if all you see is highway-right-. but i'm sure they thought we would never arrive, since they would have gone - if on their own , the interstate--

on the way my son calls us from behind, where they are following--dad where's the next bathroom--hahaha - we told him to go at our house where they had met us--that there would be no mc's or b k's around--so we stop at the nearest side road and into the good old woods--starting to love the great outdoors?

a few miles later we remember -oh yeah this next little town does have a Food Lion--we all cheer as we pull in the lot! my son and his wife stay in the car with the youngest and we go in with the other 3 kids --long bathroom break--gum machines galore--decisions decisions--go away with various gumballs tattoos and fake mustaches--gotta love kids-

we finally get to the mountains--kids and all have a great time - we picnic at this huge park area--just about the only ones there--keeping a look- out for crazy people though--perfect place for a massacre--i know , i always can find the bright side--i had brought a picnic lunch--sandwiches,potato chip and salad, pickles, grapes, "grape flavored apples", and chocolate donut holes--everyone enjoyed it --think we got some great pictures--
the kids -older and young, ran around playing hide and seek, picking wild flowers,throwing rocks and just having plain old fun-

on the way down the mountain there is this country store we always stop there-- we came in another route, so instead of hitting it coming up ya hit it coming down --much better to hit on way in--lots of expensive stuff and kids stuff- neat old type candy--kinda like Cracker Barrel--the kids start coming up to "pop pop"and me with like $10 worth of candy each--we settle on less--we get out of the store and the 2 year old screams (she's really tired by now!) i don't want this old candy and precedes to throw it all over the place--the 7 year old is loving this - he finds it all--good times--

it was a fun day but i do think my son realizes it would be kinda of stretch to find enough to do for a whole week -


tuesday --we took my mom and dad down to places they had grown up --mostly down in charles city va. and new kent--we had bought a little hand held recorder, for robyn to record her grand-daddy telling stories about his youth-- she loved it and i think they did ,too--my dad wanted to show robyn where george washington got married St. Peters church--my mom was very confused that day and talked a lot on the way back about that church -she thinks frank and i are going to start going to that church-- she kept saying--that's a long way for you and frank to go to church--we tried to correct her but sometimes....
when we rode up to the house on Westover plantation where my mother had grown up --my father and frank got out and went up on the property--they weren't suppose to--well mother insisted there was a lady out there with them -she even described that she had a baby with her and was wearing a heavy coat and a big hat--i wonder sometimes if my mother could be seeing dead people--my husband says she is seeing memories-either way - i do believe that through her illness it's very possible , what doctors call delusions could just be gifts--

each day can't be a trip to the mountains or a trip down memory land, but we can have hearts ready and waiting for the bonds of life--