Seems We Just Got Started

You know when you have more than one child there comes a time when a car just ain't gettin' it. You know it's like moving every time you go somewhere. So a van became my ride for many years. Actually we had our share of vans over time. One year for my birthday Sammy comes home from work and tells me to pack for a over night trip. What no kids!!!! Mama was keeping them. Where are we going???? Just pack!!! ....Over night... I knew we weren't going to Hawaii (HA!) 'cause I can't fly over 2 hours. While I pack, he goes and washes the van for our trip. Now he had my van all day.  What I didn't know was he had it detailed (cleaned) on the inside. You can imagine the surprise on my face when I opened the door. Now imagine 3 kids, food, and ball bags....y'all gettin' this picture. This van looked brand new. We have a great send off, the kids and mama waving and we are headed to... Memphis. We went out to eat and on the way to the hotel our van started actin...

Mr and Mrs Jackie Bryant May 18, 1955 my parents graduated from high school, and four days later they had a plan. It was a Sunday morning and Decoration Day at my grandmother's (Mama Pet) church, which is a few miles North of Iuka (Fairview). Everyone got all dressed up for this, so Mama didn't really stand out. While my grandmother and her family were doing their thing, Mama was hiding behind a big old Oak tree. She was watching out for a friend of my other grandmother's (Mama Helen) to come and pick her up and take her to my Daddy. You see my Daddy was 19 and my Mama was 4 days shy of 18 and my grandparents wouldn't hear of her getting married so they ran off......sorta. My Mama and Daddy came from two different lifestyles. My maternal grandparents (Mama Pet and Papa) had more material things than my other grandmother (Mama Helen), but their love for their children was the same. Mama Pet and Papa had a car and housekeeper. Mama Helen divorced when my Dadd...

You know when you've been married 38 years as we were, its kinda scary sometimes how you know what the other is thinking? Last year it was Mother's Day weekend and Sammy wanted to take me out. Kinsley had past away only 66 days ago and I really didn't wanna do anything.  I knew he was trying to cheer me up the best he could, so I went along. He had a old green truck that he was SO proud of and wanted to ride in it to Florence AL (about an hour away). He had a new radio and blue tooth installed in that thang, Whoopeeee!! A guy thing, I guess. On the way he wanted to know what I would like for Mother's Day. I told I didn't really need anything but.... I was thinking about a porch swing. Then he wants to know where I wanted to eat. I really wasn't up to a restaurant, but I didn't say anything. As we get closer to Florence he ask again. In my head I was thinking Five Guys, you know some place...in and out. So I said how about you pick and he says how about...

Let us go ahead and assure you that this won’t be half as entertaining as Mama’s posts usually are.  But this blog is really special to Mama and we are at a point where the best thing about any holiday is the family and friends that we have to share it with.  So, what better way to tell Mama HAPPY MOTHERS DAY than on her blog! (No, Mama, we didn’t read any of the stories you have started writing, we like being surprised just like everyone else!) So, at this point last year we were both celebrating our first Mother’s Day.  Goodness, what a mix of emotions.  On one hand we had so much joy, celebrating our first Mother’s Days and on the other hand feeling so much pain that Mama and Daddy were celebrating another Mother’s Day without Jay and now without Kinsley.  And, of course, our hearts ached because we miss them so much, too. So that weekend, Daddy decided he wanted Mama to go to dinner and a movie with him.  Mama had said she really wasn’t quite up ...

Lori Elizabeth Darwin 7 lbs 2 ozs. and 19 1/2 inches long You know when you work in radio you move a round a good bit, especially if you wanna move on up the ladder. I didn't realize till I was putting this together that it seemed every time we moved I was pregnant and had no idea. This time we weren't moving to a new city just from an apartment to our own house. Woo hoo! We were closer to Iuka than I ever thought we would ever be... Birmingham, AL. I really considered it home being only 3 hours away from Iuka. We moved in the fall of '81.  When we three got all settled in, I went to the doctor and found out I was pregnant. I remember telling Sammy at the dinner table that #2 was on its way. Let me just say, the rooster may crow, but it's the hen that delivers the goods. This pregnancy went well.  I was never sick and never really craved anything. In May of '82 my family came down to visit, and Beth was still 2 weeks away from her debut. I remember us all ...

I think most of us would  just about do anything for our children, no matter what age. Heck I'm 50 something and mama and daddy still think I'm in my teens. Hey, I sorta like it.... at times. Kinda like that book  I'll Love You Forever . Back in '99 Nikki (our oldest daughter) was living in Starkville and attending Miss State. One night she called and told Sammy to tell me to call her around 7:30 the next morning. She wanted to make sure she didn't over sleep. I will admit her first semester of college (Northeast), I would call her every morning and get her up 'cause I had flash backs of her at home. She would get up , take a shower, and I would find her in her closet with a towel wrapped around her, dead asleep. Hey I even did her laundry for her, but the second semester she grew up. She told me not to call and wake her and she would do her own laundry. This was her second year of college, she had never ask us to do that, so of course I watched the clock all ...