Thursday found Tim and me on our way to the big city for an appointment with the endocrinologist today. I love my endocrinologist. He is one of the smartest, kindest men I have ever met. Unfortunately, my last blood tests revealed that my battle with cholesterol is going badly and that the enemy is winning. I must now up my meds, and he insisted that I begin an exercise program. Horrors! Whatever shall I do now? If I don't, he warned, I am going to be turning into a full-fledged diabetic, and we all know how bad that can be. Sooooo, exercise and diet change, here I come. I guess all those years of grit gravy are catching up with me!
After the appt., we ventured down south to check out some of the cities we never travel through any more since we moved to Gravyville. We stopped on the way to see the parents' old homeplace. Of course, it was my homeplace too for some 30+ years, except of course when I was in college and stuff. The new owners have it up for sale again, because the posh little community it is in just legislated that homes there cannot be multiple family homes unless the residents of the home are close family. So the people that had bought it had made it liveable for about 4 families, and then this legislation happened. While I heard they made our unfinished attic into a master bedroom and bath, they took down all the bushes out front and they "unpaved" paradise and put up a parking lot!!! By that, I mean that they took out all the nice landscaping and brought in a load of gravel and dumped it in the front yard and made a parking lot right in the front yard! Dummies! Then, they painted the shutters and the front door some pukey color that looks faded, and, well, the place just does not look the same. THEN, they tacked on a hundred thousand dollars to the price they paid my parents and put it back on the market! Somehow, I don't think they are going to get it! But then again, the housing market is crazy!
The "Home Place" as it was when I last left it, posh, green, and shaded
Same house after the parking lot crew came in..... Get a load of the yucky-yellow door and the faded shutters....
After seeing my old house, we continued on our trek southward to see the development of another community that was just a hole in the road at one time. I could not believe how it had changed in just a few years. Within half an hour, we were in my late grandmother's town--the town where we now worship, about 45 miles or so from where we live and to the west.
As we passed the funeral home in town, we saw my 2nd cousin and her husband going into the place. We drove in and found out that they were having visitation for some friends' 54 year old son. So we stopped and visited a while with the family, and that was good for all of us. It is a terrible thing to bury a child of any age. I was glad that Tim was off today and that we were able to "weep with those who weep." I was reminded of Ecclesiastes 7:2 which says, "It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart" and Ecclesiastes 7:4 which says, "The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure." I was glad that we got to spend some time with Ted and Mary and the rest of the brethren who showed up while we were there. We were in the same room where the funeral for my grandmother was held last year, and the sweet memories of that day came flooding back. We had at least 9 families present from the church on a Wednesday morning the day before Thanksgiving who did not know my grandmother but loved me enough to show up. I'm sure they will do the same for this aged couple who has now lost a son.
After leaving the funeral home, we passed by my grandmother's old house. It is being remodelled as well after just having been sold. Mammaw's toilet was out by the front curb! We had a little giggle about that. I think Tim was afraid I was going to ask to bring it home as a keepsake! I'm not that bad of a saver, yet! On a positive note, it looks like the fixer-uppers at Mammaw's old house have much better judgment! The place is shaping up quite nicely. I hope they will let me in to see it when they are finished!
We came home, and I had not been here very long before the phone rang. Of all people, it was my old boss! I worked for this man for nearly 10 years before I married Tim. We have kept in touch, and he is in his 80's now, but still doing what he has done for many, many years. He wants me to come back and run the place I was running before I married Tim and moved off. What a shocker that was! He flattered me to the max (that always helps one decide these kind of things :) and told me I was the best and most honest person that had ever worked for him. Despite the fact that he is very, very old, I am very tempted to just jump back into this job that I loved more than anything I have ever done in my life. It fit me like a glove. I can take my kids to work with me----how much better can it get?
I guess we have some negotiating to do, but if we can work out the details, I may be going back to selling monuments. I will still be schooling the kids, and it is going to be challenging, I know, but I think I am up for it. Besides that, the little boy who helped me "run the business" from the time he was about 5 is now 19 and can help me do it in earnest this time, that is, if he does not move away to become a preacher-man. His plans are still in the works, too, but if he decides to stay on in Gravyville a spell longer, I will teach him how to sell a tombstone! He probably has it down pat already! He used to stand out in the monument yard and tell the customers that his favorite design on the stones was the one that said, "Precious Lord, take my hand...." I sold more of that design than just about anything, mostly because my little blondie was so cute. Now, I have got the two little gals with the most gorgeous pleading eyes you have ever seen. Those customers won't stand a chance against them!
So stay tuned, folks. Will D'Lee, the confirmed and happy stay-at-home, home-schooling mom take another thing on her heaping plate of gravy and biscuits? Guess you will have to come back and read on....
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