The Funeral of a double Cousin

 The Funeral of a Cousin

 Autos of beauty, a 1937 Plymouth, New at Ken's Birth.

For today (Saturday):

Today is Kenneth Leon Herron’s Funeral.  We are double cousins, kin on both my mama’s side and Daddy’s side. There were a few times we were mistaken for each other.  We do share the same middle name, Leon.  WE are headed for Calhoun Georgia.

There was a big difference in our lives. Ken won a scholar ship to Georgia Tech and graduated with honors, while I  quit school in the tenth grade to join the military.

At one time ken had his own carpet mill in Georgia, had a printing company and worked overseas in Egypt, Germany and Saudi Arabia. I think every time he returned to NC and we were here he stopped by.

I will miss Ken, I have known him all my life. He was a year older than I. He and his wife Rachel have one son  and Sherry and I have two sons.  Ken’s dad was a preacher and so was mine. He has three brothers and I had brothers and sisters.  He was also a writer and like Rick (except a smaller paper), had a column in his local newspaper. I have tried to write and I would love to do a column, but I know my knowledge of English and my vocabulary would NEVER fit; and succinct, is not in my writing life. ;-). 

 

As I said, I will miss Ken, but he was a dedicated Christian. He was always active in any church he attended and at one time had a ‘Jail Ministry’ in his area.  Remember his family in prayer.

Nite Shipslog                       

That Cat

Autos of beauty

   And the diners or the 50's

For today:

I only see Zorro on film. He is never around our basement except when I am gone. I catch him on film. He is heavier than Stormy D and has a fluffier tail.  He is also built closer to the ground.

Zorro eating and Stormy watching from her perch. All you see is Stormy’s shining eyes on the left.

We heard some odd noises from the basement  and I went down to investigate. I found Stormy D at the small spot I leave under the door for her to go in and out. Of course we have a grey cat and Zorro that come thru also, but there has never been a noise.

I move the trail camera around because I am concerned about raccoons coming in. I placed the camera outside for a couple days and we did have a coon come to the small hole but couldn’t make it inside.  That made me wonder if Stormy was guarding that hole. She could easily defend her sanctuary by swiping a nose with those sharp claws.

 She said all was well so I got on the floor and petted her a bit. I like to have the camera around. Sherry did not know I had the camera and took a minute to pet Stormy:

             Stormy letting Sherry pet her

Nite Shipslog  

Remembering Susie Geneva Hawes Harris

Things of beauty

Above is the National below is the Buckmobile both produced 1904, the year Susie was born. Evidently the Buck was the poor man's car. LOL

For today, (Thursday) a repeat subject:

Over 55 years ago we sat in the family room of Sherry’s Sister Lennie’s home, talking and joking.  Susie, Sherry’s sweet mama was sitting there. She had fixed breakfast for her hubby Wiley. Then cut his and our Son Mark’s hair and walked over to Lennie’s.

That lady was a worker. There was a time in the 30-40s timeframe that Sherry’s dad Wiley cut the mill hill men’s hair half price to the barbers down town. Someone reported him. He really didn’t think he was breaking any laws, but he quit. Then Susie picked up the clippers to save money by cutting her sons hair and branched out herself to cutting hair and never stopped.

 Biloxi, MS, Susie traveled down to be with Sherry when she gave birth to Jack Jr.

Susie Geneva Harris was a model lady and Christian. She never complained nor gossiped. She was a wise and canny financial manager. I have mentioned here before, that on a Cotton Mill Salaries she had 3 homes built and paid for. When she passed away she had given one away, rented one and they lived in one. Probably less than one in a thousand cotton mill workers ever owned a home.

Sherry & her mama, they used one of the photo Kiosk on the beach, Susie loved the beach whether the Atlantic or the Gulf.

That morning over 55 years ago at 61 years young, Susie’s hand went to her chest, she gasped and lay over. I did my best to apply CPR, but it was a massive heart attack and my efforts were fruitless. She left in the presence of a lot of her family. That was the first death I experienced up close. 

Strange, when you get OLD you realize how young 61 is.  Since then we have faced many deaths in our family, but none as poignant at Susie’s, there, one minute talking and the next in the presence of her Lord.

I have attended many funerals, but when my dad preached Susie’s funeral his words still ring-out, he said to the family, “You will always miss Sister Harris, she loved you all. BUT if you could see her now you could not get her attention. She is in wonder of God, her Savior, and heaven. She is safe and happy!”

 

When you reach the age of 80 you realize there are more folk on the other side that you knew, than with you now. Yep, I remember a pretty pug-nosed woman, when she laughed she laughed all over. The Best mama in law a guy could have. I know she now Rests in Peace that Sweet Susie Geneva Hawes Harris.

Nite Shipslog      

 PS: I cannot remember a lot of things, important things, like my mama’s BD nor the date she died. Sherry keeps a short journal daily, dating back to the Discovery of America by Columbus, 1492! The journal is on paper and in her head.

Enjoying Life today!

 Autos of beauty

That 1935 Buick Convertible

For today (Wednesday):

I am behind on my paperwork. I do our taxes and haven’t even looked at a tax form, I miss the time when the USPS had stacks of forms & Instructions in the lobby and I could do my rough in pencil, then when I had it ready transpose to a new clean form.

For people who never had the privilege of seeing all those forms, they would not appreciate how much the Government (IRS) saves now with the internet forms. I would bet over 50% of those printed forms were thrown away, not to count the manpower it took to transport that stuff to ALL Post Offices.  Maybe Evelyn or Don, who worked for the PO for a long time, will tell me (if they are old enough to remember)! LOL

We also have our Florida absentee ballots for the primaries to fill out and send in.

I must also look at the Medical ins. Stuff that is lying around. The hospitals are months behind for us. We just got the Ins statement for Sherry’s (SMALL OPERATION???) The total cost was over $13000.  We are not used to seeing that size bill. Imma wondering what my ‘little’ visit to the Emergency Room will be. LOL 

Yeah, I feel much better and slept like a baby after a warm bottle last night, so I feel like griping. It is much better not to have a feeling that  PAIN is about to jump out from under the Hydrocodone, Ibuprophen, Acetaminophen, and Aspirin I was using. ;-).

You can see I am back to complaining, with a smile. I feel much better, NOT thinking I am dying with cancer! That was an odd ‘thing’ for me. I normally look on the bright side but I did slip to the morbid for a few days.

Could I be wrong????  Nah! I’m OK!

Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts, y’all are good friends. Imma stick around to bug y'all! You too Evelyn!

Nite Shipslog