I won't delve into why I wasn't able to have a slumber party of one in my own home last night 'cause it might get real ugly up in here. So I'll just skip it.
On my way back to dad's I was thinkin' about the picnics we used to have at Pt. Defiance Park with the Davis family. Those were some really fun times. Mom and her best friend, Ms. Davis, used to spend half the night cooking the day before the picnic, and all morning the day of. Three layered coconut cake, yum, fried chicken made the old fashioned way without thought given to low-fat, low-cholesterol, or low sodium, shrimp salad, potato salad with and without onions. As kids, we were convinced that onions just ruined good food. Our spread also included fruit salad, beans with molasses and brown sugar, barbecued ribs, and a bunch of other good eats washed down with some red cool aid or pop.
It wasn't until we were much older that mom told us how exhausting preparing for those picnics was. But she did it anyway, just for us to have the experience of spending long Sunday afternoons with family and friends. I don't think she had many days like that when she was growing up. She made all of the holidays special like that too. Ah man, like the smell of mom's fruit cakes soaked in all that booze; hated eating them but loved the way they scented the air. Yes, and if I close my eyes tight and focus really hard I can still smell her applesauce cakes baking in the oven, see home made Christmas cookies of all kinds, taste plum pudding with icecream melted over the top. She usually made some kind of rum sauce topping, but I liked to add a glob of ice cream.
And now it seems like every time one of those memories hit me, they all come hither, and I'm left saying goodbye all over again. Goodbye to those good times that can never be repeated in just that special way, and goodbye to our beloved family members, gone forever. I miss mom and Kenny. I miss all those times we shared together. Okay, I'm going down that sad road again so let's change the subject.
Well, I just tested dad's alert necklace that (thank God!), he's taken to wearing around his neck at night, and everything checked out just fine. Now I'm off to bed so I can get my behind up early and put in some quality time at work tomrorow. Or maybe I'll just skip work and go visit Jimmy in the hospital. I'll provide the specifics on why my little brother's in the hospital in another post.
Dear God, thank you for this day, and all our days past, present and future. I recognize blessings when I receive them and we've had more than our share. Thank you! Oh and uh...please excuse my language. I'm not typically a cusser (in public that is), but self-expression in its most purest form is just necessary sometimes. I know you know. Amen.
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