A New Year is fast approching

Out with the old and in with the new. As 2011 comes to a close I find myself with a list of what happened there. It's not like it would really make a difference. You could argue, complain, and do everything in your power to change it but it is what it is and people will never change.

I, got through the Thanksgiving holiday, with a get-away, went with the hubby and some friends, to southern Illinois along the Ohio river. No family or siblings. What a treat.

Now, the Christmas holiday and my only brothers 50 birthday, that Mom, won't be able to attend or be at, and as long as the sister's are there, I won't be either, I'm good with it. I have no hard feeling or animosity, I just don't want to be around them.

2011 Christmas Tree

Other than my petty whimming about the family, we did put a tree up this year with blue lights on it, and ornaments from the anniversary party. Looks pretty good, we did have a strand of lights go out, try to find a blue strand, good luck, we did find one at Menard's, after checking the local walmart and Lowe's. Picked up some pathway bells that play Christmas music, that was pretty cool. I took a video, I'll load that later.

gotta go for now,

til next time.

....

WOW! Labor Day 2011

Congratulation 2011.

I never imagined this year would take such a toll.

I continue to work crochet, and stay steady at a craft to keep myself from wondering away. I have that tendency; to not want to stay when things are difficult.

With Mom passing, I know find myself with the hardest decision I will ever make in my life. Nothing to it really, but she didn't leave a will. I have 4 siblings. I know and have always understood that I wasn't one of her favorites, not my words, the words of other siblings. I understood that a long time ago. I'm good with it. Now, what to do with the Estate, I want to just let it go and let Mom rest in peace, as long as it is kept alive there will aways be bickering over who got what and how things were divided.

How can that be resting in peace?????

I want to just get it over with. She had nothing of great value. Property that I am told is worth no more than 26,000. So what's the big deal. I'm oldest and was taught to care for all the siblings not just some. Now, it is time to send it to probate and let the pieces fall where they may.

I have never really thought of myself as a selfish person, but I suppose now, would be the best time to do it.

til next time,

wild clover

My Mom's Gone

Prepareing for the new school year, losing the route I had driven for years, had been deleted and while looking through folders at the work available for the up coming year.
About 4:20 pm, August 12, 2011.
I receive a phone call from my youngest sister,
"Connie, Tom called, and said mom is on the way to he hospital, in an ambulance."
I asked, "What hospital?",
Sister, "DMH", with "Connie, it's not good."


will continue later, just still to fresh.

Grandmas sewing machine

Singer 503a slant o matic

I got a phone call the other day from my Uncle Bill, my Dad's brother. I thought it strange, he would come for a visit, all of the elders are gone and he has nothing left to bring him back.

His voice still being rugged and demanding, he asked,
 "Can I stop by for a visit?"
How do you tell your dad's brother, no. I was good with it, as we talked, he told me he had brought the sewing machine, grandma wanted me to have, Grandma had made it clear to the family, it was to be.

Grandma,

Wilmoth B. Crow-Smith-Cunningham,

Born: December 1, 1910

Died: March 7, 2003

Her Famous Quote:

"Do the right thing, and you will never do the wrong thing."

spoken to me as a young woman of 20, when life was such a mess.

Grandma was living in Tennessee at the time of her passing in 2003,
since then
Jackson, TN, had a horrific 2008 tornado.
Which leveled my cousin's business.
Killing several people, being sure it would take a very long time to recover.

On July 26, 2011, I received the sewing machine that was gifted to me from my grandma. I have no idea the reason for delay in the gift. I had thought during this time of asking for it but my Uncle was left as executor of the Estate and it would be his duty to let me know when the time was right, and give it to me.

Grandpa, Lloyd Robert Cunningham, not my maternal grandfather, but a really good grandpa.

I miss them both terribly.

When my Uncle brought it in the house, he seemed anxious to put the machine together, I needed time to absorb what this means to me and what to do. I didn't want to be rushed, I wanted it to sit on the dining room table and take my time, spend it with the effort to put it together again. This machine made my new clothes as a child, new clothes for school, new p.j.s for winter, it always amazed me, the clothes would fit, she lived so far away, Not just some of us grandkids, but all of us. My Uncle honoured my request of leaving it and allowing me the time.
I needed to enjoy my alone time with grandma.

It is my treasure!

This machine now sits in the dinning room of my home as a treasure.

Fact be known I have received the sewing machines of both my Grandmas.

I wonder if Betsy Ross wasn't in the mix somewhere?

In the family history search, looks like

Patrick Henry,

could be there.

* footnote, both of my Grandmothers carried the name of Bernice,

                  My mothers; mom: given name, Bernice.

                  My fathers; mother, middle name Bernice.

My Dad, Uncle, and Aunt, always called their mom Mother, guess she liked it better,
but we always called her grandma and she didn't seem to mind.

'til next time,

wild clover

Don't climb the trees, you'll hurt yourself.

October 24, 2010

This story:

When I fell from a Weeping Willow Tree.

It was the summer of my 8th year, not yet 8, but when you are young, you always want to be older. We had always been told by our parents to not climb the trees, but we did anyway. I have 3 sister's, and a brother, my brother being the baby, rarely played with us older girls we were to rough for him. We were playing house with the neighbor girls, climbing the trees to get branches to lay on the ground as flooring, to not get dirty.
One of the girls we played with, as I began climbing the willow tree, said; "go higher, can you reach the branches up there?" As I climbed higher into the tree. All at once, I came crashing to the ground, about 20ft drop. As soon as I caught my breath I tried to get up, and this girl pushed me down to the ground. I wasn't having any "don't get up", I just fell, and wanted to see if I hurt myself. I knew mom and dad would be mad because they said; "Do not climb on those trees." Trust me, you didn't play mind games with dad.
Well I did it. I had hurt myself, my left leg was a mess, laid open to the bone, my new tennis shoes soaked with blood, I still was trying to get to my feet, I could stand, but when I got to my feet, the blood would just gush from the wound. Mom came from the house with a towel and wrapped my leg, we all jumped into the car and rushed to the hospital. I still remember the car it was a Rambler stationwagon.

Birth

I was born November 10, 1954, to Bonnie La Von Cheapon (Chepon), whichever way she wished to spell it, made no difference in my life, only hers, and George Byron Smith.

My mother, still living at this time, was born to Bernice W. Cook-Cheapon-Cohea, a woman that was not born of the marriage between her parents, but of an affair, great-grandma had while her present husband was in debtors prison. I came to the knowledge of this after my grandmothers death (B. Cook-Cheapon-Cohea). I always wondered why, she would say "An apple, doesn't fall far from a tree."

John Charles Cheapon. John Charles was killed in France with the invasion of Normandy, and to this day is buried in the Lorraine American Cemetery in Moselle, France. (WWII). As a matter of fact my mother's, father was killed exactly 10 years to the day of my birth. His death occurred on November 10, 1944.

My father, still living at this time, was born to Wilmoth Bernice Crow (Crowe), Smith, Cunningham, and Harlan Joseph Smith. Harlan Smith, was killed on                            , when the vehicle he was driving stalled on railroad tracks of a rise at Bulldog Crossing, which is located at the intersection of Illinois 48 and Mount Auburn Blacktop.