Visitors from Afar

My sister has been in New Orleans for the last several weeks filming her role as a reoccurring guest in the new T.V. series "Memphis Beat". Since she was so close to home, she and her husband came over to visit us in Alabama for a short while. That short while is over now and they have gone back to Louisiana. Boo hoo.

While they were here, Sister, Roley Poly and I, spent some time with Dad. At one point we were even all in the same car! Everyone in the same car in my family is a huge quality-time accomplishment. We even went to a thrift store all together! A mistake I don't think Dad will make twice.

We hung out with Mom and Craig around the house and at a Mexican restaurant only coming to the realization that it was Cinco De Mayo once there. We also visited the 'ol tried-and-true Noccalula Falls and the Plein Air Painting Festival Craig was participating in there.

I went ahead and gave the ladies in the family (Roley Poly included) their Mother's Day gifts while we were all together. I had ordered 4 matching pendants, each featuring a profile view of a lion's roaring face. They once served as Ethiopian currency. Confused? We have a club around here called "The Roaring Four". It began last year during a beach vacation we hoped to make an annual event. Last year, our vacation was in Florida. This year we vacationed in in South Carolina but with one important member in Louisiana. Our necklaces will remind us that no matter where we are, we are still "The Roaring Four" or better yet, a tight and loving family.

Brother-in-law had to drop some cash on fireworks while he was here...he can't resist. Heck, he couldn't even resist setting one off once in his backyard in L.A. where it is illegal. I think the police came. I don't think he will do that again. During his Alabama visit, I heard him blowing some up in the front yard in the middle of the day. Apparently he didn't have the time to light all his fuses because when he left, he handed me a fine looking box of explosives as a parting gift.

Strangely, fireworks have always played a pretty large role in my life so I hate to admit this, but beyond holding a few Roman Candles and Sparklers, I don't have much on-my-own experience with firecrackers. I am so ashamed. Oh wait, add a large quantity of bottle rockets to my fireworks resume. Hey, bottle rockets totally count.

My Dad was the fireworks king. I can still hear his deep, wheezy, smoker's laugh today as I think back to times when he would throw something with a dangerously short fuse into the air. He was careful though. Amazingly enough. He might not have been careful while Sister and I were in the house, but while we were out there in the black powder zone with him, he made sure nobody was going to get burnt or loose an eye. He didn't put up with stupidity. He had us scared to walk up on those Black Cats for MONTHS after the 4th of July. He said they could go off at ANYtime without ANY warning. I am still scared to go near those things.

As an adult, Chuck took the role as the crazy fireworks guy in my life. Well, he and his brother. His brother who is 14 years older, always makes his little bro wear safety glasses and always spends way too much money on after 4th of July sales roadside sales. I always invite Dad to the fireworks extravaganzas since he hasn't been into raising his own fireworks heck in the last few years. We sit back up on the hill at Big Mama's and duck for cover when we need to.....and yes, there have been times we needed to.

Despite my lack of hands on experience, I am going to break into this black and silver box of black powder that Uncle Efan gave us. They may be rockets but blowing them up isn't rocket science. Wish me luck.

Sorry for the digression...Sister and brother-in-law's last stop was at our Aunt Sara's and Uncle Sonny Boy's house. Aunt Sara is the ultimate southern hostess and served beans, greens, and cornbread for lunch. We finished up with Apple Crumb Cake on Blue Willow China. I have finally come to a point in life where I can appreciate collard greens. Mmmmmm good. I am going to miss them...Aunt Sara and Uncle Sonny Boy, that is. Well, them and collard greens.

After we ate, we gave Sister and Uncle Efan our kisses and hugs and waved good-bye as their rental car kicked up dust along that long dirt driveway we used to play on as kids. Sister says she could very well be back again on Monday for another visit. I am not sure if this is truly likely or if it was just a ploy to avoid a tearful good-bye. After she left, Roley Poly cried her little eyes out the entire way home and then some. I held her hand from the front seat as she let it all out.

Here's another tear jerker for 'ya. When Roley Poly woke up the morning after they left, she asked if Aunt Sunny was going to stay for an extra day or if that was just a dream. I said, no, that Aunt Sunny was not going to stay an extra day and that she had already left. Roley Poly replied in her most disappointed voice, "Oh. So it was just a dream."