Remember When

Well, since this weekend I've been feeling a bit nostalgic. Sometimes I get that stronger than others. This time was really a memory-packed visit for some reason.

Maybe it was because of all the babies. Yeah, it seemed there were babies everywhere this weekend. Watching them and the little kids play with each other reminded me of when we were there. All the cousins running around just being kids, and the aunts and uncles talking and laughing and occasionally stopping to check on what we might be into and more than likely get us out of it! Now I see all my cousins bringing in their kids....good lord, when did all this happen??

It seems like just yesterday...

I remember when we used to pick Dad up at the Steel Mill as he got off of work and head for the hills to spend a weekend. Sometimes it would be late when we got down there, and the night sky would be all lit up with the stars. We'd stand on Route 2 before we went into the house and try to pick out the constellations. (How on earth did we ever keep from getting killed on that road?!) The only one I could ever find was the big dipper, even though mom and dad always tried and tried to point out the little one.

I remember the smell of the air and the bugs hollerin' as we'd get out of the van and lug all our luggage across the little wooden bridge in the yard. (BEFORE it had a railing on it!)

I remember playing "submarine" and "cowboys" on the big gas tank at the side of the house.

I remember walking down the lane that ran beside the garden and thinking I was really heading back into the "holler".

I remember (barely) when the outhouse was still operational! (Thank God those days are behind us!)

I remember when the back porch was where the dining room is now. And I remember jars....it seems like Granny always had jars on the floor back there. We'd always steal one in the summer to catch our lightning bugs in!

I remember when the "crick" always had water in it. And we used to "fish" in it just like we were gonna reel in a whale.

I remember when Jenny, Shelley, Heather and I thought we were the coolest because we were the oldest. And the other girl cousins would hang out doing girly things. And some of the boys were little tyrants, but don't worry David...I won't name any names!

I remember the adults all sitting on the front porch talking....and there was always somebody ready to yell when one of us kids got "too close to the road!"

I remember Grandpa sitting in "his spot" on the couch. Yeah, we all knew where it was. And nobody else sat there.

I remember after every meal he'd always get up first from the table with the same comment..."You kids go ahead now. I just can't eat as much as I used to."

I remember his "oopsie" when he kissed us goodbye as we headed back home.

I remember Uncle Donny always wanting to know if "Helen made any cole slaw today".

I remember looking forward to Granny's eggs, sausage, "speckled sop", gravy and biscuits for breakfast, even though they drug me out of bed at some ungodly hour to eat it. And I remember that for some reason, I always had to mix up the orange juice from one of those frozen containers. I guess it was the only job I could do!

I remember a dog that used to stay in the barn by the outhouse. Did I make that one up?? Where did he come from??

I remember playin' in the 'backer while it hung in the barn before they took it to sell.

Wow....how time has flown by. A lot has changed. The back porch is gone. The bridge has a railing. There's no more 'backer hanging in the barn. I have no idea what happened to that dog. The crick seems to be a lot drier these days.

Grandpa and Dad have both moved on to better things in a better place.

Granny doesn't make that cole slaw anymore.

And somewhere in the midst of all this, all of us cousins grew up. And now we're the adults watching the kids, making sure they play together nice and talking about all the things that our parents were probably talking about when they were our age.

Life truly does move in cycles, doesn't it?

So to Emmy, Maggie, Cameron, Maeve, Cadee, Owen, Jana, Grant, Connor, Chase, CJ - and all the others...enjoy making your memories. You've got an awful special family here to do it in!