Saturday, October 17, 2009

My Favorite Days with my Grandpa

I have discovered the beauty of the Blog: When I first started this blog I really did it for my mother. She was after me for years to start one. I "yessed" her about it for a very long time until last year ~ Finally, I just did it. She was delighted! and so was my father. They loved the pictures and stories and I figured it was nice enough they both seemed to be happy with the whole thing. So, I have tried to keep it up. You see ~ I have never been the writer in the family. I have never kept a diary. For that matter, I have never even kept a shopping list. I have always been to worried about my terrible spelling, not hearing the difference in the sounds of "W" and "Wh" and 'wh'ere to use them, not knowing really where the coma should go and let's not mention my difficulties with the computer......All this held me back. It has kept me from being a writer, blogger or even organized enough to keep a list. To tell the truth my sister is the one who I always thought to be the writer and list keeper, and really knows her way around the computer. Over the past weeks......The weeks after losing my father....our Father....I found the beauty in looking back at an organized "book" of our life. I have discovered this blogging "thing" is wonderful. My family and I can go back and see the beautiful times we have had together. We can see the laughs we have had, the birthdays, births , all our celebrations and how do we forget the tears we have shed....This blog has evolved for me.....It was just something I did for my mother and now it is a simple story about a family in Good times and in Bad. Looking back I can see "It" has brought me so much joy, driven me to tears and is always a comfort. I love the fact that friends I know and friends I have never meet are generally sorry about "Our" terrible lose, rejoice in our joys and love to see pictures of our family. What a comfort this is. But........The thing is........My mother was right when she asked me to do this "thing"....My only wish is........ I obliged sooner. Shhhhhhh..........Let this be our little secret....Don't tell her I said so......She will never let me forget it. With this said, I am delighted to see that my son Stephen has been writing too: I want to keep this little paragraph he has written forever......What safer place then here:

My Favorite Days with my Grandpa

One of my first memories of working with my grandpa is when I just learned to drive
the lawnmower. I think I was 8 years old. I was not heavy enough to keep the lawnmower running. The machine would not run unless there was a certain amount of weight holding the seat down. To hold the seat down …Grandpa hooked bungee cords to the seat to keep it down that day. We cleared the yard of limbs. He would cut the limbs and I would take them away with the lawnmower and put them in a pile to Burn. When I would drive away I would turn around in attention to solute him and he would solute back to me. One of the times I turned to solute I hit a trailer that was parked in the middle of the field. The next day I learned how to fix a lawnmower bumper. That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

By: Stephen

Because of home-school there have been so many wonderful days like these for all my children. ...Days of joy and learning they ((We)) could have lost if they went to school. .......An irreplaceable relationship grew between my father, my mother and my children these past years. These are the lessons of life, gifts of relationships and love they could never learn in school.

11 comments:

  1. And what pleasure you and your children brought to your parents. You Dad was so excited to tell me about the new company he founded with all the kids executive officers. What pleasure you brought to your Dad when you "Annointed his feet" with lotion. You may have not seen the love that poured from his eyes, but I did. He was so proud of all of his children but he especially knew your children and Margarets.
    I just saw a sign at the YMCA asking people to be involved with kids for the "Indian Guides". I remember your Dad taking George and James to those events and how important they were to him. He was never too busy to help anyone in need.
    Auntie

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  2. I'm so very glad you chose to blog because you have shared the rich beauty of your family and your soul with us...and had you not blogged I would never have met you...and my life would have been much poorer for it!!! I cannot imagine my life without my dear friend, Lisa!!! And what a gift of memories your blog has been for you and your family!!! I'm so very,very, very glad!! I continue to pray for you daily!!! Sending all my love, Janine XO

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  3. P.S. I dreamed about you today!!! You've obviously been in my thoughts!!! Love you! ~J.

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  4. What a sweet memory written by your son. It made me laugh and also brought a tear to my eye.

    I always enjoy your blog and glad I found it.

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  5. This was beautiful. One of my very favorite blogs is very loose in punctuatin and yet the man CAN write. It is his heart on the page that gets me every time!

    This was a heart post! Lovely.

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  6. I like your blog, and your stories. You are the writer in the family!

    Jane

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  7. One of many cuzzins!18 October, 2009

    Hi Lisa,

    I love reading your stories..what are you talking about? Your words come directly from your heart. YOU ARE a terrific writer.

    You've made it possible for us Yankees to reconnect with our Southern Belle cousins. Thank you for that and keep up the good work.

    Your children are so fortunate to have spent such quality time with their Grandpa. They will always have those wonderful memories and life lessons as a solid foundation. Bill Finnell...such a strong role model for young boys. How lucky they are.

    Love your blog!
    Regina

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  8. How sweet to preserve your son's heartfelt writings. Encourage him to always express himself. He will grow into a man of great fortitde and value.

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  9. I am so happy that you do blog. What a gift you are giving to me, your Dad and the Grands. Your children have been such a pleasure to Dad and me, I cannot express it enough. You two are such good parents, Mark is a light that his sons and daughters will follow for the rest of their lives. Keep up the good work, the spelling will come.

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  10. What a beautiful memorial to your father! (And while you may have started "late," the important thing is that you did it.)

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  11. Sending you much love today! ~Janine XO

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