Family Stories

Family Stories

No one has a perfect family.  My family I have to say is about as pleasant as families come.  This statement is including my husband and all of his extended family as well.  My husband and I are both from the South.  He is from Alabama and I am from North Carolina.  I grew up in North Carolina and lived there 20 years until I joined the Air Force and met my husband Tom.  We met in Florida at the Air Force Base there.  We have been married for 21 years as of this past January.  We have three children of our own and we still sit around and talk about EVERYTHING.  One of the primary rules  in my house is "Tell the Truth."  

This blog is going to be for true stories.  I have been sharing family photos on Facebook.  Since I live in Alaska now Facebook is my connection to family and friends.  I do not live near any of them and I miss out on a lot.  This does not mean I love them less or do not want to be around them.  Before Facebook I just called a lot on the phone.  I think the web is a great forum for writing and connecting.  It allows visits real time, enables us to leave private messages that can be answered at a person's leisure, and has given me a chance to scan and share my photos digitally.

I am hoping that when I post a link to this blog I will get contributions or stories and digital photos.  I plan to make this a spring board for a much larger project.  One of my first goals is to be able to compile the material into books for each branch of family.  This is something I wanted to do mainly for my children.  

My 98 year old Aunt passed a month ago.  Mom and I were talking about the fact that she did not go to school with her other siblings.  Mom said, "it is a shame we never asked her about that."  She was a delight and so funny.  Knowing this information would add to the content of my stories in a critical way.

The blog is mainly here so stories can be recorded, added to and hopefully never lost to death or time.  These stories I write are about people who mean the world to me.  If I am the only one that ever reads this blog it will be worth putting it all down.  

My Father and Mother are not on the internet and I have been mailing them photos.  Another benefit of the blog will be that I can print off pages and send for her to enjoy.

I hope any readers will find something worthy, something they can use in this blog.

Love, 

Cindy

Dad

DAD

 

One of the first discussions I remember having with Dad was, "What is your favorite color Dad?" Answer, "my favorite color is blue."  "My favorite color is red."  Now my favorite color is green but the point is Dad has always been "true to blue."  

For instance he has purchased very few brand new vehicles in his life.  His first was a red car.  However, he bought a Ford 150 in the '80's and it is in the background of this photo.  The other truck was purchased in the 2000's and is a midnight blue.  

Dad looks like a poor fellow in this photo.  The interesting thing about this photo is that this is in the yard of the house he was born in.  Dad still owns the house.  My brother lives there now.  He is the youngest of three sons.  He belongs to an antique tractor club and has farmed this property all his life (explanation for the rusty tractor, he has a zillion of these little toys and sells the tractors he does not want to  keep).

  Dad is a genius mechanic.  The powder blue truck in the background was purchased by Dad in the '80's, sold to a cousin, bought buy Uncle Jim (Jim was not a mechanic and one of the funniest things Dad ever said to me is, "I sold this old truck and now I have to keep it running for Jim."  Then when Jim passed in 2007 he "inherited" it.  The best part of the story is that he still drives it around.

  His friends tease him that people must buy things from him because they feel sorry for him.  I seriously think all these things add to Dad's character.  My Grandfather, Dad's father, was always critical of "uppity folks."  Dad is one of the most handsome fellas I have ever known and has a lot of confidence but he sure isn't uppity!

I have only had to share Dad with one sibling, my brother.  He has been a wonderful Dad to both of us and we love him.

 

Introduction

 

The Writer

I never claimed to be a good one 

I started this blog in 2012 when I discovered a romance writer named Cynthia Wright.

 I have been telling my Mother for years that I am going to write a book.  Since Summer of 2008, Facebook has been my format for writing every day.  I rediscovered my blog when I found a link to a friend's blog on Facebook.   Instagram seems to be the new thing with the young'uns these days and Facebook has become more hip with the old fogies like me.  I discovered a month or so ago that Facebook is categorizing Private Messages and had an "AHA! moment." I realized a lot of my writing on Facebook could be put into a blog.  The thing that I am more passionate about than writing is my family.  I have turned Facebook into my personal digital photo album and they are all family photos.  My dear cousin mentioned starting a blog for her "tablescapes" and designs.  She is so talented and I hope to have a link soon to share here on my blog for hers.  My family is (in my opinion) interesting and diverse in character.  The question is are true stories more interesting than novels?  I think that life is much more fascinating that fiction.  Reality shows are popular these days.  I think that is why we are so fascinated with famous people.  There isn't much information about their personal lives.  Interviews with famous people have always sold magazines.  Considering most of the information is personal this proves that people find "fact" more interesting than "fantasy."  Some people want to be known and have lives that are written about.  Well, this is my chance to introduce my family.  I hope this encourages other people in the concept that we all are uniquely creative and have stories to tell.  My Dad has never met a stranger and years he told me of being out with his boss at some types of gathering.  Daddy's line all day was, "where are YOU from?" to everyone he met.  When the two of them went back to the truck Dad got in and looked at his boss and said, "where are YOU from?"  It seems I have rarely been at a loss for words since my entire family are quick witted like that, "carrying on" is just natural to us.  I am so grateful to have a husband and children who are just  the same way.  A friend even told me not long ago she loves to hear my family stories.  So just like sitting around the campfire let this North Carolina girl tell you some tales to make you smile.

   

Jim

  

Uncle Jim

I decided years ago that I wanted to write stories.  Some of my favorite books have been about people and the interesting things that happen in everyday life.  Jim is my Dad's oldest brother and my favorite Uncle.  There were three boys in my Dad's family.  Jim is the oldest and is ten years older than my Father.  Uncle Jim never married but for the first years of my life I had a "Aunt" by him.  Their common law marriage ended the night she was fed up with his cheating and pulled a gun on him.  He had to explain to my Grandparents how they were never really married.  He went on to explain how he woke up with a gun in his face and decided it would be best if she took the bus back home.  She was a sweet lady and I have missed her all these years.  Now, I am sure of the fact that Uncle Jim had no children that my FAMILY knew of.  Now that Jim is gone, I have heard stories that make me think I may have some cousins.  All I can say is they sure missed out because the five of us Grandchildren on that side were Jim's children!  All of my Dad's brother's have special qualities.  Jim as decribed by my Grandmother was a "sweet giving person." 

 In fact he was so giving some woman suckered him out of his inheritance from my Grandfather. 

 The reaction to all of this was sort of funny.  One part of the family were trying to "save him from himself" and the other part of the family were just enjoying his antics the whole time.  I personally thought he was hilarious.  Six years later discussing this with a friend, we decided that we loved Jim for his heart and not what he had.  Mind, I did tell her if there are any other cousins that they do not need to be looking for any inheritance from "Jim."

One of the most hilarious stories was how Jim moved in with a family (his girlfriend, her husband and son) and Daddy described him as their "Barn Master."  

Another good story is the night the pretty neighbor lady had him bring his gun over.

Jim was more than happy to come to the rescue.  I think he was disappointed when she took the gun and locked herself in the bedroom while he had to sleep on the couch in her livingroom.  One of the sad things is this girl passed away and she just wasn't very old.  Around the same time Jim's best friend (who was his age passed).  Jim called me just to talk about his grief.  He said that he understood when someone "their" age dies but could not understand why a young person has to die.  I explained to him our souls live for eternity and that it is no surprise to God when we die.  Life is temporary and we live for eternity and not for this life.  Jim did enjoy life and all my life he was there to joke around and tease with.

 Once when I was home for a visit he brought a pot bellied pig to the house for my children to play with.

He told me before I walked in a saw the pig that it is his "son".  This was typical of Jim's type of humor.  He always loved children and some of my best days were spent "kidding" around with Jim.

This is going to be a continuing story so check in for updates.