There was a time, when Alex first became ill, that we went from Dr. to Dr. looking for answers. Many times it ws a family affair…we would try to combine it with some fun things for all the boys to do.

Once we went to the University of Michigan for several days of testing. Donald, who at that time served on the local school board, also had a convention to attend about that time. So, we combined the two. The second trip was to Amarillo, Texas, and we knew the boys would love that.

Of course, it was quite a distance from this deep South town, so we decided we would fly. Bought tickets, packed bags, headed to the airport, and boarded the plane…all 5 of us. We were ready for answers and then a little adventure.

The only plane that flies out of here is the small commuter jets. They connect us to Atlanta. But, at this time they still had the propeller planes. This was Alex and Ian’s first flight, so they were really bouncing off the wall! We got them seated and buckled up. Adam had found a seat away from us because he was too cool to be seen with his parents and little brothers. All was ready…TAKE OFF!

We watched their faces and it was a mixture of excitement and terror. But, as they saw that no one was up in the aisles running and screaming…they settled down.

About 10 minutes into the flight, my ears started popping. You know the air pressure is not as good on those little planes. I offered Don a piece of gum and then leaned over the seats in front of us and offered the boys some. They declined. As we continue climbing…my ears were really stopping up bad. I was worried that the boys were uncomfortable, too. So, I leaned up over the seat again and said to them, “Boys, are you sure you don’t want some gum for your ears? It really helps.” My dear youngest son then proceeded to turn around in his seat, look me square in the eyes, and said, “Mom…if you think I’m going to put that gum in my ears…you are badly mistaken!”

I sat down…buckled my seat belt…told Don what had just happened. He and I laughed all the way to Atlanta!

“God has given us these times of joy.” Nehemiah 12:43

Tina and I travelled to Moultrie today to attend a very special party. Shirl is retiring after 28 or 38 years of teaching. (I don’t remember which she said. 38 seems like long time…I don’t think she’s THAT old.) Her sweet daughters had a surprise party for her to let her know how proud they are of her. Both of her daughters are in the teaching profession as well as one of her SILs. Well, she was expecting pictures with the family…but she got all of us instead!

Look at all the food! Yummy goodies!

And, look at this cake! So pretty and so good! Shirl thought the top layer should be all hers!

Sue, Shirl’s sister, was the first to spill something on her clothes! Seems the older I get, the more I do that! Jayna to the rescue…she fixed it right up!

I do not remember what we were laughing at here…but it was really funny! I love to laugh!

Remember my big kitchen picture from Maui? Well, here’s the small version. I brought it to Shirley because she has a lot of the blue and white china. And, because I love her!

And here are The Sister Friends! Tina…Shirl…Tonja

Shirley and her daughters…Jayna( son, 3 years…daughter due in 2 weeks)…Shirl…Jolie (daughter 5 years,son due in Oct.)

The Lord provided us a beautiful day with blue skies, and plenty of beautiful sunshine. Jolie and Jayna honored their Mother, and showed her how much they admire the work she has done through the years. Several of the ladies she teaches with were there also to celebrate with her and share their memories. And, Tina and I were blessed to be able to share the day with them all. ‘Cause, it really wouldn’t have been a party without us, now would it??? 🙂

Jayna’s husband, Keith, is a man of many talents! We should all be so lucky! He built their house, cans vegetables and fruits, and is a gardener deluxe! This is a hanging basket on their deck. I thought it was so beautiful. The colors just made me smile!

Tina and I made it home safely, and solved all the world’s problems along the way…as well as planned a bridal shower! Women should rule the world…we know how to get it done…and get it done right! 🙂 Happy Sunday to you!

Ian came home from Birmingham Saturday evening. I didn’t know he was coming, but I had a feeling he just might. He’s a boy who loves his Mom. He had to leave Sunday morning early, so I stayed home from church to spend some more time with him. He doesn’t get home as much as he used to, so all the moments are precious.

It has become a ritual with us for me to walk out to his car with him when he leaves. Then he turns around when he gets on the street and gives me one more wave before he crosses the bridge…and is out of sight.

Today as we were speaking a moment before he got into the car, I said to him, “Look, son, do you see my hydrangeas? Look how good they are growing. They are going to be full of flowers soon.” And, he said, “Yeah, Mom, they’re really pretty.” And, I could hear it in his voice. He did not care one whit about my flowers…not one little bit. And, that’s OK. I know boys pretty well. But, at that moment, I lost it…thinking of the women who had come before me.
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My Granny T (Pop’s Mom) was quite a gardener. She lived in Douglasville, Ga. with her daughter and another son. She was always ready to show off her beautiful flowers and trees. In her house and on her screened porch, she had many succulents. That hot Georgia heat did them good. She would walk out to the car with us when we were leaving and point out one or two other plants on the way. Mom would bring home cuttings from her for one thing or another.

My Granny Merritt lived in a mobile home in my Aunt Marie’s yard. She had lots and lots of space to grow things. I can remember her asking me soon after I got to her house if I had noticed the latest plant as I was coming in. And, I had no idea what plant she was talking about. Later, after she had let us rest maybe an hour, she would say, “Come on, Tonna, and let me show you what I got out in the yard.” And, I would walk over her yard with her and she would tell me how she started this from a cutting from Aunt Someone’s yard….or she moved her bulbs here from there and she wasn’t sure if they were going to be OK, but, “LOOK! they are coming up!”…and I would see a little bit of green just breaking the through that North Carolina soil, And, I would rejoice with her. She would go on and talk about this flower or that, her ‘high geraniums’ (hydrangeas), and we would walk and look and she would point and bend over and pull up weeds when she found them. It would get hot and she would go in,,,telling me, “we’ll look at the whatever’s tomorrow.” And, when we left to come home,in our trunk and under our feet were bulbs and cuttings of this and that and hostas.

I think back to winter 2009, my Mom was so proud of her pansy garden. It surrounded the big tree next to the driveway. Pop had helped her build up around the tree, so she had a nice bed to plant in. And, she would put out a hundred or so every year. Then, in the spring and summer, she would grow something else, and she delighted in showing me. She had a 3 level plant stand next to the house, and she kept it so pretty. Geraniums, begonias, bougainvillea, all doing their best to live up to the plan she had in her mind of how they were going to look. And, she had a little garden of zinnias next to the fence. And, when she went out with me when I would leave, she would point out how well they were growing, and did I want to cut some to take home with me?



These pics were made last summer, but Pop (with Joy’s help) has replanted all the flowers. It looks so pretty, and Mother would be so pleased. He takes good care of them. Bless his heart, he honors my Mama’s memory so well.

She showed up at my house several years ago…when I lived on Saddlewood. And, she said, “Come on, Tonja Lynn, we’re going to dig up that spot by the driveway and put in these hosta. They are from Mama’s(Granny Merritt) yard. I put all I could in my yard.” And, we went out and dug up the little triangle of dirt and grass between the driveway and the garage and we put those bulbs into the Alabama dirt. She said, “You’ll be proud when these come up next year. They’ll be real pretty.” And, I though to myself, “we’ll see.” But, when those green shoots started poking up through the soil…I was indeed happy to see them. And, every year, more and more came up and Mom came back and we divided them. And, they continued to grow their beautiful green variegated hearts out. And, I would plant little white impatiens in between them. Oh, they were pretty.

We have since moved to the Creek House and Adam and Suzanne have moved to the Saddlewood house. I told Suzanne early on that I was coming to get some of my hosta bulbs when it was the right time. And, some of the iris bulbs in the front. But, I will leave enough of them that she can point to them one day and say, “These came from your Great Great Grandmother’s yard. And, they were tended by your Great Grandmother and your Grandmother…and me.”

And, right out on the driveway, I had a little cry with Ian, and he hugged me tight and said, “It’s all right.” And, it was, all right, I mean. I told him, “Thank you for bringing these memories to mind today. You reminded me of something very sweet.”

And, I turned him loose, he kissed my cheek and drove out of the drive way…and turned back to see me waving….and he went over the bridge and out of sight.

I stood there, looking at my hydrangeas and remembering for a few more minutes. I shed a few more tears and went into the house…came to the computer and began writing while this was fresh on my mind.
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I am my mother’s daughter. As different as we were, we were very alike. I am her daughter, and I am my Granny T’s and Granny Merritt’s granddaughter, and I am my Aunt Marie’s, and Aunt Evelyn’s, and Aunt Della’s niece.I was DIL to Elizabeth. I am SIL to Beth and June. And, I am the mother to Adam Ryan, Alex Townsend, and Ian David and mother in law to sweet Suzanne. I am aunt to Tara and Lori. I am aunt to Jim and Dan and Todd and Stan and Kim. I am great aunt to baby John Thomas.

And, I will show them all my beautiful hydrangeas when they leave my house. And I will wave to them as they drive across the bridge and out of site. One day they will read this (I hope) and realize that they come from a long line of strong women. Women who did wonderful things with their time. They were women who raised their families well. And, they still had time to grow beautiful flowers!
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Adam and Suzanne came over this afternoon and we spent time together with them. They brought me the most beautiful vase in the perfect shade of orange! Love it! Suzanne has exquisite taste!

Alex was unable to be up at all today. He did manage a “Happy Mother’s Day”. Bless his heart, he is in so much pain these days.

I received a beautiful card from Don.

And, Tara and Will had Baby Dedication at their Church yesterday. Joy and Tommy and Pop all were there, and Will’s Mom and Dad and Brother and SIL and children. John Thomas is a blessed little boy to be surrounded by so much love and by so many people to teach, guide, and direct.


And, these are the things that happened…and were remembered…on this Mother’s Day 2010.

I am feeling sadder than I thought I would today…this day before Mother’s Day…the first one without my own Mom. It has been 10 months since she went to live with Jesus. Most of the time I feel settled about her being away from us, but today as I sit here and think about tomorrow, Mother’s Day…I’m all undone. She was sick last year on Mother’s Day, and Ian and I went to visit with her for a while in the afternoon. The picture of that day is on my sidebar. I don’t think that today I can write in complete sentences and think about words flowing smoothly from one to another. I don’t think I can write the words that will let you know what a dear, dear person she was. I do not have the words in me today. And, I think I have said it all before. So, as a reminder to myself and my sister, and my children, I am going to just make a list of things that she liked…and some people who were especially dear to her…and I know I will leave out some, and if I leave you out…please forgive me.

MOM LIKED:

Pop
jewelry…lots of jewelry
pretty clothes
new shoes
girdles
pantyhose
my shirts…the ones I designed
beets
sour gummy worms
china…she had several sets
beautiful serving pieces
a clean kitchen
to iron everything
to fix food for family
to sing
to do missions
to be silly
the ‘moo cow moo’…poem she learned in elementary school
‘shoe fly pie’…a song she loved to sing and dance to
her SS class
Bro Jerry
to change furniture around and to buy new
to entertain
plan, plan, plan!
use fabric underneath displays
be in charge
a fire in the fire place
planting flowers
peach rings
Black filled Christmas candy…creme drops, I think
to dress she, Joy, and me alike when we were little
Evelyne and Ed
Rudean and Frank
Katherine an Allison
Jerry and Rhonda
Dick and Lahoma
Jane and Wendall
June and Jerome
Bill and Pat
Neva
Shirley
Becky
Joyce
Elizabeth
Monty
Patty
Tina
Shirley
Pamela
Jeanette
Mabel
Janelle
Linnie
Eunice
Billy
mentoring younger women
her sisters and brother
fresh vegetables
hose to match her shoes
bag to match her shoes
Pillsbury Dough Boy
jokes
Dr.Pepper
growing tomatoes
my new house
surprises
Peeps
dressing Pop
making her poundcake for others
treating the church staff to special lunches
her prissy living room
to play the piano…but only at home
having extra outfits ready to go at a moments notice
buying gifts early and storing them
having a gift closet
traveling with groups around the world when she was young
traveling with Pop or Joy and I in the car in later years
my blog…she read every night before bed…
PFChang’s
going to Graceville for shrimp (a tiny town nearby)
going to NC and putting up veggies…she even liked the shelling!!!
Mission Trips and the teams that travelled with her

SHE WAS :

very brave
kind
busy
caring
gentle
hard
tough
stubborn
opinionated
silly
conservative
so proud of her grandchildren
a mother to be proud of…and I am.

March 2009
March 2010…Maui

I had the joy of keeping John Thomas, Tara and Will’s son and Joy and Tommy’s grandson…but most importantly, MY GRAND NEPHEW ! We had so much fun playing and laughing and singing. Well, actually, we both did the playing and laughing (Don, too)….and I did the singing. He thought I was pretty good, too. At least he didn’t cry. Actually, he got very still while I sang. Maybe because it reminded him of the angels singing. Or maybe he had just never heard anything quite like it.
Whatever! It was a ‘joyful noise’ anyway!