One of the things I’m endeavoring to do this year is see people I haven’t seen in a long while, and this year started with a quick trip to West Virginia to see Mamaw and visit Dad’s grave. I went right after the New Year so it didn’t conflict with the school schedule. I hadn’t been to WV since May 2021, so it was long overdue.
Visiting Mamaw is largely about simply being with her, sitting and talking for hours, listening to her stories and asking questions about things from the past. I never tire of it, and even as we were saying goodbye, she said, “I’m sorry for talking your ears off,” to which I replied, “Are you kidding? That’s why I came here!”
I especially love looking through old photos and having Mamaw tell me who everyone is, where they were at the time, and every other detail she can remember. The photo on the left is of Mamaw and Papaw in the 80s, while the photo on the right is of my dad and his cousins. Dad is the tallest kid on the far left.
After saying goodbye, I took mountain roads to Rainelle, where they used to live, so I could set eyes on their old house and see how the town had changed since the flood in 2016. Then I followed back roads to the cemetery where Papaw and Dad are buried. It was a beautiful day, which I was so grateful for since it’d been raining all week.
The rest of January flew by with school starting and Chuck’s busier work schedule underway. We continue to hear from Jeremy regularly, which is so nice. He’s still at Fort Sam Houston for Corpsman A-School and is doing well so far. While the pace is quick, he appreciates how soon it will all be over. We were talking the other day about how nice it is to go to school for the thing you’re interested in and not have to go to Freshman English and College Algebra three times a week. Jeremy would’ve hated that about college. We continue to be proud of him and hope his journey in the Navy is an amazing one.
Speaking of school, Jackson is relieved to be done with Chemistry. He completed a full year in one semester, so things are a little lighter now for him, praise be. He still has a contentious relationship with Algebra II, but he’s more than halfway done and carrying a B in the subject. By far, his favorite thing to do is go to work at the theater! 🙂
We had our first Girls Weekend of 2023 a couple weekends ago. Susan, Lesli, and I met in Middle Tennessee for a lazy weekend of soft pants, junk food, and talking. I love these women so much.
We’re currently in the middle of a False Spring, that wonderfully warm time in a Tennessee winter that makes everyone want to plan their gardens. I’ve gone on handfuls of walks recently just to enjoy the sunshine, particularly since we’ve had so many days on end with cold, drizzling rain. In fact, it’s a gorgeous day today, so I’ll be heading out soon for a long walk with a good audiobook.
Last but certainly not least, Salem is doing great! I miss having a dog so much that I probably give Salem too much attention — to his annoyance. He’s so kind to indulge me.
