family
Family unites us; but it's also a challenge. All about fighting to stay together, and loving every moment of it.
From running days to fingertips
There is a red ashtray on my bookcase, which I bought from "Guizhou Chun" when I moved to a new house ten years ago. I moved that year, from the country to the county seat. My relatives came, my father brought some home-baked wine, and I bought a few bottles of good wine.
By Brooks Milton4 years ago in Humans
No Corona, No Lime... Only Lemons
12-6-2020 My father died yesterday. Because of the quarantine measures taken on account of the COVID-19 scare, he died in the hospital with no one there to hold his hand. His wife, Barb, had promised to be there. She was torn apart by the realization that she was not able to keep her word. We knew he was approaching his end. He knew best of all. The night before, he called his brothers and sisters to tell them the end was approaching—to say goodbye. We had thought we would be able to get him home before the end, but he didn't make it. I got the call from Barb around seven in the morning. Weeping, she told me he was gone.
By C. Rommial Butler4 years ago in Humans
Springle... The House
Gene Dunlap...One of the nicest men on Earth. He was not really one of mom's boyfriends (she liked the married, crazy ones), though he badly wanted to be. Mom grew up with him, and according to her, he had been in love with her since childhood. Gene was educated, well-spoken, well-dressed, non-alcoholic, non-smoking, kind, and financially well-off (not really mom's type). Maybe mom felt more comfortable dating questionable men because she thought she did not deserve a nice man. She had always said that she was the black sheep of the family.
By Susan Wilkins4 years ago in Humans
My Niece Was Shot!
As I write this, it is April 4th 2022. 54 years ago today Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Earlier today I went with my sister to visit her daughter, my niece at a rehabilitation center. My niece is there because she is a survivor of domestic violence. Two months and two days ago on February 2nd 2022 despite the actions of a psychopath, my niece survived a gunshot to the head. I am so thankful that she survived and is recovering.
By Slim Jim Longfoot4 years ago in Humans
Two Weeks As a Book Peddler
There was a wall in my childhood bedroom, lined with bookshelves. It held novels and all sorts of different books, from classic fairy tales to graphic novels, but my all-time favorite had to be the gigantic encyclopedia-sized book, filled with Mother Goose rhymes, Hans Christian Andersen and The Brothers Grimm fairy tales. Those whimsical, mysterious and sometimes dark stories were absolutely captivating.
By William Saint Val4 years ago in Humans
Springle... The House
Jimmy Black…the Black Mr. Clean. Mom met Jimmy Black because he was our garbage man. This was back in the day before residences had dumpsters. This was when people put out actual garbage cans, and the garbage man had to physically lift these cans and dump the contents into the back of the garbage truck. It was during a time when people knew their garbage man, and mail carrier. When tips and gifts were given for good work, and some holidays (particularly Christmas). Jimmy Black was bald, buff, and wore one gold earring. He had the most beautiful smile, with gorgeous, evenly spaced white teeth. Jimmy's personality could melt snow on a below-zero day. He was one of the most likeable people you ever had the fortune to meet. And, despite him being a garbage man, he always smelled good (even when he was at work). He used all of these charms to become another one of mom's boyfriends. Unlike most of mom's other boyfriends, he was not married. He was our favorite of mom's boyfriends, and we looked forward to his visits. He drove a big ol’, aqua colored, deuce and a quarter (Buick Electra 225). It was Buick’s answer to the Cadillac. Jimmy would come over and take us on “family” outings. He didn’t try to be dad or discipline us. He just made sure we had fun. He would drive us waaaay out to the country (where we lived, city and rural/country were strictly separated) to see and pet farm animals. Something we never would have gotten to do otherwise. Mom never took us anywhere. She refused to own a car (even though she possessed a driver's license and was a good driver). Her philosophy was that she didn't want to own a car because of all the other expenses that came with that ownership…license plates, maintenance, tires, and insurance. So, if we wanted to go somewhere we either took the bus or rode with friends whose parents had cars. There was also the choice of going with our dad whenever we visited him. When Jimmy was driving to the country on roads that hardly had any traffic (outside of the city limits), he would always go faster than the speedometer could register. When he hit that speed, the speedometer would make a lovely ticking sound. We loved it! When I got older, I realized we were not wearing seat belts, and he and my mom had always been drinking. My grandmother’s prayers kept us safe. I also later found out that Jimmy used heroin, and even though he drank and used drugs recreationally he never appeared to be inebriated. I found this out because he would come and “steal” mom’s welfare check out of the mailbox, but he would always pay her back.
By Susan Wilkins4 years ago in Humans
Easter is a Family Affair. Top Story - April 2022.
At the time of publishing, Easter is just over two weeks away (the approval process for Vocal can take longer than expected). It is a time that is synonymous with religion, chocolate and for me, family. It is a bank holiday weekend in the United Kingdom and I am looking forward to having a long weekend away from work (between the 13th and 18th of April).
By Ben Shelley4 years ago in Humans
