Golden Day

Wow, what a negligent friend I have been! The grandchildren have been so involved in the Jamestown 400 Treasure Hunt that they commandeered my computer for the last few days (with Grandmother’s willing compliance) so they could multiply their efforts.

Mother’s Day . . . what a picture that evokes! This year, the mothers in this family spent it in our favorite way – with family at home. The children all stayed after homechurch, and we grilled out hamburgers and hotdogs. Being a family close in proximity as well as in emotional bond, it is sometimes a quandary how to spend Mother’s Day – do my siblings and I quibble over our mother? If one of my children hosts me, will the others feel hurt? And what about them? They are mothers, too. Their children and husbands want to celebrate with them also.

So this year, the grandchildren and husbands honored me and my daughters in a golden afternoon of food and fun. Just plain cook-out food was our feast, but it was easy and good, and the clean-up was simple. Our sessions around the table always drift into lingering story-telling and laughter. This was one of my favorite things as a child, so I am sure it is building the same memories for the grandchildren.

The youngsters took turns helping before and after the meal, with cleanup and with babies. What a blessing that Jason and Ashley came down, so little Savannah had a chance to just be one of the youngin’s and get to know her cousins better.

In the afternoon, there were some naps, and Uncle Robert corralled a gang to get in the back of the pickup and head for the woods to pick wild blackberries. Oh, what wonders they found! Huge, sweet berries (not without thorns, so those were a story in themselves), and the giant old gator with algae growing on his back (a safe distance away). There were enough berries to make two wonderful cobblers that evening, and still send home at gallon with each family. And there are still more to pick!

After dark, the grownups played Rook, a family favorite, while others watched a silly old movie with the little ones. If you have never seen “It Grows on Trees”, with Irene Dunne, it is worth the effort! Hmmm, just imagine opening a bud on a tree and finding a baby $10 bill!

Well, the evening finally came to a close. The sweethearts left my house in order and went to their own snuggy nests. It was another Golden Day.