"Some people come into our lives and leave footprints on our hearts and we are never ever the same." ~ Flavia Weedn

I thought that I was all out of tears but learning of Ernie's passing brought them forth again. His death is the third in six months among friends whom I've known for forever. The circle is getting too damn small.

Ernie and Inez, what a great couple to know. They bought a unit on the ground floor of the condominium and I purchased a unit on the top floor, in the early 80s. "Miz Gwennie" to Inez; "Buttah" to Ernie. Inez dubbed me "Miss Take Charge" because I was also the president of the association. We tried to organize the condo community, well, Ernie and I did. Inez was our support. The condo had a community room so he and I planned movie nights, game nights, football game get-togethers, parties and barbecues on the patio; Christmas Carols in the lobby. It was a failed endeavor; however. We eventually left that condo, taking different paths, but remaining friends.

Everett, Ernie's brother, also had a condo there. The two brothers were die-hard Redskins fans and Everett had a joke for everything. On the night of the Buster Douglas fight (which he lost), Everett proclaimed "Buster got busted." Jimmy and I would laugh about that many times over.

Inez was the first to go. Pancreatic cancer took her away. Such a sweet soul. Everett passed a few years ago. Then Jimmy and, now, Ernie. That entire branch of friendship is gone.

In February of this year, Shirley and Albert, died within a week of each other. I met Shirley Fletcher, Albert Eggleston, his wife, Joyce, and the entire Thornton/Fletcher/ Eggleston family in 1973. I don't know how Joyce is holding up having lost her only sister and her husband. I guess that her faith is sustaining her. Me? I just can't stop crying.

So many memories. So many footprints. 

All the best.

One Decade Plus Four

 Who would have thought? 14 years. May 1, 2007, I crossed into Tennessee,  on my way to Memphis , where I intended to put down my roots. Didn't happen. My roots are, to the chagrin of the populace, sunk into Ripley soil.

Flashback memories: Being enthralled with Serendipity when I first saw her.  Awnings and fretwork, magnolias, high ceilings, hardwood floors. Later I would learn that I also had a tulip tree and a pecan tree.  There is a hackberry tree  (so I am told) and one which I tend to forget.  Two columns at the head of the steps which, I am told, were hitching posts from the Town Square, bought and installed by the previous owner. They had glass globes attached which you could turn on at night from the house. Wonderful. Of course they didn't work and no electrician wanted to tackle the job. Humongous coach lanterns which, I am told, came off of a funeral wagon. "I am told" because there doesn't appear to be a written history of the property. I discovered and uncovered, through hard work, a brick patio at the rear of the house and a brick pathway which winds from the front to the back. 

There is an article about the earliest owner on record,  Presley T. Glass, a major in the Civil War and who also served in the U. S. Congress.  Thank goodness that he was a Democrat.  Some people refer to it as the Glass House, or by the name of the previous owner, the Savage House. I, however, refer to it as Serendipity or the Blackman House.  Jimmy used to say that no matter how long I lived here that it would always be known as Mrs. Savage's house.

My, my, it is a shame that everyone who knows the history of the house is deceased. However, Kate Johnston Peters, chair of the Lauderdale Library Broad of Trustees, compiled and edited Lauderdale County from Earliest Times, in 1957.  In her mention of Serendipity, she writes:

Col. P. T. Glass, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Palmer and Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy and others lived at times in the home now owned by Mr. and Mrs. W. T, Savage This home is over 100 years old. 

If you've been with me on this journey, you know that the majority of these years have been spent in rehabbing the property, trying to learn the ways of my neighbors (not too successful in that arena), and making a new life. I was not prepared for small-town life. That everybody is related or knows someone who is related or knows your business before you do.  My goodness, I'm not from around here. How was I supposed to know that the person who ticked me off royally was the aunt, cousin, sister, mother, niece of the person to whom I was talking? And just why would I bring my big-city ideas to Ripley and think anyone would be interested?

But while my social life is virtually non-existent (Covid-19 certainly didn't help there), I became active in the community. Some will say that I became a pain in the patookus but sometimes things just need to be said. Gained my certification as a Master Gardener (no, I have not mastered the art of gardening), obtained my notary license (haven't notarized a thing), opened and closed a business, and entered into the retired life. 

What happens next? Perhaps I will get the drive to finish the many projects waiting for completion. There's a hallway that needs to be painted, bushes to be trimmed, bookcases to be organized, pictures to be sorted, and...and, you get the drift. My heart will never heal but I've got miles and miles to go before I sleep.

All the best. 

September--A Deadly Month

I used to love September, but now it just rhymes with remember. 

Dominic Riccitello

I had the general framework planned for this blog and then life intervened. My mother used to say: "Make no plans; don't be disappointed." How true. What was to be a tribute to one person who passed on September 18, has turned into a tribute to many; hence, the morbid title.

2020 has been unkind to families all over the world because of the corona virus, COVID-19, which has taken the lives of many. 200,000 lives in the United States alone, as of today, Sept. 19, 2020. 200,000 lives lost due to incompetent bungling by the leader of the free world but that's a subject for another day. 

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the "notorious RBG", passed on the 18th and plunged many into untold grief. Why? Most didn't know her personally, rather, we knew of her. We knew that she was the second woman appointed to the Supreme Court and that she was a Bill Clinton appointee. A fierce advocate of equality rights, she was the role model for little girls and women . We knew that she was a warrior, having battled inequality in the workplace and a battle with cancer numerous times. Tributes are pouring in but I share with you President Barack Obama's statement: Obama's Statement Ruth Bader Ginsburg. You may also enjoy Vanity Fair's article:  Ruth Bader Ginsburg

And then there was the the transition of a friend, Alonzo Beard, who

passed on September 9th. Not a national figure but beloved in the community.  He and his wife, Diane, often joined Jimmy and I for small get-togethers.  Alderman, husband, father, brother and uncle in a humongous family, Sigma, Purple Heart recipient, whist player extraordinaire, TSU graduate, oh, my, and the list goes on.  He loved to garden and the flowers surrounding his house were amazing.  And, Lord, did he love to eat. His laugh was infectious and will be missed. R I P, my friend.

And, this month, icons from my youth transitioned, as well.  Helen Reddy, of "I Am Woman" fame. Martin Milner, Route 66 and Adam-54, fame. Lou Brock, Gale Sayers, Mac Davis, Ronald Bell, Diana Rigg, Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, thank you for providing so many hours of entertainment. And, though he passed at the end of August, I cannot overlook the transition of a beloved D.C., icon--Coach John Thompson. If you don't know him, I can't tell you.  RIP.

 

Finally, September will always be the most deadly month to me because a year ago, on the 18th, my best friend, my lodestar, my strength, gained his wings. He often said that I was one of the strongest women that he knew. He was so wrong. It has been a terrible, emotionally-racking year.  Memories come fast and furious. Small things; big things. I miss the smell of his cologne, his unconditional support, the phone calls, his smile, sense of humor and infuriating practical jokes. His presence. 

They say that it gets better. I'm not sure. 

All the best.