Where has the time gone?

That's Alexander Benjamin in the front and behind him Amanda, Jimmy, and Alesha.

Let me see? We did the wife's birthday, our Jimmy's birthday, mom's birthday, and Mothers Day, back to back to back to back. Now we take a deep breath and get ready for graduations. We have three, count them, three, graduating from high school and they are all from the same family! Our Jimmy Jr., along with his twin sisters Alesha and Amanda will soon be walking across the stage. This is both exciting and bewildering at the same time. Where has the time gone? One evening I finish reading him a book and then I'm outside holding little Jim and he's telling the moon and stars good night and the next thing you know he's got whiskers. One evening Alesha and Amanda, just little tykes, are sitting with me on the couch watching the Food Channel with me and every time Emeril Lagasse says BAM!, they and I say it with him. Again, where has the time gone? That's some of what I am thinking about as I try to get up and going on this back-to-work Monday, May 9, 2016. That's a lot to take in but we are so thankful that God has provided for these kids and we so look forward to seeing Him work in their lives as they continue their journey. What's the problem? Does this make you feel old? To be honest, it does, but more than that it reminds me of the joy we have been blessed with through all of our family and all of our kids and their kids and yes, even our great grandkid! I'm sure I will have more to say about all of this as it transpires. What? You figured as much? Good. I'll do my best not to let you down.

Today is the 129th day of the year. See what I mean? It's flying by folks. Flying by. We have 236 days left and here's one that will get your attention, only 229 shopping days until Christmas. The other day I was at one of the big-box home improvement stores. A lady high-up muckety-muck was walking around with a group of managers in tow. She had the clipboard. (That's the universal sign of who is in charge. The clipboard.) They all seemed very interested in what she was writing down. Who knows? Their Christmas bonus might have been at stake. At any rate, she saw me in one of the aisles and stopped her little group and pointed at me. She told her group, "See, this is where Santa comes when he is not making toys. He comes to one of our stores." They all laughed. Yes. They laughed out loud. Not LOL, just, laughed out loud. Maybe they laughed because that's what they thought she wanted them to do. Maybe they actually thought it was funny. I did my Santa wave and they continued their inspection tour. Just for grins, I sometimes ask the wife how people get the idea that I am Santa. She says it could have something to do with the fact that I have a Santa beard and face and I wear a red cap, red or green shirt, and corresponding green or red suspenders. Really? I suppose that does have something to do with it. (I used the photo as an example and it gave me another opportunity to show off our great grand, one more time.)

The other day when the wife and I travelled to Louisiana, our route carried us by some areas and roads that made up a lot of my early days here on the planet. We passed by Toro creek where we used to camp out, swim, and fish. I saw the now overgrown road that my grandfather and I used to take into the deep woods to do our squirrel hunting. That's right. Squirrels. Yes. I am aware they are rodents and I am also happy to inform you that my Granny Mac could smother fry them up and they were nothing short of a delicacy. We also passed by the road that leads to Beckom Cemetery where dozens of our kin have been laid to rest. I could see many of them in my mind's eye. I know the best selling book said you can't go home again, but that's never been my experience. I passed by the houses of kids that I went to elementary school with. I passed by the place where the wife and I rented a small farmhouse many years ago. We had us a huge garden there. The house had a tin roof. We did us some mighty fine sleeping on rainy, cold nights in that old house. We came into the tiny rural town where I used to hang out. My grandfather used to ask me when I left the house if I was going down Broad to look up Main. The old filling station we owned at one time is still there. It hasn't been a filling station in a long time. I think it was most recently some kind of hardware store. There's much more I could share because I always remember so many things when I go home. Remind me to tell you about the time..... Maybe later. May God bless each one. Amen ....More later.