At Considerable Cost

Like everyone else, I can say my parents weren't perfect and my childhood was not idyllic, but I had a great childhood.   There were many things that made it so and I think part of it was because my parents were older (although they would not be considered so today). In our neighbor's garden.   Mama once pulled back the leaves of similar plants in this garden and found a copperhead snake coiled.   The garden was planted by an elderly gentleman who worked and lived on the neighboring farm.   He was always called Preacher.   He called the snake a pilot snake.   He told Mama that in a few weeks a rattle snake would come through, on the same path.   Sure enough, he showed Mama the dead rattlesnake a few weeks later.   Mama did a little research and found out that copperheads and rattlers often den together.   The copperhead often goes out a few weeks before and the rattler will follow the same path...

It's really hard to believe that my sweet C. turns five today.   Five years ago, my Aunt Betty drove in to watch E. while I checked into the hospital to be induced.   C. has kept us on our toes and brought tremendous joy into our lives.   E. and T. look SO much like Joey, but C. favors my side, particularly Mama's family.   When she looks at me a certain way, I can see Mama in her face.  She has the most gorgeous curls and she stands at the mirror trying to comb them straight, regardless of how many times she is told by strangers that her hair is beautiful.   She is a cuddler who always seems to know just when someone needs a hug or a kind word. She does everything with gusto!   Joey and I can't believe how our children seem to take after their patron saints.   One of her patron saints is St. Jeanne d' Arc (Joan of Arc's French name).   She is just as fiesty, and stout of heart and will as those tw...