The Slow Lane

Lizzie, Annie, and Jean 2009

These are the 3 Winstead sisters at the Winstead reunion August 30, 2009. It was great to see everyone and as always, there was plenty of good food.

Mom said several times she had a good day. I called her at 10:30 this morning to remind her of the reunion and suggested she not go to lunch because we would pick her up at 11:00. We arrived at 11:00 and found her already in the dining hall. Not a problem.

Her great, great nephew, Eli, was the youngest one there and got the most attention. Great Grandma Jean make sure that Mom got a chance to hold Eli. I think she would have liked to hold him instead of eating. However, she wanted to go down the table and pick out her food, so I filled her plate as she told me what she wanted. She ate a good lunch.  She saw lots of nephews, nieces, and cousins.

When we got back to Sunrise, she was tired and it seemed a little more difficult for her to remember which way to go.  Lucinda and I helped her get to the dining hall and staff were there to help her find her room when she finished. She said several times that she had really enjoyed the day, but it “is always good to get back home.”

Happy Anniversary, Lucinda. I look forward to celebrating our anniversary tonight at 18 Seaboard.

Forty-seven years is a long time since we left Buckhorn Baptist Church in Como, North Carolina that Sunday afternoon in our 1949 Plymouth with lots of fresh white shoe polish decorations headed for Topsail Beach.

In 47 years a lot has happened. We’ve each earned a Master’s Degree and had interesting work opportunities to apply our skills and to learn new ones.

Family has always been a central focus. We’ve raised two fine daughters, added 2 sons-in-law, and acquired 3 fine grandchildren. We’ve maintained good relationships with our parents and siblings and their families.

Now, in retirement, we are discovering many of the paths our ancesters hiked. Through genealogical research we are connecting our family paths with historical perspectives. We enjoy the process as well as the results.

So, 47 years has brought a lot of joy and adventure. We’ve done a lot together. We’ve continued to grow as individuals and as a couple. And, a lot has changed in the world around us.

I look forward to continuing the journey together.

I went on an outing with Sunrise residents, including Mom, to Raleighwood yesterday. We had chicken strips and fries for lunch. A Muppet movie was on screen during lunch. We were the first of several groups from the Raleigh area to arrive. One of the other groups was from the Total Life Center in Wendell. This is one of several Total Life Centers in Wake County operated by Resources for Seniors where I used to work.

The movie we saw was “Night at the Museum.” Most of the group seemed to enjoy the movie. A couple of people were a bit restless and ready to go “home” early. Mom said she enjoyed the movie, but ”wouldn’t want to watch it again.”

Going with the group yesterday provided an opportunity for me to be with Mom and to be helpful in getting all the residents on and off the bus and in and out of the theater.