The 10 Acres

Once there was a place,
where whose enchantment was limited only by a boy's creative imagination.
Was it the enchanting green grass covered moors,
or the babbling crystal brook that flowed lazily by the tall timbers,
or maybe the dense forest jungle area, with its ghostly shadows moving,
or the thicket where the huckleberries grew,
or maybe the shallow wading pond with the ever present tadpoles and bullfrogs lived,
or the area of the tall longleaf pines grew, with the with the ever fresh fallen pine straw covered ground which was a choice spot for Easter egg hunts
or a picnic on Sunday after church.

It was all
of the above
and more to young sons
and friends
when growing up on
our small farm in South Alabama.

That was The 10 Acres.

As Longfellow said
"Oh to be a boy with a heart full of joy"
and play on the 10 Acres once again.

Easter

After a pre-dusk arrival on Friday,
and lots good talk and fine food
throughout the evening and
over the next day and way after
sunset on Easter Eve,
The Williamsons of Anastasia Island
and Apalachee
exchanged hugs and hugs and
bid farewell to
The Williamsons of The Wiregrass
on a beautiful
Easter morning.

Below: Biba shares wisdom with Top Crop's family and Gilma stands with the entrance to the street named for his family...and ours.

A Blessed Day

02.05.08

Last Sunday was a blessed day that we will never forget, and each of you had a very important part in making it so.

When we arrived at church on Sunday a.m., the door greeters of course gave us a special Sunday greeting. In the foyer the Pastor met us saying, "Here come the Williamsons on their 68th wedding anniversary." He gave us a special hug and hand shake very enthusiastically. I had my camera and we went into the sanctuary which was dark, and made photos of the beautiful flower arrangement. Then Bob Gross came in and wanted to make photos of Mama and me with the flowers, which he did, several poses. The preacher's wife, Debbie, came in and hugged and congratulated us, and so did several friends who also saw us and greeted us. Then we went to our Sunday School classes.

After Sunday School, we came back in the auditorium for worship. There are five movie screens in the auditorium and our wedding pictures were on each screen, with the statements: "Engaged on Halloween - Married on Groundhog Day."

As the service started, the pastor's assistant, Mike, recognized us and asked us to stand, the entire church body applauded for a long time, and several got out of their seats and came and congratulated us.

After the service dozens came to us as we tried to leave. The pastor was at the door as we left for the parking lot and again stopped us to say how he was so happy for us and how proud he was of us and our lives. Others greeted us as we walked to the car. We have had phone calls and cards since Sunday.

So many people told us how beautiful the flowers were, and they were. Will send pictures soon.

We told Beth that she could have the flowers to use for the WMU meeting Tuesday. Today she brought us a beautiful vase bouquet from your arrangement, after using the rest of them to make seven table arrangements for the WMU dinner. After the WMU, they put them in the fridge at the church and will use them at a library meeting later this week.

THANK YOU ALL FOR THE FLOWERS. They were a ministry.

I know this is long but we wanted you to know.

Love you,

Mom & Dad

LXVIII Orbits

As constant as the heavens is
the life your lives have built.
Gilma and Elizabeth together
is the only world we have known
and the only world in which
we would have ever chosen to live.

Happy 68th Wedding Anniversary

**** **** ****

o2.o2.o8/9:17pm

On February 2, 1940, Walter Gilma Williamson and Mary Elizabeth Kelley were married, after four years as dear friends which, very soon culminated into High School Sweethearts (that has never changed).

The marriage was performed by Dr. Leroy Priest, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dothan. The ceremony was witnessed by Mrs. Priest and several close friends of the bride and groom.

After the vows were complete, Dr. Priest said "Now you may kiss your bride,” I was so nervous that I knocked her hat off trying to kiss her. Of course everybody laughed, including the preacher and his wife. Needless to say I felt like a dummy.

Now after 68 yeas we are still sweethearts and very much in love. Our marriage has been blessed by three wonderful sons and their lovely families

We thank the Lord, daily for His blessings on our God given family and His guidance as we begin our 69th year of wedding bliss that began so many years ago, and the great joy that our family brings to us on our every thought of them, daily.

Much love to each of you,
Mama&Daddy-----GM&GD

We Voted

Since Max and Hannah were very young, they have accompanied me to the court house on election night to wait and watch as elections returns came in from precincts scattered between the coast and the banks of the St. Johns.

Other than watching the numbers rise through the evening, there was the coming and going of all the local candidates for commission and tax collector, state house and sheriff. Seeing these people who had their names on billboards and photos in the newspaper demystified them in the eyes of Max and Hannah, made them human and approachable and in a way simply nothing special. The photo below appeared in the Record after Hannah and I visited the Supervisor of Elections office one election night a decade ago.

When Lauren visited Max a couple of weeks ago she brought his absentee ballot back, and I delivered it to the Supervisor of Elections office last week. This morning, minutes after the polls opened, Lauren, Hannah and I voted just down the street at the Elks Club. We were the 17th, 18th, and 19th people to vote in our precinct; Hannah was the 18th. I was about to make a photo of Hannah and Lauren after we had voted when Skip and his wife, neighbors of ours, walked up and Skip offered to make a photo (above) of all three of us.

Biba's Nook

the nook must have existed before I
for I remember there always being one.
a desk in a corner,
with space for pens and pencils,
stapler and scotch tape,
shelves for books,
drawers with stationary and cards
and bills, both paid and to-be-paid,
a lamp for evening work,
and a phone for calls
both local and those long anticipated
from Dothan and Hialeah
that had to be short
for they were
long distance.
the nook is the place where the
record is kept while smiling eyes,
well ordered and precisely placed,
current and historical,
look on as the journal is updated
every day, and the letters flow
like water from a deep spring,
cool and refreshing
words that bind together
family members scattered
but never far from thought
and always held in the heart.