Got Milk?

My grandmother lived to be 105 years old. She was an amazing woman. She was a great cook. Fried chicken,creamed corn,fried okra,green beans,cornbread,coconut pies,fried apple pies,chocolate pies,yeast rolls,pound cake, home-made ice cream,congealed salads and black eyed peas were among her specialties. She cooked and ate all of those foods. And she lived to be 105. I told you she was amazing. (She also drank alot of milk so add that to your menu.) We haven't even discussed breakfast. It was her favorite meal. She prepared biscuits,gravy,syrup,eggs,grits,bacon and country ham. She loved syrup on her biscuits. Everything she cooked was delicious. She would always find fault with each meal. She would say that something wasn't quite right but it was the imaginary critique of a culinary perfectionist.

She also shined in the garden. She had two green thumbs and a couple of green hands. She would dig around in the dirt and plant and weed and nurture. She had incredibly beautiful flowers. She also had a pure and inconsolable hatred of her nemesis,the squirrel. She could not tolerate the squirrel's vandalism of her garden.

She was a strong woman with a wicked sense of humor and an inexplicable ability to memorize and re-tell lengthy jokes. She was also soft-hearted and would cry easily over the reporting of sad news or an emotional storyline in Lassie. She loved television and especially enjoyed The Lawrence Welk Show,Flipper and Lassie. She also very much enjoyed her radio. She listened to talk radio long before it was vogue.

She enjoyed music especially country music. She watched The Grand Ole Opry and loved to listen to Minnie Pearl. She could play the mouth-harp (harmonica) like nobody's business.

She hailed from the great state of Alabama and she loved her homeland. She loved her family and she was generous in her time and affection.

I can remember riding the train with her and she packed a jar of ice cold milk for the trip. We also had the small coca cola bottles and crackers and cheese. I remember going with her to department stores at Christmas and looking at elaborate store windows decorated for the holidays with elves, reindeer and trains. I can remember hearing trains in the night when visiting her. She once told me that the train whistle was "an awful lonesome sound".

In later years, I was her go-to person if she couldn't think of an actor's name. She would call me and instruct me to flip to a certain channel and identify the person. She loved movies. She enjoyed Shirley Temple. She enjoyed westerns and the old classics.

Today I am thinking about waking up in her home in Birmingham,Alabama to the sound of Gospel Jubilee on the television and the crackling furnace and the smells of biscuits and country ham and the sweet,sweet smell of my grandmother. I can feel that cold glass of milk in my hand. And I can hear that train. Today is her birthday. I miss you,Mama.

Angels In The Outfield

Sports fans get it. They understand the importance of teamwork. They know that you have to show up for the big event. You have to be flexibile enough to take the shot and other times know when you need to assist. Some times you have to take one for the team. No one wants to bunt. But if that bunt helps your team then you stand there and wait for the opportunity and find yourself satisfied and happy that you put your team in scoring position. Some times you might be a little winded but if you are needed to go out for the long pass then you are ready to go the distance. And whether its the basket,goal,end zone or home plate you are always pointed in that direction because HOME is what it is all about.   Ernestine Ward was the ultimate sports fan.   It was a blessing to be there to see Ernestine Ward go home yesterday. She shined in her final at bat. She had gathered her clan of nine amazing children together to be reminded of the enormous love this mighty matriarch gave to them. The great baseball film Field Of Dreams coined the phrase, If you build it,they will come. Well she built this remarkable team (family) and they came from all parts of the nation.   Each of her players(children) are incredibile individuals. They each bring different gifts to the team,as do their spouses,children and their children and... Yes,the team has grown and achieved the impossible by getting stronger and better with each addition. But the starting line-up is the original nine. They are the Wards--the mighty,mighty Wards. Ken,Mark,Mary,Nate,Paul,Phil,Sue,Wayne and Yvonne. (Alphabetical order guys--remember there is no crying in baseball.)   Their obvious strength is their size. They are great in number. But their greatest weapon is their knowledge of the playbook. There will be no hesitation regarding decisions. Onside kick or punt? Go for the first down? Hit it out of the park or advance the runner? All they must do is ask themselves what their mom would do and know that home is wherever you all are gathered.   They each participated in the service whether by hymn selection, a personal tribute or their very presence. They spoke of her sacrifice bunts and referred to her as both the Most Valuable Player and the heart of the team. They share a collective grief and tremendous loss. More importantly they share countless memories and a collective love. And as they said,they will carry her in their hearts.   So, this play-by-play is for them.      Ernestine Ward is in the batters box. She looks at the packed house in Miller Park. It doesn't phase her. Her kitchen had more people in it every morning for thirty years. She kicks the chalk. She accidentally kicks the catcher and says "Oh, excuse me hon' ". (This shortened term for honey is her term of endearment.) She straightens up and looks at the pitcher. He sends a curveball toward her and it seems to arrive in her power zone and CRACK that ball looks like it might be........it falls in left field at the wall,but wait...Ward is already rounding second--would she...could she---she is flying......the throw in is cut off and Ward has passed third and is racing toward home--the throw--------the call-------SAFE!!!!!! SAFE!!!!! Ernestine Ward is safe at home and the Milwaukee Brewers have won the World Series!!!!!!!!! Interviewed later the catcher was asked what was that Ward said as she stepped over him when she scored? He replied: "Excuse me hon' " and that she had a big smile on her face.   If you have ever seen Angels In The Outfield, then you know ... it could happen.

 

 

 

 

Number One

I have a friend. She has a daughter. She is also my friend. And she too has a daughter and she is my friend.    "Number Three" recently walked away from a potentially disastrous event. There is no need to over-dramatize this event. She and another person walked away from it. For this I am very thankful. These things do happen in our lives. We can plan and plan but the unexpected is always around the corner. There is no need to fear it or attempt to avoid it. There are some things we cannot control. My close friends will be laughing that I could actually write that line much less accept it. Like many others, I waste time worrying about things that I simply cannot control. As a human, I do not like to see other people hurt. Diseases and accidents and addictions and crimes and weather events are just a few of the things I would like to control. We can watch television shows about characters who know tomorrow's headlines and thus can prevent disasters. We can listen to "The Dance" lyrics and wonder what would have happened if only assassinations could have been stopped. But we do not know and so we are left to make the most of every day in the most productive positive ways that we can. Saying I love you and thank you often is a way to start. If we disagree with other people's choices then we can react with something other than anger. Perhaps we do not understand what is different or unknown to us. Making that phone call or delivering that casserole are other gestures that we many times consider but never complete. We continually have these wake-up calls telling us to appreciate what we do have instead of worrying about what we do not have. We need to realize what we do have. I am repeating this in hopes that it will sink in. As far as we know, we have tomorrow. If you open your eyes in the morning, you made it. You have to lighten up. Hug people. Laugh. Give. Hold a door open. Buy a grande latte with extra foam and a cherry on top for a stranger. In the spirit of full disclosure, I believe in Shirley MacLaine and I believe in angels. Also, I was never very good at math. I said at the beginning that I had three friends in this story. I meant four. So change number one to two,two to three and three to four. So number four walked away. And I have every belief that Number One who is an angel... was there to catch number three and gently send her on her way.