MEMORIES

What a beautiful Saturday morning in Union, SC. I just came from Curves and ran into two friends of mine from church who are leaving for a trip out West tomorrow.
Another friend left Thursday on vacation out West too. All three of them are in my Sunday School Class and so will be out of church tomorrow. I will not be able to go either because of the death of my Uncle in Highpoint, NC.

My sister is coming from Atlanta this afternoon to pick me up and we will stay with cousins tonight and go to the Service tomorrow. I know he is in heaven will all the rest of the family that has gone on before him, but he will be missed. His Mission on Earth has ended and he is now in a New Place. It will be good to see some of our cousins that we haven't seen for years...(and I do mean years)..! They are from my Father's side of the family...The Vance's. As I child I recall visiting my Grandmother's house on Montlieu Ave in Highpoint right across from a Catholic Church...(for some reason that church intrigued me as a child). All the women wore hats to church on Sundays...but back then even my Methodist Grandmother wore hats when she dressed up.

What wonderful childhood memories I have of those big family get-togethers. My father had 3 older brothers and 2 younger sisters, so everyone and their families would come to "Mother Vance's"...thats what we called her...to eat. I never knew my grandfather, but heard alot about him. He died when my Daddy was almost 5 years old and Mother Vance raised all 6 children by herself and never remarried. She lived to the ripe old age of 97 and I think, hope, I have some of those genes....! She lived in an assisted living apt. building during her latter years. But she had her own private apartment there and always wanted to feed us or give us "something" when we came to visit.

I remember her Big house (before that) and the kitchen with the Big pantry and the GOOD FOOD she cooked for us...and I guess others brought food too. I loved what now we call the "old fashioned" claw foot bath tub she had in her huge bathroom! Also she had a "rotary" phone in the hallway on a special stand and I could always picture her whenever we called her from Charleston standing in that hall. I also remember the next door neighbors who became like Aunts and Uncles to us...! I loved to visit Mother Vance.

We had card tables set up all over the dining room and living room and kitchen when we ate and it is easy for me to remember that since they took pictures..lots of them back then. It was so much fun ! She would always send us a "sack lunch" home when we left to go back to Charleston, SC where we were living at that time.

I am so thankful for my Family today..from back when I was a child and now as a grandmother myself. All my family and extended family. There is nothing like the love of family.

I want to share a poem that our oldest son Van wrote last February on Change. I like it and I think you will. He has quite a talent in this area, and so does his 16 yr old daughter Allison.
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CHANGE AND A BEACH CALLED PEACE



Many days I sat on a beach called Peace
Just staring out across the sea.

I know my boat with its broken sails
Could never get me where I need to be.

One day a native with a familiar name
Came to me and said from his heart
You need no boat with broken sails
To get back from where you start.

If you rely on a broken compass
In a search with no direction
You could wind up where you started
Staring into the water at your own reflection.

Take my hand and walk with me
Said the native with a familiar name.
I'll walk you to another beach
Its a beach we all call Change.

It's not an easy walk you see
There's many forests full of many beasts.
But, we must get to the beach called Change
To return to this beach called Peace.

Hand and hand we traveled on and on
You can't imagine the obstacles we overcame.

One day he reached out for my other hand
And said, This is the Beach Called Change!

We all must spend some time here.
It can be difficult on this beach,
But open your heart and eyes
And I'll meet you back on the Beach Called Peace!


Van Eric Kingsmore 2-16-10