Remembering Week-end

This coming week-end is set aside to REMEMBER our departed loved ones.  Every year more are added to the list to be remembered.  We remember our Soldiers who have fought and died for our FREEDOM.  We remember our Ancestors also.  I've said many times before and blogged HERE about how my Mother and Grandmother called it "DECORATION DAY".  I remember saving tin cans and covering them with foil and filling them with daddy's flowers to take to the Cemetary. Taking water in a jar to put in the bouquets after they were placed. Peonies, Iris ((Flags), Roses, Bridal wreath, Snowball, Lilacs and Bleeding hearts were just a few flowers in my father's flower beds. I'm not sure if I'll make the pilgramage to Moses Lake this year to put flowers on my Parents grave.  Our son, Milton still has a part of the Snowball tree my Father had in my childhood backyard.  We planted some of it in Mesa and Burbank to remind us of my father.  There was one in our yard here in Walla Walla already.  It is blooming just in time for this week-end.  I can't see it without remembering many happy days by the snowball tree.
This year I've had some recurring memories come to my mind.  Memories of days long ago when I had two Grandpas who took time to love and teach me.  My Grandpa Waite passed away around Memorial Day when I was finishing my 6th grade year of school. I've told how he was my hero!  He caught the banty rooster who was attacking me at the screen door at the farm in Star, Idaho.  He took it to the chopping block and cut off it's head and swung it over his head and threw it into the gully. My Grandpa Brown, who was blind, taught me about my Pioneer ancestor; Captain James Brown.  He was a hero I grew up hearing about and being glad to have on my pedigree chart.  He marched across the plains with the Mormon Battalion as Captain of Company C. I shared a part of his history with my Sunday School class last week. July is usually the month to Remember our Pioneers.  I loved sitting and listening to Grandpa's stories when he came to visit us from Utah. He would give me money from his wallet to go and buy him "chicken bones" at the "Little Store" a few blocks away from our house.  He was blind, but I was amazed that he knew which coin and dollar bill was in his wallet.  (I think my mom put them in a certain order for him and folded down a corner).  I also remember eating his chocolate Ex-lax, it only took once!

This year I choose to Remember those who are still here!  We are so lucky to have Paul's parents still with us and we should take every chance we can to go and visit with them.  [edited to add Picture of Crowther Family in 1997] When Paul and I have gone to take flowers to Moses Lake in years past we also stop to take flowers and place on the grave of his little brother Joel's grave for his mother.  She has said before that we should take flowers to those who are still living, not wait until they are gone to take them flowers. 

My Visiting teacher brought me these pretty purple flowers this week.  Thanks Karen!
P.S.  Thanks to my other Visiting Teacher, Noel and her daughter for bringing me CHOCOLATE tonight! Now the trick to keep it away from Hubby would just gobble it...