Life is a highway....

Ride it to its fullest degree. Feb 9th ,2010 rushed to E. City as my father was carried to ER. Spent 8 days in the hospitable at night with him until we got him home and stable. Did not return until Feb. 23,tired and weary. 3 days later went to Hillsborough to house sit for my son (really to keep Ryan,one of our four grandsons). Got back late Thursday night. Today at 5:26 PM,Kathy gives birth to our first granddaughter, Daisy M.Smart. So Sunday , Pap and Nanaw are off to Cleveland for about 8 days to help with the boys and to check out our first granddaughter. Life is a highway and we plan on riding it all night long as the song says !

A Man to Walk the Past and Present

Strange title ,isn't it ? I have just spent a week visiting my eight-seven year old father's house . I hadn't being to Elizabeth City since October, 2008,so I was very anxious to see him and my step-mother of almost ten years. What I loved about the week was coming to understand the wealth of information my father has about past and current events. He told me about going to the old Washington Senators ballpark when he was seventeen on a school outing and getting to see Joe DiMaggio play centerfield in that game. He said it was his first big league game he had ever attented. He also talked about going to the DABP in Durham where he grew up and played high school ball. He told me a story about a neighbor who had an old roadster with the rumble seats.It was topless as the canvas had long rotted that covered the top. Well, it so happened that Daddy's American Legion team was supposed to go see the Durham Bulls play one night. However, my granddaddy had to work late and Daddy and four of his buddies were late getting to the game. The people at the park wouldn't let them since they didn't come with the team,so Daddy and one of his buddies climbed the thirty foot tall center field billboard and sat up there and watched the game. Daddy said an old drunk decided to join them and barely made it up to the top. Daddy said he and friend spent the rest of the game waiting for the drunk to fall off the billboard, but he didn't. After the game , Daddy and his buddies needed a ride home. Daddy saw his neighbor exiting the ballpark and asked him for rides for him and his friends. His neigbor told him he was in no condition to drive but if Daddy would drive, he could take them all home in his roadster. Daddy said ,"Mr._______,I don't have a licence." His neigbor reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill and said,"This should cover the fine and you can have the change(remember-this is around 1937-8)."The neighbor clasped Daddy on the shoulder and said,"Besides, the police said if they caught me driving drunk again, they'd kill me." So Daddy gets in the driver's seat with his neighbor next to him and one of his friends beside him. The other three boys pile into the rumble seat at the back of the roadster. Daddy says the six of them rode through town as big as life with him scared to death since he had never driven in a city before. Granddaddy had bought an old truck for Daddy to drive my Granmother to the store and back but as he said you didn't see "three cars in a week on those old roads." Daddy said he sure would like to have a picture of all them riding in that old roadster. Of course , Daddy got everyone home safely and went to show Grandma his well earned twenty dollars . Daddy said,"Mama made me give the money back to Mr. ____. That was a lot of money in those days,"he concluded laughing.

A week with Bobby and Hayden

Last Monday, Pap and Nan-Naw happily welcomed Kathy and Bobby and Hayden home from Cleveland for their Spring Break. After hugs and kisses, it was off to Hot Wheels and the Cartoonnetwork.com where Pap supervised two happy little boys playing games until bedtime. On Tuesday, we got up and went to the bowling lanes (the 3 year old loves this as well as big brother. Mommy, Nan-Naw, Bobby,and Hayden bowled two games each while Pap was the cheerleader. We ate lunch at Chick-Filet and went home and the boys took naps. After naps, it was baseball and swings in the backyard ,and before supper, we went in and played Uno Attack . After supper, a few minutes on the computer, then baths, then we watched parts of two movies and the boys were off to bed.
This was the type of schedule we were on from Tuesday through Friday capped off on Friday with going to Putt-Putt and playing arcade games. Friday was really special for Pap and Nan-Naw as we got to baby-sit them while Kathy went to meet some of her friends in Wake Forest. The boys were Angels and I got to put Hayden to bed which mommy says can be an experience at times. However, after I read him his stories, got him his milk, listened to his prayers, he lay down and told me how to arrange his "didi" (blanket for all who don't speak 3 year old) which I did . I covered him up and he went right to sleep without a beep. Nan-Naw had the same experience with Bobby.What a great night. Saturday was a great day because all of children and spouses were here except for Rob , back in Ohio, bless his heart. We sure missed him. It was a beautiful ,sunny day and everyone could stay outside and enjoy it. All four of my grandsons did ,even Wesley , going on six weeks old ,as he slept very well and when he was awake wasn't fussy at all. Kathy and the boys left Sunday morning and our house for some reason was very still. But the house will be here when they return again !

Counting my blessings on Easter

Beth's preacher this morning in church during the pastoral prayer asked members to say things they felt blessed with on this grand Easter morning. So I decided to make a list of my Blessings which come from God :( From the beginning of my life until now- not most important down)
1) My parents
2) My church growing up ( Finding God and Christ)
3) My education
4) Nancy, my wife
5) My job as a teacher
6) Beth, my first born
7) Kathy, my second born
8) Johnny,my third born
9) My children's graduations (High school and college-all of them)
10) Kathy's wedding to Rob
11) Johnny's wedding to Claire
12) The birth of Bobby, my first grandson
13) The birth of Hayden, my second grandson
14) The birth of Ryan, my third grandson
15) The wedding of Beth and Charlie
16) The birth of Wesley, my fourth grandson
17) The good health to see all these things

I have lived a very rich life . The Lord has indeed blessed me with his goodness. When I take time to look back at my life, I realize how much help the Good Lord has sent to me and I am eternally thankful.
15)

Pap and Nanaw

For most people ,"Pap and Nanaw" would be just names for grandparents. However, to Hayden Smart, grandson aged 3, "Pap and Nanaw" is one word like "Mommy". Hayden tells Kathy, his mommy, our middle daughter, "Let's go see Pap and Nanaw." She says he never says one without the other. His older brother ,Bobby, has the same habit . So sometime in the future when you open a Webster's Dictionary, and you get to the word pap, don't be surprised to the word "Pap and Nanaw"beside it.

And the greatest of these is Love

I have four grandsons: Bobby, Hayden, Ryan, and our newest addition,Wesley. I have been retired for one year now after teaching for thirty-eight years in the public schools. I will be married to the love of my life for forty years this August 17th. All these thoughts are connected by a single thread- love. It began with my love for my wife and her love for me which in turn produced three beautiful children-two girls and a son. Their eventual love for someone brought three wonderful people into our lives as their husbands and wife. Their love each brought our wonderful grandsons into our lives whom I love dearly . Now needless to say I love my retirement and am looking forward to Nanaw's retirement this summer. Of course, my son-in-law has promised that I might be able to help with a couple of projects around the house this summer. Guess what ? I'll love that ,also ! So you see, the greatest of all is love !