June 27: Memories

Today's post is dedicated to my brother, Terry Wheeler who always looked after me and I think always loved me and still does. We haven't always stayed in contact, but I feel his love and support now and it is greatly appreciated.

If you have one, "stop for a moment and realize how lucky you are to have a brother." Maxime Lagace

Before I drive into Arkansas, I have an observation about Texas. You can't go more than two miles without seeing a church (mostly Methodists, some Baptists) and every 15-20 miles there will miraculously be a Walmart and/or a Sam's Club. Finally there are these truck stops in Texas called, Buccee's. Buccee is a beaver who wears a red cap. These truck stops are ginormous - mega truck stops. 30+ gas pumps, shopping, food, showers, you name it. But the best part of Buccee's are the signs on the highway leading up to each one. My all time favorite sign read, "You know you need the beaver!" I laughed so hard the dogs got concerned. :0)

Today was a lot of driving. Last night's stay at Canton KOA was the nicest I've stayed at so far. Really a family resort type campgrounds. So much to do. I could see having a reunion vacation there. Went from Canton to Tyler - my friend, Toni moved to Arlington, which I had already passed through. My other friend, Laura, who lived near Waco was moving that very day to Palm Beach, Florida. My timing is incredibly bad. On to Texarkana, just to say I've been there. One thing about Arkansas is that their city names are not original in the least. They borrow from other states and cities and then Ark'em up, like even Arkansas is Kansas with Ar on the front. There is also Arkadelphia. But, I also went to a little town called, Hope. Yep, I saw the birthplace of William Jefferson Clinton. We stopped and took pictures. Jean-Luc scared Jesus right out of a park ranger. To be fair, the ranger scared Jean-Luc first. He was an enormous guy who came around a corner unexpectedly. We weren't able to go in the house, but I took pics through the windows. and around the grounds. Bill and I share a birthday and that is all I would share with him (except maybe his politics). How did a man who perpetually has spittle in the corners of his mouth get so many women to kiss him? Really, what were they thinking? Before heading to my next stop, Marion, I called Max and my dad to find out the addresses of Hazel, Max's mom, my Uncle Bubba, and the cemetery where my mom is buried. They were absolutely no help at all. My dad said that he had never been there (getting old is like being a baby again, everything is a new experience.)

I somehow remembered the name of the street for Hazel, which I pulled from somewhere in the deepest recesses of my…mind. I mean it's been 50 years. So, on to Marion, Arkansas. After my mom passed away, my dad married Maxine shortly after. They took a lot of trips without us kids and we spent quite a lot of time with Max's sister and mother. Hazel, her mother, lived in Marion. I found the house on Cherry Street. See the pictures of the house, which has been abandoned. The house used to be white. We slept on a roll-away bed on the screened porch and I remember doing puzzle after puzzle out there on that porch. Hazel would give us a mini Morton salt shaker and tell us to go find our lunch in the garden. We'd see large, fat, green, polka-dotted caterpillars out there. Behind the garden was nothing until you hit the railroad tracks - now, there are the cutest houses there. Anyway, we'd put pennies on the track and wait for a train to come and squish them. There was a little general store near the tracks where we'd buy licorice and Double Bubble gum. I loved the comics. I learned to tell time and tie my shoes in that house. My brother taught me. I was already 9-10 years old. At the end of the street there is and was a school. Now it is pretty fancy, but from back then alI I really remember is the teeter-totter. That is where my step sister jumped off and I came down hard not knowing there was a wasp nest underneath. My shirt flew up and the swarm of wasps flew in my shirt and stung me so many times. I ran to Hazel screaming and crying. Her cure was to put tobacco in her mouth and spit it out onto each of my stings. I had to lay there for hours. That street is also where Kathy, my step sister got injured badly playing jousting on bicycles with cousins. The broom handle broke off in the spokes and stabbed her shin. Nasty scar. I was able to talk to one of the current residents on Cherry St, Patty. She said that the man who owns the house is "strange." I guess properties in this area are very sought after and everyone in the neighborhood would like to purchase the house to either tear it down or remodel it. Homes in this neighborhood go for "upwards of $300,000." :0)

Finally made it to Memphis and the Graceland RV Park. I jack-knifed my camper and car backing into my spot and dented my car. F**k! Oh well at least I didn't hit someone else's car. Nice guy next door, Travis backed it in for me. Then I couldn't get the ball to release from the hitch. (Those of you who are old enough might remember when dogs just ran around neighborhoods procreating and two dogs would get stuck together and you had to turn the hose on them...that's what this was like.) More neighbors, Sam and his niece, Audrey tried to help, but again Travis to the rescue. Very nice guy on a fishing trip with his son. After settling in - I got very tipsy - well it IS Sunday. I had one very large strawberry margarita and ate my whole bag of popcorn from the Silos. I'll Face Time tomorrow with the grand kids. Not a good idea to Face Time when their grandma is drunk. (Just tired - not enough to eat - and the margarita was HUGE.) :0)