Memorial Day

One year ago on Memorial Day we did not know that we had only 19 days left with Dubbie in his "Earth suit".  For his memorial service Muffin and Kaki spent hours preparing the memory slide show you see to the right side of this post. Over the past two months Muffin and I gathered many of those photos into a book. My new Macbook and it's software successfully restored old photos and created lovely pages of eighty eight years of memories, overlaid like multicolored leaves fallen from trees shading a house, the House of Allen. We added the text of Psalm 91, a page from his favorite hymnal, and a few words of blessing and dedication, sending it off for printing and publication. To say I was pleased with the final product is an understatement. I just wept with joy, and some sadness too when the Dubbie book arrived.

Today we asked Nannie to come to our house to view new blog posts and photos of the Cheese folks and Rowdy family, since she has no internet connection. She insisted on buying lunch from Taco Bueno and enjoyed that and her viewing time.  Then we gave her THE book.  It was totally precious, just watching her turn the pages and see the photos, reading the verses of the Psalm as she first turned forward, then backward through the gallery.  

Muffin and I also took Nannie to Dubbie's gravesite and placed a flag on the veteran's marker. He deserved the honor. There were hundreds of small flags flying out there today. Afterward, we drove to the small town cemetery where Nannie's relatives are buried. Flags were already in place and fresh flowers were lovingly placed by a cousin last week. Nannie told a few stories about those resting in the ground. My Aunt and Uncle lie on the north side, with a barbed wire and bandana wreath and a spur. Next to them are Nannie's grandparents who died in 1910 and 1923. He was the original "W.C." in the family, and she was the small, ornery lady who's rocking chair I own. It is said that she thought "damnyankees" was one word. On the south side of the plot my grandparents rest side by side; Buck and Drucie. Muffin cleaned back the overgrown grass from the marble markers reading "Mother" and "Dad" from the foot of their joint graves. 

On the way back it began to rain quite hard and the fabulous smell of the Holy Spirit was in the air. It's good to remember on Memorial Day. Not just history, but that He makes all things new.