Mini Vacation! Ahhhhhh!

Mamaw's House

View from the kitchen window.

My room for the night.

Most of my mini vacations consist of staring off into space and visiting the recesses of my mind. After a few seconds, my husband will say, "Welcome back. Did you enjoy the vacation?" This time, I was home alone and decided to actually go somewhere. I joined my sister, Holly, at my maternal grandmother's house where we spent a leisurely afternoon visiting, crafting, eating outside, watching a movie and relaxing. It was a welcome and needed break from the every day. My Mom grew up in this house where my Mamaw moved after she became a widow. She was the single mother of eleven children and raised them all to adulthood. I always remember the wonderful smell of the delicious meals she cooked. I always felt welcome and never left empty handed. I have memories of large family reunions with big tables set up on the lawn. I spent many afternoons swinging on the front porch and visiting with boy "friends" when I was in high school. There was always a big garden out back that yielded wonderful vegetables! Mamaw rarely sat down, it seemed, as she was tending the garden, cooking or keeping house. The porch swing is gone now, replaced by rocking chairs. Daddy bought the house for Mama some years ago and Holly and Troy did most of the renovating, without losing the character of the house. Mama furnished the house with furniture similar to what was there when she lived at home. Presently, it is a guest house for visiting family members and, sometimes, an escape cottage for some of us. The family pictures on the walls remind us of bygone years and the importance of family ties. I stay so busy that I forget that it is there but, after being reminded, I hope to go there more often to create new memories and share old ones with my grands and my precious baby sister!