We had an uneventful trip up Friday as we traveled through the mountains into the back side of Roanoke and then up I-81 to Bridgewater, Va. where we got on a back road and stopped in the Mennonite town of Dayton. We spent an hour or more visiting their shops and made several purchases of fresh baked breads and sweet rolls, jerky, cards and napkins as well a towels and calendars. What a nice place all under roof and air conditioned as it got rather hot in the valley after a cold start from the cabin. We left there close to 4'ish and traveled through the town of Harrisonburg and up to Edinburg where we met a dear friend from my days of working for her family at the farm market. She was just a wee girl of about 4 or so when I came into her life and we have stayed in touch and now more so over the past couple years. She has a grown son but no grand children and runs a museum next to the New Market battle field. Her family has always made the best apple butter and she now blesses me with a couple pints jars of it yearly. We reciprocated with home made black raspberry jelly to her delight. It was a grand visit and we caught up on all who I remembered in her family. She lost her younger sister due to health reasons a year or so ago who was also adopted as was she.
We met up with sister Dee and husband Mike who treated up to supper at the the local famous Southern Kitchen which specializes in fried chicken and needless to say I picked the bones clean. We all had the same and it was delicious to say the least. We made a Food Lion stop on the way to Woodstock and picked up some pies for the homecoming meal on Sunday after the church service which we would attend with all three of the sisters and their husbands as well as Paw Paw. He is quite frail and not in the best of health at 91. We met a fellow who is 97 and is in so much better shape than Paw Paw. I would have guessed his age in the 80's but he was up and down in the church pew as well as anyone. He ran the local Four Corners bar and grill for years which initially was a beer joint. I've heard beer is great for controlling your cholesterol and if that's true he is a walking symbol. We had a great service with their old pastor from 25 years ago giving the message as well as communion. It was very inspiring and the church was packed with overflow into the choir section which no longer has a choir. Everyone treated us very friendly and the same pastor at St.John's also covers this parish as well.
Saturday morning Mike blessed us with a delicious breakfast of omelets made to order and along with sourdough bread, apple butter and sweet rolls it was a filling meal until our buffet supper at the the reunion in Winchester at 6'ish. The facility was huge and very busy with an outside area showcasing a live band as well as a sports bar like look inside on the first floor. Our banquet was on the second floor of this warehouse turned eatery. We noticed several dressed to the nines and some wearing shorts and flip flops on the first floor. We were casual in our attire as were most except for a few jackets and ties. The food I thought was very well prepared and plentiful; Nancy had some tummy issues with the spicy green beans and real roasted taters and the gravy but they were perfect for me. We each had a glass of the fruit of the vine while I mingled, hugged some necks and saw lots of old people many of which I did not recognize.
There were a few we keep in touch with on FB so that made it easier. We have lost about a third of the class and several have never attended any of the reunions but we had probably close to 75 or so there. Many were widows and widowers as well. It was an enjoyable time and i'm glad I went. We initially had 211 who graduated in 1964 and now are planning a picnic each year in September but I'll probably skip that and look forward to the next one at the 60th reunion if I'm still around. I sure hate to be around so many who have let their health go as it was seen in their physical appearance, oh well, I've been blessed with growing up on the farm despite all the hard times but eating fresh grown vegetables and meat we have processed ourselves. We ate very little meat from the grocery store as we slaughtered 5 hogs every Thanksgiving day for as long as I can remember.
Well the trip back on Monday was uneventful as we left around 8:30 and made a couple stops to walk every hour and half or so and then we stopped in Galax to shop at the super Walmart for a few goodies before heading back to the cabin. It was around 2'ish when we pulled in and unloaded . We could tell there had been no rain since last week so I drug out the hose and hand watered everything. The deer had just about ruined the back yard gardens as they trampled what they did not eat but I did harvest a couple cucumbers and a few small tomato's which were delicious. The bell peppers have one set but the jalapeno's have a couple as well as tons of little ones. We took off on a hike around 4'ish which was perfect as the road across the mountain was in the shade. We saw no one on top before heading back down to the cabin. Nancy's foot seems to be alright since the blister and the hike was perfect as we both have been rather sedentary since leaving the mountain except for one walk in Dee's hood with their dog on Saturday morning.
We want to thank all of those who gave congrats on FB for our 40th anniversary of being together. Its been a smooth road and I can not complain with two awesome kids and now soon to be 7 grand kids. We have been blessed and we have never forgot to honor our Creator daily and tried to live our lives according to the precepts Jesus set forth in his Word, LATER
The two gals are Mary and Myra from the class with Mary's husband. Nancy only took a couple.
