Thursday's Memories

Good morning, ya'll. Come on in for a fresh cup of coffee. I had to make another pot for my sweet and lovable husband got up before I did and drank all but 2 cups. Now by this time ya'll know I cannot rev my motor on 2 cups of coffee. I have to have at least 3 and sometimes that is not enough to get my caffeine for the day. At my age it takes a good bit of the stuff to jump start the body.

It is a tad chilly today and going to get down right cold tonight. Don't mind though for I'll just snuggle up to my sweetheart and he'll keep me warm. Our cat is a good bedfellow and besides the warmth he sings you to sleep with his purring. Gotcha! You thought I was talking about Roy didn't you?

Looking forward to next week for we are going to the beach. This is the closest we can get to heaven here on earth, as far as we are concerned and it brings back lots of great childhood memories. Our family would go to Gulf Shores, AL most summers for a week and a great time was had by all.

We funded this trip with the money we made selling peaches from our peach orchard. We would pick them, pack them and sell them for not a lot. I can't remember what we charged, but I know it was not as much as I pay now. They were really good peaches for our daddy grew them and if he grew it, it was always good.

After the peach season and using the peach money, off to Gulf Shores we would go. We stayed at a little motel or travel inn run by Mrs. Lolley. I can't remember the name of the place but it was about 2 miles from the beach back on the canal or inter coastal waterway. It was not fancy, but it was clean and had room for 5 and Mrs. Lolley always had 1 or 2 loaves of homemade bread waiting on us. She only did this for her favorite customers and we always looked forward to it.

The small, cement block cabin painted a faded pink was wonderful. It would have that fresh-cleaned smell plus the salty air of the beach. To me that smell was stupendous and I still think it is. We would immediately hurry to unload the car, for we brought all our food with us except for the fresh shrimp we would buy from a shrimper for the "big feast."

As soon as we had it all unloaded and in place, we began to beg to go to the beach! Bathing suits on, towels in our hands and ready to go we would jump up and down waiting on mama and daddy. They would take forever to get ready but finally we piled in the car and headed for the beach and it was always the best day of our year to see the water, waves and sand. We would run, jump, swim, make sand castles, collect shells and play in the water until dark and had to leave.

By then we were starving to death so back to the cabin for tomato sandwiches with tomatoes we brought from home and usually mama's pound cake. This was great but then we had to go to the bumper cars and miniature golf course. Daddy would have a cigar in his mouth driving a bumper car and would like look a smoking speed demon as he tried to hit everyone in his way. We would laugh, scream and drive like crazy trying to get away from him. This was a daddy we seldom saw and we loved every minute of it. Mama would stand at the railing laughing her head off. She wouldn't ride but she had a great time watching us.

As we grew to our teen years, we would go to the Hangout. I am attaching a link so you can see what it looked like then. We have watched and danced many hours at the Hangout and when I would carry a "boyfriend" with me, we would dance the night away - until 10:00 that is. That was my curfew and beach or not, that was a cardinal rule, not to be broken. But a lot of dancing could be done before that time plus walks on the beach in the moonlight, drinking cokes and watching the other couples dance. Of course I was being chaperoned by 2 younger brothers who kept a sharp eye on their big sister and would report all events back to THE PARENTS. There is nothing like little brothers to hinder activities.

This was always a wonderful week for us. Even the year after I was married and I ate too many boiled shrimp and was a little sick - a lot sick. Didn't eat any shrimp for a while after that, but that feeling is long gone and I look forward to eating some fresh shrimp and oysters next week. Those memories are like a jewel in my jewelry box of memories. The long ride, crossing the bridge of the inter coastal highway, smelling the salt water, greeting Mrs. Lolley, the first view of the beach, the sunburns, the bumper cars, and the Hangout.

It didn't take much to make us happy and I will cherish these memories until I can't remember any more.

Nuff said,

The Georgia Peach