I went to my mom's this morning, took her a hamburger I grilled yesterday so she'd have something to eat today, and did her bookkeeping. She was pretty emotional today and was remembering those friends of hers who aren't here any more. I reminded her that Steve and I were doing the cemetery thing today and would leave a flag at my dad's grave and at my godfather's grave. She got all choked up. It's hard for her being shut in like she is.
Steve and I went first to the cemetery where my dad is and left a little flag. He served in WWII and was a flight instructor. There's a family tombstone, but his particular marker is on a slope and we have to dig it out every time we go. One of these days I'm going to get industrious and do some landscaping to stop that.
Dad doesn't like for me to linger in cemeteries and would kick my ass for even going in the first place (he wasn't much for that sort of thing.) We cleaned the marker off, set the flag, set one for my grandfather (he was in WWI) and off we went.
We headed on over to Greenwood Cemetery where the annual Memorial Day service was to be held. Attendance was about the same as last year...I was hoping there would be more people.
The temperature hit 93 today so it was hot out there. The service lasts about 40 minutes: there was a speaker who gave brief remarks, Parkway High School AFJROTC participated by doing the presentation of colors, a flag folding ceremony, and escorting the various veterans groups, organizations and auxiliaries as they lay wreaths.
I made my annual stop by the graves of Bose F. Kelley and his brother William. I wrote about them previously, here. I hope their story is preserved somewhere. The Times mentioned them in their write up today, here.
There are always flowers at those graves. Always.
The service was lovely. The Sons of the Confederacy group was there as they were last year:
We headed home and fired up the grill:
And after dinner, sipping on a Spaten Dunkel:
There's probably a rule about drinking Spaten out of a Sam Adams glass, but it's okay. It's all good.
And so it goes.
Dad doesn't like for me to linger in cemeteries and would kick my ass for even going in the first place...
ReplyDeleteNyuk! Good piece, Pat. God rest 'em all.
Phillips, I see. My wife, too. She of the Arkansas hayseed Phillips'.
As to the post above this one, your Mom understands a thing or two. Sure, some folks take it overboard, but when it comes to Barry & Michelle, I don't think that's possible. Definitely the lowest class of folks to ever live in our House. Well, at least when it comes to social propriety...