Calloway-Cousins-Reunion #2 was a huge success!!

As cousins growing up playing at Grandma-in-the-Woods' house in Verbena, AL, it took over 40 years for us to reconnect. But in 2018, we came from all corners of the US to meet up once again and get to know each other as Senior Citizens (well, most of us).

This past weekend in Orange Beach, AL, we met up for our 2nd Calloway Cousin Reunion. It's crazy how 40-50 years can go by and it's almost like time stopped. I actually know them better NOW than I knew them THEN.

We grabbed my 95-year old Dad and drove back in time on the same roads we used to drive when going from Texas to Alabama visiting Grandma......minus the Stuckey's stops along the way! My sister-cousin Sheri and her husband Doug, along with Uncle Ray (Dad's only living sibling and 91 years old) flew in from different parts of CA....our cousin Rob and his wife Sandra flew their own plane from Nashville....and our cousin Heather and her son Will drove in from the other side of FL....along with our cousin Steve and his beautiful fiancé Diana to all meet up in Orange Beach, AL.

I once heard a quote that said, "Some family trees bear an enormous crop of nuts"....and trust me, our Calloway family tree has its fair share of "nuts". But in our case, the nuts all stayed home and the fruit came to the reunion.

Counting down to Calloway Cousin Reunion #3.....Coming Soon......

(Sorry....not sorry....for the explosion of pictures)

#CallowayCousins

I Labored On Labor Day In The Mountains of Fairview

September 4, 2023

 This Labor Day weekend was originally suppose to be a CRAZY FUN weekend with our buds Amy and Craig Keever, biking from their home through the beautiful hills and roads of Arkansas.

But our sweet 16-year old Molly has been feeling a bit "poopy" these past few weeks, so we delayed our biking adventure with the Keever's for a moment down the road.

We chose instead to bike close to home. Fairview. Grabbed the bikes at dawn this morning, loaded them on the bumper and headed out to meet our friend, Barney, at the Trek Store to explore new roads and adventures a spit from our home.

And a 24 cool miles later, we landed back where we began. I won't lie.....I had an e-bike which propelled me when I started hyperventilating from the mountains of Fairview, but my Wayne and 77-year old Barney kicked those smoky mountains of Fairview to the curb. I couldn't have been more proud of those two....and THANKFUL I wasn't them.

I could "feel" the heat from their calves all the way to my fabulous e-bike.....

Tuesdays With Pappo

August 31, 2023

 #TuesdaysWithPappo

Look who drove us to lunch this Thursday??!!! 95 years old.....and we didn't hit a single thing! But we did make a quick stop at the barber shop....seeing as he was starting to look like a "beatnik" ...

beatnik | ˈbētnik |

NOUN

a young person in the 1950s and early 1960s with long hair and belonging to a subculture associated with the beat generation

#tuesdayswithpappo

Tuesdays With Pappo.....On Thursday

 #TuesdaysWithPappo

Awwww....Tuesdays With Pappo.....on Thursday again!!!!

Today my Sister and I sandwiched Dad between us and squeezed real hard until we got this quirky "Ok-Ok....I-Love-Ya'll" smile on his face! It's always fun forcing things out of him!!

And today.....we splurged and drove right on past Braums to Cotton Patch for a bite to eat! After we solved all the problems of living in an Independent Living Center....i.e., "I don't know why all those old people don't want to do anything here!" or "I just want to learn how to sew so I can take up my trousers....but all they want to do is knit!" issues, we grabbed the ticket, which he promptly wrote a kind note to our waitress Zoe on, and headed back to his home where the people are "just too old" (Quick Reminder: He's 95).

These Thursdays with Pappo have been healing for Liz. Being the typical baby of the family, I haven't always gotten along with Dad......but these days of hearing him talk about learning to play hymns on the keyboard or sew up his "britches" or fixing other people's walkers or even how much the ladies like the "kiss on the head", have been highlights of my week that I greatly look forward to.

Dad and I have finally found our "footing" (and I don't mean the web toes footing I inherited from him!).

He's a good man.....and ya, I kinda love him!

#tuesdayswithpappo

The Day The Grasshopper Went To Church

The Day The Grasshopper Went To Church

So there's this song I heard yesterday thanks to our good friend Blair Jones called, "The Mississippi Squirrel Revival". It's sung by funny guy Ray Stevens and goes a little something like this:

"The day the squirrel went berserk

In the First Self-Righteous Church

In that sleepy little town of Pascagoula (Pascagoula)

It was a fight for survival that broke out in revival

They were jumpin' pews and shouting "Hallelujah!"

Yesterday.....my deepest fear was met "head" on!

While sitting in the full-to-capacity pews of First McKinney Church, smack dab in the middle of the sermon, I feel something hit the side of my head. My hand immediately went up to see what it was and I could "feel" what felt like a large bug in my hair. I swatted it away, not knowing whether it was actually a bug or a toddlers pacifier that hit me in the head.

A few minutes go by when I see the man on my right leaning forward whispering something to the young woman in front of him. She immediately gasps and starts to grab the back of her head....but not before he grabbed the back of her head and proceeded to remove a large bug from her hair. The entire pew gasped.....and it was then, that I realized it was the same dang bug that smacked me upside the head a few minutes earlier.

So what does this have to do with my deepest fears?

It - Was - A - GRASSHOPPER.

If you know me, you KNOW this is INDEED my biggest fear. I will kill snakes....I will fight hornets...I will shoot armadillos....but do not let a grasshopper come within 30 feet of me. It's called Orthopterophobia (I Googled it years ago!!) and its REAL!

Of all the cars sitting in a parking lot, they pick MY windshield to sit themselves down on.....its MY helmet that millions of them attach themselves to while on a motorcycle in Wyoming....and of all 750 people occupying space in the pews of First McKinney, they pick MY head to land on.

Some serious "revival" broke out in the First McKinney Church 5th pew from the back yesterday. And I think I know why.....

Satan arrived.

(Revised Version of Song)

"The day the grasshopper went berserk

In the First McKinney Baptist Church

In that sleepy little town of McKinney

It was a fight for survival that broke out in revival

They were jumpin' pews and shouting "Hallelujah!"

https://youtu.be/zitEBFcN6i8

Tuesdays With Pappo

 Tuesdays With Pappo.....on Thursday!!

SURPRISE passenger in my seat as we headed to Keene to see Pappo yesterday!!!

My handsome nephew Lance!

He had built a much needed shelf for Pappo to put on top of his workbench and decided to take the day off and head west with me to install it. Dad was surprised.....Liz had someone to talk to....and new shelf is installed!!

Have I mentioned I used to babysit him when he was a baby?? (Lance...not Pappo) LOL.

#tuesdayswithpappo

The Snake In The Backyard

The Snake In The Backyard

By China Anne McClain

The “Snake Analogy” is a story between two best friends who are painting in the house. When one of them becomes exhausted and needs some fresh air, she grabs her dog and goes outside to the backyard. As soon as she opens the door and exits, she discovers a gigantic snake in the grass. Without saying a word to her best friend, she hurriedly grabs the puppy and runs back inside. When she returns, her best friend suggests, “Oh, you’re back. Let me go out to the backyard for some fresh air as well.”

She says nothing, and the snake bites her best friend when she walks into the yard. “A snake has bitten me, help please,” her friend yells and limps back into the house. She approaches her and says, “Oh, I saw the snake, sorry I didn’t warn you!” The one who has been bitten by the snake looks at the other in disbelief, saying, “Are you really my friend, do you even love me?!?”

“Why Spread The Gospel?”

After telling the story, China compared it to why followers of Jesus are passionate about sharing the Gospel.

“It’s because we love you. I am not forcing you and forcing it down your throat. I’m just warning you of the dangers,” she said.

She further talked about how it didn’t make sense if she didn’t warn people about the snake in the backyard. She “loves and cares for people “that’s why she spreads the Gospel.

“I know God is real, whether people believe it or not,” China added.

Don’t worry, China. We believe you!

https://www.tiktok.com/@brandonbrown22/video/6983795302146903301?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7250077455939372590

By Liz Etheridge Sekerke

This is the best analogy I've ever heard on why it's hard for us, as Christians, to not warn others about that dang snake in our backyard.

I killed many snakes while living at the lake. Was I scared? Yep. But I was MORE afraid of not seeing them.....not recognizing them as they blended in with my landscape....and worrying about my family accidentally stepping on one because they weren't looking for it. I would never think of not warning those that visited of the possibility of clever lethal snakes in our backyard. They were there. They were ALWAYS there.

Satan is that snake, friends. He is clever....he blends in with your life....and he wants nothing more than to bite you, hurt you and eventually kill you. He is the most dangerous thing you could get bit by.

Be aware he exists everywhere....in your school.....in your job.....in your family....and in your friends.....and his only job is to kill you.

And that's why I warn you....not because I want to preach to you....but because I love you.

Tuesdays With Pappo: "Helping Me Celebrate 63 Years"

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 Tuesdays With Pappo on Wednesday!!!

Helping me celebrate almost 63 years…..