Sistas

I never had any brothers before I married Mark and inherited several. I grew up in a household full of women. My daddy was outnumbered. Now I realize why he spent so much time in the garage! I'm not kidding! 

There are three of us - my oldest sister is Glenine. She is named after our daddy - Glenn (that is where our son gets his name!). I'm not sure why my parents felt the need to make up a name. I wish they were alive so I could ask them. I've never met another Glenine in my life. Glenine spent a large part of her early life at the Crippled Children's clinic - I just googled it. Interesting read!!  I just assumed it was part of Children's hospital or even a precursor but it was a separate place - or maybe a part?  It was in the same area where all our major teaching hospital facility is today.  Glenine was five years old when Becky was born. I've been told that Becky didn't talk until she was three years old. She evidently just pointed and grunted at everyone.  Glenine was 13 and Becky was 8 when I was born. I believe I came out of the womb talking. Supposedly, my first word was boy. What can I say? I'm still talking.

All three of us had to share a room in our little two bedroom one bath house. Glenine moved out when I was really young though and daddy added on a bedroom so Becky and I each had our own room. We still only had one bathroom - with no shower - only a bathtub.

When I was a Sophomore in high school, our mom died. Becky was still single and living at home at that time and we became very close and have remained close.  Our dad worked for the railroad so he wasn't home at night and we burglar proofed our house with chairs against the door and brooms and who knows what else.  We were crazy.  Our children are the same age - just weeks apart so we've always been able to talk about discipline, eating habits, pooping habits (ha!) and everything else that goes along with parenting.  I was married briefly to someone other than Mark -- way back a million years ago and Becky was there for me through my divorce. Fast forward 32 years and Becky lived through a horrible divorce and I tried to be there for her. We are close because we've lived through a lot of stuff together. Glenine's children are closer in age to me than Glenine and I are (that doesn't make sense, does it?).  Her son is 7 years younger than I am and her daughter is 8 years younger than I am.  She has three beautiful granddaughters and her oldest granddaughter is older than my kids. We seem to have been at different stages of life at totally different times.

Glenine's husband of 50 years died back in the late spring. He had dementia and had been in a nursing home for quite some time. She is grieving.  The above picture was taken at a memorial picnic for her husband. We are the three sistas.

The picnic was at Camp Sumatanga -- one of the places where I feel God's presence the most.

It was an old-fashioned get together where everyone brought a covered dish.  I even got a new recipe that day from my first cousin's daughter-in-law and have made it twice since then!  Even though it was a solemn occasion, we enjoyed visiting with some of our first cousins on our daddy's side of the family. One of the younger generation asked why we didn't do this more often.

This is the view of the lake at camp. Can't you see why I feel God's presence there?

I saw a quote recently - "How do people make it through life without a sister?"  I guess I'm blessed - I have two.