Our family church, St. Mary's. We lived just a block away and walked to church on Sunday's. You go behind the church, down the alley and down through their backyard to my Aunt Barb's house. We walked to church when we visited and stayed with her too!
This is my elementary school, Andrew Jackson Elementary. It's still in use and still looks exactly the same. I'm sure the kids who were outside thought I was nuts! A middle-aged lady standing up in a sunroof taking pictures!
The road leading to Jackson Elementary is still made of brick and still well maintained. It made me very nostalgic! I used to walk to school in my little jumpers and saddle shoes *sniff*
The leaves definitely decked themselves out in their best colors! They were much appreciated. I don't know when i've saw such beautiful fall sights......
The beautiful Appalachian Mountains!
I got to see my nephew Rob and meet his little girl Hannah. I was his surrogate mother when he was in elementary and middle school. I always went to his school functions and took him trick-or-treating, made easter baskets etc. He cried when we left.
The "Switzer girls" and our beloved Dad whom we call "Pop". That's me, Gail, Bonnie and Kathy and that is in chronological age order also. Anybody care to guess which on drives the *snort* LUXURY Chrysler 300? Hehehe.....
Despite going up for such a sad reason we sure did enjoy ourselves and had some awesome family time.
Aunt Barb looked as good as a dead person could look. She suffered at the end and I was so glad she was finally, finally not suffering anymore. Still it broke my heart to see her laying in the casket. I kept expecting her to sit up and yell "OH Hell you don't REALLY think i'm DEAD do you?". She was something else. Something special. They played Elvis songs at her funeral and she was buried in her pajamas. That should tell you something about her right there!
I can't tell you how many shopping hours we logged together. If my Mom would nix something I wanted (usually because it was too expensive and this was before I was old enough to have a job) Aunt Barb would always sneak back and buy it for me saying "It's our secret" - as if my Mom wouldn't notice but she never said a word.
Even when she was diagnosed with cancer she'd grab her oxygen tank and they'd come down to South Carolina. She didn't let anything stop her. She saw Madison more than some people who live right down here did! She loved Stacy too, got the biggest kick out of him and she would make "whoopie pies" for him. A very labor-intensive treat originating with the amish people. She was just so so so special. I know she knew how much she meant to me - I was never shy about telling her and i'm so glad I did. I never missed a chance to give her as many hugs and kisses as I could. She was last down here before Christmas last year, she wore a crazy pink hat because she had lost her hair to chemo but she nevet let it get her down. She never said "Why me?", never complained. Ever. Ever.
I hope I can be half the woman she was.
Aunt Barb, I love you and I will miss you like crazy the rest of my life......
