Adventure rides with the kiddies....and cemeteries

One of the things John and I always did before we had our own kids was spend as much time as we could with our nieces and nephews. It was time well spent. While we were all in Corsicana together, we'd take them on adventure rides to see what we could find. There was always a horse just around a corner and of course down the road from Gran's was the cemetery. We never rode through the cemetery with the small children so as not to scare the crap out of them. Because I remembered what it was like when I was young....and the scariest kid that ever lived....and I didn't want to cause them any trauma by driving them through the dead people's house.

But when I was little and visiting in Corsicana, I recall one time my Aunt Mollie went to tend to the family plot in the Catholic cemetery in town....and, I stupidly went with her. Well, we'd been there for awhile and I was exhausted from keeping my eye on each and every headstone in that place and it was getting near the dusk side of the day and I was getting near the hysterical side of, "Crazy old lady it's getting dark and we are in a cemetery!!!!" Now of course I didn't say this to her real face but I was giving her shooting glances between not taking my eyes off of the headstones and even so she seemed unaffected by all the deadness and not the least bit interested or afraid that in my small, tiny, frightened brain that the INSTANT darkness overtook a cemetery, dead things reached up OUT OF THE GRAVE and pulled small children in with them. It was fact! I'm certain Dale told me so.

Well sure enough when she finally finished the manicuring of the family plot, it was time to go home and....as God as my witness....when we got in the car it wouldn't start! GADZOOKS!! We were done for! Well, just before I fainted, I clasped my tiny hands in a quick fervent prayer for Jesus to save me from all the deadies that I knew were coming specifically for me and then I don't remember what happened after that. When I awoke, the car had started and shockingly all the dead people had stayed put. It was one of the closest calls in my short life.

OK. I didn't really faint but it was STILL a close call. And the car did start after we prayed. And surprisingly the next day there was no report in the paper of any missing people...dead or alive. WHEW!! Someday soon I'll have to tell the story of going upstairs by myself at Mollie's huge 2 story house. Neither she nor Nina ever seemed to be afraid not one second in that place. I never understood it.

Anyway, back to the pictures...

Kiddies were always assured of some driving time.


No matter how young...I hope John's just out of the frame...


Austin and John hanging out on the side of the road.


Carmalita


A cow


Austino


Meredif


Austin petting the horsey. One time when Slade was on a ride with us, John gave Slade some grass and then picked him up to feed the grass to the horse and I remember Slade looking at John as if he were thinking, "Come on man you know he's gonna eat the grass and then me!" And he let out this nervous little laugh, "Heh heh heh." I can still remember the sound of his laughter in my head. I'm happy to report, the horse did not eat Slade.


Carmen's turn


He didn't eat her either.


John diggin bulbs as Austin explores.


Carmen, John and Austin


John still diggin and Austin still looking


Tiny road crew


I love this picture of Austin and Carmen


Meredith has spied something of concern.


And so has Austin.


And there it is....the cemetery.

Now, while I can't really say I've "grown up," I can say that although I still wouldn't want to hang out in a cemetery after dark, I'm no longer afraid of them at all, but it was a long time coming.