August Birthdays

There are 4 generations around of a family that was rather large to start with, so it seems there are quite a few birthdays every month. I don't even know the birthdays of all the great-nieces & nephews, and the great-greats.

For August, my sister-in-law Lucile turned 80 on the 1st. It was fun to read on Kathryn's blog how she selected a gift for her grandmother - an electronic "brag book." It is a small electronic frame and you can load pictures into it. Kathryn's biggest difficulty was in convincing the sales people that an 80-year-old woman could learn to use an electronic device without on-going assistance.

Tomorrow - August 16 - is my half-brother Paul's 82nd birthday. He is Lucile's husband. Some of their children and grandchildren and great-greatchildren attended a combined birthday celebration on the 3rd.

And on the 8th & 9th, there was another type of celebration. Paul & Lucile, my half-sister Lois and her son Steve, and my brother Tommy arrived in town. Tommy & Lois timed their visit with Paul's, as we don't often have the opportunity to get together. Paul's main purpose for the trip was to attend his high school reunion (he graduated 64 years ago!).

My sister Mildred (Middy) - at whose home we congregated - and Lois & Steve & I went to a small cemetery on Saturday afternoon. The cemetery is not very well cared for. The grass appeared to have been cut for Memorial Day - and no more since. Our mother (Lois, Middy & I) is buried in that cemetery; also our maternal grandparents; Lois's father & paternal grandparents and uncle; several of our maternal aunts & uncles are buried there; also our (half)brother LeRoy is buried there (he was Lois's full brother); he passed away 8 years ago, and is probably the last person buried in that cemetery. Also, a small child - Lucille - sister to LeRoy, Lois & Paul - is buried there.

Our main mission to the cemetery, though, was to dig out the yucca on Roy's (Lois's father) grave. Of course, we couldn't get all the roots, so it will grow back again. I tried spraying it with Round-up once, but it didn't do a thing. I'm thinking that perhaps if, in the future sometime, we just cut the crowns of the yucca off and spray the exposed cut roots with round-up, that might do the trick.

We had a good time together, but it wasn't long enough.

And there is still another birthday coming up this month - on the 25th, my great-grandson, Gavin, will be 6 years old! I haven't seen him since before he was 2. I hope to have an opportunity to see him next summer, along with his two little half-sisters, Briana & Keely, whom I've never seen.

Addendum - just discovered more August birthdays! My niece Melody will be 37 on the 18th of August, and her daughter Kitiara will be 16 on August 31.