Although I felt many times like an 'only' child, I did have two older brothers. Brother Ray was born in 1922; Brother Jimmy was born in 1930; and I was born in 1942. Even though my brothers were alot older---and were grown and gone before I was old enough to realize the age differences, I still looked up to both of them--and missed them when they were gone.
Unfortunately, we lost Jimmy in 1985--when he lost his battle with cancer. Daddy had died in 1969 and Mom died in 1991. Ray and I are the only two members of our immediate family who are still alive. And Ray is not in very good health himself.
I always enjoy my visits to Jacksonville to see my brother. We will visit him this year in August. He lost his wife (my sister-in-law, Evelyn) in September of 2007 --and misses her terribly. They had moved to Westminster Retirement Community several years ago--and had worked their way from owning an apartment there to assisted living and eventually to the skilled nursing facility (which is where Ray still is).
Ray has three grown children (which I will feature in another blog) ---who visit him fairly regularly although all of them live a long ways from Jacksonville. The picture above is Ray and me---taken about 1945. There is one more picture below.
This picture was taken in September of 2007. Ray looks more and more like our Dad --as he gets older. Bless his heart! Please pray for him!
Hope you are continuing to have a fabulous holiday weekend.
Hugs,
P.S. The Brown Thrashers fledged sometime YESTERDAY---and even though I had checked on them several times, I missed it!!! Oh Well. (I really don't think they would have fledged if I had have been out there watching. Brown Thrashers are very private birds!!!)
They are now high in one of the many trees in the empty lot next door. I cannot see them---but I've seen the parents going back and forth into the lot several times.. I will keep an eye out for them. Maybe Mom/Dad will bring them to the suet feeder when they are a little older!!!!