Tomatoes, Testimony Cake, Jokes, and Zinnias

Here on Craig Drive, friends drop by to visit all the time--and each one brings something special.

Whenever the doorbell used to ring, my daddy's stock jokey thing to say was, "Hide the pie!"--and he said it in earshot of whoever was standing at the back door, always unlocked for them to walk right in.   Then he'd go to the door and hug whoever was there and they'd come in laughing as if looking around for the invisible pie.  He and Carlene are always happy to see people at the back door.  I'm not sure if the front door works or not--as nobody ever uses it.

Yesterday morning when Carlene and I got back from our tea run at the QT, we found a bag of tomatoes by the back door.  "Those are from Joe," she said.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Joe returned and we visited in the den. I loved hearing him tell stories about growing up and living his whole life in Lawrenceville and nearby Lilburn.  His daddy was head of the draft committee, and "that was before anybody wanted to avoid the draft."  But after young Joe had served his time and his daddy hoped he'd make a career of the military, Joe had to tell him the truth that was hard to say: that he "didn't like the military all that much."

The very next day, Joe's father died. All these sixty years later, Joe's eyes were teary telling the story (and ours were hearing it.) When he tells us that he got to kiss him on the forehead just before he died, you know that memory is as fresh as yesterday.

He told about all the years he and his late-wife Dottie (Nellie's beloved Sister-Mom) used to travel together. "One thing we learned," he said, "Is that if you see something you like, you better stop and see it because you might not get another chance."

I wondered how he's faring now that he's alone.  He starts every day at "the club," he said--"the club" being McDonalds where he meets with his buddies for a couple of hours to catch up on whatever's happening around town. What he didn't say--but what other people tell about him--is that he's quite a philanthropist.

In the afternoon, we had visits from three of Carlene's closest friends, Margaret, Mary and Marlene.

I knew Margaret would bring food.  She brought her chocolate "Testimony cake" and a bouquet of zinnias.  The Testimony cake is so named because she, a Southern Baptist, had to come up with a reason to be in the liquor store when she shops for vodka and Kahlua for her cake.  "If the preacher or somebody from church sees me coming out of the liquor store, I'll just have to tell them I'm in there to give my testimony!" she says with a grin.

Mary brings jokes.  She could have her own comedy show!

I love visiting with Mary and Marlene because they both knew my daddy.  Tomorrow will be the 12-year anniversary of his death, but he's still alive in the many friends who loved him.

Marlene always tells me I look just like him.

Mary likes to tell me about how he'd call her up and say, "Carlene's gone now, Mary, you can come on down!"

Betty is coming over today and we are going to the beautiful North Georgia mountains for a day or two.  I better get dressed so I can hide the pie before she gets here!