New River Gorge Bridge

The New River Gorge Bridge is located in Fayette County in West Virginia. It is the world's second largest single span steel arch bridge. Spanning the gorge at over 876 feet. This picture is taken from a bit beneath the bridge. It is only legal to walk on the bridge once a year on the third Saturday in October when you are able to watch Base jumpers leap off. It is the site of the largest single day festival in West Virginia. We discovered it quite by accident when we were in West Virginia to visit a realitive. The bridge officially opened on October 22, 1977 after three years of construction. It is the longest steel arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere with a 1,700 foot span. It is the second hightes bridge in the U.S. at 876 feet. The bridge lenght is 3,030 feet. The deck width is 69 feet, 4 inches. Total weight is 88 million pounds. It is totaly awesome.

My thoughts on Father's Day

I have always had a little trouble with Father's Day. I remember growing up and going to the store to look for a Father's Day Card. I would search and search for one that was appropriate for my dad. I could never find one because they all expounded about how wonderful to have a dad like you, the joy from being loved, the confidence that comes from being believed in, the sense of security that comes from knowing you're there if I need you. I never felt any of these things from my dad so I just ended up getting a card that said "Wishing you a happy Father's Day". I think my dad would love to have shown all these attributes if he had known how to. He was never taught how to show real love. His mother died when he was only eighteen months old and he was raised by a stepmother who did the best that she could having had two children of her own. My dad was born July 25th 1909. My mother was born October 25th 1910. They were married on April 16th 1927 when he was 18 and she was 17. Then followed first born son born June 5th 1928. Second born son January 9th 1930. Third born son September 8th 1932. Fourth born son January 13th 1937 died January 19th 1937. First born daughter November 28th 1939 and fifth born son September 25 th 1941. Most of my memories of my dad was of him being drunk. That is not to say that he didn't have times of being sober he did but they were few. When he was drunk he was mean. But when he was sober we had so much fun and we would do things like go camping and fishing and drive to the mountains. As I get older the bad times seem to fade and the good times seem more predominate. But when I think of Father's Day I think of my brothers who where really my father figure they didn't let the alcoholism past down to them and control their lives although a couple of them struggled with it. Each of my brothers as well as myself have managed to live productive lives and produce children and grandchildren who have graduated college and gone on to be people we are proud of.
So I suppose I have written all of this just to say that I am so proud of my brothers. They have always been there for me, each in his own way and I do love them for it. Some may think it is tough being the only girl in a family of four brothers....well you are right. They hold me to such high esteem that I have to watch every move that I make. They don't like to think that I could say anything that would be unlady like. But I can. They think that everything I do is perfect. But its not. I am a real person who has many flaws but my brothers don't think that I do and I love them for it. It keeps me on my toes. So this Father's Day I want to honor my brothers...Charles who is in heaven, Bill who I grow to love more each day, Ben Jr. who has always had my heart. and Joe who is so refreshing and makes me laugh.
Happy Father's Day My Brothers. and remember....not all our memories are good ones, but the good ones are the ones we want to remember. And our daddy loved us as much as he was capable of loving.
I love you,
your sister

A wedding on the Holston River

Wow, I just have to talk about the wedding of Josh and Cynthia Maples. I am what you might call a wedding director (using the term loosely) I am one of the wedding directors at my church where everything is done the same way for all weddings. Sometimes I step out on my own and direct weddings for friends and family. That is what I did last week for my adoptive nephew.....I will explain adoptive later. It was a very warm evening in East Tennessee 98 degrees to be exact and we were on the banks of the beautiful Holston River For the wedding of Josh & Cynthia. I have to tell you that these two young people are remarkable. They were so laid back and so much in love that they were not thinking of themselves. They just wanted their guest to have fun and share in the beginning of their life together. They got married in front of an ivy covered arbor with the Holston River and our wonderful mountains in the background. They were all barefoot including the bride, with the men wearing linen drawstring pants and white linen shirts. Both the bride and groom only had two attendendant's who were their best friends . I have to say they made me proud. I have known Josh from birth. And now I need to explain adoptive. Josh's family owns the company that I work for. I have been working there thirty four years. There is a brother and two sisters (the father has passed).
and one sister has retired. Which leaves one sister and one brother but there are other cousins. So on my 60Th birthday, which was eight years ago they decided to adopt me. We didn't go through the court but I do have a certificate making me an official cousin.
Now back to the bride and groom. What a gracious couple. It makes be believe in young people again. In 98 degree weather not one complaint from either one of them. Their attendant's were so pleasant to work with and I can't say enough about the groomsman who seated everyone with such poise and laughter in the overpowering heat. I was one of the last to leave along with with the mother of the groom. As we looked out over the beautiful landscape, the river running as it has for centuries and the mountains in the background we said "this is good". The two people who started their new life together tonight gives us hope for our future.

Tomorrow is Debbie's birthday. She is my brothers first born and I remember so vividly the day they brought her home from the hospital. I thought she was the prettiest baby I had ever seen. I was twelve years old at the time and thought, now I had a real live baby doll to play with. And we did. Play that is. By the time I was married she was a teenager and I did not have my daughter yet so Debbie was still my baby doll. I use to take her shopping for clothes and one summer I took her for her first trip to the beach. When she came home her hair was several shades lighter. We told her parents it was from the sun but it was from a peroxide bottle. I have never seen the true color of her hair since. I won't divulge Debbie's age but I am twelve years older than she and I am sixty eight so you figure it out. Through the years she has taught me a lot. She is one of the most crafty people that I know. When my daughter was pregnant with my granddaughter Debbie smocked her baptistmal dress. It is an heirloom and it came so easy for her. I ask her to teach me to smock and she did but my dresses never looked like hers. I hope that I have taught her some lessons of life....I have tried to do that by example. I know that she is one of the strongest women I have ever met and I hope some of that came from me. We have both had our ups and downs just as everyone else does living this life but our motto is " You can go to bed and cover your head but we might be missing something" So when I had the dream to start this business it was only natural that the person I thought of to jump into it with me was Debbie. I could not do it without her. She stays on task until it is done. I tend to wander, dreaming of the next thing I want to create. We are so very much alike but the rolls have changed a bit. It is almost like she has become the eldest telling me that I need to just stay on track and complete the task. She will say "Evelyn (she has never called me aunt Evelyn as the other niece's and nephews have) you have got to calm down and not go off on something else until we have this done". Somehow I always comply if only for a short while. Tonight we talked about her birthday and me being 12 years older. She said" we have to hurry and make it in this business we don't have much time left". I said...... We Will.

So I say, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY " to my Neice, my Partner, my Friend.

Aunt Evelyn