Good Folks (or Sweet Home, Alabama--post for July 20, 2010)

When Tim and I left Savannah, we were still not sure about which route we were going to take to New Orleans. One set of directions sent us south, then west, the other west, then south. When we closely examined the two routes, we found that the west then south choice would take us much closer to Troy, Alabama, where many of my dads' side of the family lives. All along, we had intended to stop and visit, but our time was running short. I wrestled with the decision. In fact I had decided not to go to Troy, then changed my mind. I'm so glad I did.

Aunt Frances is my dad's oldest sister. Their father died when she was six years old. Evelyn Cox, my granny, had five children under the age of six--Frances, Booty, Johnny, Pat, and Mary. Aunt Frances told me that Granny prayed every day that she could keep the children together--that the girls wouldn't have to go live with an aunt in Mississippi or the boys with someone else (I can't remember who she told me.) Aunt Frances told me she remembers telling her mother she should get a new coat--the one she had was worn through. Instead Granny said, "I'd rather one of y'all get something new." Aunt Frances told me she didn't understand it at the time, but she did now.

I got updates about cousins and second cousins I hadn't heard from or about in over 20 years. As Aunt Frances, Uncle Jonesy, Cousin Marion and Jimmy, Tim, and I talked, we tried to figure out the last time we were all together in Panama City Beach for a family reunion. None of us could remember exactly, but we had it around 20 years.

Jimmy graciously drove all of us to Mossy Grove Schoolhouse Restaurant where we all ate catfish. The meal started with some Great Northern Beans (I almost asked why they were eating "Yankee" beans, but I refrained.) When Aunt Frances introduced us to the waitress as her guests, it just kind of slipped that we were Yankees, but then she softened the blow by saying we weren't really Yankees, but we were from St. Louis. It was funny. After dinner, we got a tour of Troy--where they get their hair fixed, where they go to church, parts of the university in town--Troy University, where Uncle Jonesy practiced dentistry, then by Cousin Allen's law practice. His vehicle was out front so we stopped to see if he was there. (He could have been at a meeting, riding with someone else.) Marion stood at the door and knocked, waiting for some time before Cousin Allen came to the door. As we waited, Aunt Frances said about Allen, (imagine the deep Southern drawl)"Well, he probably thinks she's (Marion) come to deliver the message in person that I've passed." We all cracked up laughing! Allen came out to the car to visit, and inevitably, the conversation turned to the Crimson Tide. Allen confessed that he was not working but reading about a possible scandal in the "Tider Insider." We chatted a few more minutes, then went back to the house. It was almost 8:00 and we were still going to try to get to Mobile that evening, so we left shortly after we got back. I don't know when I'll ever get back to Troy, but I'm glad I did on this evening. As Tim said as we pulled away, "They're good folks." Yes, yes, they are.