I’ve always been told that parents should not have a favorite child, and that is true for me. But I must admit to having a favorite parent! My father, Lawrence Bradley, was the kindest, gentlest, and yet most capable and intelligent man I knew. He could build things, such as a new barn, and repair … [Read more…]
Yesterday I attended the funeral of my mother’s youngest sibling, Wallace Ralph, age 86. He died of Covid-19, complicated by pneumonia. He left behind his wife of 66 years, Jackie, and three precious adult children, plus grandchildren. And a lot of excellent cigars, which he loved. He moved around quite a bit after getting married … [Read more…]
My mother, Mary Onezima Ralph Bradley, was the fourth of nine children and her brother, Luther David Ralph, Jr., was just 18 months older than she was. On December 18, Steve and I drove to his home in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, to celebrate his 100th birthday. I wrote the following memories that I printed out for … [Read more…]
My 75th birthday started off with a bang, driving to Hendersonville, Tennessee, for lunch with my dad’s cousin, Judy, who is only three months younger than I am. We had a delightful lunch at Cafe Rakka, a great Mediterranean restaurant. Then to Nashville to meet our granddaughter, Kinley, a freshman at Lipscomb University, for the … [Read more…]
Throughout my lifetime, we have used cardboard boxes for storage and transporting. We think nothing of the origin of those, usually corrugated, sturdy boxes. But last week I realized that it wasn’t that common even as recently as my mother’s early life in the forties. My aunt Deba gave me this stool, made from a … [Read more…]
What a beautiful, sunny day to celebrate the life of my dear Aunt Juanita! Our trip to Goodlettsville, Tennessee, was uneventful and quick. We were there for the visitation and then the funeral. At the visitation, I renewed acquaintance with many cousins and enjoyed talking to eight of my NINE aunts and uncles. Uncle L.D., … [Read more…]
I knew this Queen as Aunt Juanita, for whom I was named (and for my Aunt Lola.) She was born Vivette Juanita Ralph on a farm named Vertical Plains near Goodlettsville, Tennessee, and married Tom Gilliam Hawkins not long before I was born. She was the second oldest of nine children, but was the oldest … [Read more…]
Every Thursday I have the privilege of hosting several young mothers as they come to eat breakfast and study the Bible together. Their children play in our basement, supervised by adults who are commissioned only to keep them from hurting themselves or others. Generally, they play together well. As I look over their options for … [Read more…]
What does “family” mean to you? At Central, we talk a lot about our church family, and we treasure those connections. Of course we are closer to most of the people there than we are to some of our “kinfolk.” The definition of family in Wikipedia (I know—not always a reliable source) is pretty funny: … [Read more…]
Last weekend we enjoyed a most unusual Christmas gift–two days at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Oaks (Friday) and the Kentucky Derby (Saturday.) Our four children (one by birth, one by adoption, two by marriage) accompanied us and we all crammed into Josh’s car for the drive from Fort Thomas to Louisville. Each couple took … [Read more…]
