A couple of weeks after Ma's September 2nd birthday, we made the annual trip for a visit. I could just hear her.
"You visit people you don't know, but you don't visit me."
I had to laugh because it was true. In May Teague and I went on a cemetery hop to Watertown to look for a relative of hers, and the last week of August while on our trip to New Hampshire, I talked Teague into visiting the grave of actor, Claude Rains. To make matters worse, I posted the story about Claude Rains on Ma's birthday, September 2.
"Now, Ma, we visit you at least 4 times during the year. We visit sometime between Easter and Mother's Day, around your wedding anniversary on the Fourth of July, around your birthday in September, and shortly after Thanksgiving before the snow flies to bring you a wreath for Christmas.
You are never forgotten. Besides, I never bring flowers to the people I don't know."
I pulled a rose from Ma's bouquet for Dad.
After visiting the cemetery, we stopped at the Cracker Barrel Restaurant for breakfast. I had their version of an Arnold Palmer which is half ice tea and half lemonade. I think they held a tea bag over the glass.
It was still unseasonably warm so no roaring fire in the gas fireplace. (No complaints from me on the hot weather, but Andy had been whining about it. 🎃)
Country kitsch on the walls so you can feel the love.
No matter what time of day you visit, you can get breakfast. I had scrambled eggs, bacon, fried apples, biscuits and gravy, and what I love most about breakfast at Cracker Barrel are the grits. Himself ordered deep fried pickles as an appetizer, but pickles early in the morning are not for me. He thoughtfully ordered beignets. There was also lots of food to take home, too.
No visit is complete without stopping in their gift shop. I was hoping to find some cool Halloween stuff. I mean it was only the middle of September and there was a disappointing table of Halloween stuff.
There wasn't a lot of Fall/Autumn stuff either.
The rest of the store was brimming with Christmas displays. Three months before Christmas! I only took this picture because the hedgehogs reminded me of Tiggy, my friend from Scotland.
Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.
My mother isn't happy with me because my brother and I thought that her death date year would be put on her tombstone automatically. We thought that because when we had the funeral the director told us we were all set with the cemetery. We misunderstood that comment. I finally went in June and saw that it wasn't on there and I haven't taken care of that yet. So you are a much much better daughter than I am. Have a happy T day CJ. It's chilly here this morning but at least there's sun.
ReplyDeleteYou did your best, and your mom knows that. She might not admit it, but she knows. 😉
DeleteIsn't it strange that there's always such a rush to encourage Christmas shopping? Well, not strange, really, as it's all to do with profit. It's sad, though, to rush through the seasons in such a way.
ReplyDeleteThe holidays don't seem very special anymore and Christmas lasts 6 months
DeleteI saw Halloween stuff in July or August. I don’t know anything about Cracker Barrel but they definitely are not alone in the Christmas sales rush.
ReplyDeleteI think you are very attentive to your parents’ memory.
best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Well, the time will be coming soon when we won't be able to make it out to the cemetery. So we try to go as often as we can now
DeleteI agree! Christmas does seem 6 months long! LOL
ReplyDeleteAnd by the time it rolls around one is sick of it. At least I am
DeleteI haven´t visited my parent´s grave in years but I have pictures of them here,and in my heart.
ReplyDeleteGack, yes, we have Christmas-stuff since weeks here, too. Poor kids. Christmas lost it´s magic....
Yeah, it's sad the holidays don't have as much glitter as they did when we were kids and each holiday was celebrated alone and not months before
DeletePlus side: The Nieces don´t want any presents. They have Christmas for so long it makes no sense no more. We live in weird times.
DeleteP.S: Did I mention I love your background?
ReplyDelete😊
DeleteI love this, cousin. And I also love it when I can hear my mom's voice, even when she is reprimanding or calling attention to something she would take issue with in life. And Cracker Barrel is always a comforting happy place for me as well, and my mom also loved it! I love the vintage candy.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one that hears voices
DeleteFabulous annual trip and your Cracker Barrel breakfast looks so yummy 😊. It's been a long time since we visited this restaurant chain, but I do remember the shop up front packed with interesting goodies. Wishing you a very Happy T Day! Hugs, Jo x
ReplyDeleteThe shop sometimes has unusual stuff
DeleteLOVE me some Cracker Barrel... Sadly i don't have one anywhere near by... Enjoy the food and love to walk through the store...Once in awhile i find something to buy... Love to have a rocking chair of theirs...lol We are not far from hubs parent's graves but he has no desire to visit them... I ask him every year or two if he wants to go ... and nope... I think its nice you visit and bring flowers... Hugs! deb
ReplyDeleteIf I didn't visit the folks, Ma would haunt me every time I go on a Head Stoning jaunt 🎃
DeleteI remember in England they also start early (as in September) with the Christmas displays. Usually in the Garden Centres. I don't know what sort of store is Cracker Barrel.
ReplyDeleteBtw I also like wandering around cemeteries and looking at graves of people I don't know.
Happy T-Day,
Lisca
Cracker Barrel is a restaurant chain. The restaurants also have a small gift shop to browse through
DeleteChristmas seems to start earlier and earlier doesn't it.
ReplyDeleteOur local garden centre does have some very enticing displays though!
All the best Jan
Please be aware, this message is copied and pasted for all T Tuesday visitors who visited on Tuesday. I had to bring most of my herbs inside because we were having a hard freeze Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. In the process, I damaged my left hand. My neighbor wanted to take me to Emergency Care, but I knew they could not help and I would have a large bill that I really could not afford. I still cannot move my left hand without it causing pain. However, I knew I had to thank you for visiting this last Tuesday. Most messages will be rather short, so please forgive me.
ReplyDeleteI had a dual stone set for my grands when my grandmother died. My grandfather would often go out to visit the grave. When he died nine months later, I had the man who created the stone add his death date to it. It was all part of the package I bought from him.
There is no Cracker Barrel in Wichita, but I have been to their store in Newton, a town about 25 miles north. I HATE grits. You can have mine (grin).
Loved how you described their Arnold Palmer. Thanks for sharing it and your breakfast, as well as your cemetery trip with is for T this last Tuesday, dear CJ.
Thanks