Elvis - A Lighted Candle

[73smile]

I had a wonderful day that I want to share with my ELC family.
Each year at this time Walter and I go for a barbecue at my brother, Don's, son's home.
It is not a fancy affair but instead a time to bring a dish to pass, walk through the woods, eat and then chat with friends and relatives we do not see often enough.
This is what made it special for me: As many of you know my mother and my father had 10 sons and 5 daughters and that dad died in 1960 when I was 8 going on 9.
Don, who is now the oldest and who was born the same year as Elvis, and Victor who is just 71 were there. Don, who has Parkinson's was feeling stronger today and he asked me to pull my chair over between his and Victor's chair. Don then asked Victor if he remembered where mother and dad lived in 1945-1947 and Victor said yes.
Don asked " Did you know that dad dug up the grass in the front of the house and planted the first victory garden in St. Clair County and Victor did not remember that and it was another story about my dad that Don and Victor are filling in blank spots for me. Then Don and Victor told the story of dad making his own lawn roller by putting a steel rod through a barrel and then filling it with cement and knocking the barrel off and attaching a steel handle once the cement had cured for two days and Don's son still uses the grass roller 50 years after dad made it. These rollers were made for ground that was just seeded and then the roller protected the just planted seeds from the birds and I was able to have a memory of dad and to take a photo of Don and Victor standing together near the roller.
Many people in my birth family are not demonstrative and the older group has more reservation or is more reserved than the younger group but when Don and his wife, Marjorie, had to leave, Don said he hoped to share more stories with me and he hugged me tight and told me he loved me.
When we took Victor home he asked for one of my 'big hugs' that I give to people I love.
I thought of Elvis today when the breeze at one point chased a cloud away because it recalled, for me, the cloud in the desert experience Elvis had.
I was thinking about his name and I thought E=his absolute enormous trust for his fellow man, L= the loving heart that helped to hold and then to release the beauty of the songs that he sang, V=valiant. He, in my lifetime, has been the most courage filled man who took a huge risk with his music that has and that continues today to touch so very many people. I= Irenic because of the favoring Elvis had toward peace and conciliation and S= for all of the spiritual paths that he has brought so many of us to walk in the light with him to the One above.
Victor took Walter and me up to the cemetary where my youngest brother, who killed himself on February the 21st, is buried now that the stone and the Veteran's marker and flowers have been planted and all is completed. Next to his grave stone is a large stone with the name Presley carved in large letters.
That gave me pause to think about Elvis and my youngest brother both.
A very full day but one filled with love that helps always when making memories. Quite a day filled with wonder, with love and with some new information.
73smile

[Wanda June Hill]

Thank you Marjorie for sharing your day with us. Some of us don't have relatives living or maybe close enough to visit either- it was very nice and a loving feeling to share the experiences of your loved ones...and in a special place too! Maybe as people get older, they learn to be more demonstrative of their true heart feelings... my family wasn't that way either- and I had to learn as well. Elvis helped me a lot in that way and he wasn't aware of it, I don't think...but one couldn't be sure about that guy and what he just "knew" with that instinctive heart of his.
Bye, wjh

[MaryInTheMorning]

My thanks to you also dear Marjorie for sharing your beautiful and special day with us!! I fall in the category of people that our dear Wanda mentioned above as not having any realtives nearby to visit so it was especially nice for me to read about your wonderful day!! Sweet Wanda how right you are about our dearest Elvis and his beautiful instinctive heart!!

[73smile]

Walter and I are hoping to take a trip back to Memphis in November and I think the train from our area stops in Chicago, Maryinthemorning! Once we have the route mapped out---it will be the second week of November---after the fall elections because we want to be home to vote---I will let you know the time and where it will be in windy Chicago---a new city I have never been to.
Besides. We are family here and we all need to remember that no matter what else ever happens that it is here that unconditional love resides in all of our hearts for each other.
always with love,
73smile

[Rainbow Light]

Thank you, dear Marjorie, for sharing your special day with us all! Many of my relatives live far away all over England so it's not possible to meet as often as we'd like so it's really lovely to read all about the day with your family! Many thanks for sharing! It would be wonderful if you could stop over and maybe get to meet Mari on your way down to Memphis in the Fall, a lovely idea!

[73smile]

When we map out a route I will PM Mari to see where she is exactly and have the route people help us to choose a trip where I hope we can stop and meet Mari at least. I think this will be our last trip to Elvis' precious home and it will be a special trip, too, because on the 30th of July Walter and I will celebrate our "official" 25 year anniversary. We have been together over 28 years but the actual ceremony in the log cabin at the museum in Port Huron was July the 30th of 1983.
There is a funny story that goes along with that evening but it can wait awhile.
73smile

[FairyTale]

73mile you are very Fortuntate to have Family thats near you, As far as my Family goes they are all if there are any at all left back in Missouri. So thats why I Cherish My ELC Family so Very Much, my other Wish is if we here could some how all meet at GraceLand Together. Wouldn't that be Wonderful? FairyTale!

[MaryInTheMorning]

We are family here and we all need to remember that no matter what else ever happens that it is here that unconditional love resides in all of our hearts for each other.

A BIG AMEN to your beautiful sentiments above Marjorie my dear angel!! I TOTALLY agree with what sweet Sue said about how it would be absolutely wonderful for me, my husband and daughter to meet up with you and your dear Walter here in Chicago if all goes as planned with your trip to Memphis in November my sweet friend!!! I'll be looking forward to your pm to me once you have your route mapped out and more of the details finalized hon!! Sweet FairyTale I agree that it would be so wonderful if we could all somehow meet up at Elvis' beloved home Graceland!! I can just picture that wonderful smile on his handsome face, and him filled with such happiness at the sight of such a gathering of love as he goes around welcoming everybody with his special hugs and sweet little baby kisses!!

[73smile]

That would be so excellent if as many of us as possible could meet at Graceland and not at a time like Birthday Week or during Elvis Week.
I think Elvis would be there and watching over us all because he KNOWS we love him so unconditionally!
It was one of the best purchase Elvis ever made----buying Graceland for his mama because it is beautiful and not at all like a mansion but instead a house that was a home when Elvis was in it. I am so glad that Elvis kept Graceland when Gladys died. It had to be really, really hard for him to go back there but he wanted to be where he had loving memories of his mama and his daddy and him when they were still just a family of thress.
73smile

[MaryInTheMorning]

I so agree with so dear Marjorie that Graceland definitely was one of the best purchases that Elvis ever made and how very hard it truly must have been for him to back there after he got out of the Army without his much beloved mama there to greet him. Every time I see a picture of Graceland, I don't see a "mansion" due to its enormous size, but I see a big home due to all of the GENUINE LOVE that Elvis brought into it and filled it up with!! That to me is what makes it seem so big......the HUGE HEART OF LOVE that resided inside that belonged to a sweet, good lookin' little country boy!!!

[Rainbow Light]

I so agree with so dear Marjorie that Graceland definitely was one of the best purchases that Elvis ever made and how very hard it truly must have been for him to back there after he got out of the Army without his much beloved mama there to greet him. Every time I see a picture of Graceland, I don't see a "mansion" due to its enormous size, but I see a big home due to all of the GENUINE LOVE that Elvis brought into it and filled it up with!! That to me is what makes it seem so big......the HUGE HEART OF LOVE that resided inside that belonged to a sweet, good lookin' little country boy!!!

100% agreed, dear Mari! Your photos posted are beautiful, specially love the one of our dearest man at the piano!

[MaryInTheMorning]

Thank you so much for saying that you agree with me Sue my dear angel, and you are more than welcome for the pictures I posted. I'm so glad you liked them, and I especially like the one of our special guy at the piano too!

[Rainbow Light]

[FairyTale]

I wish that Elvis would have played the Piano More, then the Guitar Great Picture's!

[MaryInTheMorning]

Glad you liked the pictures too dear FairyTale!