Our community gets together every Memorial Day to clean up our cemetary. Because we live in the desert and water is scarce, it is not lush and green like most city cemetaries. We have an abundance of weeds to clear out. And, it is not a large cemetary maintained by a mortuary but overseen and cared for by families who have loved ones buried there and other community members. We begin at 6 AM and 2 hours later the work is complete. The local VFW comes and presents a ceremony complete with flag-raising, memorial recitations for serviceman buried there, a 21-gun salute, and taps. Then, the annual breakfast of ham, eggs, and pancakes, cooked on a grill and served there at the cemetary. This has been a tradition for more than 30 years. We always have a large group participate from very young children to almost-ready-for-the-grave seniors. It is a time of remembrance and story telling. We showed our 
granddaughters all of their ancestors and relatives buried there and where Rod and I will someday rest.Then it was back to our house where Derek & Christy, Michael & Michelle, Riley and Rod went paintballing in our field. Reports were given of a grand battle. After the first round, Christy and Michelle bowed out and then the real battles began. The cousins enjoyed each others company and the women visited and took turns taking care of the twins. Our afternoon meal was cooked by Riley on his smoker/grill. Nothing tastes better than mesquite-grilled burgers. And I made homemade butter pecan icecream complete with fresh pecans grown, picked and shelled by Rod's mother. YUMMMMMM! Billy's parents came to enjoy the day with us.
In the evening, after most of the crowd left, the stragglers played a few games of "Spinner" which is a dominoes game, and "Aggravation". Our game times can get quite animated and vocal. Then, at 7:30, we had to say "good-bye" to Margo who had to get back to Flagstaff - a 5 hour trip. It was so nice having her here for 10 days. We'll see her again in a month when she comes to stay for 3 weeks!!!
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1 comment:
At least you had some weather that allowed you outside!! We were stuck inside with rain!! Don't get me wrong I love the rain, but we also would have needed a sweatshirt because the temp was so low!!! Crazy!!
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