Life has changed a lot for me this last two years.  When we sold the farm in TN and moved to Florida for good, my life took a big turn.  I was no longer as active out side as we moved into a condo style home where most of the yard work is done by the association and any changes you want to make in your home has to be approved by the HOA.  This is great for keeping the value of your home but leaves very little for us to do outside.  We got approval and updated the inside until now there is nothing more to do inside  What next?  Norman took over the cleaning inside and do the cooking—– I turned to knitting and crocheting and Norman does a lot of reading.  That leaves lots of time to think.  We don’t travel except for the two cruises we take each year so that means lots of TV time.  I got very interested in politics and how the Government  works.  It was an interesting time to do this but an awful time also.  I have always been a democrat but my husband and sister have always been a republican.  My mother and father were hard and fast republicans and my mother’s father was a republican and active in State politics.  My brother was the only democrat on my side and he died 7 years ago so when this last election came I got too involved.  My husband felt the same as I did about Trump.  How could he not?  I made him listen to all the news stories and everything Trump was saying so come election time he voted with me for only the second time in his life but my sister stayed with the republican ticket.  I had to do a lot of thinking then and I remembered what my father taught me.  He said for the season before the election you could be a republican or a democrat.  You should learn all you can and decide for yourself what you believe and want in a president, but after the election there should be no republican or democrat— only Americans.  Thinking about that I realized he was not a hard republican as my mother and her father had been but a free thinker liked Uncle Web had been and just a great American.  I thought  Trump is taking away too much from me already and no way would I let him take my sister away from me also — so I am now an American and I never talk or think about politics when I visit with my sister and am very happy again.

This week I started organizing some of my family pictures and memorabilia, among them were the poems from my mother.  My mother wrote poems about every thing in her life.  She also saved some original poems written my her father and others in the family.  One poem I found gave me insight into how my Grandfather thought. Here it is

OH! HAPPY DAY.

Four score & more years I”ve  spent here       Serving my country & man,

Now I may sit down & ponder     And do the few jobs that I can.  (This is when I knew him)

I’ve been blessed with two good women   Four daughters have I sired

Many & good are my grandchildren      All that I ever desired.

My oldest grandson I taught at my knee    And he even carries my name   (my brother)

I’ve showed him a list of his forebears  Who’ve carried their banners with fame.

He’d lean on my knee & say “Grandpa   Let’s talk—–you and me.”

I’d tell him of Hoover and Coolidge      And that glorious G. O. P.

Where I failed, I can not imagine    For he fought for his country and well,

But a part of his training was lacking     And that is what I must tell.

He said that he was for Roosevelt   And that much I could accept,

But when he followed   Truman    I could have sat down and wept.

Now he is the same little  grandson,       The one I held on my knee,

But somewhere his eyes were blinded      Certainly, he could not see.

I sit and wait for his coming,       I know he’ll turn back to me.

And say:  “Oh, Grandpa, let’s talk again

I’ve good news for you, you see.

My eyes have been opened      And I can see

The truth of the lessons      You taught to me.

With Nixon as President        And Lodge as his aide,

Our country will prosper      Our fortunes be made.

No more you need worry     But happy you”ll be,

For I have returned           To the G.O.P”            written by Warren C Brown

Warren C Brown was my grandfather.  He collected stamps for 83 for his 91 years of life and he swore he would not put Roosevelt stamps in his collection but when Roosevelt died and we had all of those beautiful stamps with Roosevelt on them he had to decide to either give in and include them in his collection or give up stamp  collecting.  The stamps won out but he swore he would give up stamp collecting before he put a Truman stamp in his books.    He never had to, he died in the early 60’s.   I still could not understand how he could reconcile the G.O.P. ideas with right and wrong.  He had accepted Roosevelt but I didn’t realize he did not accept Roosevelt’s ideas until I found another poem in his collection.

Right now I must run and cook so will tell you this poem tomorrow.  Have a great day!!