I was thinking about my Aunt Alpha today. She was my mom’s oldest sister and when she got married she moved away to Alaska and never came back. She came home for visits, but they settled in Anchorage, my Uncle Bob had a great business there. They raised their 3 boys there and they all still call Alaska home. It takes a hearty breed of person to live there.
My Aunt Alpha was that hearty person. She was my fluffy, happy, always smiling, aunt. Her smile and her laugh were contagious and she rarely could be serious. She usually broke into a fit of giggles while trying. The truth be told, she was my mama’s favorite sister, not her only favorite sister, but one of them. Mama loves all of her brothers and sisters but Aunt Alpha and her had a special bond. My parents lived in Alaska before I was born and my siblings lived there too. I got to go there for a visit when I was about 5 and I still remember it. We went to the Anchorage zoo and I saw Binky the polar bear. He has an interesting story. I also saw Annabelle the elephant who painted pictures. I remember driving to Alaska with my Aunt Alpha and my mama. We drove from NM to Anchorage and part of that was along the Alcan trail. We rode along in a gold El Camino and listened to the Statler Brothers. I still remember the words to “Counting Flowers on the Wall”. I remember visiting a family that was huge. They had a little girl who was my age but she couldn’t really play because she wore braces on her legs. Aunt Alpha had these beautiful flowers in hanging baskets on her back porch.
My Aunt Alpha loved to entertain and cook. I remember having things at her house or when she would come to visit that I had never had before and have never had since. One of my favorites was her fried apples and sausage. Mama would make the biscuits and Aunt Alpha would make the fried apples in a big old iron skillet. So good. Then we would cook up Jimmy Dean sausage to have with them. Daddy always ate the hot but regular was hot enough for me.
Good memories of Aunt Alpha and Uncle Bob rushed into my brain today. I really don’t know why but I was glad for them. Glad to have them pour over me. Aunt Alpha had several scares with losing her life and God preformed miracles upon miracles in her life. Miracles of healing. She really lived a good, long, full life, but she was taken way too soon for us. Uncle Bob died about a year later. I was so glad that my mama and daddy and my sister got to go see them before they died. I really wish I had been able to take that trip too. I wish all of us had been able to go.
I’m glad for the memories that God poured over me today though. There is a baby cradle up in Berry’s room. That cradle was made by my Uncle Bob’s daddy. Each time I see it I am reminded of love. What a wonderful way to honor them and their life!
Sweet memory!!!