Old photo

Finally. My dad sent me a photo I asked him for. SchnauzerMom gave me the idea. She has a photo that reminded me of one in our family. Hers is here.

This is my dad, he's the littlest one, and his brother and four sisters. One sister, the eldest who's also the tallest, passed on when she was only 69. Throat cancer. We think because she lived in Idaho when some atomic nuclear testing was done and the dust settled in Idaho. There was a lawsuit and some people got some money but they were in a neighboring state. The next eldest sister next to Grandad passed on last year. Alzheimer's. My dad's dad (my grandad) is in the photo on the right. I'm his namesake. My middle name is his. This was taken before or after church. I think before because they all look pretty fresh. My grama, she never went to church. She was Protestant and Grandpa was Catholic. When they married she agreed the future children could be raised Catholic. There was some trouble about it as far as my grandfather's mother not liking my grandmother. I heard that my grandfather's mother once complained, "She (my grama) won't even let me hold my grandbaby." That statement is a good indicator that there were problems. Such a shame religion does that. Grama's father was a minister. I was close to Grama but she never mentioned God to me. If she were here I'd say "Grama, what do you think about God?" I get a bump in my throat just writing about her which surprises me. It's been over 15 years.

So Grandad always took the six children to church and they went every Sunday. Grama got the kids cleaned and shined and polished and ready to go. They all turned out Catholic except for my father, who is agnostic.

The kids all have/had fond memories of Grandad but my sister and I were the last of the grandbabies and I only remember him as a cantankerous old man. He took naps and when he got up he'd sit in his chair and enjoy his pipe - cough and hack like no tomorrow. I guess he enjoyed it!

The only thing he ever asked of my mother was that she be sure my sister and I were baptized in the Catholic church. She did it and we were, but my dad, he's not Catholic. My mom is now, but wasn't then. I do have my dad's rosary beads that Grandad gave him. I want few heirlooms that are handed down, but the beads I definitely wanted. My dad said he never once prayed on them.

I know he's got a prayer in him. He just hasn't let it out.