Down Memory Lane

Tomorrow (Monday) my sister and I are taking our mama to  visit her oldest and dearest friend as well as tour the county just south of where we live now and where I did a lot of my growing up.     Not only am I a true child of the South, but we grew up in Lowndes County, which is smack dab in the middle of the Bible belt and well known in the history books as having played a major role in the civil rights movement of the 1960’s.     I was witness to the march from Selma to Montgomery, saw Viola Luzzio’s car where it landed off Highway 80 after she had been shot while driving a civil rights worker back to Montgomery (her body had been removed by the time our school bus passed by the next morning); remember our bus being escorted by the National Guard when the first black students boarded our bus for their first day at school in Hayneville, Alabama, and many other events of that era.     

My mother’s parents relocated to Lowndes County in the 1940’s from North Carolina after 3 of their sons were stationed in Alabama.     They remained there until the 1970’s when my uncle (who never married) and grandfather moved back to North Carolina.    My grandmother has passed away the night man walked on the moon!    My mama and daddy got married in the “parlor” of my grandparents home and I have many fond memories of growing up on their farm.     It has passed through at least 2 different families since my uncle sold Canaan Farm (as it was named) and it bears very little resemblance to the time my grandparents lived there.    My grandmother and uncle worked the grounds until they were a true showplace….today there is no evidence of their hard work short of a few trees that still remain.     The inside of the home was gutted and has lost a lot of it’s original charm as it was “modernized” to fit each family’s needs.     However, driving up in the yard brings back many many memories for me.

I previously posted about our last trip to Lowndes County here.    Since my mom turned 92 she has a hard time getting around.     I’ve been anxious to take her back for a visit as I’m afraid it won’t be long before she is unable to get out for another excursion there.      She is very excited about seeing all the familiar sights and visiting with her friend.     

Do you ever take trips down memory lane?