Blog only photos

I finally downloaded photos off out point and shoot camara and found a few gems.

Harper drunk on milk:

Harper riding a cow at the Manchester, IN library:

Harper with Aunt Laura:

Bertie Boone Sams

My remembrances

Many of the funeral stories were of Bertie’s mother. Maude, known as Mami, lived 99 years. I met her on two occasions. While Bertie was shy and liked to observe, Mami and the other “B’s” as the sisters were known, are notorious for their sharp wit. Mami discouraged her children from sneaking into her closet by telling them, “You know there are dead people in there.”

My father, Charles, remembers being dropped off at his grandmother’s house for a weekend and having Mami say in a somber voice, “Charles, you know they aren’t ever coming back.”

Bertie and Glen raised Charles in Asheville while the rest of his cousins grew-up in rural North Carolina. He remembers Maude asking him to go milk the cows while visiting and he replied, “I don’t do that. I’m a city boy.”

I also heard a number of stories of corporal punishment. Maude was known to switch her children for misbehaving. Bethel told me that she received the most whippings because she was the worst. She said this to me with the Boone twinkle in her eye.

Birma is a family historian and gossip and at the reception regaled the entire family with the story of her father, Lewis, who ran logging camps across the South. Through the Great Depression he and Maude kept the family fed, clothed, and shod with logging, and an extensive farm. Lewis was a keeper of fox hounds and loved to spend nights out fox hunting, which seemed more like an excuse to tromp into the mountains, build a huge fire, and tell lies with the men and their sons. I don’ t think a fox was ever disturbed from its slumber by Lewis’s skinny fox hounds, but I know all the men enjoyed their nights outside listening to the braying.

Almost all of my sorrow during the weekend was caused by the surety that could have known better. But her passing allowed me to meet a dozen relations for the first time.

Her official obituary:

Bertie Boone Sams , 91, of Asheville, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday July 21, 2010.

Bertie was born December 24, 1919 in Madison County, NC. She was the daughter of the late Maude and Lewis Boone of Madison County.
Surviving are her husband, Glen W. Sams of Asheville; her son Charles Sams of Atlanta, Ga., and daughter Samantha (Norma) Salvadorini of Lexington, NC.
Bertie has four sisters, Bonnie Gosnell of Marshall, Bethel Ammons of Weaverville, Beulah Brown of Shelby, Birma Sawyer of Swannanoa, and brothers Wayne and Ernest Boone.

Bertie has three grandchildren, Lisa Salvadorini Cascardo of New York, Kimberly Salvadorini of New York and Diana McSpadden of Williamsburg, VA. Bertie has one great grandson Miikko Salvadornini and one great granddaughter Harper Todd.

Bertie spent much of her time working for the Clerk of the Court for Bumcombe County. Bertie was a member of the West Asheville Baptist Church and the Chapter of the Eastern Star.

Those desiring to make a memorial contribution are encouraged to consider the Alzheimer’s Association – Western Carolina Chapter 3800 Shamrock Drive, Charlotte, NC 28215

Thank you Aunt Samantha for the remembrance

Quick Trip to Asheville

My paternal grandmother (Chuck's mother for those of you in the know of my complex family tree) passed away this last week. I am in Asheville for the services. I am also meeting family for the first time. Saturday morning finds me in a condo catching-up on work and watching the Tour de France with my newly discovered uncle David.

Last night I was regaled by the story of my great-great uncle "Maul" (my best spelling of heavily accented Appalachian ole-world English pronunciation) who murdered a competing suitor, was sent to prison, escaped from prison and hid under his mother's porch while his father was out with a posse searching for his escaped convict son. Maul ended up moving across the state and starting a large family of his own with a woman who hadn't roused his blood lust. My grandfather Glen's response to the story, "Guess he needed killin."

My greatest sorrow on this trip is that this is my first time getting to know many of these relatives, and hearing these stories. I will post more about my grandmother, Bertie Sams, after the services this afternoon.

On the plus side her immune system is getting stronger

Poor Harper. Heat rash started last week. Followed by a UTI diagnosed Monday at urgent care. (Watching a little one get cath'ed is no 4th of July treat). And now she was diagnosed with Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease which is making its rounds at Montessori.

Antibiotics. Ibuprofen. Liquid diet.

Next week we get to decide if we want to subject our daughter to a very strongly recommended voiding cysto cystogram. Parents not happy. Harper not happy.

Lily is also strangely scared of our floor fan.