Baby Brother

Joe & family, Me, Pam, Chris, Tammy, Kara

Mom's son made it home this weekend! The one of whom I told you earlier that she sits down every Sun. afternoon to write a letter even though I have emailed him all the family news, called him & now since this visit, I even can talk to him through skype (that's something they brought me for Christmas) along with a priceless new book. Joe is coming, Joe is coming was the theme all week after he had emailed me earlier in the week that barring some unforeseen weather condition or any other type of breakdown, they would be arriving Sat. morning along with their daughter, Morgan & her hubby, Tom.  My grandson, Chris, & his wife, Pam, who also live in Columbia cam home to celebrate Pam's birthday. Let the fun begin!

Joe came along almost 10 years after I arrived, so let us say, I had it made for the first ten. An only child with all the amenities that affords. But, I desperately wanted a sibling. Most of my cousins had them as well as my neighbors, many of whom had several children & I have always loved a crowd! I wasn't born until dad & mom had been wed for 5 years, so I suspect brother was a surprise, maybe not, but when I have questioned mom about that, she still blushes. Four children, 6 grandchildren & 2 great grandchildren later, she has never uttered the 3 letter word S-E-X in my presence. I don't think I even realized he was going to be here until she was quite far along in pregnancy & my paternal grandmother took me aside & tried to soothe the perceived shock; however, I was "tickled to death" as they say. He arrived in October of 1954 & dad & granddad Montgomery slipped me in to the hospital in Poplar Bluff to see him by telling the nurse's that I was 14. In those days, people just didn't roam hospital halls. There were rules. I suspect, however, that most could tell the diff  between a 9 & a 14 year old; nurse's are sharp - that's what Joe now is, an RN. 

Imogene had her son! I know now more of how Mary felt when she looked at the face of her newborn (am I exaggerating, family)? Actually, his name is Realey Joe; the name Realey Joe comes from dad's side somewhere & Joe is our maternal grandfather's name.  For the first couple of years, Joe wasn't very healthy & we attributed it to being "colicky". but then, a beloved sis-in-law of mom's, Aunt Thelma, insisted that he be taken to the "cussing" doc, Dr. Herbert, in Cape, & he straightened the matter up. Joe was anemic. Joe had beautiful blonde curls, (what happened, bro), was a smallish child, both of us were "stutterers" as kids, he never gave school his best, he was/is a natural born comedian, he is a Montgomery to the bone, (those of you who know Loyd - he's a lot like him). We would always have to say the poems up front at the Christmas programs which were at least 4 stanzas long, can be a difficult thing for those who stutter,(thankfully we grew out of it as adults for the most part). 

Bro tells lots of funny stories regarding me babysitting him during summer vacations; some of which have a grain of truth in them. I admit I was prone to send him off to the neighbors to play early in the a.m. & tell him not to return until shortly before dad & mom were due to arrive. The neighbors had several children, so what was one more in my way of thinking? Besides, in the day, they played outside. That way, I could read my Modern Screens & Photoplays that I had to keep hidden from mom. One time, a dog bit Joe on the leg while he was playing with these kids;  OMG!  I thought I would probably be shipped to Arkansas to live with my grandmother - I think dad intervened. I was always a daddy's girl!  Also, he shared my space in the front room during the summer on the pallet in front of the screen door where it was much cooler plus that's where we kept the window fan. I also told dad one time that Joe was the one who had switched the knob on his radio; we weren't supposed to touch it! Dad had it on the station where the Cardinals played when he turned it on, he wanted to hear Harry Carey's voice & NOT have to search for the station. When they were working, I would listen to music, then turn it back - oops, one time I forgot!  Poor Joe! 

Since I married at a young age, he got to be with our parents several years as an only child; maybe that's why he's so spoiled, Barb (his wife is also a Barb)! Just teasing; my kids always were/are crazy about Uncle Joe; he opened his home & heart to them when he moved away, became a dad by adopting 2 princesses, Morgan & Emma, went back to school & became an RN specializing in dialysis. He has spoken at conferences about this disease all over the nation (remember, I said he USED to stutter - isn't God good); I suspect he was motivated to do this after watching our dad suffer with this disease for many years & we lost dad to kidney failure in 1977 at the age of 57. 

About Thursday of this past week, that being grocery day, mom begins, Sis, Joe's coming home, what are we going to have? You know he loves blackberry cobbler & ribs. We've had this conversation hundreds of times, so I just smile. What are you going to have for them when they get here Saturday at noon?  What about Sunday? These questions to a woman who has done this many times before. I had brought home what I thought was a brilliant idea, some homemade tamales with all the fixins' for Sat. noon & Sat. night was covered because we were celebrating Pam's birthday at Dexter BBQ. They were in a brown paper bag in the fridge. Imogene finds it & can't figure out what in the world that "stuff" is that is covered in "wet corn husks"; try explaining that to someone who is almost deaf who thinks her only son should be fed a meal similar to one like inmates receive as their last requested one on this side of eternity, except she wants you to keep the budget on Always Save prices! Joe isn't picky, always does justice to whatever is served, is very complimentary to the cook. He & Barb assisted me prepare lunch yesterday for the gang. Guess what? We served ribs, steak, slaw, potato salad, baked beans, rolls, blackberry cobbler. There was a little bit left on the stove & after everyone had left, mom said, was there plenty?  I teasingly smiled at her & said, mom, everyone got to eat except Joe!

When we were all together on Saturday night, Joey was teasing his younger cousin telling her that since he (Joey) has produced a son, she was out of the loop so to speak. He was going to inherit all. She does love her Joey. He's way up there on the totem pole. If the name Joe is in it, it's a given for Imogene; Joe, Joey, Joe Christopher, Tanner Joe. Joe jokingly says that when we are together & someone announces, Joe, it's time to go, half the crowd leaves!  The rest of us fit in somewhere underneath there, & that's just fine, we don't mind. There's plenty of love to go around. 

Little brother, have I told you lately how grateful I am for you, your love, life, contributions, encouragement, advice, counsel, help & handout/s to my family, etc. your priceless choice of a wife, those beautiful daughters, your anticipated granddaughter, all your help to the patients who you have served over these many years, your understanding during this difficult time of caretaking of our precious, beloved mother, our journey through "thick & thin", sometimes rugged, many times sweet, filled with laughter & tears. When I was frantically calling you for advice regarding Ken as he was dying, I felt such peace, because I knew you, too, loved him unconditionally, & you said, let him go. We love him too much to see him hooked to tubes, machines, suffering needlessly, give him back to the One who gave him to us. We still recall him with such sweet, wonderful memories when Joe comes home. 

One day, someone may have to call Joe home for either sis or mom. When that happens, make it a sweet trip of fond memories, recalling all the great times that we have all shared at the Avert farm, (just think if we had kept that until now & let Nestle Corp. buy it - oh, well), Aquilla place, now at North Prairie. It's an exciting event when we know the Gumby's are headed this way! Preparation, planning, excitement, we get to be together, catch up! Guess what, little brother? That's what it's going to be like in eternity - all the ribs & cobbler we want!  Even if you're bald & in good shape, I love you bunches!  Thanks, mom, for giving me a little brother, & to dad for his part in the contribution.  (And to the Mizes & all the others for their part in his raising)    Sis  ♥♥♥