Monday, December 1, 2008

It's snowing in Alabama!


Hard to believe, but at 10:30 am there are huge flakes of snow falling. Very pretty! Think it's about over, though. Will probably be melted soon. (Added-in the time it took me to do this post, the snow stopped and melted, lol! That is snow is Alabama!)

I wanted to share several things today. One is the lovely arrangement my friends at work got for me. Isn't it beautiful! I was very touched by their thoughtfulness. There are several plants, including a mini-rose that I will place outside next spring opposite one that my dd's gave me several years ago and then I will have a remembrance growing of my Dad and my friends. The arrangement will make a nice holiday decoration, too, with the lovely pink poinsetta.

Also, wanted to share some photos of my Dad. The oldest photo is one of my Mom and Dad sitting on the glider outside my grandparent's home when they were dating I think. They married in January of 1959.


This is my Dad in a photo taken when he went to work at Monsanto back in the late sixties. I sometimes wonder if he was exposed to something when he worked there and that is what caused the Alzheimer's. They did work with a lot of chemicals. He worked there into the seventies. Then later on went to work at GTE in Huntsville and then Chrysler after GTE moved their plant overseas. He retired from Chrysler early when he started getting sick.

Taken in November of 1980, Dad and me at my wedding. I borrowed my Aunt Glenda's wedding dress(Dad's sister) who is only 11 years older than me. I also have an Aunt Sandy who is only 5 years older than me. Dad's oldest sister is Melba and she is about 74, I believe, now. So Pop and Granny really spread their children out. (Wish I was that small again!!!)


The last picture was taken 2 years ago, November 25, at Chris and Holly's wedding. Emily had married in August of that year. That was a very hard year. When you're not rich and you are trying to do your best to make a memorable wedding for your daughters on a budget, that means a lot of work must be done by you. I kept telling myself that this was happening for a reason and that one day I would know. Well, last year my Dad began to get much worse and then my Mom had a stroke last November. If the girls had not married when they did, Dad would not have been able to come and it would have been hard for my Mom. The way it was Mom helped me a good bit with the weddings, but now I have to help her. At the time of the weddings, Dad was already very confused and didn't really know us anymore, but you can see his sweet smile in the photo. He was born November 12, 1939 and died November 25, 2008. Both of his parents died in the month of their birth as well.
Wallace Helton "Pete" Parker

5 comments:

Beth said...

Hi Jilly,

We got quite a dusting of snow this morning but it melted pretty quickly. Its been flurries off and on since. I went to doctor and got a shot of cortisone and a pack of cortisone. He did blood work to check and see if its Rheumatoid Arthritus causing it. He said sometimes you can just get bouts of gout without having the Arthur part. He also gave me something for pain too. Said I should feel a little better by afternoon.
I made you a little something this week-end,,not much, but going to send it to you tomorrow. You have so been in my thoughts and prayers,,its so hard to lose a parent. Loved the pictures too. You look like your Daddy.
Well stay warm and know that I am still thinking of you.
xoxoxooxoxoxoox

Kim's Treasures said...

Hi Jill~

I'm so sorry for your loss! Alzheimer's is so hard. My grandma had it and she lived with me and hubby for a bit. I'll be praying for you!

Your flower arrangement is very pretty!

Have a great day!
Kim

Holly said...

What a lovely post :) I can't believe yall got snow! Yall barely ever get rain so that is surprising! I hope you are having a wonderful week.

Love you,
Holly

Kim's Treasures said...

I forgot to tell you yesterday that our wedding dresses are so very similar!

Jeanie said...

Oh, Jill -- I'm so glad you posted the photos of your Dad. It really gives me a wonderful image of him -- and I loved them all. And the stories behind it, too.

I've lived through similar feelings of loss and I think it's wonderful to share the photos -- it just helps keep him alive to lots of others.

Snow, huh. Want some more?

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